Here’s Why an #InclusionRider Is Important for Corporate America, Too…

/
Here’s Why an #InclusionRider Is Important for Corporate America, Too…

When Frances McDormand took the stage to accept her Best Actress Oscar, she used the moment as an opportunity to highlight issues of inclusion, diversity and equity that were a theme throughout the night and the 2018 awards season. She demonstrated she is not only an accomplished actress, but also a leader in Hollywood. The final two words of her speech, #inclusionrider, were a call to action to all of her fellow actors/actresses who are in a position to set the tone for so many of the films that are made each year.

Read More

#HolidayShippingFail

/

#Holidayshippingfail: I ordered custom holiday cards for my business from my printer. They were supposed to be delivered Monday, but were delayed. I received an email from UPS that they would be delivered yesterday (Tuesday) instead. When I arrived home last night, I expected to receive a door tag because signature is required for the box, but nothing was there. Turns out they were delayed further to be delivered today though no email was sent to update me on the status on the box.

Today (Wednesday), I received a call around noon from a woman in a building two away from mine. UPS delivered my box to her apartment instead of mine! Her building address is a 2 digit number and mine is 3 digits! There is absolutely NO REASON for this mix up other than delivery person error and lack of attention to detail (in this case a completely different address not even close to similar other than the zip code). Fortunately, Ms. Gallagher is an honest person and called my phone number on the box to inform me she had received my box by mistake!

My holiday cards were almost lost (and potentially not sent) due to a mistake by a single person at UPS. Since I'm in the business of developing people, teams and organizations, I will 1) call UPS to inform them of the error, 2) request that they ask the person who is delivering the packages in my neighborhood to pause, take a deep breath and review one last time the information to ensure packages end up where they are intended, and 3) I will call my printer to inform them of the delayed shipping time and error in the event other clients have similar issues. What would you do?

#eachoneteachone #mistakesarelessons #tistheseasontobejolly #kindnessofstrangerneighbors #dotherightthing

upload.jpg

Less Fear, More Brave

/
Less Fear, More Brave

Less fear, more brave. That’s my short answer to Regina Dugan’s question posed at the beginning of her TED talk, “what would you attempt to do if you knew you wouldn’t fail?”  I was grateful for my reminder of this talk. It’s one of my favorites and one I have been using in programs since 2012. I love it because it reminds me of some questions I often ask my Executive Coaching clients about their goals and ambitions. If you haven’t already seen it, I would say it is very much worth the 20 odd minutes.

Read More

From Useless to Useful – How You Can Improve Your Feedback Skills

/
From Useless to Useful – How You Can Improve Your Feedback Skills

In countless feedback workshops I’ve facilitated or 360 reviews I have read and debriefed, the one takeaway that sticks out the most is that the majority of feedback that leaders and managers give is useless. Yes, I said it, useless. You’re probably thinking, “Well that is an awfully harsh way to begin.” Perhaps, but the good news is I am here to empower anyone to improve the quality of the feedback they give to others, and make it easy to do all the time. To take your feedback from useless to useful, you will only need to remember the 3 elements of good feedback. It’s that simple. Like any other management or leadership discipline, the ones who will improve the most will be those who successfully make it a habit. This isn’t meant to be a discussion on how to build good habits, so let’s get back to the feedback.

Read More

Leadership Lesson: #UnconsciousBias at the Oscars

/
Leadership Lesson: #UnconsciousBias at the Oscars

Looking at what happened with the Best Picture mistake at the Oscars teaches us an important leadership lesson about unconscious bias and what to do when it pops up. I’m sure no one really noticed the unconscious bias evident in the post-Oscars discussion of the Best Picture mistake, but I will highlight in just a moment.

Read More

#NurtureandGrow Your Business Relationships

/

What have you done to #nurtureandgrow your business relationships?

When I “officially” launched my firm in January of this year, I sent a non-traditional “Happy New Year” email to a number of my contacts. It was by no means meant to be an exhaustive announcement to everyone I know. Instead, I wanted to make time to connect with them, in person, if possible, but a call would suffice. Sure, I wanted to tell them what I was doing this year (though, technically I started my firm last year, but that’s for another post), but I am genuinely more interested in hearing about them. This practice is typically one of the ways I have nurtured and grown my own business relationships over the years. As an Executive Coach and developer of leaders, I am genuinely interested in the people with whom I have worked. The joy I get from hearing the many wonderful things my colleagues are doing since we last connected is limitless.

Read More