Category Archives: blog post

Improve Workplace Relationships Through Effective Communication

Navigating workplace relationships can be complicated. But the good news is that you can improve these relationships by changing your own behavior and communication style. When Relationships Are Strained, Change Your Approach Things can get messy when dealing with employees / direct reports. If you find yourself stuck, the key to moving forward lies in

How to Support Your Team and Yourself During Possible Layoffs

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Listen as a podcast Feeling worried about layoffs? Your team probably is too. They’re looking to you for help, and you might need some guidance as well. Here’s what to do. Bottom line, layoffs are tough on everyone. But we do our best when we help each other. Stick together, learn, and who knows, things

Career Journaling Prompts For When You Need Clarity

A close-up of a hand holding a black pen with a gold nib, writing on lined paper with various words and phrases in Italian.

If you’ve been working awhile, it can be deeply unsettling to recognize that you’ve come to a point where you don’t know what your steps forward might be. If that’s where you find yourself, I invite you to take a deep breath and let go of any thoughts of self-judgment you may have been carrying.

Managing Your Inner Critic for Effective Leadership

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Listen as a podcast Melissa is a hard-working leader in her organization who found herself entangled in a vicious cycle of self-criticism. She received feedback about the need to hone her listening skills and adapt her approach to be more audience-focused. Despite her efforts, she grappled with quietening her mind during conversations and presentations. Her

How Managers Can Support Employees in Times of Tragedy

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Listen as a podcast As managers, it is important to be aware of the potential impact of tragic events on our employees, especially in the aftermath of recent shootings, natural disasters, or other tragic events. These events can flood our news feeds and can have a significant effect on the mental and emotional well-being of

How Emotional Self-Awareness and the Mood Elevator Transformed My Career

Just two years into my first dream job, I got fired. Like many new managers, I had been promoted because I was ambitious and good at the front-line work. But as soon as I was promoted I started using my authority to boss people around. I assumed I was right and they were wrong, and

The Power of the Introverted Manager: Why Quiet Recognition Often Lands Harder

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In the current landscape of leadership, there is a pervasive myth that effective recognition requires high-voltage energy. We look at pop-culture archetypes like Ted Lasso, managers who lead with infectious, vocal enthusiasm, and assume that is the gold standard. I recently worked with an IT Manager at a non-profit who fell into this trap. He

From Dread to Momentum: A Strategy to Start Any Task

Closeup of hands tying laces on running shoes.

My client, a construction manager, was working on three buildings simultaneously. He was juggling three different architects and three separate contractor teams. If that wasn’t enough, he and his wife were renovating a rowhouse in anticipation of their first child. He said he wanted to talk about time management and prioritization. Soon, he opened up