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You think you’re listening, but you’re missing so much. Here’s what to do about it.
"When people talk, listen completely." ~Ernest Hemingway Have you ever been in the midst of a conversation with someone, only to realize you have no idea what they've just been saying to you? Have you ever acted on something you discussed with someone, only to have...
What to do when you don’t know what to do
There comes a time when you have to make a decision, but sometimes that time comes and you still lack clarity. You're stuck. What do you do? Your team may be looking to you for a final call on the next direction. Your boss may be looking to you for a plan for a new...
Mistakes welcome!
“The only man who never makes a mistake is the man who never does anything.” ~Theodore Roosevelt Why is it that we (that I) get so hung up on the mistakes we make? Or even sometimes on the mistakes that others make around us. What is this notion that somehow resides...
Change a word, change everything
We all know that words are powerful – they can inspire us, open us up to new ideas and places, comfort us, and get us excited. Words can also hurt us, shut us down, frighten us, and close us off to what is possible. Norman Vincent Peale said, "Change your thoughts and...
Don’t apologize for using the “F” word at work
"Never apologize for showing feeling. When you do so, you apologize for the truth." ~Benjamin Disraeli I refer to Feelings as "the F word" in business. I've witnessed over the years that many people - many people - still seem to think that we should somehow leave our...
Three ways to hear what your team thinks about you
I often hear leaders express frustration when they get negative feedback from their team. "Why am I just now hearing this?" they may ask. "I don't understand where this is coming from," they lament. They are often caught off-guard or confused about the feedback they...
Do you really need advice?
“Advice is what we ask for when we already know the answer but wish we didn't.” ~Erica Jong The other day I noticed a pattern during a recent coaching session. It was pretty obvious and hard to miss. My client was sharing a number of situations she was facing and...
Are you gritty enough?
I recently watched a TED video of Angela Lee Duckworth, a psychologist who has studied success in students, West Point cadets, teachers, sales people, and more. Her research has determined something we need to know as leaders, managers, individual contributors, and...
Be brave. Show up.
"The willingness to show up changes us. It makes us a little braver each time." ~Brené Brown Sometimes leading is scary. Sometimes life is scary. Sometimes something comes our way, and we don't know how to handle it. We don't know how to have the tough conversation...
How to handle the “elephant in the middle of the living room”
We partner with clients to help their leadership teams have strategic (and necessary) conversations - the conversations they all know they need to have, and the conversations they all seem to be unable to have. Because there's usually that "elephant in the middle of...
Where are you letting the past define you?
“The past is but the beginning of a beginning.” ~H.G. Wells The other day I was in session with a client, and she remarked that even though her life had been so tough that other people often wondered how she could have endured all that she did, she was glad for all of...
How long will you tolerate that bad work relationship? Five questions to turn it around today
Difficult work relationships are one of the most common reasons people are unhappy at work or looking to move on to new jobs. They may endure months or years of uncomfortable and stressful encounters – bosses who micromanage, direct reports who have bad attitudes, or...
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