Creating your career isn’t what it used to be. For decades, you could work diligently, pay your dues, learn the ropes, and move up the career ladder. There was a beautiful wedding cake of promotion possibilities – from lead worker to manager, to supervisor, division director, vice-president and beyond. Then things changed. The career ladder…
Details
Team facilitation can make or break the best intended planning session. You gather your team together, set aside one or more major chunks of time, and launch your agenda. And you come away with a dynamic, focused plan and enthusiastic support… or not. There are no guarantees that your brainstorming or strategic planning sessions will…
Details
What is Your Career Strategy? Have you ever wondered about the keys to career success? There are an infinite number of formulas and ideas, and thousands of books on the subject. Some formulas are simple, some are complex. There is no one right answer, but let me share one simple concept that I’ve found effective.…
Details
Although it may still be a bit chilly, spring is officially here and it’s time to take a fresh look at tips for creating work-life balance. Work must go on; there are bills to pay, but the sunshine and waramth are calling. Family activities are ramping up – baseball games and soccer games, weddings, trips…
Details
What is your personal strategic plan? Where do you want to go, and how do you plan on getting there? What milestones do you need to reach along the way? What do you need to accomplish in order to meet those milestones? And will you really get there? Most of us have dreams, visions or…
Details
When the workplace becomes intolerably stressful, what are your career options? Often, a career path is anything but linear. You may be charging toward advancement one minute, and ready to charge out the door, never to return, the next. Most of the time, you roll with the punches. But sometimes the pattern becomes increasingly…
Details
We all need something to make us smile; something different, once in awhile. So invest the time now, if you please, to review the management ABCs. Give your brain a gentle jog, and enjoy this eccentric management blog. A is for Attention. Pay attention to details. The business ignored by leadership is the business that derails.…
Details
In business, manipulation tactics can be subtle or blatant. They can be a part of cultural norms, or press uncomfortably into the realm of the unacceptable. We can argue that almost all of business, indeed almost all of life has elements of manipulation. A good report card might net an ice cream sundae for an…
Details
It may be a rude awakening, or a creeping uneasiness, but at some point, you and other leaders in your organization may decide to make a concerted effort to improve employee morale. You may have been caught blindsided. You may have issued a survey with the expectation of stellar feedback, only to be caught in…
Details
In business, communicating with “the other generation” can seem like a step into insanity. It’s hard to maintain civility when your statements or questions are met with confusion, frustration or, on occasion, downright hostility. Be reassured; you are not crazy, and, surprise, neither are they. Almost no one on either side of the proverbial generation gap…
Details