I get your world and I want to help you win at work.
I get your world and I want to help you win at work.
Sometimes, a few simple practices are all it takes to produce profound change.
Stop the Blame Games – How Systems Thinking Can Set Your Free
One of the most destructive patterns in organizations are the ever-popular blame games. Teams that play them waste a lot of time and energy. Systems thinking moves you out of blame games and into creativity, innovation and problem-solving. Let's look at how to make...
One Key to Successful Transitions
Strategy guru Michael Porter says the essence of strategy is deciding what you won’t do. This is one of the core principles I teach my clients. They learn to focus on their priorities and to gracefully say “no” to other things, so that they can reach their goals...
Client Interview: Jennifer Dean
My client Jennifer Dean shares how she built the confidence and clarity that helped her become a more effective leader. As Dean of University Libraries and Instructional Technology, she had a lot to juggle, even before the pandemic. Through our work together, she's...
How to Notice When There’s a Saboteur In Your Midst
In her recent blog, "A Little Happier," Gretchen Rubin mentioned a recently declassified document from 1944 that gave tips for how to sabotage enemy operations. Some of the tips were aimed at workers and managers in organizations. The recommended behaviors are just a...
The Real Reason You’re Losing Sleep Over Your Career
So many people I talk to these days are losing sleep over their careers. Some feel like their job isn't a good fit any more. Others are wanting promotions that they aren't getting. Still others have gotten promoted, but feel like they're in over their heads. Whatever...
Why Surfing Job Boards is Keeping You Stuck in Your Career
I talk to so many people who feel stuck in their careers. They're not getting promoted. They feel like their current company isn't a good fit. They know they're meant for more. When I ask them, "What have you tried so far?" the majority tell me they've looked online...
Why Management Training and Career Transition Programs Don’t Work
We've all been there. You sign up for a program about taking your career to the next level, only to find that it doesn't really do much for you. The exercises are good, but a bit confusing. There's no one to talk to. You're not quite sure how to apply it. In the end,...
I’m Declaring War On Time Management
I've had it. There are so many articles and blogs on time management, stress management, making meetings more productive. It's making me crazy. Don't get me wrong, they're not bad strategies. The problem is that they don't get to the underlying problem. Today we'll...
Micromanaging Happens – What to Do?
Whether your boss is micromanaging you, or you find that you're the one lording over your team members, there are some common reasons that micromanaging happens. Today we're going to delve into what those are, and why it's so important to address them. Micromanaging...
Avoid the Pitfalls of the Common Information Effect
There's been a lot of talk lately about the value of diversity in organizations. But having a diverse team isn't enough. To reap the benefits, you need to tap into and leverage the differences. Today we talk about ways to do that. I’ve been reading Unleashed by...
Avoiding Turf Wars
One of the most challenging patterns in organizational life are the "turf wars." Especially if you're new to a role, figuring out how to bring in your ideas without triggering unnecessary competition can be tricky. This week we look at that pattern, and why it's so...
Keep going… you’ve got this!
There's a country music song by Rodney Atkins that says, "When you're going through hell, just keep going..." I'm thinking of that this morning as I've been reading piece after piece about how the pandemic is dragging on, and the toll that's taking on people. So today...