Blogs

September 03, 2026Empathy and Understanding in Coaching

By Robin Westerik As coaches, we strive to create a safe and supportive environment for our clients. One of the most essential components of this environment is empathy. Cultivating the ability to understand and share the feelings of others in the coaching relationship can be a game-changer for both parties involved. When we take the time to truly listen to and comprehend our client's experiences, challenges, and emotions, it allows them to feel seen, heard, and validated. Empathy is not just about feeling sorry for someone or acknowledging their pain; it's about actively listening without judgment or assumption. It requires us to put aside our own biases and perspectives and focus on the person in front of us. As coaches, we need to be intentional about creating space for our clients' emotions and experiences. This means asking open-ended questions that encourage them to share more, active listening through nods, eye contact, and verbal cues like "uh-huh" or "I see," and avoidin... Read more

More Coaching Academy Posts

Press Releases

December 17, 2025MEG Partners with Quality Innovations

In a recent press release , Madison Education Group announced an ongoing collaboration with Quality Innovations to offer online and self guided certification programs in quality assurance and lead auditor training. Two programs are already live and available to students: ISO 9001:2015 Quality Assurance System and ISO 9001:2015 Exemplar Global Certification Dr. Mike Gospodinsky, founder of Quality Innovations, was highlighted in the release and expressed his excitement about the partnership and confirmed that future programs in quality assurance are already in development. Lead auditors are part of ever-expanding, quality assurance industry. According to a recent report , as of 2024, the global quality assurance industry was valued at over $45 million and is expected to surpass $65 million by 2033. Lead auditors, too, are in high demand with the authors of Career Opportunities for Certified ISO 9001 Lead Auditors , noting that entry level, lead auditor salaries range ... Read more

More Press Releases Posts

Featured

December 04, 2025December 7 1941 0748 Hours

By: Dr. Ken Gemlich This week, marks the eighty forth, remembrance anniversary of the event that led to America’s entrance into World War 2. When we look at the events of that fateful day, we are left with many un-answered questions. From a national security perspective, one of the most enduring questions is: Was the attack on Pearl Harbor a stroke of Japanese military brilliance or an American defense failure? Inevitably, we can find evidence to support both of those theories. For example, the Japanese planning was meticulous. A network of spies located on O’ahu provided Japanese leadership with American ship movements and harbor layout that proved invaluable in the planning of the attack. By contrast, and as we will see below, the American actions and response appear poorly coordinated and this proved disastrous. A Little Background The events that led up to the attack on Pearl Harbor were the results of decades of power struggles in Asia and the Pacific and an increasing... Read more

More Featured Posts

Leadership

December 03, 2025Situational Leadership: Directing (with Examples)

By Dr. Scott. This week, we resume our short series on Situational Leadership. Last month, I introduced the series and provided a short overview of Situational Leadership Theory in 6 Characteristics of Situational Leaders followed by a quick dive into the model developed by Ken Blanchard and Paul Hersey back in the late 1960s in The Situational Leadership Model . The theory, and the models that followed, focus on a leader’s need to alter their leadership style to align with a follower’s level of development, the complexity of the task, and the nuances of the situation. If you missed either or those previous installments, I highly recommend, at least, quickly reviewing The Situational Leadership Model because, this week, we’ll focus are sights on one of the four quadrants of the Situational Leadership Model: Directing. As a quick refresher, though, the model identifies 4 Quadrants: Directing, Coaching, Supporting, and Delegating. To understand the model, we should thin... Read more