Too often we find ourselves talking around issues.  For lots of reasons we leave meetings without saying what has to be said — and then we engage in the ‘side conversation’.  Perhaps you’ve experienced the side conversation:  ‘Can you believe what just happened in that meeting?’  Rather than speaking up, we rely on the side...Read More

The first few months on a new job present opportunities and challenges for both the employee and the employer. In fact, studies show that new hires, at all levels, are most vulnerable during this period, but also more receptive to establishing new patterns of behavior for long-term job success. Read more…Read More

I’m bothered by the idea of ‘fake it till you make it’ – seems insincere, not smart, not sustainable.  But in Lean In Sheryl Sandberg cites research done in 2010, and published in Psychological Science, that says there’s some science behind this strategy. “One study found that when people assumed a high-power pose (for example,...Read More

I spent last week working with 73 smart women: the 2013 Class of the Women’s Campaign School at Yale.  These women from around the world gathered to hear from experts on what it takes to get elected to office. I had the opportunity to work with each woman, one-on-one, to help her grow her executive...Read More

In his book Blink, Malcolm Gladwell cites research that says in as little as two seconds we make numerous snap judgments about who someone is based on nonverbal clues such as age, gender, ethnicity. These first impressions can work for or against us. Reality is we have no control over some of them, but lots...Read More

Organizations talk frequently about the importance of their employees working together.  The reality is that working together doesn’t always work well — working with others isn’t easy and teamwork isn’t natural for some people.  But being able to build strong, effective, working relationships with team members is often the determining factor for both an individual,...Read More

Think back to your last performance review. What do you remember most — the feedback on what you did really well or the feedback on what you didn’t do so well?  If you’re like 81% of the workforce, you focus more on your weaknesses and don’t give much thought to how you can use more...Read More

Lots of smart people believe they shouldn’t have to say how good they are — people should just get it; their results should speak for themselves.  Many of these same folks can’t stand the idea of touting their accomplishments.  It seems like bragging to them, completely self-serving and unnecessary.  And besides that, it takes time...Read More

Everyone I know (including me) makes New Year’s resolutions on January 1. But research shows that nearly 80% of all new-year’s resolutions are broken by January 31. Many of my executive coaching clients are committed to making 2013 their best year yet, and are committed to doing the hard work to make it happen. I...Read More

This month I’ve talked with many of my clients about the year-end reviews they’re doing for their direct reports, as well as the year-end reviews they’re getting from their bosses.  Hopefully, December isn’t the only time of the year they’re giving and getting feedback, but for many organizations, year-end reviews still mark the ‘official’ feedback...Read More