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My father loved poetry. As children, we were taught to recite poems on our cross-country drives to see the grandparents. I’m amazed how often one of those poems will cross my mind when I’m faced with a work situation. For example, when a client was lamenting that his team lacked interpersonal skills, the poem “It…

As if the pandemic isn’t enough to handle, we also appear to be going through a trust crisis. Regardless of which side of the political divide you are on, the issue of trust regarding our leaders has been at the forefront of many conversations. And it bleeds into our lives. My “go to” when I…

We are constantly bombarded with advertisements and slogans establishing a company’s brand. To this day, if someone mentions the company Alka-Seltzer, their tagline (from the 1970s) “Plop, Plop, Fizz, Fizz, Oh what a relief it is” automatically plays in my head. I’m sure there are plenty of examples of brands playing around in yours. These…

As 2020 comes to a close and we look towards 2021, few of us could have imagined all that transpired this past year. Our understanding of what is essential and non-essential has been redefined. Old teams were disbanded and new teams were formed to deal with unanticipated events. Working and living in a virtual world…

There are a lot of articles written about healthy debate, team alignment, and co-creation. They are filled with insightful advice about team dynamics. Seldom do they discuss when to stop talking and start doing. I’m not saying that there isn’t value in talking; however, when there isn’t a process and deadline for making a decision…

I’m sure there must be a Star Trek episode (or two or three) that deals with “leveraging the wisdom of the system.” The phrase is right down its alley. Their concept of everyone’s input having value is in line with the lessons that the show teaches. Nine times out of ten, the crew of the…

“I don’t really want to change who I am,” said one of my clients after I shared input from several people who worked with him. He was a nice guy, an intelligent person who juggled multiple critical priorities and was driven to succeed in any challenge he encountered. This was his brand. Yet there was…

“May I offer you some feedback?” Those words are harmony to some ears and discord to others. Even when you are open to it, their words can trigger—in a nanosecond—a reaction of (imagine a computer voice): DOES NOT COMPUTE!! DOES NOT COMPUTE!! Our brain instantly recognizes the difference with our own self-view, be it subtle…

I have changed roles, functions and levels at multiple points in my corporate career. And, most of the time I worked with people whom I previously did not know. I loved that every change came with a significant challenge, so building meaningful relationships was critical. I knew I would not succeed without the partnership and…

When I am not transparent and open with others—whether at home or work—it doesn’t feel right. When others are not seemingly open with me, I tend to feel a little anxious. My father’s ill health has me thinking recently about families and how they communicate. There are families that share just about everything, those that…