So, 2014 has started. The ink on our New Year’s Resolutions have dried and we’re trying to make them work in the real world. The holidays are over and we have no more excuses. Determined folks are still soldiering forward, seeing how long they can sustain this new and exciting motivation. On the other hand…
Too often in the business world (and in many families), we get caught in the blame game. Something goes wrong and we have to figure out who made the mistake and vilify them. This sets up an environment of fear that does not support good teaming, healthy communication, or really anything that we want to…
For whatever reason, the past couple weeks I have been talking to a number of folks about jobs that just weren’t a fit for them. There are mixed stories. Horror at being fired or waiting too long to leave and triumph at leaving early enough to avoid pain and suffering. How do you know if you are…
So, I didn’t get a new blog post out for April. I had previously set a goal for myself that I would post something once a month around the 15th. I didn’t get overly structured, but I had been doing pretty darn well until last month. What happened? The old “I don’t wanna, you can’t…
Balancing work and life is extremely challenging. I want to say that again. Balancing work and life is extremely challenging! I am repeating myself because, as I troll through Facebook and self-help spheres, it seems like if you just do a few simple things, you will get it and be forever blissful. Poppycock! (Sorry for the outmoded expostulation. Just…
As human beings, we have natural instincts that help us to survive. The primal part of the brain (the brainstem, to be technical about it) takes care of these instincts. You know the brainstem is working because you don’t have to think “breathe in, breathe out” all day to remember to move oxygen through your body. A…
Communication is one of the things that I believe everyone should get training in. We need to communicate effectively to be successful in our relationships, in our jobs, and pretty much every aspect of our lives. I am not talking about eloquence, I am talking about clearly communicating what you intend to communicate with another…
When you manage others, you are evaluated based on the work your employees perform (by your customers, by your boss, etc.). This can feel like a very risky proposition, if you don’t know how to get your employees to do good work. Here are some of the reasons I’ve encountered that employees don’t perform. You don’t act like…