How to balance compassion and accountability for behavior change
“How do you balance compassion and accountability?” Kendra Kinnison, the Coach.me CEO asked me this question after my commencement talk to the latest Coach.me habit certification class in February. After answering, I thought more deeply about how you need both...
Want to live your best life? Take time to exercise, eat well, and sleep
“Adopt good habits for exercising, eating and sleeping.” These eight words summarize how to take care of yourself, especially your mental and physical health. Granted, it’s not always clear what constitutes the best exercise, the healthiest diet, and the ideal amount...
Why mutuality matters more than reciprocity in a human-centered world
“Reciprocation – You, then me, then you, then me… Be the first to give: Service Information Concessions From the “Principles of Ethical Influence,” a Pocket Guide by Dr. Robert Cialdini This pocket guide has maintained a place of honor in my wallet for years. The...
Why deleting this word from your vocabulary can make you a better leader
Is "Perfect!" one of your favorite catchphrases? If so, please reconsider -- unless you want to promote perfectionism. Perfectionism has become a polarizing topic -- maybe not as extreme as politics and the pandemic, but still controversial for a number of reasons....
Want to signal what’s important to you? Wear your values on your chest!
“Celebrating since 1770” – the tagline for the College of Charleston’s recent birthday party. This tagline, which adorned banners, T-shirts and other memorabilia, was a clever way to deal with the College’s delayed birthday. Back in 2020 before the Covid shutdown, the...
15 ways managers can stay in touch when 1:1 meetings don’t seem feasible
How do you make it easier for managers and employees to stay in touch whether they're working remotely, in-person or hybrid? And regardless of the work mode, they're probably feeling crunched for time. Fifteen coaches weighed in with communication tips in this Forbes...
Want to increase trust and decrease polarization? Fuse capitalism, activism, and social change
How capable is business of navigating a polarized world to bring people together, help stabilize our fragile world, and improve economic conditions? It’s a tall order. But if not business, who? And it’s also what survey respondents want. Business continues to be...
How to get the most out of your accountability partner calls
Want more accountability in your life, especially to reach your goals? Work with an accountability partner. My accountability partnership began by default, not design, back in 2007. Now almost 16 years later, my accountability partner, Diana Del Bel Belluz, and I...
How to be more impressive than ChatGPT? Share your heart, soul, and quirkiness
Have you met ChatGPT? If not, introduce yourself and start chatting with this impressive AI system from OpenAI. Based on my initial experiences, I’d consider adopting ChatGPT as a new writing assistant. It has potential as a useful sounding board. I queried it about...