During my tenure as a vice president of human resources for a credit union in Maryland, I worked with two human resources generalists on my team. Both were good at their jobs; they each had completed training and certifications in HR. Yet one was exceptional—she had a few more years of experience than the other employee and had gained knowledge and confidence through everyday practice. She was a self-starter who I could give any project…
You’d think having a lot of choices would be the optimal situation. Living in the Washington, DC area, there are hundreds of restaurants to choose from. For a recent date night out, my husband and I struggled to narrow down all the options in our area to settle on one. After several days of scrolling through the choices, we finally decided to just go to a restaurant we usually go to. While having so many…
Many of us look forward to a fresh start at the beginning of a new year. The past two years have been chaotic, stressful, and challenging for most of us, and leaders in organizations have not only had to manage employees, but manage the myriad changes caused by the pandemic. Perhaps the past two years you have felt more reactive than proactive as a leader. Now is a great time to recalibrate and focus on…
Several months ago, I told my husband that I felt like I was in a funk. I couldn’t explain why—I love my business, I enjoy working with my clients, and I have so much to be thankful for. My three kids are healthy, I’m in the process of writing a book, and we had just returned from a great family vacation in Tennessee. Yet I couldn’t shake this feeling of blah—my usual motivation, action, and…
The pandemic has impacted people in various ways over the past 18 months, and researchers are reporting that many employees are feeling exhausted, burned out and stressed. Gallup has found in their research that employee wellbeing and engagement at work tend to have a reciprocal effect, although in the beginning of the pandemic, engagement levels stayed steady as employees worked hard to shift how they worked. Yet 18 months into this major change, many people…
As some organizations start bringing employees back to the office, many are finding that not all team members are excited to be transitioning back to an office environment full time. Although many employees struggled over the past year to balance work with children learning at home, they also experienced some benefits from a more flexible work environment and no commuting. Employees have gotten used to focusing on results rather than hours worked and have adapted…
Two weeks ago, I dropped my oldest daughter Olivia off for three weeks of sleep away camp. I’m sure this will be a wonderful experience for her, but the week leading up to camp, I started having anxiety about her potential experience. Some of the kids are there all summer and had four weeks to forge friendships before the new kids came to camp for only the last three weeks. Thoughts raced through my head….
One of the challenges I faced when I was promoted to a management role was managing a coworker whom up until my promotion was a peer. Although she was supportive, it was uncomfortable and changed the dynamic in our relationship. We both knew that ultimately, I was now her manager, and that I would be conducting her performance evaluation. I struggled at first to manage the changes in our relationship. I find this is true…
A couple of weeks ago, I had professional business photos taken at my home. I always dread photos because I am not a natural smiler. Since I was a kid, when I posed for photos, I didn’t look natural—I always had a fake, forced smile (the photo above was taken at my aunt and uncle’s wedding. I had a fake smile even at four years old!). Typically, it takes the photographer fifty or more photos…
As a leadership consultant and success coach, I believe that habits are an important element of leadership success. Our daily practices are what support our focus, results, and growth to be at our best every day so we can effectively serve those who we lead. I believe that sleep is one of the most underrated success habits, and when crunched for time, I often choose sleep over other practices I have instilled like meditation and…
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