15
Aug

3 Simple Steps to Storytelling

I am often reminded, when I am watching a presentation, that storytelling does not come naturally to many people.  I don’t mean telling about what you did last weekend or about a great adventure that you had – lots of people are great at that.  What I mean by storytelling is laying out information and recommendations in a logical way. …
10
Aug

6 things leaders can learn from dog training

My dog, Piper, is awesome.  The reason she’s awesome: shortly after getting her from the local SPCA, I spent a lot of time training her.  I have continued training her over the past 9 years.  The more time I have spent training her, the more I have noticed parallels between dog training and employee training.  Here are a few principles that …
03
Aug

Life Lessons from Steve Jobs

Over the past few months, I’ve been “standing on the edge of a precipice” (thanks Jacqui @gosocialsa for the analogy and the inspiration). I finally made my decision to follow my heart, and take a leap of faith. Although my mind was already made up, videos like this continue to inspire me and confirm that I’ve made the right …
26
Jul

10 Rules for how to be a good leader

I recently wrote a post about how to be a good employee, and promised an upcoming post about being a good leader.  Here’s what I’ve learned from working for some great leaders and from doing the best I can to lead my team effectively. Get to know your team as individuals.  I don’t mean that you should become best friends with your …
12
Jul

8 Signs you’re addicted to Twitter

1. You check your smartphone for Mentions and DMs before you even get out of bed. 2. You #write #everything in #hashtags. 3. You have trouble expressing yourself in more than 140 characters. 4. You haven’t turned on the TV in months because there’s always a great #chat going on. 5. Your friends don’t know what’s up with you unless …
10
Jul

A personal story of lack of feedback and it’s impact.

I recently wrote a post about how to give constructive feedback.  It reminded me of a personal experience I had with a lack of feedback.  As an extremely driven individual, I am motivated by feedback.  I actually crave it.  I want to know what I’m getting right and what I’m missing so I can continuously improve.  Here’s a story …
04
Jul

The Power of Social Media Networks

Over the past couple of weeks, there’s been a discussion going on about the power of social networks and changes in marketing due to this power.  I got involved in the conversation when I read and commented on Kevin von Duuglas-Ittu‘s blog about “a different kind of Social Media – finding a language”.  The discussion …
29
Jun

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 …