By now I’m sure that you’ve seen the MasterCard commercial loaded with cute kids chanting “One more day!” These adorable kids are bringing to our attention that an estimated 400 million vacation days go unused in America every year. This is an astounding and disturbing number that is certain to have [...]
A lot of my family, including myself, lived in Florida over the past 20 years. It’s the land of white sandy beaches, Mickey Mouse, orange juice and snowbirds! Every year after Thanksgiving, retirees would load up their Mercury Grand Marquis, hang their clothing from a rod in the back seat and [...]
I recently completed the book, “The EQ Edge, Emotional Intelligence and Your Success,” written by Steven J. Stein, PH.D. and Howard E. Book, M.D. to support my knowledge and understanding of EQ and personal development. Empathy, one of the 15 scales (skills) assessed in the emotional intelligence EQ-I 2.0 model originally [...]
The current government shutdown brought my thoughts back to a recent Dulles SHRM meeting that I attended where Misti Mukherjee of Jackson/Lewis spoke about Preparing for and Managing Employee Terminations and Reductions in Force. Not knowing how long the government will remain shut down and what the impact might be on [...]
It’s that time of year again. The leaves are changing colors, children are back to school, and summer vacation is over. For many organizations, this time of year not only means a return to a workplace routine, but it also means it is time for annual performance reviews. [...]
Recently, I’ve asked some of our clients “do you have defined career paths for your positions?” Some say their employees’ career is their own responsibility, others say that they provide a structure for their staff in an effort to succeed. What’s the right answer? Honestly, it depends. Today, more and more [...]
Looking for your missing piece? Just as Shel Silverstein’s incomplete circle searched for something to help it roll smoother, faster and more confidently, I suggest you consider adding emotional intelligence training to your leadership development program – – in particular, using the Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i) assessment tool. It could be [...]
In the June 2013 edition of HR Magazine published by SHRM there was an interesting article on Positive Momentum that focuses on the Appreciative Inquiry process. Although fascinating reading, I was uncertain how this change management process could best be incorporated into many workplace cultures. I realized that I was doing [...]
As I was talking to my daughter this week and encouraging her to focus on the road ahead for her senior year of high school and preparing for college, I found it difficult to energize and motivate her. I started thinking about how difficult it is for organizations to keep their employees [...]
One of the first things we teach our children when they are young is the value of saying thank you. I remind my young boys to say thank you when someone helps them, gives them something they need or compliments them. The list of reasons to say thank you is boundless. [...]