Articles by Marcia Reynolds
- Leading Into the Acceleration of Change (Great Leadership, July 23, 2020)
- The Burden of Greatness: Unique Challenges of High-Achieving Women (Choice Magazine, July, 2020)
- How to Help Others Do a Mental Reboot (SmartBrief, June 4, 2020)
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How to Learn What Someone Needs: 4 Practices to Improve Coaching in Difficult Times (Berrett-Koehler Publishers, BKConnections Blog, May 14, 2020)
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The Key to Effective Coaching: Psychologically Safe Partnering That Encourages Discomfort (Training Industry, May 8, 2020)
- Creating a Sense of Safety in Your Remote Conversations (SmartBrief, May 7, 2020)
- Establishing a Safe and Trusting Connection in a Virtual World (Coaching World, April 16, 2020)
- Learning Leadership Skills is a Waste of Time (Realizing Leadership, Issue 49, November, 2016, p 17-20)
- Don’t Confuse Coaching with Giving Feedback (Choice Magazine, Vol. 14, No. 1, April, 2016, p 24-26)
- Grow Where You Are: How to build your power and significance without moving up the ladder (American Association of Law Libraries Spectrum – Professional Development Issue, Jan. 19, 2016)
- 4 Steps for Improving Change Management Conversations (Training Magazine, Nov. 4, 2015)
- Give the Millennials What They Want - Great Leaders (Success, June 8, 2015)
- How to Manage a Strong Willed Ego (AMA Quarterly Magazine, Spring 2015)
- 5 Steps to Empower Others to Think More Creatively (Brand Quarterly)
- 5 Tips for Using the Discomfort Zone in Performance Conversations (About.com)
- Time for a Tough Talk at the Office? Remember These 5 Steps (Success)
- Turning Difficult Conversations into Breakthroughs (Training Magazine)
- Handling Emotional Conversations: Move through, don’t avoid, emotional moments (Personal Excellence – HR.com)
- Using Discomfort Zone Conversations to Sustain a Competitive Advantage (CEO World)
- Navigating the Emotional Minefield (Choice Magazine)
- Why Transformative Coaching Takes Guts (Coaching World)
- Why the Best Bosses Make Us Feel Uncomfortable (CNN.com)
- Four Tips to Facilitate Tough Conversations (Chief Learning Officer)
- Creating Mental Breakthroughs: Uncomfortable conversations can initiate positive change (Leadership Excellence Essentials, HR.com)
- The Water We Swim In: A new look at cognitive evolution (International Journal of Coaching in Organizations)
- Zebras and Lions in the Workplace: An interview with Dr. Robert Sapolsky (International Journal of Coaching in Organizations)
- Alfred Adler and Coaching: Unique opportunities and challenges (International Journal of Coaching in Organizations)
Marcia Reynolds Interviewed or Quoted In:
SHRM, December 8, 2020
Coaching is becoming increasingly common in the global workforce, with good coaching from managers leading to more-motivated and better-performing employees.
Challenge traditional thinking. "The coach must be willing to challenge beliefs, disrupt routine responses and short-circuit habitual reasoning," said Marcia Reynolds, founder of Covisioning, an executive coaching firm in Phoenix. "When the challenges prompt employees to see the gaps in their logic, the beliefs that no longer serve them and their imagined assumptions about the future, employees can break through and get a fresh, realistic outlook on a workplace issue.
"After that, they make their own decisions and then have the confidence to implement the changes they choose to make."
Fast Company, July, 2020
Stephanie Vozza, We know managers need to be coaches, but how do employees become more coachable?
Coaches help their teams grow on a professional level, but being a coachable employee is a vital part of the equation, says behavioral scientist and master certified coach Marcia Reynolds, author of Coach the Person, Not the Problem: A Guide to Using Reflective Inquiry.
“Coaching must be focused on what the person being coached wants to achieve,” she says. “It can be a mutual goal that benefits both the leader and the employee, but leaders need to be careful. The problem is if the employee isn’t ready to be coached. That could be due to doubt or fear about the outcome.”
