10 Rules for how to be a “good employee”

Over the years of being an employee, having employees, and coaching employees and Managers to build positive relationships, I’ve learned some common things that make an employee a “good employee”. Here’s my list. If you have others to add, please do so in the comments! And don’t worry, there will be a future post on how …

How to give constructive feedback

I recently wrote a post about receiving feedback, because I think this is an important art that many leaders lack.  Even more important for a good leader is to master the art of giving meaningful (A.K.A. constructive) feedback. Giving honest, meaningful feedback with the goal of helping others to improve will engage their hearts and minds and build …

Listen Leaders! Show your people you value them

One of the most important elements of engagement is a feeling of being valued.  The problem is that many leaders don’t know how to show that they do value their teams. When I’ve discussed this essential need of feeling valued, managers often think that they’ve done all they can to make employees feel valued.  “I got business …

Engage your heart and mind by making positive choices.

I am turning 37 next month, and have been reflecting on life and where it has taken me.  I’m not married, have no kids, and am working my a$$ off in corporate Canada. I am not spending enough energy on the things that engage my heart & mind. I neglect my dog and don’t spend enough time traveling, spending time with friends, family, …

Do pyjama (pajama for my US friends) days build engagement?

I was chatting with friends the other night and one of them mentioned that morale was poor at their workplace, so they were having a “wear your pyjamas to work” day. Will having a pyjama party actually improve morale?  No way. In fact, my friend was dreading it, and thought it was somewhat impractical in a work environment where half of …

Top 5 networking (face to face) tips

If you’re here, you are probably somewhat comfortable navigating through “social networking” online.  But for many people, it is difficult to enter a room where you know nobody, in the hopes of networking to further your business/career/etc. There are people who are experts at this, and I have watched and learned.  I also recently …

How to be a Superhero from TED Talks

I make a point of always smiling at people on the street, in the office, or wherever I may be.  I often have people commenting on this, and have actually wondered at times if it makes me come across as somewhat ‘simple’. But then I saw this TED Talk by Ron Gutman, and realized it’s actually my superpower 🙂 Watch the talk and check …

Get to know the people you don’t like

I ran across this quote from Abraham Lincoln, and it rang very true for me as a lesson I’ve learned over the years. “I don’t like that man.  I must get to know him better.”  For me, this speaks to the importance of understanding people with different perceptions and views from your own.  This leads to learning and outcomes …