Author Archives

There must be something about me that broadcasts, “Good listener.” Even in the most casual of settings, I find people telling me their life stories. A recent example of this happened last week. I was in a taxi in NYC. The driver showed me his receipts. I was only his third passenger for the night. … Continue Reading

It’s been a number of years since I worked in a corporation. While I love having my own business, I have to admit I miss the end of the year celebrations and bonuses. I attended a lot of parties over my 35 years in business. Some were over-the-top, drink too much happenings while others were more … Continue Reading

When people ask me what I do, I often respond with, “I am an organizational shrink.” There might be those who give me pushback for this statement. I mean, I am not a Ph.D. That said, I have lots of on-the-job training. Over the course of my 20-year career as an organizational change consultant, I have … Continue Reading

I am a big believer in establishing ground rules. Coming to agreement on how you work together is a good practice, especially when it’s done before the work commences. It helps you get in front of potential conflicts and it gives you something to draw upon if someone is not displaying the desired behaviors. And … Continue Reading

Is there a place in today’s organization for a demanding manager? Many years ago, I interviewed for a position with someone who was known as being the best in the business. I wanted to be the best too so I accepted the job even though I was warned she could be intimidating, tough and exacting. … Continue Reading

I only got to hear the first story on this week’s episode of This American Life on NPR. The topic for this week’s installment was unintended consequences and the story I heard focused on Colton, the Bachelor. Wow. He jumped a fence to flee the producers and end his journey on the show. It made … Continue Reading

A number of years ago, I had a friend and business associate tell me she was quitting her job to pursue a career in broadcasting. She was in her late 20s and she had a lot of good things going for her. She was attractive, smart and had a great reputation in the advertising industry, … Continue Reading

I got into the practice of “looking up” 40 years ago when I was a student teacher. My master teacher took my class and me on a walking tour of the town and she said, “Look up!” And when we looked up, she showed us the pediments and entablatures with carved stones that told us … Continue Reading

I feel compelled to share an oldie but goodie. In a session the other day, I found myself talking about Steve Covey and his emotional bank account. It’s interesting. The majority of the people in the room had never heard this metaphor before.  Whether this metaphor is new to you or not, here’s how it … Continue Reading

Call me old-fashioned but I think training works best when it is interactive and experiential. Training that includes thinking and doing, that encourages the learner to look inward and creates “ah-ha” moments. Recently, I read an article in HBR about the future of leadership development training. It details the need for better offerings and reports … Continue Reading