Leadership

"Shoulding" All Over People?

"Shoulding" All Over People?

At work, do you find yourself saying things like the below?

  • “You should talk to Pete about the change”

  • “Cathy, as your mentor, I’m telling you, you should take this course”

  • “My advice, you should….”

How about in your personal life?  End up saying things like:

  • “Patricia, you should listen to me, I know what I’m talking about”

  • “You should just leave, you hate working there anyways”

  • “Dan, you should talk to your daughter”

Notice in all of the above statements, you’re telling someone they “should” do something. 

As change agents and leaders, we're often providing recommendations.  And there is a difference between providing a recommendation and telling someone they “should” do something.  If you answered yes to the above questions, you’re actually “shoulding” on people.  What’s the big deal with doing this and what’s the difference between the two?

Click Read More to see what:

  • The difference is between providing a recommendation and “shoulding” on people

  • “Shoulding” on people is costing you at work and in your personal life

How Often are you in Gratitude?

How Often are you in Gratitude?

Having just honored our veterans and with Thanksgiving coming up in the U.S., gratitude is top of mind. With work, family, the holidays, and the pandemic, one can easily get stressed out and feel overwhelmed. The question is, how often are you remembering to stop and be grateful?

Are you the kind of change agent / leader who is:

  • Never satisfied with what you have accomplished in your career and are always seeking the next position?

  • Always focused on what you don't have?

  • Always striving for more?

  • Taking the people in your life for granted?

Or are you the kind of change agent / leader who is often in gratitude and does the below? Why does being in gratitude matter?

How are you Keeping your Spirits Up?

How are you Keeping your Spirits Up?

It’s now Feb 2021 and how are you feeling? Are you looking forward to the year? Or are you frustrated with the monotony of the pandemic, being at home so much, miss traveling, and being around people? Or maybe you’re feeling all of the above and more.

Several have asked me how I’ve kept my spirits up during Covid-19 so I figured it was time to write a blog post on this. Here are five ways I’ve been able to keep my spirits high:

What Effect do Your Words Have?

What Effect do Your Words Have?

Happy New Year!! I had an entirely different blog post written and then Jan 6th, 2021 happened. Here’s to continuing to pivot during this pandemic.

As change agents and leaders, the words we choose matter. Our words can inspire and lift people up, they can hurt and bring people down, they can inspire collaboration, they can plant a seed, they can ignite conflict / violence, and more. Unfortunately inciting conflict and violence is what we saw happen in the United States Capitol on Jan 6th, 2021. As you reflect on what happened that fateful day, think about what effect your words have been having on your team?, your employees?, your spouse?, your children?, and others? Unsure of the effect of your words? Or how to shift the effect?

How are You, Your Loved Ones, and Coworkers Faring this Holiday Season?

How are You, Your Loved Ones, and Coworkers Faring this Holiday Season?

For some the holidays are a very joyful time of year, for others, they are a very difficult time of year. With so much social distancing in 2020, several are understandably feeling more blue than usual this holiday season. Human beings are social creatures, we’re not meant to be separated from friends and family for months on end. If you, a loved one, or coworker is feeling down, how much are you aware of the signs of depression? And how aware are you of what you can do to help yourself, your loved one, or coworker who is struggling with feeling blue? As change agents and leaders, let’s look out for each other, our loved ones, and our work companions this holiday season.

What are Assumptions Costing You?

What are Assumptions Costing You?

Watching all the controversy around the President and frequency in which he was being tested for Covid-19, brings up the topic of assumptions. Many people assumed the President was being tested daily. Given the below, several are now questioning whether he was in fact getting tested daily, and whether he actually became Covid-19 positive earlier than Oct 2nd.

  • Many Covid-19 patients get worse around day seven to ten into their diagnosis

  • The President only announced his positive Covid-19 diagnosis early the morning of Oct 2nd

  • By the evening of Oct 2nd the President was being medevaced by helicopter to Walter Reed Hospital

As change agents and leaders, we are constantly in work and personal situations where we have the opportunity to make assumptions. What is an assumption? And how dangerous can they be?

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