Great leaders often have assertive and confident personalities that heavily influence their interactions with others. Sometimes these “strong” personalities go hand in hand with similarly forceful management techniques that can squelch innovation and the effectiveness of your team, because when ... Continue Reading
Attention, Managers: Use Onboarding to Gain a Competitive Advantage
Onboarding is not a nice-to-have, but rather a need-to-have." —Kevin Martin, research director at Human Capital Management I’m pretty sure that no one would argue with Kevin Martin’s statement about the importance of onboarding. One possible exception might be someone whose only experience with ... Continue Reading
The Power of Saying No – Part 2
“The difference between successful people and really successful people is that really successful people say no to almost everything.” —Warren Buffett You may think that you and Warren Buffett are worlds apart, but you both actually have one very important thing in common: the ability to ... Continue Reading
The Power of Saying NO – Part 1
“What you don’t do determines what you can do.” —Timothy Ferriss Never underestimate the power of saying no! At this point in your career, you’re probably heard a lot of advice about how to succeed in the business world. “Set goals!” “Be a team player!” “Challenge ... Continue Reading
Change Your Outlook, Change Your Life – Part 2
Only I can change my life. No one can do it for me. —Carol Burnett As I explained last month, the first step toward developing a positive outlook is realizing that negativity is not inevitable. You have the power to change your status quo! The sooner you understand that, the sooner you’ll be ready ... Continue Reading
Change Your Outlook, Change Your Life – Part 1
Positive thinking will let you do everything better than negative thinking will. —Zig Ziglar Is there a “Downer Dave” or a “Negative Nancy” in your work or home life? You know the type: no matter what happens, these people always have a negative outlook. They are frustrating and exhausting to ... Continue Reading
Val’s Guide to Surviving the Holidays
With Thanksgiving behind us, the “official” holiday madness has begun. Here are my nine tips for surviving the holidays: Make this the year you generate a gift list (and budget) for family and friends and actually stick to it. I happen to perform best under pressure and love the euphoria of ... Continue Reading
Being an Inclusive Manager, Part 2: How?
Lead by Example All employees want to be appreciated for their contributions and hard-earned knowledge. In multigenerational workplaces, such appreciation may be more difficult to achieve because of age-based stereotypes and misperceptions. It’s important to remember that younger employees have ... Continue Reading
Being an Inclusive Manager – Part 1: Why?
Creating and managing a diverse workforce is a process, not a destination. –R. Roosevelt Thomas Jr., Beyond Race and Gender The Benefits of Inclusion As part of my training practice, I lead a workshop entitled “Inspiring a Collaborative and Respectful Work Environment.” During class, ... Continue Reading
Communicating Up, Down and Across the Organization
One of the best things you can do for your career is learn how to be a great communicator. After all, if you're unable to get your point across in a way that inspires others to take action, how can your initiatives (or your career) possibly succeed? In any workplace conversation--whether it's with a ... Continue Reading
