We’ve all been in our fair share of terrible meetings. The meetings where we nod off, people are distracted or confused, maybe we are left wondering why we are even in the meeting, or what the point was to begin with. As leaders, too often our meetings aren’t as good…

MINDFULNESS. A word that’s used a lot these days, in many contexts, and with many meanings: everything from the basis for entire businesses and industries…to a particular type of meditation…even to ways we’re told we should eat.. And often we’re told “mindfulness” or “living mindfully” is good for us. Yet…

I’ve managed my fair share of hard work situations — both legitimate crises and manufactured ones — and hard conversations on everything from team dynamics to hard performance feedback. I want to share some of the lessons I’ve learned about how to navigate these hard situations better through my work…

EMPATHY. It’s a word that we hear a lot these days. Empathy is needed in positions of leadership especially during times of change, like right now, as people are changing jobs in record numbers and as we re-emerge in new ways after two years of the pandemic. …

A few weeks ago I shared some ideas on using an effective “check in” for anyone wants to get better at communicating and leading. Equally as important, if not more, is a really effective “check-out.” By checking out, I don’t mean turning off, zoning out, or putting your focus elsewhere…

To connect, inform, and inspire, keep it simple. To communicate well, simplify. The most powerful, timeless wisdom is conveyed in few words, simply. The most powerful advertising, the most influential messages, the most easily understood communications are elegantly simple. At work, the most efficient and productive way to communicate is…

Happy New Year! For many of us, the start of a new year is a time of reflection and intention-setting. Whether setting resolutions for the year ahead or coming up with a set of self-reflection questions or standards we set for ourselves and our teams, the practice of taking a…

Just Be Direct. One of the areas I’ve been working on in my own life (professionally and otherwise) in the last year is being comfortable and confident in speaking my mind. This doesn’t mean blurting out every thought that comes into my mind, especially without regard to who I’m blurting…

The last 18 months have really held a magnifying glass up to how each of us relates and communicates with others. Nothing like stress, zoom boxes, and global reckonings with deeply embedded social ills to make us confront directly how each of us shows up and speaks with others. Especially…