Professional Development
Learning Doesn’t Always Require Failure
If you’re an entrepreneur, you’ve encountered “Fail Fast, Fail Often.” From startups to corporate America, the concept has gained enormous popularity in recent years. Taken out of context, however, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Don’t let “Fail Fast, Fail Often” serve as an excuse for sloppy business operations – whether it’s in manufacturing, marketing, customer…
Read MoreFailing is for Winners
Nobody likes to fail. It hurts. When we are unable to achieve our goals, we don’t just experience failure. We experience discouragement. Rejection. Doubt. Fear. Apathy. Failure has a way of warping our perspectives; re-shaping our outlook to align with the constraints of our current condition rather than that of the desired future state. We…
Read More5 Ways to Thrive During the Holidays
Have you ever come out of the holidays feeling like you let everyone down, including yourself? That’s no way to start the new year. Read on for tips to help you thrive – personally and professionally – this holiday season. Get ready to turn last year’s exhaustion into this year’s exhilaration. 1| Don’t overcommit. It’s…
Read MoreFeed-forward: A new approach to feedback
Employee engagement and retention is a hot topic in Corporate America and because of that, it’s time we approach feedback differently. As leaders, we must redefine the word ‘feedback’ and view it as a positive, constructive concept that can boost innovation, solve problems and build empowerment in organizations. Within the next 10 years, Millennials are…
Read MoreGet Off the Sidelines During Your Annual Review
It’s easy to think of your annual review as a passive experience. You could just sit there and nod while your boss lists your shortcomings or assigns you with new goals for the coming year. Hopefully not! Even if your boss conducts a decent annual review, it’s up to you to own both your career…
Read More5 Tips for Getting Real + Honest Feedback
Feedback is a crucial part of all business relationships. Companies need feedback from their customers to ensure their product or service is what their customer wants and needs. Employees need feedback to reinforce when they are performing well or redirect behavior or actions that might be derailing their success. Most importantly, leaders need feedback from…
Read MoreFreedom from the Feedback Frenzy
For many employees, The Annual Review is quickly approaching. Don’t dread it. Instead, prepare for it. You can only control your side on the receiving end, so get ready to make the most of it. To prepare for constructive criticism, we can learn from Sheila Heen. She’s a lecturer at Harvard Law School, a partner…
Read MoreReframing Work-Life “Balance” for Reality
At the heart of work-life balance are great intentions. And yet, the time is ripe for a jolt of reality and a dose of personalization. Let’s reframe work-life balance so we can thrive! Consider for a minute the word balance and the contexts in which we hear it. Do you believe Congress will ever agree upon…
Read MoreThe CEOs Charge for 2017
One of my favorite movies of all time is Gladiator. I love stories of the underdog overcoming the odds and finding a way to win. I also appreciate the lessons that I can learn from history. There is a particularly profound quote from the film that has stuck with me over the years- “Do not…
Read MoreThe Evolution of the Entrepreneur – How to Shatter the Growth Ceiling
Historically, it is estimated that 96% of all small businesses fail within the first ten years. The success of an entrepreneur or small business owner is often determined by the way they choose to handle early growth. There is a critical point when the focus must quickly shift from launching the business to growing the business. And…
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