Why and how to guide your direct reports to success
Let’s talk about direct reports. If you're a people manager, how often do you speak with your direct reports about their career plans? Unless you’re actively coaching your staff members, I bet you a nickel that you reserve time once a year during performance reviews...
Want to improve your executive presence? Avoid “me and _______”
Can this sentence structure be preserved? “My co-workers and I are …..” More and more, even in business settings, I hear college-educated knowledge workers flipping this sentence structure to say “Me and my co-workers…. Me and Jen…Me and Jason…Me and my team… ad...
Coaching your team shouldn’t be hard work
"If you feel like you're working too hard when you're coaching individuals, you're working too hard." That was the best advice I learned from my NeuroLeadership coaching program years ago, which I still regularly use and suggest to others. When you're helping others...
Want to increase your empathy? Go Platinum, not Gold
Three-and-a-half year old @MarceltheTherapyDog has heard me describe the Platinum Rule numerous times to many of my coachees. As background, the Platinum Rule is all about treating others the way they want to be treated. By contrast the more established Golden Rule,...
Why and how to be a generalist in a wicked VUCA world
Do you like playing in multiple lanes rather than sticking within the parameters of your chosen profession? How do you feel about exploring new subject areas rather than being known as a SME (subject matter expert)? How about making connections between people, ideas...
How to take advantage of buffer time for professional growth
Moving is one of most people's least favorite activities for a reason. There's a lot to dislike. Yet, moving your home, office or home and office also provides opportunities for professional growth. Here's my take on how to take maximum advantage of this experience....
How to avoid 3 mistakes knowledge workers often make
Do you know anyone who belonged to an “early exit club”? An “early exit club” was a benefit for long-service employees. Individuals who had completed 25 years or more at their company automatically became members of their employer’s early exit club. The major (maybe...
How to improve conditions for working well from anywhere
Organizations that let their employees decide where and when to do their jobs – whether in a different geography or at their preferred time of day (or night) -- can contribute to a triple win, according to new research as reported in the Harvard Business Review....
How to help humans succeed at scheduling
“It’s never the other human’s fault.” That’s become my motto for dealing with miscommunications around scheduling. When my communication efforts fail for setting up meetings, I don’t blame anyone, certainly not them. Instead, I stop and think about how to change my...
