Articles
10 Easy Ways to Build Trust at Work
If you think trust in the workplace isn’t important, think again. Research shows that high levels of trust between managers and employees can increase productivity to 5% higher than the national averages.
5 Easy Ways to Increase Your Authenticity
I have about 6500 FB followers and about 2700 on LinkedIn.
I don’t understand Instagram (yes, I’m THAT old) and I’m not a big Twitter fan so FB and LinkedIn are my social media platforms.
My business depends on fans, followers, and likes. My social media community is important. So, I hired a community manager to help me. He managed FB and I managed LinkedIn. For me, LinkedIn feels more like my natural habitat.
As I would read the posts that Marko posted on FB I was always impressed. He responded to every single comment within five minutes. He encouraged people in their trials and rejoiced in their wins. He never once missed a comment. It could be 2:30am and someone would post and within seconds Marko responded.
And, he did it all as me. I kept thinking to myself –
“I’m not that nice.” I mean, I’m not awful. But, I’m not the person who is going to be on FB at 2:30am to encourage an upset follower. Nope, I’m asleep by 10. Marko, he was the guy doing that.
7 Tips to Clear Communication
Even when we get busy, clarity still matters. So, to remind myself, (and hopefully save you from making the same mistake), I pulled together these 7 tips for clear communication:
C.A.R.E. to Engage – A Four Step Employee Engagement System
I had coffee with a colleague recently. And she shared a list of initiatives she planned to roll out to her employees this year. It was a great list. It included things like change management, corporate mission, vision, strategy, and even values.
She’s my friend, so I was candid with her. I said…don’t waste your time!
This particular friend is a stellar HR professional. She’s an industry leader.
Her expression of surprise was an understatement of how she felt.
Why on earth would I say that any of those things were a waste of time?
The answer?
Without addressing the issue of an employee engagement system first; the other things won’t work.
It’s that simple.
Don’t Judge. Instead be Aware.
It’s easy to judge these two women. But, they aren’t much different than us. If we don’t stay on top of our own core values, we too could fall from grace.
Work/Life Balance – How to Achieve it Today
This Thing Called Balance My client Jason was sitting across from me at a local coffee shop. I could tell there was something on his mind. He looked up and asked me if I'd ever felt like I was missing out on life. Like I was out of balance. I said, "is that how...
You Could Be In The Wrong Career and Not Even Know It
The Alarming Facts About Jobs The average American changes jobs 10 – 15 times. At least that's according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. A 2008 article in Time Magazine listed some top job change reasons as: 1. Downsizing 2. New Challenges or Opportunities 3....
Getting Fired Sucks….
Getting fired is traumatic. In fact, it can be similar to experiencing the death of a loved one. It’s okay to grieve, and you don’t have to put on a brave face. Learn more..
Career Change Over 40
How Folks Just Like You Have Successfully Made a Mid Career Transition Ready to change jobs? The American Institute of Economic Research found that over a million people in the 45-65 age group made a career change between 2011 and 2012. Of these 72% felt...
Career Coach – Life Coach How Much Are They Worth?
Career Coach - Life Coach How Much Are They Worth? A decision worth making On the surface, hiring a life or career coach might seem like an extravagance. Sure, you know that engaging a coaching professional is exactly what you need, yet it still seems indulgent,...
What PRIDE Month Means to a Mom
What PRIDE Month Means to a Mom A Mom's Perspective of Pride For me, PRIDE Month is a time to reflect on a journey that I take as the mom of a gay son. Trust me, it is a journey like no other. The journey began the day my child came to me and shared a deeply held...
Where’s the Civility?
Where's the Civility? It’s hard not to notice the lack of civility and the growing political rift in this country. Even though we are over 100 days in, the gap between left and right has created a lot of tension and raw emotions. Personally, I find civility to be very...
Three Mistakes New Leaders Make – And How to Avoid Them
Three Mistakes New Leaders Make - And How to Avoid Them These three mistakes can stop you in your tracks as a new leader. Here is some quick cautionary advice about how to avoid them. Mistake One Speaking too directly. You are a leader, you don't want to make...
Negative Thoughts Can Be Consuming
Stop Negative Thoughts Negative Thoughts Hold you back We all strive to keep negative thoughts at bay. It is our goal to focus on positive things; but, sometimes it is a challenge to keep our minds from ruminating on things that bring us down. Here are three simple...
Do You Know Your Life Purpose?
Do You Know Your Life Purpose? Do you know your life purpose? Does it matter? If someone asked you today, what is your life purpose, how would you answer? Do you know? Most of us don’t take the time to think about it. But, knowing the answer can be the peace of mind...
