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 it would be a fairly simple thing and went to my local stationery store. There…
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 career with an executive from a global software company. You would recognize the company name…
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. On the field of life, leadership and teamwork look a lot like they do on…
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 know where your business is headed or are you focused on making the next payroll?…
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 and goes with him on the quest. Set in Arkansas circa 1873, they journey to…
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 sexual harassment, with grief, with panic, with the death of Tom Petty and coping with…
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 frequently voiced objection is not wanting to bother a busy person. When that is overcome, a trove of information, insight and inspiration…
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, 17,800 management journal articles were written about leadership. In my practice, coaching lawyers and executives,…
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 assessments identify blind spots, areas of strength and struggle, and help create a blueprint to…
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 you to arrive at well-reasoned, fact-based, modern decisions, guidance or recommendations. You regularly make searching,…