Archive for January 2023
Am I Brave Enough to Make a Career Change?
Bravery. In recent news, there are so many examples. Health care workers…civil rights leaders…researchers working towards a vaccine. These people are brave. The world as we once knew it changed, causing millions to lose jobs, change jobs, and re-evaluate jobs. For many, it’s been a time of self-reflection. When in your life have you been…
Read MoreAre you in a Job, a Career, or a Calling? Why Your Mindset Matters
One of life’s oldest questions. What’s my purpose. For many, we identify a large part of our identity in purpose with what we focus on 40+ hours a week. Are you in a job, a career, or a calling? Each is important and your mindset matters on which one you identify with. Imagine living out…
Read MoreThree Ways to Control Your Inner Control Freak
Do you lurk over shoulders, demand to be copied on every email, and resist delegating work? At what point in your career did being in control turned in to being obsessed? If you identify with this, there are ways to control your inner control freak. If you are a control freak, it’s likely you are…
Read MoreHiring for Skills vs Personality: Is There a Clear Winner?
I see it every day as a recruiter: one candidate is more qualified, but a hiring manager likes the personality of another much better. Which way to go? Do skills outweigh personality or can skills be taught to the right person? Or is there another way? I know many hiring managers who hire simply on…
Read MoreThe Personality it Takes to Work from Home
Tips and tools for professionals going virtual during the coronavirus Everyone loves to roll out of bed and spend the day in slippers. But being at home and working from home are two different things. The recent, drastic changes in lifestyle may be nice in some ways, but what does it take to be highly productive…
Read MoreHow to Take Control of Workplace Stress
How to take control of workplace stress has been a challenge for decades. And it doesn’t seem to be slowing down. The best and simplest definition of stress I’ve ever heard is that stress is the difference between expectation and reality. Let’s repeat that: the difference between expectation and reality. So, if I’m expecting a…
Read MoreThe Likability Formula
It is a world full of “likes.” We like posts on social media. We like products on Amazon. We like our friend’s latest profile pic. We strive to BE liked. Because being liked is powerful. A likable person can more easily land a job, make a sale, or get a promotion. Just what makes someone…
Read MoreIs Being Polite Good for Business?
At a local mall during the holidays, I asked an employee for ketchup to go with my fries. “It’s my pleasure,” she responded, handing me the ketchup. How polite! My pleasure? Taken aback, I couldn’t help but say an emphatic thank you, a faint smile crossing my face. I later discovered that Chick-fil-A actually trains…
Read MoreHow to Build Better Teams Using Multiple Intelligence Theory
Let’s say a doctor discovers a breakthrough cure for cancer. He tests his theory, and it works. Others start asking him how he did it. But he struggles to communicate well and can’t seem to clearly explain the steps. In theory, his cure for cancer depends on his ability to verbalize it to someone else. This…
Read MoreManagers: Stop spending 70% of Your Time Doing This
Managers: stop spending 70% of your time managing your lowest performers. Stop spending your time emailing answers to questions already asked, explaining procedures already explained, and training in areas already trained. Stop using your day to document low performance, to referee conflicts, or to boost low morale. In his book, 100 Ways to Motivate Others,…
Read MoreAre you chasing a candidate running from a job?
The day I realized my new hire ran away from his previous position was about a week after he started. I overheard him talking to another employee about his former boss, his lackluster work, and his insufficient vacation time. As I listened for a moment, my stomach churned a little. I realized I may be…
Read MoreStrong Managers Coach Employee Strengths
Any baseball coach will tell you- you can’t put a left-hander on second base—it’s impossible to turn the double play. Your shortest player doesn’t live under the rim and your fastest runner is not on the line of scrimmage. In sports, you coach according to a player’s strengths. Through countless hours of practice and interaction…
Read More3 Essential Books About Business Leadership
There is much to be gained from the wisdom and experience of others. And while there are thousands of business books out there, a lot of them are dispensable to say the least, yet a few of them offer valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities of business leadership. There are 3 Essential Books About…
Read MoreHow Proactive Thinking Can Activate Your Career
In The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Dr. Steven Covey lists being proactive as habit number 1. Covey explains that your life doesn’t just happen. You design your own life, make your own choices, and have the opportunity to do things differently if you so choose. Proactive thinking can activate your career. Being proactive,…
Read MoreHow to Experience True Joy at Work
Joyful Workplace. Is this an oxymoron? Or is it possible to experience joy within the work environment? Research shows that it takes deep experiences to reach a feeling of true joy. Joy goes beyond happiness. It is defined as “the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying; keen pleasure;…
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