Perspective is More Powerful Than Reality….Here’s Why
Because this one word is so powerful, I’m curious to know, just how much impact perspective has on your performance at work. To illustrate how perspective influences everyday business decisions and behaviors, try this exercise. Look at the picture that is with this...
Toxic People Hurt Your Business
As a business owner or executive, you might prefer to ignore the toxic people and the office drama. You may even feel that it is insignificant; but, when you look more closely, you might see things differently. Toxic People Hurt Your Business Most office drama is...
Choose Confidence
Choose Confidence Did you ever watch a toddler learn to ski? Young children learn to ski without the assistance of ski poles. They start by placing their hands on their knees and then they hold their arms out at their sides. They have no reason to doubt their ability...
The Secret Voice of your Inner Fraud
The Secret Voice of Your Inner Fraud Congratulations! You have reached the pinnacle of the corporate ladder. You are well-respected, highly compensated and successful. Why then, when your world slows down and you find yourself in a quiet space, do thoughts of failure...
Are you In a Job RUT?
Are you In a Job RUT? Most of us have days when we feel that we are in a job RUT. The uneasy feeling that is difficult to describe can creep in at any time. Often when this feeling creeps in, it is short lived and we can shrug it off and go about our daily tasks....
Anger Management with Re-Frame Method
Anger Management with Re-Frame Method Anger management, sometimes not an easy task. I was speaking with a friend the other day; and she was really angry about an earlier interaction with a co-worker. In fact, she was so angry that she could barely even tell me about...
Five Reasons to Stop Being Offended!
Five Reasons to Stop Being Offended! Stop being offended. Easy right? I didn't think so. But, seriously, we do live in a world where people are basically good. However, sometimes the ego takes over and causes them to behave in ways that are not-so-good. When someone...
When Weakness Becomes Strength
When Weakness Becomes a Strength Can a strength also be a weakness? As a coach I teach my clients to focus on their strengths most of the time; but it’s also important to recognize our weaknesses. The parts of us that are sometimes better left unseen, the...
Small Jobs Matter Too
Small Jobs Matter Too Small jobs, you know the ones; we take them to fill in gaps. To pay the bills until something better comes along. There are a couple of different things that can happen in this circumstance. One, we can treat this “job” as if it is our career and...
Forgiveness Can Help you Reach Your Goals
Forgiveness Can Help you Reach Your Goals Goal setting and forgiveness Forgiveness usually doesn't make us think of goal setting. But, do you achieve the goals you set? It seems that no matter how well intentioned we are, we are often unsuccessful. Perhaps we fail...
Make Meditation a Daily Habit
Why You Should Make Meditation a Daily Habit And Five Tips to Make it Easy "Meditation brings wisdom; lack of meditation leaves ignorance. Know well what leads you forward and what holds you back, and choose the path that leads to wisdom." Buddha Meditation sounds...
Escape Your Rut
Escape Your Rut Self-created misery Is it easy to escape your rut? Have you ever wondered why we, the intelligent human beings that we are, often find ourselves trapped in self-created ruts anyway? I say self-created because we set the stage for the rut without...
Use Intention To Create Your Future
Create Your Future Is Intention Real? Can intention give you the power to create your future? Have you ever wondered why you aren't living the life you want? Do you sometimes feel that you're working hard and doing your best, yet you aren't moving forward? The biggest...
The Concept of Temporary
The Concept of Temporary Life Stages are Temporary Life stages are temporary, and recently I was reminded of that fact. My daughter is a recent law school graduate with a newly minted JD successful bar exam under her belt. However, she is not working as a lawyer just...
Succeed at Your First Real Job with These 10 Tips
Succeed at Your First Real Job With These 10 Tips From Student to Professional Everyone wants to succeed at their first real job; but it is challenging to make the transition from student to professional. People notice even the small things you do at work; and they...
Press Release
Very appreciative for the lovely article published recently in Sewickley Heights Living Magazine. Thank you for showcasing my business. Sewickley Heights_Jan13 -pg. 20
Change the Way You Look at Things
Anger at Work Repercussions of anger Anger in any environment leads to problems, and at work it is particularly destructive. I was speaking to a client this week and he shared a story that is a perfect example of this. The young woman is a front-desk employee in a...
Ace Your Next Interview
Ace Your Next Interview Interviews are not created equal The person sitting across from you at an interview can make or break your chance of getting the job. But, what if the person conducting the interview is ill-prepared, or worse yet, completely inept? People are...
Living with Anxiety
Living With Anxiety At times, we all live with anxiety. In normal circumstances we learn to manage it in whatever way we can. For me, I use yoga, meditation, and try to practice positive thought habits.....However; sometimes, when we least expect it, something...