To be coachable, you need to have three critical traits: Willingness, Desire, and Courage.
The Washington Post, May, 2020
Elizabeth Heath, Adaptability may be your most essential skill in the covid-19 world
Marcia Reynolds, an early leader in the coaching movement, likes to remind clients that the future was never certain to begin with. “Einstein said that ‘reality is merely an illusion — albeit a very persistent one,’ ” she says. “The idea that we believed everything was going to be okay was unreasonable. Unexpected shifts are always around the corner, whether in personal life or in business.”
National Coach Academy, January, 2020
Brandon Baker, Coach Interview Series: Marcia Reynolds
Every new coach has coaching fears like, “If I coach instead of offering advise, I’m not providing value.” That’s just not true. Coaching provides great value even if all we do is provide a safe space where people can show up to be themselves — we may be the only place in their lives where they can do that.
Fast Company, September 14, 2019
Lisa Evan, How to shut up that insistent negative voice in your head
Your brain is just trying to protect you, but the constant stream of self-doubt is holding you back. Here are some tactics to override it.
Life Coach Path, Oct 10, 2019
Lupe Colangelo Four Ways Coaching Has Evolved
“The success and ongoing growth of coaching is due to one fact: it works,” Reynolds adds. “Other attempts at motivation and influence aren’t as effective.”
Financier Worldwide, February 2019
Frasier Tennant, Cover Story: Catalyst for change: the mechanics of leadership
“A great leader is defined by the work and wellbeing of the people they lead, not just by the goals they accomplish,” believes Marcia Reynolds, …
The Daily Egg, May 2018
Sharon Hurley Hall, The 7 Questions Every Online Customer Has & Why You Need To Know Them
Outsmart Your Brain has a useful list of emotional triggers to see what words resonate most for you.”
The Guardian, August 12, 2017
Zoe Catchpole, Toddler Twins, a Demanding Job… Why Not Take On an Ironman?
“Psychologist Dr Marcia Reynolds, who wrote about the female midlife crisis in her book Wander Woman, describes how, ‘As [women] cope with the ongoing inequality in the workplace, their disappointments of dreams unmet and continually feeling misunderstood and mismanaged, they begin to drop off the corporate ladder.’ It is then that women look for other goals to fill the void of corporate advancement. “For smart, goal-driven women, a midlife crisis isn’t about recovering lost youth,” she writes. ‘It’s about discovering the application of their greatness. The problem is that no one has defined what greatness looks like, so the quest has no specific destination.’ She calls this phenomenon ‘the burden of greatness’ and says it could explain the increasing numbers of women choosing to take part in extreme sports.”
Monster.com, December 12, 2016
Lee Price, When and How to Intervene If Your Team Doesn’t Get Along
“These days people leave their jobs because of ineffective leaders and toxic work teams, even more so than for low pay,” says Marcia Reynolds, author of The Discomfort Zone: How Leaders Turn Difficult Conversations Into Breakthroughs. “And they will stay with good leaders and teams they enjoy working with even if they are offered more money elsewhere.”
After the immediate disagreements are addressed, map out a plan to help everybody stay on the same page. Help your employees identify what group success looks like - and how success for the group is different than individual success, says Reynolds. With a shared mission statement that everyone believes in, you can rally your team to work toward that mission together in harmony.
Bustle, July 28, 2016
Carolyn Steeber, 13 Tips for Getting Out of a Toxic Long-Term Relationship
Once you can see clearly that this thing is totally over, it’s time to make moves. “Take responsibility for your choice. Identify what you want from a partner, and from your life,” suggested Marcia Reynolds, Psy.D., on Psychology Today. “If you are sure you can’t find it in your current relationship, set a date to leave.”
Marie Claire, July 2016
Natasha Courtenay-Smith, Planning a Career Change at 30?
According to psychologist and author Dr Marcia Reynolds it’s normal for women to reflect on their career and life choices as each new decade approaches, with the dawning of our 30s often resulting in a drive to focus on long term happiness over short term financial gain.
