September: Preparing to be a Leader
The session began with a quote from Canadian hockey legend Wayne Gretzky: “I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been.” while the part about having “High standards and clear vision” didn’t surprise me, the idea of “effectively communicate both” made me think. I usually assume that people can easily recognize when someone has high standards – but that’s not always the case. I also did some self reflection when coach Ric spoke about “self-assessment” and what it means to approach it with emotional intelligence.
Find out more from the slides of this session here.
June: Understanding Office Politics
This is a “popular” topic which we received many questions about; it is also a tricky one because it is “informal, hidden, with no rules…” as pointed out by Coach Ric. “Do you choose to play the game?” Ric asks. But wait a second, we can treat office politics like a game? The more interesting question, though, is do you play the game to win? Find the session’s slides here. Check out coach Ric’s series on “Proven Strategies for Managing Difficult People, Difficult Conversations” for more practical tips.
May: Manage Difficult Conversations
Ah, handling difficult conversations—never an easy topic! But it’s one Coach Ric has a lot to say about, and for good reason: people are always asking about it. Among all the useful tips Coach Ric shared, I hope I can remember “firm and fair” when handling difficult situations. The “win and lose” analysis of a conversation is also eye opening. Can we actually “win” a conversation? Find the presentation of this session here.
April: Strategies for Personal Branding
April 24， 2025
The conversation about personal branding becomes more philosophical than practical. Why do we need self promote, and should we self promote? Is it fake if we do something strategically and deliberately? Is being authentic stopping us from connecting with other people? Check out the material from this session here.
March: How to Establish and Expand Your Professional Network
March 27, 2025
Coach Ric started the 2025 Lunch Coaching sessions with a slide that reminded me that human nature is at the core of communications – people would connect for 3 reasons: they like/believe in you, they like/believe in your cause, or ROI. There were many questions we discussed that lie at the heart of networking. Ric also shared some practical networking formulas and tips.
Overall, networking is not about having answers ready but about having the right attitude and an open heart. If you don’t have an answer to a question – whether it is about sports you are unfamiliar with or local politics – you can always ask the other person’s point of view. Find the slides here, and join our conversation and discussion next month (April 24th) live if you missed it this time. Register the series here.
You can find the notes and materials for topics we covered in 2024 here. We covered Effective Presentation, Meeting Facilitation, Workplace Negotiation, Performance Review, and Small Talk etc.