What I Learned from Howard’s Gift
Book Review, Howard's Gift What I Learned From Howard's Gift Sort of a Review Okay, so this isn't a "book review" in the normal sense of the word. Instead it's a commentary on a particular part of a book - a very small part; but I loved it so much that I wanted to...
How to Change a Bad Attitude
How to Change a Bad Attitude Attitude is a Powerful Word Attitude; a simple word with enormous power over our lives. In my 20 plus years of working with professionals I've seen attitude make and break careers. I've watched people lose positions, lose spouses,...
The Toxic Employee And Your Bottom Line
The Toxic Employee & Your Bottom Line Overt or Subtle Toxic employees can be a big problem for small business. The very nature of owning a business requires depending on and trusting employees. Sometimes, it means depending on them...to a fault, causing an owner...
Reflecting on 50
Reflecting on 50 Birthday Blues Well, today is my 50th birthday and it seems that little miss “don’t let your ego control your thoughts” is having some trouble coming to terms with this particular milestone. Telling myself that 50 is the new 40 didn’t help, so I...
Toxic Conversations
Toxic Conversations From a Good Place Toxic conversations and negative words happen every single day. However, I try to avoid them...right? We all do. But, as I had dinner with a girlfriend a few days ago and something happened that reminded me of just how easy it...
Things to Consider BEFORE You Quit Your Job
Things to Consider BEFORE You Quit Your Job Think you want to quit your job? Do you feel like you can’t take it for one more day? I hear you! It's that dread that comes over you when you consider Monday...I hear the same things from clients every day. As my clients...
Manage Expectations
Manage Expectations I had an early morning client meeting today. We met before his hectic day at the office devoured his time. As I sipped my bullet proof coffee, I asked him how his most recent hire was coming along. I knew it was too early for a real opinion, after...
Gossip, The Silent Killer of Business
Gossip, The Silent Killer of Business I often write about gossip. In some cases gossip is nothing more than a nuisance; but my experience has proven to me that gossip is one of the biggest and most overlooked threats to careers and businesses. It is a pervasive poison...
Personality Type and Your Resume – One Coach’s Perspective
Personality Type and Your Resume One Coach’s Perspective I love fan the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. I use it with my clients on a regular basis. It's a great tool to use for communication skills, and it helps my clients understand how they process information and...
Work Life Balance – Emotionally Speaking
Work Life Balance Emotionally Speaking Is work-life balance only about your hours? Nope...it's about so much more.... I had dinner the other night at a local restaurant; and I noticed that the owner of the restaurant seemed to be in an especially foul mood. It was as...
What Not to Do on an Interview
What NOT to DO at Your Interview Seriously, it will cost you Ever wonder what NOT to do at an interview? I'll bet you already know the answer,....right? Well, after conducting thousands of interviews in my career, I'm still surprised that people still make common...
“Parent” is a Verb
"Parent" is a Verb My daughter made me laugh the other day as she was getting out of the car after spending an afternoon with me. She said, “Mom, I don’t think you worry enough about me. I mean, I finish law school in a few months, I still have to pass the bar, I have...
Mean Girls (or guys) at Work
Not all companies are huge right? In fact, many have fewer than 100 employees. And when you have a small number of employees, it's extra important to curb the mean. Because, believe it or not; mean girls (or guys) can have a significant impact on the bottom line! ...
Use Your Subconscious Mind Effectively
Learn to Unleash the Power of the Mind I genuinely believe in the power of intention, the power of positive thinking, the power of daily affirmations, and even visualization boards. So, it goes without saying that I also believe that the human mind has the...
Seduced by the Opinions of Others
Don't Be Seduced by The Opinions of Others Sometimes it is frightening to admit how we make decisions. We hear an inner voice that tells us to do something, we trust the voice, and experience has proven that the voice is usually correct. Yet, we listen to the opinions...
What Does an Executive Coach DO? And Why Should I Have One on Speed Dial?
Keep Your Executive Coach on Speed-Dial Have you ever gotten out of bed with an enormous blast of energy? You are pumped for your day; you are ready to set the world on fire. But, when you get to the office you have five voice-mails waiting for you because someone...
The Power To Be Present
The Power to Be Present Three Steps to Mindfulness at Work One of my favorite books is by Eckhart Tolle. It's “The Power of Now.” It's a unique book. It tells about the importance of recognizing that today is all we have. There is no promise of tomorrow, and yesterday...
Avoiding Conflict, How Far Would You Go?
How Far Would You Go to Avoid Conflict? I was speaking to a friend yesterday who shared a story with me about someone he is close to. He said that the woman is smart, a hard worker, and motivated. Yet, she struggles in finding a position where she is happy and...
