How To Tame Your To-Do List
Getting organized is tough. We all mean to do it. We all try to do it. Making lists, using planning software and keeping a business calendar in 15-minute increments all begin with the best of intentions. But much like New
Build Trust For Effective Leadership
There are many ingredients necessary to be a successful leader. Although the qualities of intelligence, drive, and the ability to communicate a vision and excel in business are necessary, one value often overlooked or underrated is building trust. It is
Saying No With Confidence
If you find yourself stressed because you’re consistently spending your nights and weekends at the office instead of spending time with family and friends, you’re not alone. Even when you’re working from home, you can get caught up in the
Embodying Corporate Culture
It’s easy to cover the corporate break room and hallways with bold statements and inspiring pictures and then claim your corporate culture is not only alive and well, but thriving. That may go over well in an executive planning meeting
The Resilient Leader
It isn’t easy to give up entrenched behaviors. It requires the willingness to develop new skills, new attitudes and new understandings instead of your old way of thinking. Start with some self-reflection on your current perspectives of your job, organization
Versatile Leadership: How To Get Out Of A Workplace Rut
What makes a good leader great? Although there are about as many answers as there are leaders, one of the key elements has to be versatility. If you don’t have the ability to approach different problems in different ways, you’re
Managing Stress For Greater Motivation
There is good stress and there is bad stress. The good kind is necessary for survival and involves the fight-or-flight response. When you see a lion stalking you through a cubicle jungle and you run into the VP’s office, shut
Strategies For Family Business Success
According to Joseph Astrachan, as cited by Family Business Alliance, only 30% of all family-owned businesses make the transition into the second generation, only 12% make it into the third generation and only 3% survive at or beyond the fourth generation. If
Polish Your Executive Presence
Whether you’re a new hand at developing your executive presence, a C-suite executive who’d like to think they mastered executive presence years ago or someone who is somewhere in between, there is always room for improvement. Taking the time to
How To Have Diversity Conversations With Confidence
I’ll admit, I’ve asked myself more than once, “Does it ever get any easier?” So many of my clients and leaders the world over — despite the cumulative hours and hours of training on diversity and inclusion — still have
Embracing Change At Work
If you’ve ever been in a meeting and uttered the dreaded word “change,” you’ve probably had the experience of watching the faces of the attendees express emotions ranging from horror to glee. It’s been my experience in the corporate world
What’s Behind Employee Knowledge Hoarding And How To Fix It
I’ve observed a growing problem in today’s workplace where employees hide, hoard or simply don’t provide information to others in their organization. It’s disruptive and contributes substantially to the lack of productivity. Although employers have tried multiple solutions to the
Employee Motivation: It Really Does Matter
If you’ve ever been stuck in a job with no direction or motivation and have felt extremely discouraged, you’re not alone. Unfortunately, there are many employees who find themselves caught in the same situation. Managers and supervisors are often not
When Is It Time To Involve HR?
If you find yourself wondering if it’s appropriate to take an issue or complaint to your human resources department, it pays to give the situation some serious thought. They are trained, and in certain cases required, to approach your problem
How To Prepare For Your Performance Review
Giving a thorough and fair performance appraisal requires a lot of skill and a fair amount of work by your manager. If you are an active participant in the process by providing your manager with accurate details of your accomplishments
Giving An Effective Performance Review.
The mutually dreaded performance review is often a time of anxiety on both the part of the manager and the employee. Unfortunately, the narrative often follows the same storyline: The manager focuses on a recent memory, likely from the past
How To Mitigate Bias In Your Organization
There are multiple types of bias we humans can exhibit. None of them require any particular malice aforethought. Rather, they are natural offshoots of human development. We unconsciously group things together for fast and easy access in our brains. We
How To Be A Leader Of Leaders
I believe a quote by Ralph Nader in his book Crashing the Party sums up the role of a leader well: “The function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers.” If you’ve worked very long in the corporate field,
The Skill Of Workplace Negotiation
When your work life is good and everyone is getting along, it’s easy to let your negotiation skills slip. However, it never seems to last long. As much as you may dread it, change happens. You might get a new
How To Develop ‘Gravitas’ And Boost Your Executive Presence
It can be difficult to explain “gravitas.” It tends to be one of those you-know-it-when-you-see-it qualities. It’s that certain something that makes a great leader. It’s a seriousness and gravity that’s conducted with grace, dignity and poise. If you think of someone
How To Avoid The Pitfalls Of Office Politics
Although you might think of “office politics” as a phenomenon beginning in the business world, I believe its origins trace back further. For example, if you take a long view of it, one’s behavior in the workplace might stem from
The Impact Of Connecting At Work
Humans are social animals — we crave meaningful interaction with others. Unfortunately, when we don’t get enough of it, there can be serious repercussions. This need, unsurprisingly, carries over to our lives at work. We spend so many hours of
Cognitive Bias: Human Brains Are Only Human
Determining truth from what is believed to be true is a lot like being in the beginning of the movie The Matrix. As Morpheus explains to Neo, “You take the blue pill — the story ends; you wake up in
Are Your Employees Engaged At Work?
