Class reunions make us think about what our hopes and plans were at graduation compared to where we are now. I’ve attended several class reunions over the years – we have one every five years. It has been interesting to watch people move through their careers over time.
Mess Makers and Fixers
It became clear as I listened to the conversation around the table: there are two kinds of people in the world – the mess-makers and the mess-fixers. Mess makers come in all shapes and sizes; their intentions may or may not be good. Some know they are manipulative, but others don’t have a clue.
Say Goodbye and Move On
I build and facilitate roundtables for business owners. In a recent meeting a member shared, “A long-term employee just quit.” A chorus of sympathetic groans rose from around the table. Good employees are hard to find and losing a valued, long-term staff member can be hard.
Multiplication by Subtraction
It could happen to you. A crucial member of your staff leaves. You have a decision to make. Do you replace or not? A company owner I recently talked to was faced with that complicated decision. Replacing the employee would have been the logical choice; it would have filled out the team and made customers feel better. It would have
The Devil is in the Details and the Fine Print
The saying “the devil is in the details or the fine print” cautions us to be wary. When you open a bank account, log into a website, sign up for a “free” app or a new cell phone, you agree to terms spelled out in the fine print that carry significant implications. While you should read the fine print before
The Secret is Leverage
How is it that one person can be super-productive, appearing calm and collected, while the person at the next desk is swimming in paperwork and frazzled? The super-productive person has learned the secret of leverage.
You Should Pick Up Pennies Too
Linda here. Walking across a parking lot last week I spied a penny on the ground. I picked it up. Picking up coins off the ground has been a long-standing pastime for me. Money is money, whether it’s a penny, a quarter or a dollar.
How do you make your “Vampire Decisions?”
Linda here. Life is filled with decisions. Some small: what am I going to have for breakfast? Some more serious: what kind of car should I buy? Some decisions are profound and life changing: getting married, having children, entering the military or changing careers. The decisions that change your life forever, are called vampire decisions.
Are you an “efficient multitasker?”
Linda here. I’m the kind of woman who likes to get things done. I can wash clothes, fix dinner and keep track of characters in my favorite Netflix series at the same time. I can even browse Facebook and text my daughter on top of all that. Efficient, right?
I’ve had a #!%@#! day!
Linda here. We have all had them – a day that starts bad and gets worse: The dog wouldn’t come in which made you late for work. In a hurry and fumbling for keys, you drop your phone on the driveway and crack the screen. Your boss/foreman/assistant looks like she’s in a sour mood as you walk by. Then lunch