A workforce that doesn’t feel safe to express who they are, let alone the emotions that make us human, is a workforce that is suppressed and works in a fear-based culture.
You’ve been a leader for quite some time, and you’re stepping into a new position or company. Maybe both! The ambitious women I know are actively working on making the most significant impact in their first 3-6 months (maybe longer), but, even the best and brightest are bound to make some of the most common leadership mistakes. Don’t we
Have you struggled with visibility? The kind that garners the promotional opportunity you’ve been thinking about and know you deserve? That’s the thing about getting noticed; you want to be seen and valued for your experience and skill set, and when you’re not? You question yourself. In this hybrid world we live in; work environments have changed. Research has
If there was ever a time where emotional intelligence was needed, this moment in our global evolution would be it. New leadership – the kind we need more of in our world and we’ll see more of in the future of work calls for emotional intelligence. Have I said it enough? Maybe. I know I’ve written about it quite a
With all the rave the Olympics bring, while I haven’t been glued to my TV like the rest of the world, my ears have perked up recently. When gymnasts like Simone Biles are making waves with the decision to withdraw from her final routine for her wellbeing, you pay attention. We can’t forget Olympian, Naomi Osaka who withdrew from The
Neglecting your mental health is like expecting a plant to grow without water. It’ll eventually die. That’s how important your mind is to the rest of your body. And it’s what often goes unnoticed when working alongside our peers, colleagues and leaders. Just because we don’t see what someone might be dealing with doesn’t mean all is well.
We may be a year into a pandemic yet, leading in a virtual environment is still a struggle many leaders face. Many of us have adjusted to a new way of living and working by now, yet, managing others in a world that is still undergoing tremendous change adds another layer of complexity. The roller coaster of emotions stemming from
There’s been a collection of buzz words we heard a lot since the pandemic, resilience being one of them. As it relates to corporate, much of the focus has been on organizational resiliency, even when we speak of leadership resiliency. Driving an organization to success in uncertain times while the future continues to be unknown is important, yet, the kind
You may have had some of your plans fall through this year because of COVID and, for those whose livelihood depended on crowds and large-scale events, work was reimagined. That said, when the world throws you a curveball, we don’t have to put our ambitions or career aspirations on the backburner. I was catching up with one of my mentors
I can’t help but think about what’s left of this year. We’re heading into the winter months and for many of us in North America, that means moving into hibernation, more time with those we live under the same roof with, all while working through an extended crisis. Working from home may be something we’re all used to by now
Have you ever heard of the expression, “There’s too many cooks in the kitchen?” At work, we call it workplace conflict. We’ve all experienced some form of workplace conflict, some more than others. Inevitably, as close as we may be with our peers or colleagues, we’re bound to have disagreements even with the best intentions to do and show up
The hustle and bustle of work-culture and the fast-paced work life have been celebrated forever and a day. A lifestyle for many in the corporate world – but was it really working for you? I can confidently tell you it likely wasn’t. It wasn’t working before and it’s definitely not going to hold up in a post-COVID world. I saw
Lately, it seems as though many of my conversations have been about life events occurring in people’s lives that have them being forced to react instead of responding. Anything from relationships being challenged, to jobs dangling by a thread or leaving a toxic workplace altogether. This year alone has brought about some of the most significant challenges that had many
Do you ever wonder as a leader how do you inspire your team? Perhaps you might also consider how to inspire those around you in your personal circle, such as your family and friends. It’s one of the most common goals I hear from my clients when we begin coaching. I want to inspire my team. I want to be
During the past several months, we’ve seen how a global pandemic shapeshifted us in how we live and work. So much so, it’s made me wonder how fear has affected workplace cultures that are long overdue for a culture reset. The ones that have little to no pulse (in other words, they’re dead), the heart of it is gone and
