Leadership coach and consultant.
When you want to achieve something or make a change in your working life, the path to the new behavior, experience, or outcome invariably leads through communication. This is because the patterns of communication and interaction we engage in are what make the experiences we live. Unfortunately, one of the most pervasive and damaging patterns […]
Many have tried and just as many have failed. Well-meaning and highly skilled supervisors, trainers, executive coaches, management consultants, and human resources professionals have all accepted the challenge of “improving” communication within their teams. For those of us who have had the wonderful experience of attending a communication skills workshop of some kind, only to […]
A great working life doesn’t just happen. You have to craft it with intentional focus and hard work. If you are stuck on a plateau, stalled out, bogged down, or unable to express the full measure of your talent then you may need a reboot to create the conditions for the working life you want. […]
Clearly, change matters. However, when the only day-to-day constant is change, it can be difficult to sustain focus and forward progress on true organizational priorities. If change fatigue sets in, our teams can experience reduced morale and important client services and projects can stall. The good news is that a climate of change is also […]
There is nothing wrong with solving problems! When the supply room catches on fire, you want to put it out quickly and effectively. Forget the organization chart, whoever is closest to the extinguisher, grab it! Problem solved, and then life moves on. But when the supply room keeps on catching fire day after day, your […]
Every one of us, regardless of rank and expertise, will eventually get pushed out of our competence. Although it never feels good, it is a fact of our working lives and it is the core mechanism of growth and development. What leaders do when they are edged out of their competence marks a pivotal turn […]
Last week I devoured the book, Executive in Passage, by Donald and Paige Marrs. It tells the powerful story of a man coming to terms with life-disrupting changes that shake him to the core. From resistance, to curiosity, to acceptance; over time he discovers his unique path through a series of crises beyond what he […]
As a candidate you are only as desirable as the potential you project during the interview process. Because this first impression is truly the definitive factor that determines whether you will or will not receive the job offer, there is (understandably) significant pressure on job seekers to show off their potential without over-doing it. In […]
If you are a manager concerned about turnover, employee engagement, or the high costs of chronic employee under-performance, then you need to think carefully about why people really stay in a job or why they choose to leave their position and their organization. In my experience, people do not leave organizations to seek out other […]
This has been an exciting week to officially launch my new book, Beyond the Job Description.The book hit shelves on December 17th and the feedback has been inspiring. Below are a few recent highlights I wanted to share. Yesterday I taped a segment with host JJ Ramberg for the show “Your Business” on MSNBC. That […]