What could be more helpful to a leader than having nearly 24/7 real-time access to an experienced coach who literally follows him or her around throughout the day? That’s what many organizations are providing in an effort to enhance leadership effectiveness and...
Happiness Matters
Stop Driving Employees Nuts
This article originally appeared at SmartBlog on Leadership in November 2012. After dedicating a large portion of my professional life to helping leaders develop new skills to improve workplace performance, I’ve come to a startling (and perhaps career-limiting)...
Pre-solution: The Forgotten Step Before Resolutions Can Take Hold
As 2013 draws to a close, it’s seductive to make declarations about how things (including ourselves) will be different in the coming year. Daily exercise Kind words to the crotchety co-worker No sugar The list goes on. The problem is that too frequently we jump to...
SHAPE the Holiday Season for Greater Satisfaction
The holiday season is upon us again. A chance to spend quality time with family and friends. A chance to punctuate key relationships with specially-selected gifts. A chance to end the quarter/year strong. But also, a chance to become completely overwhelmed and enjoy...
The Value of Vulnerability
In a world where perfection and strength are highly valued, we’ve lost our appreciation for vulnerability and the gifts it offers. Last week I had the pleasure of judging a student competition. More than one hundred high schoolers taking part in a Youth and Government...
Striving for Second… or Maybe Third
I ran for and was elected to one of three open local school board seats earlier this month. The experience was filled with learning... about politics, our community, campaigning, and myself! As a Type A, highly driven, excellence-oriented achiever, I’m accustomed to...
Belief Opens Doors
In your quest for career success, suppose you had to choose just one of the following: perfectly-honed skills, ideal opportunities, or someone who really believes in you. Which would you pick? This is the question a friend recently posed, thinking it would spark an...
Where’s Your Bubble?
For years I’ve wanted to take a ceramics class. I remember the satisfying feel of clay in my hands as a kid. And while I’m no Demi Moore, I could envision losing myself in art at a potter’s wheel. So my daughter and I headed out last weekend for an afternoon...
Lean Out
Last week I had the pleasure of participating in a client retreat. After my part of the agenda was complete, I was invited to stay on and enjoy the other speakers. I’ll be honest... I was tempted to hop on the first plane back to the office. But something encouraged...
Evaluating Social Media: Metrics that Matter
I know that it’s customary to set goals, evaluate results, or just think and plan in terms of years. But for me, nine months is the magic number. Maybe it’s because with a thoughtful nine-month assessment, there’s still time left to course-correct and deliver annual...