Once there was a carpenter who decided to retire after a long and storied career. When he told his boss, the builder, of his intentions, the builder asked the carpenter if he would do one last job. The carpenter reluctantly agreed. He approached this project like none other. In the past, he had always given Read More
There have been violent rain storms across the country recently. The photos of flooded streets, twisted trees, and roofless buildings serve as a reminder of the destructive power in nature. We would do well to remember the destructive power within us, as well, when we lose our temper and act out against others. Often, the “others” Read More
In one of my favorite books, the authors Kathi Elster and Katherine Crowley write, “Let’s face it, the relationship at work between a boss and an employee often becomes a minefield of emotional misinterpretations.” I couldn’t agree more, and it’s not just between the supervisor and their direct report, it is between employees at all Read More
Several years ago, a colleague had a sign in her office that read something like, “I get plenty of exercise jumping to conclusions, pushing my luck and dodging deadlines.” People always got a good chuckle after reading it, mostly because it wasn’t true – especially the part about dodging deadlines; she always had tasks done Read More
I recently volunteered to be a part of a group dialog with other business professionals about leadership, management and accountability. As part of the process, my staff were invited to give anonymous feedback in 10 different areas. I also ranked myself in the same 10 areas. The group’s facilitator then recapped all the information into Read More
Earlier this week, I listened to my friend, Anna Maravelas, speak at the Conflict Savvy Leader event that EAC hosted in partnership with Davenport University’s, Institute for Professional Excellence (IPEx). One of the concepts that Anna talks about is how we respond to frustrations. In his work, Charles Stroble, MD, talks about the fact that Read More
A couple of words have caught my attention recently – should and suppose. Often, we use the word, should, when we feel like we need to do something, and we may not want to do it. I believe we use the word, suppose, in much the same way. For example, what are you supposed to Read More
This week, I had the privilege of being one of the breakout session speakers at a national healthcare leadership conference. The keynote speaker of the conference was Monique Tallon. One of the ideas we both talked about in our presentations was empathy. “The ability to step into someone else’s shoes and see things from their perspective Read More
Earlier this week, I was reminded of Aesop’s fable, The Oak and the Reeds. During a training, I asked the group, “Is there anyone who likes to be right, besides me?” I wanted to make the point that we can sometimes get so focused on our way being the right way, that we miss opportunities Read More
Several times each year, I facilitate Harassment Awareness workshops at our client company locations. I usually start off the program saying to the audience, “This session is called ‘awareness’ because you don’t need a lesson in how to harass; that comes a bit naturally.” It usually garners a chuckle or two. It is sad to Read More
