Adding options increases expectations people have about how good they will be and, Schwartz says, that produces less satisfaction with the results, even when they are good. I recently needed a new stapler because my old one broke. I thought [...]
If you want to get more information, better intelligence and clarity, consider allowing silence to play a supporting role in your communication style. It can be used to great effect. I will never forget a coaching conversation early in my [...]
On the field of life, leadership and team work look a lot like they do on the field of sports. It's all about creating a culture where diverse opinions are actively encouraged, dialogue is ongoing and no idea is ridiculous. [...]
Are you looking for ways to simplify decision-making for your business or your life? Instead of agonizing endlessly, would you prefer having standards that automatically and organically eliminate some options while highlighting the efficacy and appeal of others? Do you [...]
The first time I heard the word "grit" was in the title of a 1969 movie, “True Grit,” the story of 14-year-old Mattie Ross, who hires Rooster Cogburn, a tough, aging, alcoholic U.S. Marshal to track down her father's murderer [...]
The other day, I began typing the word "coping" into a Google search and before I could even finish, Google began to populate search results which included coping with Hurricane Harvey, coping with the mass shooting in Las Vegas, with [...]
The Informational Interview That Changed My Life When clients reach a career crossroad, I often suggest informational interviewing to scope out a prospective new role, firm, industry or career path. That suggestion is almost always met with resistance. The most [...]
Every year, new books on leadership come out and the business world hungrily buys, reads and digests them. Book summary companies provide compressed descriptions for busy executives, professional service providers and entrepreneurs. It is estimated that between 1986 and 1996, [...]
Back in February, I wrote about the importance of personality assessments to make good career decisions. It featured an interview with Dr. Robert Hogan, co-founder of Hogan Assessment Systems and an international authority on personality, leadership and organizational effectiveness. Personality [...]
If you are reading this, you are probably an investigator. It may not be your job title, but if you are a lawyer, auditor, doctor, HR business partner, manager, executive, etc., a big part of your job is investigatory, requiring [...]
How do you decide what to pay attention to in a world where an onslaught of images and messages is constantly delivered by way of a myriad of devices along with an ongoing scan of in-person threats, opportunities and attractions [...]
A judge once told me that a successful settlement occurs when the plaintiff thinks he did not get enough and the defendant that he gave away too much. This viewpoint envisions both sides leaving negotiation with a measure of defeat. [...]
Cracking the Confidence Code In "The Confidence Code," authors Katty Kay and Claire Shipman attempt to glean the mysteries of self-confidence. The subtitle, "The Science and Art of Self-Assurance—What Women Should Know" nails more specifically the mission of [...]
How Personality Assessments Can Help Your Career I have often said that I didn't begin to know myself until I was in my 30's and by then was already a litigator. An unhappy one. I chose to hang [...]
Lately, the concept of patience has been on my mind as my clients and I embark on new goals, dreams and endeavors. Change is a process rather than event, and anyone can get frustrated when it does not happen quickly. [...]
Last year, I read a post on LinkedIn titled, "Why Don't Law Schools Teach the #1 Factor for Success?" It was authored by Cole Silver, director of client relations at Blank Rome, and a perusal of his profile revealed a [...]
I am not a big fan of New Year resolutions. Turning the calendar page from December to January does not make one eager or ready to change long-standing habits and disillusionment often follows. But there is a year-end tradition that [...]
More people are telecommuting than ever before. According to a 2015 Gallup poll, 37 percent of U.S. workers have telecommuted, four times greater than the 9 percent found in 1995. The arrangements vary, and for some it is full time [...]