How to Be Awesome at Your Job, May 20, 2016
Pete Mockatis, Emotional Mastery
In this podcast, you will hear Dr. Marcia Reynolds provides tools for some extra self-mastery of emotions to enrich ourselves and our colleagues.
1) The story of a dramatic exchange in jail that altered Marcia’s life trajectory—and made me cry.
2) Key coaching questions that make people stop, think, and become open to change.
3) The four steps to change your emotional state at will.
The Telegraph, April 3, 2016
Radhika Sanghani, How to be Feminine in 2016
All of these women redefined femininity in a way that let them own the word and everything it stands for. Marcia Reynolds, author of Wander Woman: How High-Achieving Women Find Contentment and Direction, espoused something similar in an essay on femininity: “At this stage in my life, I’m inclined to say that being feminine means I am OK with who I am, no matter what type of girl I am, what clothes I like to wear, or how I relate to the concept of family in my personal life. I enjoy my feminine side when it shows up and my masculine side when it emerges. And I accept others for who they choose to be.”
Bustle, October 23, 2015
Carolyn Steber, 5 Ways To Be More Assertive In Your Everyday Life
Our hesitance to speak up may come from the fact that female assertiveness is often viewed negatively, especially in the workplace. According to Marcia Reynolds, Psy.D., for Psychology Today, “Women often have a smaller range of acceptable behaviors at work than men. The article shares 5 tips for being more assertive in any situation.
TD Magazine, March 8, 2015
Patty Gaul, An Interview with Marcia Reynolds, PsyD
In this Long View article, the author interviewed Marcia Reynolds about her book, The Discomfort Zone, and the power of uncomfortable conversations in helping to expand the minds of employees and leaders.
Fast Company, November 25, 2014
Lisa Evans, The Top 6 Mistakes Managers Make When Having Difficult Conversations
Marcia Reynolds, corporate trainer and author of The Discomfort Zone: How Leaders Turn Difficult Conversations into Breakthroughs says the stress and anxiety leading up to difficult topics of conversation can be overwhelming. While no one likes to be the bearer of bad news, avoiding these top six conversation pitfalls can prevent difficult conversations from turning toxic.
Fast Company, November 24, 2014
Lindsay Lavine, How to Deal With Emotionally Difficult Situations at Work
Marcia Reynolds, president of Covisioning LLC, an Arizona-based leadership consultancy, recently explored this topic for Psychology Today. For example, when someone cries, she suggests offering a tissue and calmly waiting for the crying to subside and the person to signal they’re ready to move on. “Crying is a natural physiological response when someone feels hurt, disappointed, sad, or had expectations that weren’t met,” she says.
Fortune, November 7, 2014
Anne Fisher, When Constructive Criticism Falls on Deaf Ears “When you’ve delivered your message over and over, and someone isn’t hearing what you’re saying no matter how you put it, it’s time to ask questions that get to the heart of how this person is thinking,” says Marcia Reynolds, president of leadership development firm Covisioning and author of The Discomfort Zone: How Leaders Turn Difficult Conversations into Breakthroughs. “Telling him how you see the situation isn’t working. So find out how he sees it. Find out, first, what his goals are.”
The Globe and Mail, October 28, 2014
Harvey Schachter, How to Unlock Resistance to Change
Most of us prefer comfort to discomfort in conversations. So the thought of purposefully heading into what consultant Marcia Reynolds calls The Discomfort Zone is unnerving. Who needs it? Well, actually, the person you are conversing with might desperately need it. To help people think differently, you have to disturb their automatic processing of ideas and activities. That means challenging their beliefs and bringing to the surface the fears, needs and desires that hold those beliefs in place. That requires plunging into the discomfort zone.
Dallas Morning News, October 18, 2014
Jim Pawlak, Business Book Reviews: The Discomfort Zone
Even when tactfully delivering difficult messages, it’s hard to help the recipient hear the constructive part of the criticism. Instead, defensive emotions kick in and the message doesn’t get through. Marcia Reynolds provides the answer: Dream.
