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Micro-manager. Hyper-Critical. Steals my ideas. According to a Gallup survey, half of us have left a job to get away from a bad boss. Early in my coaching I had an exciting and profound learning. Clients came to me (very!) eager to get out of their job. My own experience had been one of being […]

Managing Overwhelm “Tell me how to manage the constant tug of war between work and life.” I don’t remember now whether this working woman had kids or not. But it hardly matters — so many of us suffer from overwhelm, and don’t have the clarity of focus. What has us constantly pushing to the edge […]

This week an executive asked me for techniques on accountability. How do we hold our teams and colleagues accountable?  And how to we provide feedback when they don’t hold up their part of the bargain? The simple answer is trust.  When there is trust in the relationship, people can set goals that both parties will […]

How a Sense of Purpose Motivates at Work   Ask anyone what gives them a sense of purpose and the answer is almost universal — help others.  That first question is easy — it seems the desire to give back to humanity is part of our instinct.  It’s the next question that gets people stumped: […]

It’s Saturday and I know it’s a time for rest, not work. I also know that when we rest, we have a little more time for reflection that can bring clarity. Yesterday I spoke to a former client who shared that our work together didn’t just help her as an executive, it helped her marriage. […]

In the balmy night air, I was at the estate of an art collector in the hills above Cannes, France, watching two hundred beauty and press executives dance the night away for the international launch of Dior’s latest fragrance when a voice told me, “Claire, you don’t belong here.” I was there because it was […]

Last week I was invited to Fast Company’s Innovation Festival  for a session by architecture firm M. Moser on how  sound, light, air, comfort, movement and communication impact our work day. Change is not easing up. Companies need to push their employees. And more will always be better. Yet innovative companies are seeing that taking care of employees lets us […]

This week a client (the boss) used the techniques she had learned around providing difficult feedback and I was thrilled to hear how she made it work. Recently she hired a part-time employee. After an initial month that she chalked up to learning curve, the employee’s performance was just not aligning with my client’s expectations. […]

Clarity Creates Confidence — The simple approach to owning work and life     Things can get confusing. Work doesn’t feel right, but you’re not sure how to fix it or what’s next.  As a leader, you may be clear on your mission but need to get more cooperation from your team.  Or work is great, but […]

Recently I was working with a client on how to ask for what she wants at work. She said, “I’m the type where if someone says, ‘Want the last french fry?’ I say, ‘No, you go ahead.’ “ And even as she shared this bit of information, she was smiling — she knew there was […]