06
Mar

Training for Leaders who give a damn

I am super excited to announce a new part of my business! I’ve become an “Actionable Coach” with Actionable Books– a leadership development program designed for leaders who give a damn. It’s a super simple platform that enables leaders to develop “Salaried Entrepreneurs” on their teams. Leadership Workshop …
03
Oct

HR Professional – Key Traits for Next-Gen HR

Last week I came across an article by Williams Recognition about the 5 traits of a Human Resources Professional. The traits they listed were: Commitment to company and employee; superior organizational skills; ability to multitask; impartiality; and continuous improvement. To me, this seems really 1980s, and helps to prolong the unfortunate stereotype …
19
Sep

Effective Communication – tone, body language, and brevity

I’ve taught many workshops and coached more leaders than I can count on effective communication.  One of the most important lessons that continues to manifest is that it is not what you say that matters, but how you say it. Here are 3 lessons that help you say what you mean with more than your words. A study by Dr Mehrabian investigated the impact …
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 …
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 …
30
May

Job interview tips – especially for Millennials

A few weeks ago, I blogged about the importance of not judging job applicants, especially Millennials / Gen Yers, by initial outward appearances or perceptions.  I still believe that is important.  However, that blog inspired some healthy discussion with colleagues and business leaders about how difficult it is to change perception, and inspired me …
25
Apr

Engaging Orientation

When a new employee starts at your company, do they feel like you’ve rolled out the welcome mat or like they’re just another number? A new employee’s first few days can be critical to their longterm success and engagement.  They are gauging whether they’ve made the right decision to come and work for you and probably feeling …
24
Feb

Customer Complaint Resolution – all about attitude

After years of working in hospitality and seeing good and bad problem resolution skills (and practicing both myself), I’ve learned some best practices in dealing with angry customers. I have to say the most important first step is to face customer complaints positively and with an attitude of Trust. Think of complaints as a way to improve your …