In my work with hundreds of professionals, I have come to a conclusion: People want a sense of control at work. It’s the Autonomy piece that Daniel Pink refers to in his famous TED talk. Stephen Covey called it Interdependence. A professional who takes charge of his or her own leadership and is in a […]

This week a trending article in the New York Times talked about the balance he regained by reading the paper in hard copy. The author referenced the food writer, Michael Pollen, whose advice, “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants,” has become somewhat famous. He created his own version for reading the news: “Get news. Not too quickly.  Avoid […]

There are two requests I get all the time: 1) Clarity on the big picture, and 2) A roadmap to get there. There is one more element that is key. It’s to have the confidence to activate the first two. My clients (you!) are mostly high-achievers. In reality, you don’t want someone to tell you […]

When I meet with HR partners and talk about advocating for the employee, I can see them start to squirm or giggle nervously. It makes sense. Companies are uncomfortable paying for training that will give employees the tools to make demands or even leave the organization. The thing is that while this belief feels right […]

It’s been an amazing 10 days. I’ve been to and from L.A. for a three-day strategy session, then to and from Maine for four days of skiing. So much inspiration! Part of me is champing at the bit to get moving. And part of me (the part that’s been winning for two days) wants to […]

I’m a little frustrated. Last week I had three different people share that after responding to on-line job postings, they finally realize that doesn’t work. I feel like a broken record when I say that the vast majority of jobs get filled in-house or by someone already familiar to the organization. But instead of dwelling, […]

Last week a client shared that she is really good at dealing with “challenging” leaders, the Steve Jobs sort who are change agents but are often abrasive or polarizing. A strong people person who is also forward thinking, this client is good at shaping a vision around the change, and excellent at selling the abrasive […]

Last Thursday I called in sick, meaning I rescheduled my calls. I was proud of myself for resisting the “am I wimping out?” voice. But, I was antsy and bored and kept checking email, which left me feeling pressured. I couldn’t find a good series to binge watch, was too tired to go out for […]

  This week a client shared that after several months of job search, she is engaged in powerful conversations with multiple potential employers. Her confidence is soaring and she is seeing how much she really has to offer. That, in turn, is making her discuss much bigger solutions and negotiate more interesting job roles. The […]

About five years ago, my cousin Isabelle, who is from Luxembourg, permanently settled in New York. It was huge for me because as a child of immigrants, I never had extended family here. I love having Isabelle, and her husband Noah, around in all sorts of ways. But for my newsletter, what’s interesting to me […]