Management Coaching

How to Take Initiative in Uncertain Times

By |2020-05-18T12:27:21-04:00May 18th, 2020|Business|

According to Michael Frese from the University of Amsterdam, and Wolfgang Kring, Andrea Soose, and Jeannette Zempel, University of Giessen, initiative is defined as "taking an active and self-starting approach to work, and going beyond what is formally required in a given job." This seems relatively straightforward under relatively predictable business conditions, but in uncertain times, taking initiative can be challenging. Why? First, it's hard to "take an active approach to work"

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26 Easy Ways to Make Your Online Meetings, Workshops, and Programs a Success

By |2020-04-11T08:42:14-04:00April 11th, 2020|Business|

We're no longer "going remote" or "transitioning to online." It has already happened. If you're going to be leading online meetings, learning sessions, webinars, programs--whatever you call them--you need to develop special skills to keep people engaged. As someone who frequently facilitates webinars, virtual leadership programs, and online coaching (including presentation skills), I don't want to keep

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What to Do When Your Employee Won’t Open Up

By |2020-04-11T08:42:39-04:00April 11th, 2020|Business|

As a leader, it's your job to help motivate, engage, and coach your people. And to do this, you need to have ongoing conversations with each member of your team to learn more about what makes them tick--and what ticks them off. This can be easy and rewarding when you're working with a direct report

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When You’re Stumped in a Meeting, Here’s Why You Shouldn’t Say ‘That’s a Great Question’

By |2020-04-11T08:43:23-04:00April 11th, 2020|Business|

Whether you're a startup, a new leader, or a seasoned professional taking on new responsibilities, you're trying to master every aspect of your business. But you can't have all the answers. No one does. Even so, the thought of getting bombarded with questions from clients or prospects that you can't answer quickly and intelligently probably keeps you

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How to Use Notes When Public Speaking Without Losing Your Audience

By |2020-02-26T13:39:55-05:00February 26th, 2020|Speaking|

As a professional speaker and speaking coach, I rarely refer to notes while I'm actually speaking, and that's for three reasons: First, it's my job to know my content inside and out. Second, because my presentations are interactive, I have multiple opportunities to check my notes while my audience is doing an activity or having a discussion.

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How to Deal With a Negative Person on Your Team

By |2020-02-26T13:40:44-05:00February 26th, 2020|Business|

We've all worked with that person. Which person? The negative one who complains about everything, from looming deadlines and long commute times to the carb-heavy snacks and the slow elevator. The one who sighs when you ask her to do something even slightly outside of her job description. The one who names everyone else as the reason

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Always Imagining the Worst Possible Outcome? Here’s How to Stop

By |2020-02-26T13:41:33-05:00February 26th, 2020|Business|

After you email an expensive proposal to your price-sensitive client, or leave a message for your boss request for vacation time during the busy season, or ask for a raise or promotion (or both) after your last performance review, you have to wait patiently to hear back. And if you're anything like I am, waiting for information

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3 Surprisingly Simple Ways to Boost Your Gravitas

By |2020-02-26T13:42:25-05:00February 26th, 2020|Business|

When it comes to gravitas, many of us think that you either have it, or you don't. We tend to look at people who exude confidence under stress, act decisively, speak their minds, bounce back from stress, and are regarded by others as being important, with wonder and awe: Were they just born that way? Maybe, but the

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15 Questions That Can Dramatically Improve Any Relationship at Work

By |2019-11-20T08:24:02-05:00November 20th, 2019|Business|

We all feel challenged at one time or another by colleagues, managers, clients, or customers. When we don't take into account differences in expectations, communication styles, and priorities, we can set our relationships up to be plagued by hurt feelings and chronic frustration. In her book, Make Difficult People Disappear: How to Deal with Stressful Behavior and Eliminate

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The Simple Mistake You’re Making in Delivering Feedback That You Can Fix Today

By |2019-11-13T09:58:57-05:00November 11th, 2019|Business|

Nobody likes giving negative feedback or delivering potentially disappointing news to a direct report. And while many individual contributors know that they actually need negative feedback to get better at their jobs, they typically don't relish the idea of finding out that they're falling short of expectations. Nevertheless, negative feedback-- when delivered carefully and thoughtfully-- can help individuals and teams course correct,

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