What Does Corporate Culture Look Like To Your Customers?
Your Customers Can See Your Corporate Culture Often business leaders will ask me why corporate culture is so important, after all it's an internal matter right? Well the fact is that corporate culture is highly visible to your customers and I've decided to use my...
Don’t Hesitate to Delegate
Don't Hesitate to Delegate When I begin working with a new client, I examine their most recent employee reviews and I speak with either coworkers (if they are high level executives) or supervisors if they are middle managers. During this review and subsequent follow...
Master the Art of Follow-Through
Master The Art of Follow-Through I remember back when I was an HR executive, I sat across a table from an employee who had strong technical skills. She had a strong desire to succeed and she seemed to understand the process of completing projects. It was the third...
Feel Like a Kid Again – Seven Simple Tips to Re-Energize Your Work Day
Feel Like a Kid Again - Seven Simple Tips to Reenergize Your Work Day Remember the energy you used to get when the new school year approached? The nervous excitement about your classes, the friends you hadn’t seen all summer, and the fresh crisp weather that meant new...
Ace an Interview by Understanding Corporate Culture
Ace an Interview by Understanding Corporate Culture Clients often ask me how they can be most prepared for an interview. I tell them to be prepared to answer questions in a behavioral manner even if the interviewer isn’t asking behavioral questions. I tell them to...
“Yeah You!”
Create your Own Accolades File Really, it's a GOOD THING Several years ago when I was working for a local chamber of commerce I received a lovely thank you note from the President of our Board of Directors. The note was a detailed description of how he believed I had...
Career Intention
What is Career Intention and How Can it Help Me? Ever hear of "career intention?" When I start working with a client I ask that client to visualize the outcome of our coaching sessions. I want them to form a clear picture of what they hope to achieve. I do this...
Are You Underpaid?
Are You Underpaid? The Answer Might Surprise You! Have you ever felt as if you are underpaid? You know you work hard, you know you give your all to your employer, yet you still feel your pay is less than adequate. In this situation, employees can begin to feel...
When Leaders Serve
A Servant Leader My graduate work in Organizational Leadership included the concept of servant leadership. In nearly every class the author, Ken Blanchard ("One Minute manager" and thought-leader on this subject) was mentioned. I was taught that a true...
Five Steps to a Stress Free Return from Vacation
No-Stress Return - Five Steps to De-stress Your return to Work A vacation is supposed to be rejuvenating, but that can’t happen if you know that when you return to the office you will be overwhelmed with a pile of work. Follow these five steps to make returning...
Misguided Motivation
Misguided Motivation Keeping employees motivated is challenging. Some managers try to motivate by fear. They threaten the loss of the job or a cut in pay, and for a short time the employee performs. The employee appears motivated so the manager is happy. But it will...
Shouting Doesn’t Make it Clear
Shouting Doesn't Make it Clear I’m learning to play golf. It is a very slow process. Last weekend as I had one of those horribly bad rounds my husband, who is an incredibly patient man, began to get frustrated. He knew I could do better, but I just couldn’t pull out...
Ego and Fear – Two Motivators that Lead to Failure
Ego and Fear Two Motivators that Lead to Failure In my experience, there are two motivators that drive most of us; ego and fear. Let’s take a look at how each of these is a separate issue with devastating results. Ego We all have ego. It's our sense of self. No...
Making the Most of Networking
Making The Most Of Networking In today’s ever-changing landscape of networking, it is easy to get lost in the shuffle. If you don't utilize your networking tools to the best of your ability you are leaving business on the table. Old schoolers sometimes refuse to try...
Five Tips For Keeping Emotions In Check At Work
Five Tips For Keeping Emotions In Check At Work Your morning started out with your seven-year-old arguing with you because she wanted to wear her pajamas to school. You stuck to your guns, she got dressed. You finally dropped her off at school, but she was still upset...
Professional Incompetence or Just a Bad Fit?
Professional Incompetence or Just a Bad Fit? I’m sure Albert Einstein had a lot of memorable quotes, but this particular one struck a chord with me. He said, “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life...
Negative Habits of Thought
Negative Habits of Thought Habits of thought can affect our actions, our relationships, and our results. I became significantly aware of this fact last week. My son is home from college for the summer and is staying at a condo that I own but am no longer using. I had...
Unstoppable Fear
Unstoppable Fear Did you ever watch a young child learn to ski? No poles, no fear. They just go down the hill. The thought of failure doesn’t even enter their mind. They end up learning in a few short hours what would take an adult months to learn. Why? Because the...
Are You Drowning?