Metro New York, October 12, 2013
Lakshmi Gandhi, Feeling Uncomfortable at Work isn’t Always a Bad Thing
“We don’t learn anything if we don’t allow ourselves to be uncomfortable, so we stay stuck in seeing things and doing things the same way,” Reynolds explains. “I always say that in the moment of discomfort, where we become uncertain of who we are and how we see the world, is the opportunity to grow.” Reynolds says that taking someone out of their comfort zone is also key to breaking the patterns and defense mechanisms that often stop people from reaching their potential.
GovLoop, October 9, 2014
Jessie Kwak, How to Have a Tough Work Conversation
In a recent episode of The Next Level Podcast at Government Executive, Scott Eblin talks with Reynolds about the lessons in her new book The Discomfort Zone: How Leaders Turn Difficult Conversations Into Breakthroughs. Her comments and techniques are geared mostly toward leaders and managers having conversations with people on their team, but there are plenty of great tips in the conversation for anyone needing to approach a tough conversation.
Fast Company, October 7, 2014
Laura Vanderkam, 5 Strategies To Prepare For A Difficult Conversation At Work
Before saying these four dreaded words to a colleague: “We need to talk,” here’s how to make a tough confrontation go smoothly.
Tips taken from an interview with Marcia Reynolds about her book, The Discomfort Zone: How Leaders Turn Difficult Conversations into Breakthroughs
Forbes, August 21, 2014
Kare Anderson, Don’t Act Like a Jerk Because Someone Else Is
Now if you want to take a big leap forward into deeper, more mutually satisfying relationships where you can increase your own self-awareness as you enable others to see sides of themselves that are hampering their growth, learn how to “turn difficult conversations into breakthroughs” for them. Read the insightful and actionable new book, The Discomfort Zone, by Outsmart Your Brain author Marcia Reynolds, coming out in October 13, 2014.
Today, August 4, 2014
Joan Raymond, This is 50: You won’t believe how many things get better
“There is no one size fits all, but what I see a lot is that individuals in their 50s have a great sense of realism about their lives and they are very comfortable with who they are,” says Reynolds, who works with many professionals who are at midlife and mid-career. “They realize that life can be pretty good.” In her own work, Reynolds finds that people in their 50s tend to be less stressed. “When you’re in your 30s everything is all about having to do things, having to find work, having to find something better, but when you hit your 50s you find that you don’t have to keep grasping for things, and you don’t sweat the small stuff,” she says.
Wall Street Journal, April 26, 2014
Jennifer Breheny Wallace, Put That Resentment to Good Use
Psychologists and other experts aren’t immune to these feelings either. “There’s a man in my field who has made a big name for himself by so brilliantly promoting his work,” says executive coach Marcia Reynolds. “Whenever I hear his name, I feel something in the pit of my stomach.” But instead of dismissing her envy, she reflects on it and asks herself, “What’s holding me back? Can’t I play at his level too?”
CareerSmart Advisor, October 26, 2009
Marji McClure, How Change Can Drive Your Career
“Most change courses give you the ‘mechanics of change.’ Leaders have to deal with both the mechanics of change and the humanity of change,” says executive coach Marcia Reynolds, PsyD. “Instead of avoiding the resistance, they should embrace it and help their employees move through it. This ensures sustainable engagement and buy-in to change efforts.”
Mental Notes, July 2009
Mark Zust, Our Emotional Mind
According to Marcia Reynolds, an EI practitioner and coach, “To make better decisions, stimulate our creativity, increase our persuasive powers and live healthier, more peaceful lives, we must learn how to partner with the feelings that arise from our emotional reactions, not suppress them like we’ve been taught to for so many years.” It all begins with an awareness of our emotional states and a willingness to work with, not against them.
Harvard Management Update, February 2008
Paul Michelman, How Will You Make Your Team a Team?
“Most people have an idea of what they are trying to achieve,” says Marcia Reynolds, author of How to Outsmart Your Brain (Covisioning, 2001), “but their picture of what this destination looks like varies, causing differing goals, priorities, and needs. Visions need to be visual and specific, then negotiated so everyone is focused on the same path.” The development of a shared vision might begin with a discussion of how the team builds value.
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