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VOLUME 16, NUMBER 1 - WINTER 2017
The Business Coaching Newsletter - Winter 2017
Fifteen Years of www.coaching.cz

This winter marks the 15-year anniversary of my website: www.coaching.cz. It is hard to believe how fast the time has flown. I felt that 15 years was the perfect milestone to take the words of John F. Kennedy to heart: Change is the law of life, and those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future. Thus my website’s new look is actually another step in the overall re-branding.

The much-needed facelift was accomplished with help from two business associates: Diana Burr (www.dianaburr.com) and Tracy Wampler (tracywdesign.com). I also would like to thank Lydia Vycitalova (L.Y.die) for my portraits.

I suggest that you check out www.coaching.cz to see the new site for yourself. For those of you who may not have received all my newsletters or read my various articles, you can now find a complete archive on the website.

New Newsletter Format

Those of you who receive my regular quarterly newsletter may have noticed that in addition to a new look for my website, I have also given my newsletter template a much-needed facelift. Not only will you find it to be more user-friendly, but it is now finally responsive.

If this anniversary is cause for celebration, it is also a chance to reflect on the road traveled. It gives me the opportunity to thank you for your loyal readership and support, and to celebrate the incredible contributions my clients, students and business friends have made to my ongoing and ever-expanding business.

I look forward to the learning and growing opportunities we will share in the future. Happy Anniversary and Happy New Year.

Karin's signature

The Power Breakfast started on January 27th

Many of you know that I have hosted a Power Lunch series on a monthly basis since 2003. This program has attracted a diverse group of participants representing a range of professions. I have had the good fortune to learn, share ideas and exchange experiences, while exploring various management and business-related issues with smart and insightful people.

The Winter 2017 Power Breakfast series started on January 27th and focuses on the Language of Leadership.

Location: Jurys Inn Prague
Time: 08:00-10:00
Price: 800 CZK +21% DPH

Do not hesitate to contact me at karin@coaching.cz for additional information

QUOTE OF THE MONTH

"Change is the law of life, and those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future. "

— John F. Kennedy

Rotary Dragon Boat Charity Challenge 2017

On Saturday May 13th, Rotary Club Prague International invites you to participate in an excellent team building event on the Vltava River… A dragon boat race!

Dragon boat racing is an ancient Chinese water sport that is very popular in the Czech Republic. The long boats are similar to a canoe, but with a decorative dragon’s head and tail. To enter a team you need 12 paddlers and a drummer.

Taking part is easy, as boats, helmsman to steer the boat, life jackets and other safety equipment are all provided by the organizers. It is possible to book training sessions before race day. 

It’s great fun, requires no experience, anyone can do it, and you’ll be supporting some wonderful charities in Prague!

You and your company can commit a team to participate in the Rotary Dragon Boat Race Challenge. Or you can just come with friends and family to watch the exciting racing, enjoy the atmosphere, have some food and fun, and more. 

When: Saturday May 13th 2017
Where: On the Vltava River at Žluté lázně
Who: You and your friends. Boat teams should be 18 to 20 people, some for support

This event benefits Nadace Naše dítě (a children's charity), Zivot 90 (provides support for the elderly) and Olga Havlova Foundation, (provides support for disadvantaged people). For more information, please visit http://www.rotarypragueinternational.org or email rotarydragonboats@gmail.com.

My Mother’s Feminist Dream

As a child, I dreamed of being like my mother, a dutiful housewife, and I dreamed of raising beautiful and happy children.

Fortunately, I was born in the wrong house. My mother was a feminist, who grew up at a time in France before women could vote. And, until her 35th birthday, she wasn’t allowed to get a job or open a bank account without her husband’s approval.

While I dreamed of becoming the perfect housewife, my mother was hoping that I’d grow up to make my own choices and live the life I wanted.

Growing up, I watched her while she was cleaning and cooking, eager to emulate her. But she kept sending me away, encouraging me to read books or play with my sister. No matter how many distractions she found, I kept bugging her to teach me how to be a dutiful wife.

Finally, she relented. One day, to my surprise, she said, “Having a dream is a wonderful aspiration. However, if you want to become a dutiful wife, you need to learn the basic principles.” With this she handed me “The Good Wife’s Guide,” which she herself had received as a wedding gift. Published in 1955, “The Good Wife’s Guide” was a handbook on how to take care of a husband’s needs and how to make him happy.

With great anticipation, I grabbed the book and began to read: Your goal is make your home a place of peace, order and tranquility – a place where your husband can renew himself in body and spirit.

WOW, this book was a lot more serious than I had expected. I wasn’t exactly sure what it all meant, but I continued anyway. Before your husband returns from work, take a 15-minute rest, touch up your makeup and do what you can to look fresh.

I liked this advice, especially the makeup part. I wasn’t yet allowed to use makeup and I was very much looking forward the day my mother would let me do so.

You must listen to him. You may have a dozen important things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first.

This advice gave me pause. While I knew that listening to others was important, (my mother was always telling me not to interrupt), I had great difficulties not saying what was on my mind. But with a bit of practice, I felt I could learn to let my husband speak first. Moving on.

Don’t question him about his actions or question his judgment or integrity. Remember, he is the master of the house. You have no right to question him.

Now wait a minute! What was that supposed to mean? What was I supposed to do when I didn’t agree with him? My mother had taught me from an early age to speak up when I felt something was wrong. I had taken this lesson to heart and often voiced my ideas with great enthusiasm.

While I understood and accepted (more or less) most of the advice in the “The Good Wife’s Guide,” the idea of not being able to speak up when I wanted to made me very uncomfortable. I slowly began to understand my mother’s lack of enthusiasm about my dream.

For centuries, women were expected to attend to men’s well-being and even pamper them, often at the cost of their own well-being. Paying attention to her comfort as well as the comfort of others was also part of my mother’s aspiration. And she was determined to share with me her feminist dream of caring for the well-being of other people, as well as my own well-being.

Today, my mother is smiling in heaven, watching her feminist dream become a reality. In addition to learning how to take care of my own needs, I’ve also learned to question my partner’s opinions… with a smile!!!

Calendar IconCoach's Calendar

27.01.17
It is not what you say, it’s what people hear

17.02.17
The Ten Rules of Effective Language part I

24.03.17
The Ten Rules of Effective Language part II

21.04.17
The Ten Rules of Effective Language part III

13.05.17
Rotary Dragon Boat Charity Challenge

19/20/21.05.17
Toastmasters Spring District 95 Conference in Berlin

26.05.17
Myth & Realities About Language and People

30.06.17
Talk Your Way to the Top

Recommended Reading IconRecommended Reads

Getting to "Yes And": The Art of Business Improv

by Bob Kuhlan and Chuck Crisafulli

1984

by George Orwell

About Karin
Karin Genton-L’Epée is a business coach with 36 years of extensive professional experience in the United States, France and the Czech Republic. Based in Prague since 1995, for the past 19 years she has developed a range of coaching and training programs for mid- and top-level managers, focusing on leadership development, cross-cultural understanding and effective communication in a global environment. By providing a structured environment that supports people in clarifying who they are and what they want, Karin enables her clients to devise more effective strategies to achieve their personal and professional goals. Thanks to her knowledge, skills and range of international experience, Karin is in demand as a speaker at business conferences and educational institutions on both sides of the Atlantic. She is also a regular contributor to business journals and magazines. She works in English and French and can be reached at karin@coaching.cz.

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