Early in my career, I learned the power of professional development when my manager encouraged me to participate in various skill-enhancing opportunities. Soon, I began to ask myself, “What do you want to learn this year?” Like a kid in a candy store, I’d peruse the...
I always have a long to-do list. I imagine you do, too. I have a long list for home, my kids, for nonprofits I support, for building my business, for supporting each customer, etc. So even though I give the advice, focus on the main thing. I often get irritated with...
Oftentimes we are assigned a team; but sometimes, we are blessed enough to draft our own team. Regardless, we've all asked ourselves: “Do I have the right team?” Or the question I think we’re really asking is: “Am I on a winning team?” I like to believe that I can...
It's football season, and I'm watching a couple of my favorite teams have rough seasons. It happens. As individuals, the teams all have a number of standouts -- players who bring exceptional skills and strengths to the team. However, when they come together to play,...
Sometimes it's easy to keep score on whether a team is successful or not. Did they win the contest? Yes or no. But sometimes, the team is working on a long-term project that doesn't complete for months and months, which means there aren't any wins and losses to...
"No man is an island, entire of itself..." John Donne No man is an island, and neither is a business. It doesn't matter if the business is a large corporation, a small business, or led by a solo-preneur. Everyone and every entity needs relationships and partnerships...
As a corporate associate for over 20 years, I immediately associate December with performance reviews. It's the time of year when I sit down and think about all of the things I said I would accomplish... and write a long diatribe about how great I did against the...
When it comes to managing teams, it’s important to understand that how you choose to manage can make a huge difference in how your team responds, executes, and grows. There are two types of managers out there: those who delegate and those who abdicate. Well, what’s...
Whenever I would start a new role, my husband's guidance would be: “Start how you plan to finish.” He knew my tendencies to start something full-court press (or giving it 110%) and then wonder why people were surprised six months in when I decided to leave the office...