CLEAR Performance Coaching

Rick Timlick, Kent Vaugh, Sam Bracken

CLEAR is a leadership and performance coaching podcast for leaders, managers, coaches, and even parents who want to help people grow without relying on control, clichés, or empty motivation. Each episode unpacks the mindset, psychology, neuroscience, and practical coaching tools behind better conversations, stronger accountability, real behavior change, and healthier team culture. Built around the CLEAR Performance Coaching framework, this show helps you lead with more clarity, coach with more confidence, and develop people in ways that actually stick.

  1. 10h ago

    Podcast #19 - CLEAR Performance Coaching - QUICK START - Coach in the Gaps - Full Version (Audio)

    “I don’t have time to coach.” What if 60 seconds, done consistently, beats an hour? In Episode 19, Rick Timlick, Sam Bracken and Kent Vaughn take on the Quick Start card Coach in the Gaps (Card 45). The hour you think coaching requires was never the requirement. Short, consistent moments in the gaps you already have build trust, keep you connected to the work, and avoid the anxiety a rare one-on-one can create. In this episode: - What “I don’t have time to coach” is really telling you - Kent’s toothbrush story: a little, done consistently - What people assume when the leader stops showing up - Sam’s 60-second coaching moment - Correcting something egregious with a coaching mindset - The three watch-outs on Card 45: correct in private, be open to feedback, be loyal to people’s strengths - The “oh crap” leader vs. the “oh yeah” leader Sam’s 60-second coaching moment: 1. What would winning look like for you today? 2. What obstacles are you facing? 3. What are you going to do about it? 4. How can I support you? Your two-week assignment: attach one question to one anchor in your day: “What’s the trickiest part of your day right now?” “A little done consistently is a lot better than a lot done very infrequently.” - Kent Vaughn Chapters: 0:00 Intro 0:53 Welcome & Card 45: “I don’t have time” 2:47 Kent’s toothbrush story 5:54 What “I don’t have time” really means 7:36 The plant-floor walk that stopped 10:02 What a 60-second coaching moment looks like 15:00 Sliding under the threat response 17:32 When you see something egregious 22:51 The three watch-outs on Card 45 27:08 The worst version: the “oh crap” leader 32:31 Your two-week assignment Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/LNouSVJwDTY Watch the clip: https://youtube.com/shorts/d6T5cExDE1Y About CLEAR Performance Coaching: We help ordinary leaders become great coaches who create extraordinary results. https://www.clearperformancecoaching.com Hosts: Rick Timlick, Sam Bracken & Kent Vaughn

  2. Oct 15

    Podcast #18 - CLEAR Performance Coaching - QUICK START - Be Curious - Full Version (Audio)

    Ask instead of answer. The one move every great coach makes. In Episode 18, Rick Timlick, Sam Bracken and Kent Vaughn start the Quick Start series with Be Curious. Curiosity over telling is the core move of CLEAR coaching. When you ask instead of answer, you hand the thinking and the ownership back to the person you're coaching. The habit that got you promoted (having the answers) is the habit that caps your team's growth. In this episode: Why curiosity over telling is the core move of CLEAR coachingUnderstand before you act: listen to understand, not to respondHelping vs. rescuing, and why giving the answer backfiresListening with all your senses (and Sam's "Words can't express my joy")The neuroscience: telling triggers a status threat; asking creates a status rewardSam's 5 curiosity questions you can use in your next conversation Sam's Curiosity "Cheat Code" (try these in order): How's it going?What's up?Tell me more.Help me understand.Is there anything else?Then close with: "What are you going to do about it?" "Curiosity over telling is the core move of CLEAR coaching. When you ask, you hand the thinking and the ownership back to the person you're coaching." (Rick Timlick) Chapters: 0:00 Intro 0:53 Welcome & intros 1:10 The Quick Start cards: Be Curious 2:02 Curiosity over telling: the core move of CLEAR coaching 2:30 Understand before you act 4:13 Deming's 12-foot rule & why experts stop being curious 6:27 Curiosity under stress, and how it rewires the brain 8:01 Why you shouldn't give the answer (even when you know it) 10:25 Helping vs. rescuing 12:17 Listen with all your senses: "Words can't express my joy" 14:20 The $250,000 smoke break: curiosity in action 16:12 Best idea wins: separating ego from facts 17:25 Be present: put the phone away 19:37 Practicing curiosity with Super Coach 21:02 The neuroscience: status threat vs. status reward 23:30 "So I think what you're telling me is..." 26:12 Sam's 5 curiosity questions 27:51 "What are you going to do about it?" 28:55 Watch-out: leading questions & authenticity 30:53 Wrap-up & key takeaways 32:42 One question, one pause ▶ Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/aZKrj_AwcV0 ▶ Watch the clip: https://youtube.com/shorts/9wrzqYCadYU About CLEAR Performance Coaching: We help ordinary leaders become great coaches who create extraordinary results. https://www.clearperformancecoaching.com Hosts: Rick Timlick, Sam Bracken & Kent Vaughn

