“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 yourself!” These messages are driven home in team […]
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 for […]
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 be around, because their […]
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 waiting to the bitter end to […]
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 knowledge as well, for example—it’s just different from what those who have been in the […]
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, I have participants split into groups and answer the following […]
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 direct […]
Connecting Work Ethic to Company Mission
In last month’s blog post I explained why it’s important for managers to clearly define work ethic before discussing expectations with their direct reports. Today I’m building on that theme to discuss the importance of connecting work ethic to company mission. Connect the dots between individual roles and the goals of the organization. When people […]
What Is Work Ethic? And Why Is Defining It Important?
The first and paramount responsibility of anyone who purports to manage is to manage self; one’s own integrity, character, work ethic, knowledge, wisdom, temperament, words, and acts. —Dee Hock Of all the areas of conflict among the generations, work ethic is certainly the most challenging to overcome—partly because it’s an elusive trait to begin with. […]
Influencing without Authority: 8 Tips for Getting Results When You Don’t Have Direct Authority
Many new managers make the mistake of assuming that once they have the fancy title of “director” or “vice president,” they’ll have an easier time getting employees to do what they’re asked to do. Unfortunately, that doesn’t really happen these days, because the nature of leadership has changed: yesterday’s practice of barking orders and demanding […]
