Leadership
-
Complicit – Allowing Inappropriate or Bullying Behaviour Is Not a Sign of Team Strength
As I watched the video of the murder of George Floyd I was overwhelmed by the fact that not only were witnesses calling out to the man crushing Mr. Floyd’s neck but also they called to that man’s colleagues, his teammates; asking them to intervene, asking them to look at the dying man, to hear his cries and check his pulse. What is it that causes us to turn a blind eye to wrong doing of even the most violent and heinous nature when it is one of “our own” who is the perpetrator? With regard to police officers the “blue wall of silence” is a specific phrase used to…
-
5 Ways Employers Can Have a Positive Impact on Employee Mental Health As Businesses Open Post COVID Shutdowns
To say that 2020 has been a difficult year is a laughable understatement. However, it has had some benefits, we’ve learned that although it’s challenging we can all learn how to use video chat, start sourdough, whip coffee, and even though there have been a few questionable moments, keep sane during huge uncertainty. The opening of business is positive news however, public fear and anxiety are still on the rise. Your employees may be experiencing a high degree of uncertainty, worry and stress about the health and safety of their loved ones, whether we are really safe to return to work and what both the “second wave” and “new normal”…
- Awakenings, Awareness, Being Brave, Experiencing Emotions, I Know This...Wait...I Don't, Leadership, Mindfulness
The Stories We Tell Ourselves
What stories are shaping your life? Intuitively, we know that negative stories are potentially limiting. Many of us know that the way we talk to ourselves is important. And some of us are aware that just because we think something, it doesn’t make it true. So, with all of this awareness why are so many of us still hostage to the stories that we tell ourselves? First of all, knowing something and living it are two different things. Secondly, when we use the word “stories” it makes it sound as though they are false. There are certainly stories that are false or parts of them may be, but there are…
-
3 Easy Ways To Enjoy Your Job More
Sometimes in order to get more, you have to give more. As counter-intuitive as it may seem, one of the ways to increase your work enjoyment level is to share more of yourself (even if you don’t not feel like it). I’m not talking about your personal life. I’m talking about your amazing work-related insights and ideas!! Next time you are in a meeting or group conversation try observing your behaviour. Are you focused on the topic at hand or are you thinking about something else? Do you notice that you actually speak less than the other meeting participants? Do you hold back from sharing ideas because of thoughts like, “other…
-
Time Tools: Mastering Time Management – Tip # 1 – Let Go Of Self-Consciousness
Let Go of Self-Consciousness. Our addiction to getting things done “right” or perfectly leads us to be self-conscious. When faced with a lengthy to-do list, we can become hyper focused on ourselves. Thoughts like – if I wasn’t so lazy or scattered I would have done half of these things already and I wouldn’t be in this crunch now OR my life is so chaotic and now I’m left to complete all of these items, bubble up easily. We start to feel like we are the ONLY ones who can complete the items on the list or that it would be unthinkable if some of these things do not get…
-
Career Smarts: Figuring Out What’s Next For You – Tip #1 – Look At Someone You Admire
Not sure what’s next for you in your career? There are lots of reasons that people ask themselves the question what do I do next? Sometimes we are forced to ask the question because we aren’t happy where we are today. Other times we ask the question because we anticipate future changes either with our company or in our personal lives and rather than wait for those changes to happen and then be left scrambling, we want to be proactive. It’s possible that this question can come up even if we are quite happy where we are today AND we don’t foresee any major changes. We have an innate desire…
-
We Need To Stop Listening Just So We Can Speak
Picture this…I’m helping a friend to find a Senior Executive for a Canadian based multinational organization. Over the course of the last few weeks, we’ve met with a series of wonderful people but we are still searching because we’ve yet to find the perfect fit. I come across an interesting CV and decide to reach out. Mr. X answers the phone and we have a short conversation. The only day that he is available to meet is three days from now. I’m not available at that time so I suggest that he meet with my colleague and let him know I’ll set it up. He says this is perfect…
-
How to Free Yourself by Making the Right Choice Between Career Options
One of my favourite things to do is to go to the Career Guidance subreddit to read and answer questions. It’s a beautiful illustration of the way that we are all unique but simultaneously motivated, inspired and troubled by the same things. One of the most common questions I’ve seen relates to how a person chooses between career options. Emon* is a really great example of this – at 30, he’s done a few different jobs, has a few years of post secondary education but has really never felt pulled in a particular direction. Now, he’s at a point where he needs to make a decision – should he go…
-
Breathe Deeply And Grab That Mental Yoga Mat: Flexibility Is the Key To Successfully Managing Conflict
In my work place, when you ask people how they feel about conflict, the most common answer you will get is: Oh, I don’t mind conflict, as long as it’s healthy and productive. Interesting. Is that like saying: Oh, I like snow as long as it’s soft, clean, fluffy, falls after December 20th and melts before January 5th? Does that ever really happen? Is conflict ever really healthy and productive? Not really. Conflict is by it’s nature, competitive, a struggle, and often involves incompatibles. So what is everyone talking about? In my view, when someone references a positive, healthy, and productive conflict – they are really talking about successful…
-
The Art of Difficult Conversations: How To Have Successful Conversations About Changing Employee Behaviour
Why is it that some conversations we have with our employees are easier than others? What makes a conversation difficult? When I posed this question to several of my clients who manage teams of three or more people, I got a narrow range of answers. Generally speaking, it seems that conversations are difficult when: They communicate a negative emotion such as disappointment, dissatisfaction, or frustration They show someone something about their behaviour or performance that they are not aware of and may not agree with The person you are speaking to will (or may feel s/he will) have to explain her/himself When you don’t believe in what you are communicating Not…
