The Morning Efficiency Routine for Parents
At least once a month my newsfeed produces an article from Inc, Fast Company, Huffington Post, or some other “efficiency expert” about why I should wake up early and follow a few simple steps, like meditation, in order to achieve a more effective morning routine and...
7 Professional Lessons from The Greatest Generation Podcast
Kurt and I are two guys who like Star Trek, but we’re kind of embarrassed that we listen to “The Greatest Generation”, a Star Trek podcast hosted by two guys who are kind of embarrassed to host a Star Trek podcast. Not only is our consumption of thoughtful...
Five Change Management Lessons from Midwives
Kurt and I recently had babies. Well, technically our hero-partners did – and it was incredible and they are as strong as they are beautiful. As parents know and as everyone else can imagine, welcoming a tiny human being into the world is an awesome and, at times,...
Three Ways to Bring Historical Analysis to Your Community
A thorough analysis of the past might just be the best thing for your community’s future. Because great community-builders think like historians. A recent article in the Harvard Business Review by John T. Seaman, Jr. and George David Smith (both historians) entitled “Your Company’s History as a Leadership Tool” argues that “[g]reat leaders…[d]on’t ignore history until the time comes to plan their organization’s next anniversary. And though they may not view themselves as historians, they find it useful to think and talk about the past – in the present and in living color.”
What to Say When You Just Don’t Know
You’d be surprised by the number of people who show up to a meeting without reading the agenda, minutes or considering the possible topics of discussion.
Beyond Stress: How Leadership Style and Decision Making Authority Influence Health
When we talk about employment and health, the conversation usually focuses on how your health impacts your ability to find and maintain meaningful employment, or how being healthy impacts your performance at work. However, while the above is absolutely true, the opposite is true as well – employment is in fact one of the most influential determinants of health.
Three Lessons on Innovation and Adaptability
We’ve always had to innovate to thrive. From developing better clubs for bonking food on the head to wrapping wheels in rubber or miniaturizing on-off switches and building faster, brighter, and more shiny machines upon which we can design faster, brighter, shinier...
Four Reasons Volunteering Builds Career Success
In a world where many of us are already struggling to maintain some semblance of work/school-life balance, it is certainly challenging to spend your spare time working for free. While many people pursue volunteer opportunities purely for altruistic reasons,...
How to Put Your Strengths to Work
When was the last time you were doing something at work that was so engaging and thought provoking that you totally lost track of time?
How to Stay on Your Sustainability Diet During the Holidays
Many of us use the holidays or vacations as an excuse to disregard what we would normally do in everyday life. We eat and drink too much, indulge in the excesses of the season and then spend our New Year’s resolutions trying to make up for it. We give ourselves permission to let go of the rules that we live by most of the year.
Five Attributes of Awesome Risk-Takers
Whether we’re transitioning from school to work, trying to move from one job to the next, pitching a new idea to the boss, or making a romantic move on a long-time friend, risk puts our confidence, money, reputation, and even our community on the line.
Three Tips for Overcoming Mediocre Presenting
Everybody fails. Sometimes we do so spectacularly and sometimes we simply don’t reach our potential; I experienced the latter sort of failure on Saturday when I gave what can only be described as a mediocre presentation – the audience probably thought “it was fine”. For me, though, giving a presentation that is “fine” just isn’t good enough.
Pitching a News Story: The Phone is Your Best Friend
In this email saturated world, it’s difficult to penetrate the din and connect with a journalist about your story idea. Granted, you probably have a great idea that includes many news elements or is a perfect fit for the media you’re pitching, but if you aren’t able to communicate it effectively to your targeted audience, your idea will sit by itself on your blog and/or be discussed amongst your colleagues around the water cooler.