Welcome to Misti's Insights

“When the student is ready, the teacher appears.” Buddhist proverb “Misti, I’m a high school senior and will likely get an advanced education and not enter the workforce for another 10 years,” said my intern just a few weeks into the role...

What is the recipe for success when four generations enter the workforce with different values, expectations, and approaches? How do you navigate through the differences and reach common ground? Join Misti Burmeister from 3:30 - 5:30 PM to learn the "Five Shifts to...

Carolyn quickly realized when her company was getting in over its head. As controller of a box-manufacturing company, she sees P&Ls as well as new orders coming in. And though the business wasn’t profitable, the sales team was on fire, and new...

A response to: “Social Media is for Narcissists” https://mashable.com/2009/08/25/gen-y-social-media-study/ Let’s first define “Narcissism.” According to Dictionary.com it is, “An inordinate fascination with oneself; excessive...

Sure, I know no one is perfect or knows everything about anything – and that the people most willing to admit that are usually the most successful. Yet part of me has held on for a long time to the fundamental desire to hide my imperfections from everyone, to...

A response to the following article: https://blogs.watoday.com.au/executive-style/managementline/2009/07/31/genxleaders.html The most important focus of this article is our need for excellence through leadership. While the article focuses on how Boomers are existing...

Hindsight is 20/20, my friend. And as I’m watching many friends and clients searching for jobs right now, I see a clear trend emerging – one that reminds me of the last time I was job hunting. They attend as many networking functions as possible, post résumés to...

While the vast majority of companies are slashing their training budget, the wisest companies are doing just the opposite–investing in their talent. No one has said it better than Henry Mintzberg has in his Harvard Business Review article,...

It was a motivational morning. I’d just finished moderating a powerful panel of four talented professionals – each superbly representing his or her generation. They shared their own unique struggles to find their places in the workforce and discussed strategies...

In a recent article - https://tinyurl.com/kkwfrf - the author quoted Dianah Worman, Adviser, Diversity ... “The more you inspect the diversity agenda, the more it is apparent that focusing on people as individuals and delivering fairness for everyone is vitally...

What I like most about this article is the fierce commitment to treating people as individuals, rather than someone from a particular generation. Too often we get caught up in stereotypes and completely miss the mark for what a particular person is trying to...

Boomers have done a tremendous job paving the way for women in the workforce. Now that many of them have found their way into leadership positions, they get to reach out and help other women elevate their career, right? Unfortunately, many of them are choosing to...

Brian knew his company would soon do a round of layoffs. His natural reaction was to put his head down, do his work and hope no one would notice him. Biggest possible mistake! Consider the message people send when they hide their heads in the sand. Does it suggest...

I have seen people get a new job through using social media, especially Facebook! I have also witnessed numerous people squash their chances of getting a position based on the “stuff” they put on their social media sites. Yes, many employers DO research on...

As I’m watching many of my friends/clients search to find a job right now, I see a clear trend that reminds me of the time I was searching for a job. They are attending as many networking functions as possible, sending out as many resumes as they can and posting...

I’ve always thought of a hero as someone who acts in extraordinary ways, which, of course, is made popular by the media. I considered them to be super-human and somehow absolutely perfect. If I hail someone like Oprah, or Zig Ziglar as my hero, then somehow I would...

It was a bittersweet day for Carol when her company laid off 25% of its staff – and then gave her a promotion. Her parade was poured on as she watched talented employees get escorted out the door, but she knew she deserved her victory. Carol spent the previous two...

By Misti Burmeister It’s so easy to get pulled into “the sky is falling” conversations, which only proves to be a huge waste of your time. Engage in conversations that are meaningful, and redirect conversations that are not focused on solutions. I just got off...