Happy Holidays! I hope you’re enjoying this season that begins at Thanksgiving stretches straight through to the New Year. Festive sights and sounds and positive energy are all around. Even in the workplace, there is an air of joy as colleagues gather for luncheons and parties. In meetings over the last few weeks, I’ve […]
Read More →What do you do when bad news lands at your door? When you face failure, deal with disappointment, or receive less than flattering feedback? Do you feel hurt? Paralyzed with fear? Do you turn away, recoil from the situation? Do you deny the issue and your part in it? Does your mood become sullen and […]
Read More →Call me old-fashioned, but I like receiving a response when I communicate, unless I say, “No need to reply.” And, from a number of recent conversations, I know I’m not the only one with a preference for closing the communication loop. So, if I call you, please call me back. If I text you, […]
Read More →Business Resource Groups, or BRGs, add a valuable dimension to every organization’s diversity and inclusion initiative. These voluntary, company-sponsored, employee-led groups, supported by top leadership, are a great way for employees to get to know one another and be a source of support to those who share a common demographic and/or are interested in […]
Read More →When you engage with others, particularly when raising an issue, be clear about the role you want them to play. Knowing what you want, and asking for it, enables others to do a better of job of helping you in just the way you want. For example, you could ask the person […]
Read More →What challenges do you face, as you interact with people, day-to-day, at work and at home? What is about the behavior of others that confounds you and drives you nuts? Take a moment; give it thought. If you’re in your workplace, glance around. With whom do you have the most trouble engaging without feeling […]
Read More →I enjoy this time of year. And, it’s seems many others do, as well. It’s a season of fun-filled gatherings and sharing good wishes. During this time of year, kindness, warm smiles and generosity are legitimized in all dimensions of life. Perhaps you and your co-workers are making plans for a luncheon at […]
Read More →Celebrating the holidays at work is becoming increasingly complex. Here are a few simple seasonal suggestions that may help you demonstrate respect for different cultures, avoid the appearance of favoritism and keep gift-giving appropriate for the relationship. Give cards that say “Happy Holidays” or “Happy New Year!” minus the obvious Christmas imagery. Those […]
Read More →Whether you’re going to your own company’s holiday party, your significant other’s, or something thrown by a client or colleague, remember these important survival tips: 1) Dress appropriately. The parts of you that shouldn’t be shown at work also shouldn’t be shown at the company parties, even if the party is on Saturday night. […]
Read More →In today’s pressure cooker world, having tools that will help you decompress, or shake off those occasional foul, grumpy feelings will make recovering quick and easy. Just like pro athletes and other super stars, having a bad day can’t stop you in your tracks. Your show must go on. For nearly all of us, there […]
Read More →Every moment of every day, your company’s culture makes itself evident – to those who live and work in and to visitors. Recently, I was facilitating a large group meeting. Several members of the workforce arrived before management. They milled around for a while, found seats and got comfortable, chatted briefly, scanned their […]
Read More →In the workplace, and in our personal lives, we tend to come to conclusions and develop opinions quickly. We get attached to our conception of the matter at hand, believing we have the answer. Our reaction to others’ ideas can convey, “I’m right, you’re wrong.” We can benefit from being less vested in […]
Read More →A senior leader asked me to work with him on several challenges, one of which is to how to get his team to be more participative during staff meetings. Of course, he invited me to a staff meeting to witness him in action. Within ten minutes, the problem became crystal clear. He […]
Read More →Ralph Waldo Emerson said it best. “Don’t be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better.” In the workplace and at home, we often worry about how things are going to turn out. If we imagine the worse, or even less than the ideal […]
Read More →Unwittingly, we often sell ourselves short. We underestimate our ability to overcome challenges and achieve the extra-ordinary. My book, LIES That Limit, explores this very real aspect of human nature through the lens of the Labels, Illusions, Excuses and Stories – the LIES we carry in our heads. These LIES were likely put there by […]
Read More →You’ve probably heard the news about an interim report issued by Acting Inspector General Richard Griffin on the systemic problems in the Veteran’s Affairs agency. The report intensified scrutiny and resulted in expansion of the number of VA facilities to be reviewed. If you’re a leader, consider allowing this situation to stimulate a deeper, broader […]
Read More →Recently, a new client told me that two years ago her boss articulated a vision for how she wanted the senior leadership team to operate. Today, she said, “People are behaving exactly as they have for years. There’s been no change. We’re still highly paid technical experts – not developers of people, and certainly not […]
Read More →I’m a manager in a large company with 15 direct reports. Sometimes, I have trouble figuring out how to handle certain performance problems. How do I figure out what to do? ~D.G. Dear D.G., Here are a few “how to” pointers for your consideration. As you weigh various options, remember to make use of […]
Read More →The 18- to 35-year-old workers in your organization are the millennials. They are a breed unto themselves, just as preceding generations have been. Here are a few interesting facts about millennials – offered not to stereotype, but with the intention of acknowledging prevalent patterns among the group: They’re the most culturally diverse and well-educated generation […]
Read More →What do you do when you care about a person? You find ways to support their happiness and success, particularly when they’re motivated and moving in that direction. What’s a good way to get behind someone you care about and help them increase their effectiveness and propel themselves forward? Give them one of these forms […]
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