Becoming a successful helping professional would be so much easier if you were told exactly what to do to make it all work out. So often we get thrown off course by the growing pains or obstacles that are actually fairly predictable. Here are some of the common growing pains I see at each…
This summer has been filled with observing excellence, almost every day. It was awesome! I was definitely sad to see the Olympics come to a close. (Although I’m glad to actually be getting to bed at a reasonable hour now…) While watching the coverage every night, I found myself paying close attention to these amazingly…
So, I usually talk about my psychology background as most of my professional career has been in that arena. It may be hard to believe, but I started at a very different spot. When I talk about how I became a therapist, I often start with the phrase: “I wanted to be a movie star…
When I first became a hiring manager, I hired plenty of the “wrong” people. Over the many years I worked as a hiring manager (and then as a recruiter), I’ve refined my hiring process to bring in the right candidate who fits for the team as well as for the job. Hiring the wrong person…
Why Networking is a Critical Best Practice for Helping Professionals So many people HATE networking. Especially helping professionals, in my experience. Many helping professionals think that networking is selling or passing a million cards out and hoping they get a referral. That’s just wrong. This mindset can be very short-sighted and, potentially, dangerous. It’s time…
Last month, I wrote about ways to simplify your life. This month, I thought I would take on the work place. So many things can complicate our experience at work. Obviously, the amount of simplifying you can do (and what you will do) changes based on your role (boss, worker bee, lone ranger), but I…
How many times have you heard or said that things are just too complicated? I know I have said it many times and I can’t count how many times my clients have said it. As we move forward along our paths, things seem to get muddier and more complex. It can get quite overwhelming. How…
The process of understanding yourself can be challenging. Sometimes we aren’t honest with ourselves. Sometimes we don’t see the whole picture. Sometimes we see exactly what is there, but fight against it. That being said, it is important to do your best. Only when you know what makes yourself tick, will you be able to…
There are so many excuses that keep us from moving forward: “I want to make sure it is just right,” or “I need more time to develop skills,” or “The timing isn’t quite right.” These excuses hide our fear of change and of stepping outside our comfort zone. We try to protect ourselves against all possible negative outcomes before…
Okay, so here are my thoughts on the other side of the mentorship equation: being a mentor. As you know, I believe seeking mentors is extremely important when you are making your way up. What about when you have made it (or at least made it part way)? How do you give back? Finding and supporting mentees…