Feeling a little shy of my thriftiness, I considered not posting this blog, but the lessons were far too juicy not to share. Blowing in the winter breeze, the balloons above a new shop’s “Now Open” sign lured me inside to see how the store lived up to its promise of everyday consumer products, for only a buck or two. Traversing each aisle thoughtfully, I finally arrived at the register with a basket full of goodies, walking up only to…
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Success means something different to us all. For some, it’s money in the bank, while for others it’s measured by the moments that take our breath away! Perhaps it’s moving up the corporate ladder, starting a new business, achieving a physical goal, or hitting a landmark birthday in a state of utter fulfillment. At the end of the day, there’s only one person that can define your success…YOU! So…let’s get started. Take a break from your “TO DO” list and…
I was sitting inside as I started to brainstorm for this post after being cooped up all morning. Since I work from home most days, I have to make an extra effort to schedule in outdoor time to avoid getting cabin-fever at night. Even in winter I find myself braving the cold to clear my mind after a long day, all bundled up like the abdominal snowman. (pause for a few seconds as I head outside) I am now sitting…
I’ve managed people most of my career, and I’ve worked in teams all my life. If you had asked me early in my leadership career what motivates someone at work I would have probably told you either having a good salary or maybe having a spiffy title. And of course who doesn’t think a big bonus is motivating? To effectively lead people, I thought you needed carrots and sticks in the right balance for motivation to work. Somehow in my…
Imagine a senior level executive. She has a difficult challenge ahead of her. She’s been stuck in a messy company reorganization that’s left her smack dab in the middle of the ‘mess’ without any real position. She has been tasked with helping others to get settled into their new roles, but she hasn’t been assigned any inspiring duties of her own – nothing yet to settle into. For a goal-orientated, achievement driven professional, this can be a paralyzing place to…
This past week was an overwhelming entrepreneur week for me; contract negotiations, uncooperative technology, scheduling nightmares and the list goes on. I’m sure, like me, a lot of you who are riding the arc of the entrepreneurial journey are thinking “where have I heard this before?” Being an entrepreneur or a solopreneur requires us to wear several different hats. These demands can be quite overwhelming at times as we battle a never-ending list of “to-do’s”. The tendency to feel unaccomplished…
My computer broke: An exercise in patience by Devon Domanski. For so many of us, we rely heavily on technology to keep us connected. Whether it’s a laptop for work, a tablet for personal use, email accounts to communicate, or just having WiFi access, some of us may think, “What the H-E-double hockey sticks would I do if my (insert favourite tech functionality or device) broke?” After having to part with my laptop for 2 weeks while it underwent repairs,…
Recently, at an EDGE 3 retreat, David Graham had us plot our lifelines. It became obvious that all our lifelines had one thing in common – we all had major dips countered by an equally large upward swing. There were times we were winning, and times we felt we had lost. Our lifelines resembled a rollercoaster rather than the smooth, balanced line we had all hoped for. Over the years, I have worked tirelessly hoping that someday I would have…
As an executive coach who plans company retreats, its hard to be objective, however, I understand a leader’s reluctance in hanging the “closed” sign on the door, and hauling an already overworked team to a pricy out of town venue. Sounds frivolous right? First of all, a retreat need not be exotic or overpriced to be effective. There are spectacular venues close to most major Canadian cities and your coach should always have your budget in mind. Secondly, consider shifting…