One of my favorite cartoons from the New Yorker shows a speaker at a podium with the caption, “I will now fend off questions from the audience.” Why does that make me chuckle? Because most of us, when making a presentation, regard the Q&A portion as a war zone. We want to make our presentation (and I
For years, my to-do list gave me a sinking feeling of déjà-vu: It looked suspiciously like the to-do list I had seen the week before, and the week before that... and yes, the week before that. Sound familiar? (I can see you nodding). Read the rest of the article
I have come to realize that this way of thinking is self-imposed slavery, and I want to break free. I don't want the plague of spending the rest of my life helping people find happiness, while suffering silently for having that happiness myself. One of the hardest parts of being on the road, for work,
It was prolific writer and British Baptist preacher, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, who first wrote, “If you want a thing well done, do it yourself.” Little did he know that his remark would resonate painfully inside the heads of managers worldwide who have been charged with delegating responsibilities, despite their gnawing feeling that that task would
I was ready: I had my frozen yogurt and my fleece blanket and my children had been banned from speaking to me unless there was blood. It was the Golden Globe Awards, one of my favorite nights of the year. I couldn’t wait to see the fashion do’s and don’ts, the winners, and the losers,
In the heartbreaking and heartwarming 1987 romantic comedy Broadcast News, Holly Hunter plays Jane Craig, a television producer with an unshakeable commitment to being right. In a heated exchange during layoffs, network executive Paul Moore remarks to her: “It must be nice to always believe you know better, to always think you’re the smartest person
Not everything I do has to be brilliant. Not everything I do has to be successful. Not everything I do has to be done by me, done now, or done at all. And (total truth time): Not everything I do has to impress someone. I spend a significant amount of time in my work life
Last week, my 12-year-old daughter Sophie was talking to me excitedly about her upcoming cross-country running meet at school. As I was listening (ok, half-listening), I suddenly remembered that I hadn’t told her what time I would be meeting her at the race. “Oh, by the way, Sophie,” I began. But that’s as far as
As a working mother, I must admit that I sometimes look forward to my business trips. While I would never tell my husband this (no worries — I don’t think he reads my articles), I love ordering room service to my hotel room and having complete control over the remote control. I also like sleeping
1. I’m not available then, but could be available on (insert date)no buttonWould that date work? 2. Oh, I will be so disappointed to miss this! 3. While I would love to do that for you, [insert type of priorities] preclude it. I hope you understand. 4. I am so flattered that you asked but
