Are, like, filler or weasel words, you know, on the rise? What do the following words have in common: basically, really, actually, totally, exactly, very, highly, just, like, you know, uh, um, I mean, like I said, OK, so, well, right?, and stuff, literally? They’re all filler or weasel words –...
Deprioritizing the onboarding process can have serious long-term effects on employee retention and engagement, so you have to get it right. Onboarding has always been a critical part of the hiring process. Yet it’s also a part of the hiring process that all too often falls to the wayside once new...
Not surprisingly, in the last few weeks I’ve been contacted by board and C-level leaders, asking how they can rally and galvanize managers who appear to be buckling under the pressures and disruptions of the pandemic. These clients are grappling with issues like operational and supply chain...
Distracted leaders are octopods spinning like tornados with sucker-filled tentacles clinging to ‘important’ trivialities. You can’t go eight directions at the same time and make meaningful progress. The centrifugal force of distraction drives leaders toward triviality, anxiety, and burnout....
The right mindset is key to steering your business through turbulent times. Over the past few months, life got very real – especially for business owners: a global pandemic, economic recession, some industries almost wiped out, worldwide redundancies, and huge debt commitments taken on to enable...
“The struggle to feel valued is one of the most insidious and least acknowledged issues in organizations.” Tony Schwartz Ellasyn, our youngest granddaughter, couldn’t believe her ears when Mimi offhandedly suggested, “Why don’t you use the Tooth Fairy pillow I made for your sister?” Brynlee,...
No matter how long your tenure as a team leader has been, you’ve probably seen it. Motivation can fade. Individual employees who seemed so full of life and so engaged in the job eventually settle into rhythms and patterns and might even burn out. Teams that were formed with an inspiring mission...
There’s a quiet battle raging within most entrepreneurs when it comes to self-esteem. It doesn’t matter how smart, attractive, or successful you are - when you lack confidence, you will be falling short of your own potential. When you finally learn to accept yourself as you are and stop comparing...
Stop asking stupid questions like: How are you? How are you doing? How are you feeling? You already know how people are doing. The future feels like mushy spaghetti. Answers to, “How are you?” sound inane because they are. What’s worse than “Fine”? What if “How are you?” comes from your heart....
By now, you’ve mastered virtual meetings. Right? The technology is humming, and everyone has fallen into a comfortable rhythm. But could that be the problem? One of the dangers of remote meetings is the predictable nature that many of them take on. Standard agendas. A short slide presentation. A...
Few consider meetings the highlight of their workday – more probably consider it the bane of their work life. It is true that meetings, while important and potentially useful, aren’t always very good. Sadly, now that most meetings are being held virtually, it hasn’t gotten any better. The...
Let’s face it – because of the importance of public speaking, giving a speech involves a great deal of stress. This stress has a way of affecting each of us differently. However, there is one thing that can happen to any of us – our minds can go blank at exactly the wrong point in time. Just like...