Always Choose To Use Your Discretionary Power Positively People notice how you use your discretionary power. By that, I mean how you choose to provide, or not provide, high quality service. Or the attitude with which you choose to respond to a colleague’s requests. It’s human nature to base everything, from buying decisions to who […]
Read More →Trust Your Aha Moments A team of international researchers, including Drexel’s Dr. John Kounios, have discovered that “Aha moments” often yield the right answers. They suggest that analytical thinking may be best when there are known strategies for arriving at solutions – like in arithmetic. But when there is no set path to a solution, […]
Read More →Defensiveness is one of the biggest ways we stifle our personal growth. Learn how to avoid justifying the limits you put on yourself.
Read More →What Motivates People If you’re a manager, you are called on regularly to motivate others. Being a successful leader relies on your ability to help others perform well. Traditionally, we use the carrot and stick approach. We bribe people with money or other incentives. But, once the incentive goes away, so does the drive to […]
Read More →Celebrating Women’s History Month: Tools and Tactics For Women At Work In her weekly blog, author and organizational development expert Dr. Anne Litwin sites study after study that conclude that women perform better than men in areas of leadership, management and decision-making. Yet women only make up 3 to 4 percent of CEO’s worldwide. For […]
Read More →Humility In the C-Suite A 2015 Wall Street Journal article extoled the virtues of humble executives. It praised characteristically humble attributes like listening well, admitting errors and the willingness to share the limelight. The article also reported on examples of leaders were undone due to their lack of humility. In particular, a self-promoting division head […]
Read More →Which Black History month events are you attending? Whatever you do, go with a beginner’s mind. Even if you don’t typically participate in such programs, go with an open, nonjudgmental mindset. You’re bound to learn something – about yourself, your colleagues or the history of people of African descent in the US. In fact, here’s […]
Read More →What’s your approach to introducing a new initiative? Do you plan alone or with just a select few? Do you make the decisions and tell others? Do you push for closure, focused primarily on getting the task done? If you answered, “Yes” to the above questions you may find that your good ideas often fail […]
Read More →Do you allow LIES to limit you? I don’t know anyone who doesn’t. LIES are labels, illusions, excuses and stories that exist in your mind, just out of awareness. They shape your thoughts, feelings, decisions and actions. LIES lead to detours on your path to happiness. They short-circuit your ability and willingness to change and […]
Read More →Are your goals for the year ahead on your mind? I’m thinking about mine. For the most part, we’re accustomed to writing SMART goals: Specific. Measurable. Achievable. Relevant. Time-bound. This year, experiment with by adding another take on your process. Create a ‘Want’ and a ‘Don’t Want’ list for each goal. Here’s how: At the […]
Read More →When it comes to decision-making, do you procrastinate? Do you weigh the pros and cons, over and over, again? Do you hesitate in an approach-avoidance dance? You’re not alone. Many people fear making the wrong decision so they make no decision at all. If any of this sounds like you, consider this: as long as […]
Read More →What’s your office environment like these days? Many companies are moving to the new open space concept. Doing so represents a change – and in many cases, a significant one. If your work environment is shifting to the open plan, with fewer to no walls and private offices, utilize change management techniques as you lead […]
Read More →Research suggests offices with open floor plans can be satisfying for extraverts who enjoy convenient access to colleagues and find the environment stimulating, while introverts tend to feel less satisfied. Extravert or introvert, here are a several tips that may help you feel more comfortable and be more productive. First, know your personality and acknowledge […]
Read More →It’s the end of quarter AND the end of the year. If you’re feeling under pressure to get it all done, you’re not alone. Most of us are walking around with the physical or e-version of long lists. We want to wrap up loose ends, clear the slate, and prepare for a fresh start in […]
Read More →In the workplace, and in every part of life, creating and sustaining spaces and places where people, with their differences and similarities, come together peacefully and work together harmoniously, is a real challenge. In your search for solutions, consider meditation. In fact, a specific Buddhist meditation called loving-kindness has had some amazing effects when it […]
Read More →My husband likes to say, “A plan is one thing. Planning is everything.” His mantra speaks to the idea that a plan is an important tool, and being flexible and adapting as you move forward is essential to success. Do you create a plan and get locked in, when what’s really needed is the flexibility […]
Read More →Using the Implicit Assumption Tests, IATs, as well as, visualization and the loving kindness meditation, a Buddhist practice known to engender feelings of happiness and kindness towards oneself and others, researchers have made an interesting discovery. They’ve found that just seven minutes of the loving-kindness meditation, with the meditator focused on a person of a […]
Read More →In professional and social settings, being able to recognize a person’s face, recall their name and pronounce it correctly, is an asset. Some people use their formal name over the commonly associated nickname – like Bill for William or Peggy for Margaret. Listen to how others introduce themselves – the name they use and how […]
Read More →Thanksgiving initiates a season of celebration that lasts for nearly five weeks. For so many of us, a festive air prevails that permeates life, even in the workplace. We enjoy celebratory lunches and dinners with colleagues and friends. We laugh and dance the night away at the company holiday party. Bring in savory treats to […]
Read More →Regularly, I travel to my clients in New York City. Most often, I drive. While I would prefer to take the bus or train, their schedules seldom coincide with mine. Luckily, I like to drive. It’s quiet, meditative time for me. It gives me an opportunity time to slip out of the routine thinking of […]
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