It’s incredibly easy to have an idea. Thoughts are free. The delivery of an idea has a cost. The cost is often not just financial. The real cost, often, is very personal. It comes when you face an obstacle. The obstacle can be anything, but its root is usually the same: Fear. Fear of…
My very first job ended in complete disaster for me. But it also taught me two of the most important lessons I carry with me to this day. Lesson #1: A business is a business – it doesn’t care about the individual. Note: This may seem harsh, but so many people carry an allure…
The script for ER sat on a shelf for nineteen years before it got picked up and made into a show. A show that lasted for fifteen seasons. A show that picked up 116 industry awards. And launched any number of careers. And it sat for 19 years – very close to having never…
My most challenging interactions play out a lot like this. I’m a fixer. I want to get in and fix it (or if I can’t, I want to figure out how to motivate others to do it). As a result, this video called to me for two reasons: 1) It’s a reminder that we…
We all need a way to deal with irrational feedback. I love how a group of Creatives in Ireland formed Creative Catharsis to handle that kind of feedback. They created hilarious posters featuring some of the ridiculous client feedback they had received over time. Some of these will be familiar if you’ve ever been a Creative….
“The grass is always greener” is a common phrase leveraged to combat employees fleeing a company. Often, that phrase is used to help employees understand that they may have an inflated perception of their new job offer. Like, beer goggles, but for jobs. It turns out it’s an actional Syndrome. If your employee is…
Sometimes you have it. And sometimes you don’t. There will be some failures, whether you present to your team, executives, or customers. There will be days when you walk out of the presentation, and every part of your body sinks. Sometimes, the pain is much earlier (during the presentation) or much later in the…
You’ve just been promoted to management – Congratulations, you’ve made it. After that, you can sit back and let everyone else do the work. Right? Ummm. No. Aside from the fact that very few people actually want to be in middle management – it is now about the possibility of using your influence to…
As a remote leader for the last eight years, I haven’t had the learning curve that some leaders find themselves on. However, transitioning into a remote leader does require a re-tune. Organic moments in the office don’t happen unless you make them happen. And unless you have a sixth sense that crosses the space-time…
I really can’t stand team-building exercises. I always feel like it’s forced fun. And I’ve been through so many team activities from pasta making to ax throwing to go-kart racing; I feel like I have done it all. Are our teams any closer because of them? I have no idea. So when I heard…