In my blog post on November 1, you were invited to participate in a gratitude challenge. I know many of you started, and I hope you all finished the challenge and feel better as a result. Neuroscientists have discovered that practicing gratitude releases the happiness hormone called oxytocin. Oxytocin is nicknamed the “happiness hormone” because Read More
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
Just before dusk, on the last night of an end-of-summer camping trip, a young boy and his father were walking through the woods. They walked and talked together for some time until they came across a fallen tree branch on the ground in front of them. The boy cheerfully ran ahead and called back to 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
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
One quarter of 2018 is finished. Are you on track to achieving what you set out to do? Remember the plans, promises and resolutions you set at 11:45 p.m. on December 31, 2017? Recall just before the clock struck midnight and all the promise the new year held. It is not loo late! You can Read More
How often are you busy? Busy, according to Dictionary.com, is an adjective meaning: actively and attentively engaged in work or a pastime As a verb, the meaning is: to keep occupied What I notice about this word, is how often people use it as an excuse for not getting something finished. “I was just too Read More
I recently attended a networking event and ran into someone I had met a couple of years ago. In chatting, I learned he had started his own business. We exchanged business cards, and I told him I’d send him an e-mail when I returned to my office with some dates to meet for coffee, so Read More
Earlier this week, I had the privilege of facilitating a discussion with a group of supervisors from various companies on “Time Mastery”. When I present on this topic, I share Stephen Covey’s time management matrix. I have the group identify activities that fall in each of the 4 quadrants. (If you aren’t familiar with this matrix, Read More
Next month, I will have the opportunity to present about Talent Development at the Michigan Bankers Association BEST conference. Since spring will be here soon, I’m working on an analogy of preparing a garden and developing people. Couple today’s employment market with rapidly changing technology and regulations and you could fail to achieve your bank’s Read More
