Life at Liberty: What Horses Know
By Razelle Janice Drescher
In 2004, I was having dinner in a restaurant in Petaluma, California and was reading the local entertainment paper when I noticed a very small ad that said “Harmony with Horses.” It announced a 3-hour introductory workshop starting at 8:30 a.m. the next morning. I called the number in the ad and found there was a spot available for me. When I showed up at the ranch the next morning, the horses were in the pasture next to my parked car and I was the only one there. I felt something in that moment that was a combination of anticipation, excitement and something else that wasn’t as familiar to me. It was a feeling of connection to the horses in the pasture, the pasture, the surrounding land and a feeling of ‘possibility.’ It seemed as if I were on the brink of something wonderful.
That day started me on a journey that continues to this day. I have been a Business Coach for many decades. The experience I had that day at that ranch opened the door to my journey with horses that started when I was 7 years old and led me to this moment and beyond.
I immediately saw that horses have a lot to teach us about relationships in general, who’s in charge and what leadership is all about. Because of the wisdom that horses offer us, I incorporated Team Building with Horses into my service offerings as a Business Coach. Horses survive on strong leadership. The leader of a horse herd is responsible for the herd’s survival, but each horse has an important role to play as well. The same is true in the workplace. The leadership model that horses teach has valuable lessons for workplace leadership.
In this post, I am sharing a very personal experience I had early on in my journey that reconnected me with these amazing animals that I have loved since I was very young. The following account was published in the Summer 2009 issue of the Sonoma County Horse Journal.
The Foundation for Business Success
By Razelle Janice Drescher
What Does It Take to Build a Successful Business?
A common dilemma many businesses face is the recurrence of frustrations that impede smooth-running business operations day-to-day. This often results in a fire fighting mentality focused on putting out those fires. This approach to doing business is reactive rather than proactive and contributes to a stressful business culture instead of one that supports the fulfillment of the business vision in an organized, clear and deliberate way.
In a fire fighting environment, when frustrations occur, it's not uncommon to blame a person for falling short. But that mindset isn't sustainable for building a sucessful business that works to serve people's lives. The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber lays out another possibility that points to a business run by systems that is not "people dependent." Find out why this perspective is so helpful...
How To Be a Sales Magnet
By Razelle Janice Drescher
How Effective is Your Company's Sales Process?
My company, Intentional Leaders, helps businesses accomplish their business goals. One common need that business owners often have is to achieve a better “close” rate for the product or service they sell. When your sales team is speaking with a prospect, how effective is the way they engage with the potential customer? In this blog, I am going to outline the approach I use to get to the bottom of this common business frustration with the intention of maximizing the close rate.
The Value of Management Tools
By Razelle Janice Drescher
A Slippery Slope
It seems straightforward enough. You manage a department or a team and give an employee a task or project, explain what you want and expect the employee to deliver the result you expect. What could possibly go wrong? It may be surprising to learn that many things can go wrong when you are attempting to get results through your employees unless you provide certain things that are needed to ensure success.
The Art of Allowing in Business Relationships
By Razelle Janice Drescher
Allowing vs. Controlling in Business Relationships
“Authenticity builds trust in relationships.”
Lisa Walters, “IN THE FIELD with Horses”
“Allowing vs. Controlling” is an approach to leadership that cultivates authentic workplace relationships and maximizes the potential for effective collaboration and creative problem solving in all business relationships. Trying to control outcomes in a business results in limitations that stifle creative input and collaboration.