In my coaching work with leaders and teams, I often ask my clients whether they engage in workplace gossip. More often than not, they respond, “of course not!” with a look on their faces that indicates that they are insulted to have been asked such a question. But when I ask them whether they have
I take a Mental Health Day (almost) every Friday. It means that my four-day workweek schedule is pretty packed. It means that I run my errands on the weekend. It means that I say "no" a lot. And it also means that I often have to remind my boss that I need this, I want
A few months ago, my family and I moved to a new home. Among several decorating and renovating projects, we hired a team of four men to install carpets in the bedrooms. It was a long and hard day, and as I headed out to grab some lunch, I asked the project lead whether I
“Reach out if you need anything.” “I’m here if you have questions.” “My door is always open.” Chances are, you’ve said one, two, or all of these things as a people leader. And it’s highly likely that you not only said them but you meant them. After all, being available to your colleagues for questions,
When I started my first job, I worried about disclosing my struggle with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) to my boss. I was almost certain that she wouldn’t understand. Once she knew, I told myself, she’d assume I was unreliable and uncommitted. I imagined she’d deem me unworthy of a promotion, or worse, be entirely dismissive. For
From bread baking and exercising to meditation and Netflix, most of us found one or more ways to engage in acts of self-care during the first round of the global pandemic. These activities helped us to manage our anxiety, alleviate stress, and invest in our well-being, and they served as a much-needed distraction from the disturbing news
When it comes to asking for and receiving feedback, it can help to expect there to be some disagreement–and be “down” with it. (In other words—know how to deal with it constructively). After all, you and the person giving you the feedback are different people, with different perspectives, different backgrounds, and even work from different
A year ago, most of us with office jobs were all virtual, all the time. And as much as that may have felt disconnected, tiring, or unsatisfying, at least we were all in the same boat. Well, that ship has sailed for many of us. As our workplaces return to the next normal, we need
My favorite book growing up was Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst. It told the highly relatable and true story of the author's young son Alexander, who was having one of the worst days of his young life, suffering frustrations, setbacks, and indignities large and small. As adults, we
Scientist and best-selling author Hans Selye wrote: "Stress is not necessarily bad for you; it is also the spice of life." A certain amount of stress is actually a good motivator. Without stress about deadlines, we would probably procrastinate. Without the stress of maintaining client relationships, we might say everything that was on our minds --