According to the latest Gallup Poll on employee engagement “The percentage of ‘engaged’ workers in the U.S. — those who are involved in, enthusiastic about and committed to their work and workplace — is now 34%, tying its highest level since Gallup
Saving Time With Structured Thinking
We’re all busy. Our personal lives are stuffed full of appointments. Our business lives have seemingly endless reports, deadlines, meetings and problems to solve. Time management has never been so important. Although we have an amazing array of electronic gizmos,
Creating An Ethical Workplace May Not Be Easy, But Is It Critical? Yes, It Is
In today’s difficult business environment, it can be easy to overlook ethical dilemmas in the workplace out of sheer exasperation. But when a company makes the effort to treat employees in a fair and consistent manner, it can reap the
Why Cultural Intelligence Matters (Even If You Never Leave Home)
Cultural intelligence, also known as CQ, is the ability to connect with others and work effectively in multicultural situations. Some people seem to have an innate ability to observe a new culture as an outsider, but act and react in
Leading with Ethics
In today’s high-visibility world with the constant social media avalanche, it’s more important than ever to ensure that, as a leader, your ethical message is consistent. Anyone out there can talk the talk, but if you don’t truly believe in
Why Psychological Safety Is Necessary For A Competitive Advantage
The concept of psychological safety, according to William A. Khan in his 1990 paper on personal engagement and disengagement at work, is “being able to show and employ one’s self without fear of negative consequences of self-image, status or career.” The actual
The Benefits Of Cognitive Diversity
Now more than ever, companies are learning to cherish the valuable input created by fostering cognitive diversity in their organizations. Cognitive diversity is the inclusion of people who have different ways of thinking, different viewpoints and different skill sets in
Why Poor Communication Can Slow Down Your Team (And How To Avoid It)
In today’s fast-moving world, it’s very hard to stay focused and clearly communicate and understand important information. One of the biggest components that leads to poor communication is the number of channels we use on a daily basis to discuss
Looking Up: The Fine Art Of Managing Your Boss
In today’s fast-paced business environment, it can be quite a challenge to excel in your position. If you’re a manager yourself, you have the added task of managing your team. It’s so easy to get caught up in the maze
The Power of a Team
The pioneering researchers of the Hawthorne Studies, which started in 1924 and published in 1939, discovered that employee participation improved job satisfaction more than short-term incentives. As organizations began to understand the benefits of employee satisfaction and teamwork, some fields of
Expanding On The Understanding Of Mindset
In the 1960s, Dr. Thomas A. Harris wrote a revolutionary book, I’m OK-You’re OK, that explored the concepts of four major “life positions.” Over 50 years later, those amazing major concepts he explained are still being talked about and explored extensively in
The High Cost Of Emotional Inflexibility
You’ve tried writing your affirmations and faithfully repeating them each day. You’ve tried not sweating the small stuff. You’ve made lists of goals and worked on being an effective executive. You’ve searched for excellence. You’ve tried to get a competitive advantage
Analytical Leaders: Five Key Tips To Increase Your Performance
Analytical leaders are renowned for their natural ability to analyze information using their critical thinking skills. They thrive in careers that others may find challenging, as they operate and even absorb information differently than most people. Believe it or not,
Why Organizations Need Neuro Activity, Not Just Intelligence
What do neural connections and healthy organizations have in common? And what can we learn from how healthy cells interact with each other and use that information to improve the quality of organizations today? Getting to the next level of
Great Leaders Use Both Sides Of The Brain
What does it mean to lead truly effectively and why is it so important for today’s leaders to switch their leadership style to a so-called “whole-brained” approach? Due to employees expecting their jobs to provide them with a sense of
The “Soft Skills Gap”: Why Successful Businesses Need to Overcome It
According to the Government’s National Center for Education Statistics, across the entire country, more than 3 million graduates join the job market every year. The young workforce has so much to offer — from new energy and perspectives to unconventional
The Business Model Evolution & Coaching
From Hierarchies to Platforms An Interview with Dr. Alison Walling Perman With Interviewer Janine Schindler Introduction The knowledge economy, Gig economy, and proliferation of network and platform businesses are driving rapid changes in the marketplace. Coaches, consultants and other
5 Qualities to Look For When Choosing a Business Coach
From entrepreneurs to corporate leaders, many business professionals have recognized the benefits of business coaching. There are many reasons to hire a business coach. Working with the right professional can lead to significant personal and financial growth. A great business
Business and Executive Coaching: What It Is and How You Can Benefit from It
Research shows that business owners who hire a professional coach see an incredible 86% return on their investment. But you have methodically worked your way up to the top of a major company, so could business and executive coaching
Agreements, Terms and Conditions and Why They Matter to You and Your Business!
Doing business is about agreeing what you are going to do for your customer in exchange for their payment. An agreement is any understanding or arrangement reached between two or more parties. A contract is a specific type of agreement
