Recruiter/Hiring Manager: “Where do you see yourself in five years?” Candidate: Eye roll, followed by dry mouth, sigh, light-headedness. Feeling dizzy. Passes out, bangs head on desk. Thud. Candidate now has a knot on her head similar to Lt. Worf... Read More
From an e-mail I received today from a good friend of mine – amidst the ranting, there is always time for reflection… A lecturer, when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked,”How heavy is... Read More
From the moment I stepped onto the faded yellow footprints at Marine Corps Recruit Depot in Paris Island in South Carolina, two primary leadership objectives were pounded into my head and espoused as the very reason for my existence: (1)... Read More
I regularly shop at Giant for my groceries. Over the past year, I’ve repeatedly seen their environmentally friendly, reusable bags on sale near the checkout counter. Each time I see them, I think to myself, “you know, I really ought... Read More
According to the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL), approximately 70% of corporate initiatives fail. This seems to be a staggering statistic; however, there are relatively simple aspects of strategy formulation, decision-making, crisis management, environmental scanning, and organizational alignment issues that... Read More
We all make mistakes. No one is perfect. Yet, some managers and leaders choose to focus on the negative – the “wrong” of something. Some think being difficult or critical is the best way to improve performance. Some are... Read More
Sorry for the late post this week – it has been one crazy week! _____________________________________________________________ Living in the Washington, D.C. Metro area is a wonderful thing. History, entertainment, culture, seasons, and great places to eat abound. The Redskins are a... Read More
We all know how damaging office gossip is and what a negative effect it can have on morale, productivity, and profitability. But what happens when the person stirring the muck is a leader? Or worse – a senior leader? I... Read More
Not sure exactly where this phrase came from, but I heard it the other day and it really got me thinking: hire slow, fire fast. Makes sense, right? Unfortunately for most of corporate America, we do just the opposite. Instead,... Read More
Michael Scott terrifies me. In fact, he’s my worst nightmare. For those of you who might not know, Michael Scott is the bumbling General Manager of a little paper company called DunderMifflin on the hit show The Office. Played by... Read More