words have power

Words and Phrases that Transform Conversations

Language is a key factor in both causing and resolving conflict. A useful phrase that helps resolve and reduce conflict is “Can you help me understand”. Example: “Can you help me understand how you think that would help our reputation?” It is all too easy to attack another person by…

meeting agenda

What You Can Do to Make Your Next Meeting More Effective

If you are responsible for an item on a meeting agenda, apply these simple criteria to make sure the time you are given is productive for everyone attending the meeting. Do you want discussion? NO:  If the answer is no, be sure to advise attendees right away that this part…

employees

Helping Employees Get the Most out of Meetings

The larger the group, the less responsibility each individual group member may feel for contributing to the efforts and overall success of the group.  In essence, the more people present in the room or in the meeting, the easier it is for each individual person to feel less motivated and…

Icebreakers

4 Rules for Icebreakers with Purpose

The purpose of a good icebreaker is to help the people attending a meeting or training to connect, get to know one another, build rapport, and break down barriers to communication.  These four easy-to-follow rules will help you transform the beginning of your next meeting or training session into a…

mindset

Bringing a Co-Elevation Mindset to Your Organization

How can leaders ensure employees are productive, accountable and still engaged after weeks and weeks of uncertainty and stress?  The answer is – they can’t. Even prior to the current pandemic, when workplaces were considered relatively “normal”, leaders couldn’t just magically make those things happen. Even the best leaders can’t…

oxymoron

Happiness at Work – an Oxymoron?

I’ll bet when I say the phrase “work meeting”, the first word that jumps to your mind isn’t “happiness.” In fact, after weeks of one virtual meeting after another, your reaction may be the exact opposite of happiness and include an extreme eye roll while you think to yourself, “not…

Dreams 2b

Dreams are Free

After switching jobs just a few short months ago, I was fortunate to become part of my first women’s Mastermind group.  If you aren’t familiar with Mastermind groups, there are lots of varieties out there but basically, it’s a peer-to-peer mentoring group where members offer support, feedback, ideas and advice…

purpose drive marketing

Purpose Driven Communication

A friend of mine recently told me that after the last several weeks of COVID-19 related stress and anxiety, she started using a new model to help her navigate her weekly goals and her daily attitude.  At the start of each week she now spends a few minutes dot journaling…

DCL Coaching

Short-term Coaching

“In a crisis, we need short-term goals that are meaningful and motivating and appropriate for the situation at hand.” Whether you want to improve your leadership or management skills, your performance, or your relationships with co-workers or friends, coaching has become more prevalent in recent years and may have been something…

Painted face

Emotions at Work

The article, “The Fear of Feelings at Work” originally published in The Atlantic, highlights why it is important to acknowledge the existence of emotions in the workplace.  Now, in 2020, amidst a global pandemic that suddenly and unexpectedly changed our lives and workplaces forever, it is even more critical that…