(4-minute read) Every office has a political landscape. Some office politics are positive and contribute to productivity, like pre-syndicating ideas and forming alliances to accomplish tasks. Yet, negative politics that undermine relationships and stagnate productivity are what many of us associate with the term. Understanding and managing the political landscape of your workplace is an [...]
(2-minute read) It’s Election Day, so let’s talk about politics. More specifically, let’s talk about remaining work friends when you disagree with your colleagues’ political beliefs. In our personal lives, we naturally surround ourselves with like-minded people. But at work, our roles require that we collaborate with lots of different people. We don’t have the [...]
(3-minute read) Why is it that when one person yawns, everyone yawns? The power of suggestion is strong in person and even more pronounced on video calls. Like most of us, I spend more time than I’d like on Zoom. Many calls that I organize and run involve executive or staff trainings. Yet, it’s the [...]
(3-minute read) Before most of us began to work remotely and depend on Zoom calls and virtual conferences to stay productive, finding the time to network was hard. If you’ve nudged networking aside because you’re “sick of looking at your computer screen” you may want to reconsider the role networking may play in your current [...]
(3-minute read) Kudos to Ken Blanchard, author of the One-Minute Manager for his now- famous line, “None of us is as smart as all of us.” In today’s ‘open conversation’ culture, most of us avoid pointing out what we don’t know. All too often, when we hear something we don’t understand, or someone uses an [...]
(2-minute read, and a puppy picture) It’s the season for parties. While we go to parties to celebrate and have fun, some gatherings, notably with business colleagues, offer unique opportunities to create memorable impressions that can help you in your career. This is Macie She’s the last puppy of a big litter. Friends brought her [...]
Read Time: 2-minutes, plus activity. First, I buy cheesecloth. Why? Because when I cook Thanksgiving, it's the ONE thing I always need that's almost impossible to find on Thanksgiving day. Buying cheesecloth got me thinking about planning for stuff that we wished we had done "then" that we could be doing "now". November 1 begins [...]
(Read Time: 2 Minutes) Ever have a GREAT IDEA? One you KNOW will gather enthusiastic support? You're SO SURE of your idea that you JUST CAN'T WAIT to put it out there. But before you launch your idea into the world, talk it through with a Trusted Peer. Reviewer feedback helps avoid launching ideas that are confusing or mystifying The Value of Peer Review [...]
(Read Time: 1 1/2 minutes unless you are answering the questions at the bottom) For two years I have been looking for a mentor, a person to challenge my thinking and broaden my perspective. At long last my search is over. I have found my mentor. She is 28. Why a Millennial Mentor? A millennial [...]
(Read time: 3 minutes) Newsflash: Not all CEO's are extroverts The news is full of splashy headlines about brilliant leaders like Elon Musk, Evan Spiegel and Marissa Mayer taking public risks and changing industries. This post is not about them. It is about Paula*, CEO of a large, complex social services agency in transition. Paula [...]
