What’s New for Ryan?

I’m really pleased to say that I will be coaching the Canadian Women’s National Hockey Team at the World Championships this April. It is such a privilege to work with the best in the world. I love coaching people’s best, whether they are hockey players, students, managers, or business owners.

Obviously we must adjust our approach to get people's very best.

Understanding how to coach the best in people is a vital art with a moving target. In the past, differences in personalities, cultures, and work environments influenced coaching relevance. When I was an NHL player throughout the 1980's, coaching players from different cultures was the conversation among NHL coaching staffs. "How do we get the most out of players from Europe or Russia? Can we utilize the same tactics that we do with North American players?" Well, the answer was then and is now: "You Can't!"

My point about coaching in the 1980's is exacerbated now in 2011. Today our work places are far more complex. Add in Gender- 51 plus % women in work place, add in Generational differences- for the first time ever we have 4 generations side by side, add in differences and options in how we can communicate, add in changes in technology…

Leadership is far more complex today for one more technological reason. What you say or do "in Vegas" no longer stays there; it's on Youtube in minutes. Pressure to coach people the right way "now" has never been greater. Coaching people's best is an art and a science. Over these next blog posts we will explore together what works and what decidedly does not.

What else is Ryan up to?

In addition to coaching Women’s Hockey, I passionately coach sales teams, inspire association conferences, deliver high-end relevant content at leadership conferences, and change the energy at safety conferences with my Safety is a Team Game presentation (because it is)! I love putting my Master’s Degree in Leadership Business to work exploring leadership at weekend management retreats in order to fire up executives for half a day or longer. In fact, I love matching my keynote or hands-on interactive session to whatever my client needs.

So, while the month of April will take me to Switzerland to coach hockey, I am ready to coach you, your team, or your organization the rest of the time. Visit  www.ryanwalter.com to book a speech or leadership training session or www.inspiringyourbestgame.com for weekly video training. And look for both on facebook!

What’s coming in this blog?

This blog will focus on how to coach the very BEST in your people. I have played and coached at the NHL level under Stanley Cup pressure and emerged with a ring on my finger, and I have the academic credentials to explain the science behind achievement and success.

I like the word engagement, but I love the word HUNGRY! I plan to spend lots of time in this blog exploring how to create and sustain a hungry culture. And as an aside, our 5th book HUNGRY: Fuelling your BEST GAME will be out in February. Contact me at CONTACT RYAN if you would like a copy and I’ll put you on the list.
See you soon!
Ryan