“Getting people to welcome feedback was the hardest thing I ever had to do as an educator.” ― Professor Randy Pausch, The Last Lecture Everything is connected today. We need to collaborate with others to succeed in our relationships, life and work. For that, we need to develop the art of giving … [Read more...] about The Art of Giving Feedback
Personal Development
What Successful People Do Differently
Why do some people succeed and others fail? How do they set the stage for the next promotion, highest sales, most votes or stellar performance? (photo courtesy Stuart Miles) Does it take: A high IQ? Personality? Good looks? Talent? Research shows that measures of innate … [Read more...] about What Successful People Do Differently
Are You in an Expectation Gap?
We’re wired to expect the world to be brighter and more meaningful and more obviously interesting than it actually is. And when we realize that it isn’t, we start looking around for the real world. ― Lev Grossman, The Magicians A recent New York Times article points out that the way we manage our … [Read more...] about Are You in an Expectation Gap?
Competing Commitments: Are You Immune to Change?
It doesn’t matter whether your goal is to lose 5 or 50 pounds, quit smoking or stop drinking. New Year’s resolutions and other goals are hard to keep beyond the first month. Change is hard. Why? Because the brain is tricky. No matter how sincerely we want to break a habit, we have an inherent … [Read more...] about Competing Commitments: Are You Immune to Change?
Be A Better Listener
Why do we admire celebrities like Oprah Winfrey, Katie Couric, Diane Sawyer and Bill Clinton? They make you feel like you’re the most important person in the room. They excel at listening—a skill that separates great personalities from the near-great. (photo courtesy Michal Marcol / … [Read more...] about Be A Better Listener
The Work Paradox:
More Play, Less Pain
“In a culture that sometimes equates work with suffering, it is revolutionary to suggest that the best inward sign of vocation is deep gladness—revolutionary but true.” ~ Parker Palmer, The Courage to Teach
People prefer leisure to work—no surprise there. What is surprising is that they report more … [Read more...] about The Work Paradox:
More Play, Less Pain
The 2nd Half of Your Career:
“Has Anyone Seen My Passion?”
“We hear a great deal of talk about the midlife crisis of the executive. It is mostly boredom.” ~ Peter Drucker, management expert
At some point in your career, you may sense a creeping malaise. You’re no longer enthusiastic about the day ahead. Perhaps you’re experiencing a mid-career crisis—the … [Read more...] about The 2nd Half of Your Career:
“Has Anyone Seen My Passion?”
Confidence: Get It and Keep It
Having confidence is a huge advantage in careers, life, and relationships. It's the key to attracting the right job, the right people, the right decisions from others, and getting what we want. Like money, everyone wants more confidence. Some people naturally seem to have it; perhaps they were … [Read more...] about Confidence: Get It and Keep It
8 Strategies For Success: Build A Better Brain
You can build a better brain at any age. With the advent of fMRI brain scanning techniques, we now know that brains are continually learning and growing new neurons. Because of centuries of ignorance, however, many people view our brains as a mysterious structure incapable of change. We've been … [Read more...] about 8 Strategies For Success: Build A Better Brain
The Lure of Procrastination: 6 Things to Ignore
Given the results of procrastination – hurried work, mistakes, stress, missed deadlines – it's a wonder why anyone would put off what can be done right away. And yet who doesn't let projects slide, especially ones we don't like doing? If you find yourself procrastinating on a task, try thinking of … [Read more...] about The Lure of Procrastination: 6 Things to Ignore