01
Jun

Three Keys to Courageous Conversations

I’m prepping for a Courageous Conversations workshop tomorrow and as I’m reviewing the materials, I’m remembering the feedback and “a-ha” moments that we often get when we deliver this training to leaders. There are three things that stand out to me as I look back at what past participants said about their most important …
26
May

How to Improve Employee Engagement, Even If You’re Not the Boss

It’s two weeks after the WorkHuman conference, and my mind is still buzzing with thoughts from the great speakers. One of the most prevalent themes for me was the concept of individuals themselves being responsible for their own employee engagement. This wasn’t explicitly called out by any of the speakers, so it may be my bias, as I work …
16
Mar

What’s Your Legacy? A Visionary Founder’s Passing Has Me Thinking…

A few days ago, the founder of the company where I started my career passed away. Paul Jeffery was a true entrepreneur and visionary. He founded Kelsey’s and Montana’s restaurants and created the organization where I learned how awesome culture and work could be. His legacy is strong, and impacted thousands. There is so much I could say …
15
Mar

How One Leader Took “Happiness” Away from Human Resources

There is a lot of discussion these days about the impact of happiness on workplace engagement and productivity. In Shawn Achor’s book., The Happiness Advantage, he shares findings about the impact of Happiness – that it leads to a 23% reduction in stress and 31% increase in productivity. (Shawn Achor is speaking at WorkHuman in May – …
10
Sep

Why It Matters That I’m Working On Vacation

I’m writing this while I sit on the beach at a lakeside cottage. The sun is dancing on the water, the sand is warm on my feet, and whenever I feel a little too hot, I take a quick walk through the waves while my dog barks from the paw-deep shoreline. I’m not saying this to make you envious, although it is beautiful here. I’m not saying …
01
Sep

The Most Unproductive Conversation Leaders Are Having

There is one conversation that comes up time and time again when my corporate HR and Leader friends are sharing their work stories with me. It’s a conversation that drives me nuts. It’s a conversation that I used to have, too, when I was working in the corporate world, so I can see how it is perpetuated in that grey, cubicle-filled, bureaucratic …
05
Mar

Attack Social Anxiety at Work, and Scary Office Networking

I love life, people, and new experiences. However, I also have my socially awkward moments, and feelings of inadequacy. I’m not unique, and I’m not alone. However, it is how we handle those negative feelings that set us apart from those who remain frozen in fear.  The majority of us have at least one type of social situation that causes us nervousness …
05
Feb

DON’T Bring your Empathy & Sympathy to Work?

Do we really need to offer more of ourselves at work? Do we really need to add sympathy and empathy to our list of work tasks? Or, can we all benefit from a few kind words? “We are all adults here, time to suck-it-up!” There are many thoughts and/or comments surrounding “emotions” in the workplace. “We are all adults here, time …