  3. Sep 24

    Podcast #15 - CLEAR Performance Coaching - GET PEOPLE UNSTUCK - The Stuck State

    GET PEOPLE UNSTUCK | The Stuck State — CLEAR Performance Coaching Podcast #15 Are you standing in your own way? In this episode, the co-founders of CLEAR Performance Coaching — Sam Bracken, Rick Timlick, and Kent Vaughn — break down what happens when people get stuck and how coaches can help them find their way out. We dig into Card 41 of the CLEAR coaching system: The Stuck State. You'll learn the five questions that cut through blame and get to the real barriers holding people back — from circumstances and systems to thinking and self-esteem. In this episode: - The breakthrough funnel: how to move someone from stuck to clarity - Why the first obstacle someone tells you is rarely the real one - "We judge others by their actions and ourselves by our intent" — and - - why that keeps you stuck - Anson Dorrance's 21 national championships and what he knew about accountability that most leaders miss - The Mercedes-Benz leader who discovered she was the barrier - How Dolly Parton turned a personal crisis into "Jolene" — the power of reframing - Three watch outs: don't get paralyzed, use challenges as stepping stones, reframe to ignite hope - Why letting people "gripe it out" before problem-solving actually works - The coaching secret: stop giving advice and start asking better questions - "A problem well-defined is half solved" — what that really means in practice Key takeaway: When someone brings you a blocker, don't fix it right away and don't accept it. Ask one more question. The first obstacle is usually the story they're telling themselves — the third one is probably the truth. Next episode: Breakthroughs — how to help people move from stuck to action. Upcoming Events: Tue  Sep 29    Podcast #16 1-min clip Thu  Oct 1       Podcast #16 Full version Thu  Oct 1 Workshop   8:30 AM – 12:45 PM  (Mountain Time)  Wed Oct 14 Webinar      12:00 – 1:00 PM          (Mountain Time)          Thu  Nov 5 Workshop   8:30 AM – 12:45 PM  (Mountain Time)  *Contact info@clearperformancecoaching.com for details* Meet the hosts: 🎙️ Sam Bracken | Co-Founder and Author Sam brings a coaching-first approach to performance improvement, combining extensive experience in behavioral change with deep expertise in organizational dynamics. 🎙️ Rick Timlick | Co-Founder Rick specializes in translating coaching principles into practical, implementable frameworks that drive immediate organizational impact. 🎙️ Kent Vaughn | Co-Founder Kent focuses on leadership and team dynamics, helping organizations build commitment around behavioral change initiatives. Like, subscribe  ⁨@CLEARPerformanceCoaching⁩   and hit the bell for new episodes every week. #coaching #leadership #accountability #personaldevelopment #mindset #unstuck #clearperformance #podcast #breakthrough #growthmindset

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CLEAR is a leadership and performance coaching podcast for leaders, managers, coaches, and even parents who want to help people grow without relying on control, clichés, or empty motivation. Each episode unpacks the mindset, psychology, neuroscience, and practical coaching tools behind better conversations, stronger accountability, real behavior change, and healthier team culture. Built around the CLEAR Performance Coaching framework, this show helps you lead with more clarity, coach with more confidence, and develop people in ways that actually stick.