Are You Drowning? I was catching up on some reading yesterday and I read something that helped me realize why some people are coachable, and some people are not. The story went like this..a young boy was walking along a road when he came across Socrates. He quickened...
Are You Under-Employed?
Are You Under-Employed? I took a tour of a client’s office this morning. It was a very impressive place. There were meeting rooms, team rooms, and board rooms. There was activity in each of these areas and as I watched, I couldn’t help but wonder how each of these...
Goal Tending
Tending to Your Goals Goals aren't just for hockey players anymore! Did you know an exercise as simple as writing them down can help you progress your career? I know you've heard that before, right? Any decent career coach will tell you that writing goals is a...
Five Daily Behaviors That Can Sabotage Your Career
Five Daily Behaviors That Can Sabotage Your Career Ever wonder why the person in the next cubicle is being promoted instead of you? You work just as hard, if not harder, so why are you passed over? People seem to like you, you do a good job. So, what are you doing...
Are You Living a Life of Dual Morality?
Are You Living a Life of Dual Morality? A successful account manager speaks to his prospect. The prospect is on the fence. The deal is worth millions. One simple stretch of the truth on the part of the account manager can seal the deal. Within seconds the account...
Finding Balance
Finding Balance I recently posed a question to a group of colleagues. The question was “what does work life balance mean to you?” The answers were all similar; obviously, everyone wants to achieve a balance between their professional world and their personal lives....
Communicate for Results
Communicate for Results In my years as an executive manager, I was afforded the opportunity to sit in on meetings to observe personal interactions. It was always interesting to watch people interact. One particular occasion involved a group of managers that were...
Toxic Work Environments Zap Your Energy
Toxic Work Environments Zap Your Energy Do you work in a Toxic environment? Do you find yourself leaving work feeling emotionally drained and physically exhausted? Do you find your energy level dropping as soon as you walk in the door? Have you even thought of...
The Choices We Make
The Choices We Make Years ago when I was a student teacher in a fourth-grade classroom. I did an exercise with my students that involved making a long paper “chain of events.” The students had been reading a book and I wanted them to grasp the impact that each event...
Guilt by Potato Chip
Guilt by Potato Chip As I ate a small (and I repeat small) bowl of potato chips today I realized that the minor gratification that I received from the salt intake would be quickly replaced by guilt. There would be guilt from knowing that in eating that small bowl of...
Atta Boy
Atta Boy Why do people find it so difficult to appreciate the things they accomplish in a day? So often I speak to clients who want to spend the first five minutes of a coaching session beating themselves up about things they didn’t accomplish. Wouldn’t it be wiser to...
Time Saver – Touch it Only Once
Time Saver - Touch it Only Once It’s 10:00pm. Do you know where your day has gone? Time has a way of moving even if we get behind. The day comes to a close and unless we are very careful, we end our day no further ahead than when we started. I teach my clients to take...
Stop Being Offended
Stop Being Offended Wayne Dyer, best-selling author, and lecturer uses the phrase, “stop being offended” in his highly acclaimed Power of Intention series. Very simple words, very simple thought. Yet, it is likely one of the most difficult things I had to learn as I...
Ten Ways to Get Your Resume Noticed
Ten Ways to Get Your Resume Noticed In today’s competitive job market it is sometimes difficult to stand out from the crowd. I’ve spent years screening resumes and I will be the first to admit that too often qualified candidates miss interview opportunities because...
Does Your Ego Control You?
Does Your Ego Control You? Ego. Webster defines Ego as the “I” or self of any person. Eckhart Tolle in his book A New Earth describes “ego” as an "illusory sense of self". He refers to ego as a major aspect of the human dysfunction. And, based on my recent...
You Attract what You Think (Really, you do)
You Attract what You Think (Really, you do) I was chatting with a friend yesterday and by the end of the conversation, I began to feel quite exhausted. She seemed to find a problem with every aspect of her life. She started by saying she had too much to eat the day...
Tips For Sorting Through Resumes
Tips For Sorting Through Resumes When a person pulls together their resume they are creating a marketing campaign. They are marketing themselves to employers. A candidate should put quality time into the process. It should go out the door as a finished work product....
What a Yoga Pose Taught Me About Fear
What a Yoga Pose Taught Me About Fear Fear...it's bigger than you think! When you think of yoga, the last word you think of is fear. I mean, who's afraid of yoga right? Calm, zen, peaceful yoga. It's been an important part of my life for years. I never dreamed that...
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Overcome fears, find the right job, learn to handle your emotions, get some great interview tips… and so much more! Videos are added on a regular basis. Audio downloads and Worksheets are coming soon too!
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