Keynote Speaker, Trainer Consultant
The quality of a leader is reflected in the standards they set for themselves. —Ray Kroc, Grinding It Out When I first started managing employees (in the early 90s), my two top responsibilities were identifying potential roadblocks that would affect the schedule and providing financial oversight so we met budgetary restrictions. My project management skills […]
Every generation brings something new to the workplace. —Kathryn Minshew Born in 1997, the youngest members of Generation Z have recently begun entering the workforce. Although we don’t know yet exactly how big that generation will be (demographers haven’t yet established its endpoint), odds are good that it will wind up being a pretty […]
When people are financially invested, they want a return. When people are emotionally invested, they want to contribute. —Simon Sinek When you’re a manager, no matter what size your department is and how far removed you are from the CEO’s office, part of your job is to define the mission and goals of your […]
Chinese philosopher Xun Kuang, 3rd century BCE: Tell me, and I forget. Teach me, and I may remember. Involve me, and I learn. Effective delegation can be one of the most difficult skills for managers to learn. On the typical promotion path, an individual contributor does such a great job that he or she is […]
Happy New Year, everyone! Borrowing the words of the author Neil Gaiman, I offer you this very sincere and most heartfelt wish for 2019: I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes. Now before you get annoyed at me, think about what that means. It’s great to strive to do your best, […]
Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up with more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough. —Oprah Winfrey One might argue that of course Oprah feels grateful, because she has everything and is now the wealthiest […]
The holidays stress people out so much. I suggest you keep it simple and try to have as much fun as you can. —Giada De Laurentiis Good advice Giada…. Regardless of which holidays you celebrate at this time of year (or if you celebrate none in particular), it’s hard not to get swept up in […]
These days it seems that every book, blog, or lecture that has anything to do with business mentions the importance of networking. And for good reason: a good network can help people get better (and more interesting) projects, opportunities, and even promotions.
Peace is not absence of conflict, it is the ability to handle conflict by peaceful means. ~ Ronald Reagan You come into work feeling rested and ready to hit it hard when lo and behold, you encounter one of every manager’s worst nightmares: infighting in your department. Or perhaps one of your employees is having […]
Conflict is drama, and how people deal with conflict shows you the kind of people they are. —Stephen Moyer When two or more people spend time together, they’re bound to come into conflict, and when happens, conflict resolution is in order. But even though conflict is a universal inevitability in the workplace, many managers don’t know […]
Employees don’t need to be best friends, but there does need to be a level of mutual respect and understanding. —Kathryn Minshew, cofounder and CEO of the Muse In the era of #MeToo, how employees interact with one another has come under greater scrutiny. And for good reason: one recent study by the Workplace Bullying […]
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 people are worried about disappointing (or even angering) a boss they see as very much […]
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 onboarding has been sitting through a long and incredibly boring program […]
“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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
