In December, I co-authored an article in Harvard Business Review aimed directly at coaches that answered some of the questions that my coaching colleagues and I are asked every single week about how to start and build a successful coaching business. We were thrilled with the attention this article received. What It Really Takes to
Giving performance feedback is a part of every people leader’s job. And yet, in my work with these leaders and teams, I’ve found that they often have negative mental models of what a feedback conversation is supposed to look like. Those pre-conceived notions can act as a barrier to giving timely, helpful, and honest performance feedback. Part
Three years ago, the way we shared presentations at work (and school) drastically changed. Anyone used to presenting in person had to adapt, revise, and change their public speaking strategies. Whether you were a student sharing work with your class, a sales associate pitching to prospects, a consultant advising clients, or in any other field,
As a professional speaker for three decades, I’ve had to deal with my fair share of surprises that could have completely derailed my presentation. Like what? Like speaking during two separate blackouts without lights, AV, or functional toilets. Like facilitating a two-day training session where, in the middle of the first day, all participants got
Evolution has made humans helpful. We have evolved as a species to be “prosocial,” behaving in ways that are positive, helpful, and intended to promote social acceptance, connection, and friendship. Asking for, offering, and receiving help have aided our long-term survival. That being said, there is a difference between being inclined to help someone and knowing what
Over a breakfast of lattes and pumpkin muffins at my local coffee shop, a colleague and I reflected on how weird it felt to be meeting people in person post-Covid. We discussed the awkwardness of handshakes versus fist bumps, whether to sit inside or outside, and what to say or do when someone coughs and
Several years ago, I traveled from New York to Geneva, Switzerland to be the closing keynote speaker for the World Communication Forum. I was excited to have the opportunity to speak with global leaders about how nonnative English speakers can present their ideas — and themselves — with greater clarity and confidence. For my allotted
If you’re a manager, it’s not enough to be giving feedback to your direct reports. It’s part of your job to solicit feedback from your direct reports as well. As much as you might believe that you know your strengths and weaknesses well, without external self-awareness — an understanding of how what you say and
I was two years out of graduate school when I was offered my dream job. It had almost everything I wanted: work in a field I loved in a mission-driven organization, an impressive title, smart colleagues, global travel, professional development opportunities, and an easy commute from my home in New York City. But it was
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
