For the past three days, I’ve been immersed in Globoforce’s WorkHuman conference. Have you ever been to a conference that was so amazing, you feel like you’re literally bursting at the seams with all the ideas? Yeah, that’s how I am right now, two hours after the conference wrapped. Watch for detailed coverage […] Continue reading
People love to toss around the term “micromanager,” but what does that really mean? And, can having a boss that’s super-involved ever be a good thing? These are the issues I explore in my post over at the Café Quill site, called: Feeling Micromanaged? Turn it to Your Advantage. I offer five tips for effectively […] Continue reading
As the school year wraps up, I reflect on the intersection of learning a new skill and encouragement. My daughter is nearing the end of her first year of playing the trumpet for her middle school band. From my perspective, she’s done remarkably well. To hear her tell it though, you’d form a different conclusion. […] Continue reading
What’s your favorite day of the work week? I bet you said “Friday,” right? Because it’s the day before the weekend starts. Fair enough. Tuesdays are my favorite day of the week. Why? Because I’ve implemented a time management process that helps me stay focused and get lots of work done. I’ll lay out the […] Continue reading
How many interviews should a company conduct to find the ideal job candidate? What role does “gut instinct” play in hiring? Is there a perfect applicant screening process? These are the questions that HR directors and hiring managers grapple with every day. The answer is discouraging, yet unsurprising: it’s a lot more complicated than you […] Continue reading
I’m a huge advocate of using personality assessments (sometimes called “profiles” or “instruments”) for professional development, if the circumstances are right and the tool being used is appropriate for the situation. That’s a significant “if.” Often, I encounter overly enthusiastic executives who want to use a particular assessment with their team because they personally favor that […] Continue reading
When I work with executives, I’m wary when they get that “gleam” in their eye when reviewing reams of data with me. If it’s nothing but, “50% margin blah blah” and “trending indicators yada yada,” warning bells go off in my head. There needs to be the counter-weight of people somewhere in that equation to inform their decision-making. Big data […] Continue reading
“When most people think of the word ‘work’ they don’t tend to pair ‘human’ with it.” How sad is that? But it’s true, especially when you consider the modern office’s use of technology. Technology does everything from scheduling bathroom breaks in a call center to monitoring employee performance reviews. And when technology is used to […] Continue reading
“Hey Jennifer, we want to do a team building event with the XYZ personality assessment.” Over the years, this is how many of my conversations with senior leaders have started. Whether it was in my role as a corporate trainer, or as an independent executive coach, the theme was constant: a team leader sees a […] Continue reading
Taking on your first official management role is exciting. It’s also challenging, overwhelming and perplexing. In a webinar with over 900 first-time managers, The Ken Blanchard Companies asked people to list their biggest challenge when they made the leap from individual contributor. David Witt, Program Director for Blanchard, wrote about their responses in this LinkedIn […] Continue reading
