Think of the person on your team whose actions or inactions are garnering them negative publicity. You know the person—the one your colleagues and leadership team keeps worrying and complaining about. In your mind, you hear yourself thinking— “If they’d just be quiet long enough they’d get the answer they’re looking for.” “Don’t they know they should take ownership of Read More >
You know those people in your life who drive you crazy—the ones who make promises they don’t keep, defend themselves relentlessly, and who say the exact words that leave you feeling inadequate? Sometimes they are sly with their criticism, using sarcasm to make their unkind words “Just a joke.” We’ve all met people like this. In fact, many of us Read More >
Considering the potentially negative impact of critical feedback, it’s not surprising that many people avoid giving it altogether. Or, they give it anonymously, relieving themselves of any potential discomfort instigated by the feedback. But is such an approach helpful or harmful? Several months ago, I listened as Tracy, an executive at an engineering firm, shared about the devastating impact of Read More >
The challenge with building wings after you jump is that you cannot be the one to build them. Overwhelmed with the reality of the free-fall, you must keep your attention focused on the necessities of each millisecond. Unable to grasp for safety, you must remain present to the thoughts that surface in the face of such uncertainty. Wavering from the Read More >
Once you’ve gone through the process of finding, hiring and training a highly ambitious self-starter, the last thing you want to do is let them go. Yet, holding them in a position to make life easier for you may just lead to losing them altogether. Brad, a businessman with a half-dozen awards under his belt for excellence in sales and Read More >
It’s true—most hiring managers look at work history and education to decide if someone is worth interviewing. It makes sense, though. After all, they want to ensure the person has the right skills and experiences to align with their needs. But what about those special few, whose passion and dedication far exceed those with more education and work experience? Do Read More >
What happens when things don’t go as planned—with a project, new hire, or even a vacation? How do you shift quickly and allow the plan to unfold for you, rather than use up time and energy frustrated with unexpected challenges. Also, how do you get your team to shift quickly? Train in uncertainty. Become masterful at shifting quickly to capitalize Read More >
We know that people who care about their work are more productive, recruit other great people, stay with the company longer, and speak positively about their experience with the company. Yet, few leaders have mastered the skills necessary to keep their team engaged and contributing to their capability. Why is that? Why is it that a full 87% of the Read More >
For every one of us who believes in equality for all, please forgive me for a moment. While I know this is not the case in all situations, I wonder… is it possible that in some situations we unknowingly sabotage opportunities for advancement by asking the question—“Is this company/leadership team sexist?” It’s especially worth taking a pause and gathering some Read More >
“At ease with herself, the Master puts everyone else at ease.” –Stephen Mitchell, Tao Te Ching Perfectionism and fear of failure have pushed me to sabotage remarkable opportunities in my career. The problem was that I didn’t catch my fear until after I successfully lost the opportunity. It was infuriating and paralyzing—I had to do something to shift the direction Read More >