Losing some of your greatest talent sucks. We’ve all been there as leaders where some of your key talent and strongest performers have chosen to resign for various reasons. Anything from a better opportunity to personal reasons I’m sure you’ve heard before. During a global pandemic, it’s no different. Yes, sadly many have been laid off and lost their jobs
So many of the discussions across the globe have centered around change for racial injustice, systemic racism and the need for this time to be an ongoing conversation that’s no longer taboo and one that lasts beyond a ‘trend’. In our corporate landscape and in the workplace, the global movement we’ve witnessed over the past few weeks created discussions around
If you told me in 2019 the year 2020 was going to be one of the most ever-changing and historical times, I would have said, “you’ve got the wrong planet, sounds like an awful movie.” Yet, 6 months into the year, we’ve experienced a global pandemic that would have us reimagining life and business, coupled with recent events like the
As the globe slowly awakens to a reality navigating its way through what a new normal will look like post-COVID, driving business continues to be a top priority. It considers all stakeholders involved both internally and externally with the safety and wellbeing being the pressing message being communicated, since the start of the pandemic. Creating a new work-life is still
Is it too early to be talking about heading back to the office post-COVID-19? Probably not. Our transition to working remotely happened fast and suddenly. There was no planning and strategy work to prepare; it was mandated and we just transitioned. Slowly but surely, governments around the world are in discussions and planning for transitioning back to work and re-opening
Crisis leadership is a phrase that’s come across lately as ‘buzz like’ during this pandemic. It’s interesting as there are crises all over the world even before COVID-19 and likely we’ll experience again sometime in the future, yet I don’t recall hearing this phrase as much. Leading in times of crisis often brings about reactionary or impulsive behaviours and decisions.
The ‘work from home’ or a remote working option that was once considered a benefit and, in some cases, seen as a perk (depending on the organization you ask) has become the norm in the last month. Likely to stay this way for several months to come. According to research by Regus Canada, 47% of Canadian employees work from outside
Psychological safety is a ‘feeling‘ we’ve heard more and more of in the workplace in more recent years. If you asked about how it relates to organizations 20 or 30 years ago, it wasn’t a common concept. Today, it relates to factors that affect employee engagement, employee performance and leadership to name a few. In its simplest terms, psychological safety
Where ageism is very real in almost every industry, plenty of resources will tell you how to combat ageism so you can successfully make a career change. Tips and tricks on positioning yourself, talk about your qualifications so you don’t come across as ‘overqualified’ or ‘underqualified’ but just right. How to talk about your passions and the
Self-care and balance have increasingly become a focus in our culture. It was trend like for a while and slowly has become a part of our lives that we hope to ‘strive for’ personally and now professionally. Varying definitions will tell you what it means and what it should/could look like (Icertainly have one) and ultimately it will be subjective
Creativity is something I’ve spoken about quite a bit as it’s the very expression of our souls (when we tap into it) that can birth some of the most beautiful gifts. Not just for us to enjoy but to share with the world that offers enjoyment and inspiration for others. In business, it’s the energy that brings fuel to innovation
The ‘Compassionate Leader.’ The leader that has a vision, invests in their people and knows how to take an organization to the next level with people at its core. Better yet, by creating a people-first culture. With the pace, our world is moving at and the ever-changing world of business, training and L&D initiatives (learning and development) is a go-to
A new year and a new decade are fast approaching and with that comes a new way of leading. A transformation I’ve talked about often in hopes it fosters action from those organizations who are ready to step up and begin their evolution vs. more meetings to talk about challenges. An approach to leading your people side by side versus top-down is
When we’re first learning something, over time and with experience we’re expected to get ‘better.’ Practice makes perfect as they say. Yet we’re bound to develop bad habits and blind spots. Whether it’s driving, playing a sport or learning a new skill. We let some of the ‘best practices’ we’ve learned fall through the cracks. Not because we’re trying to
This past week I attended a mentoring event held by NEW where we discussed diversity in a multi-generational workforce. Such an important topic since by 2020, 50% of the global workforce will be made up of Millennials aka Gen Y. These conversations have been percolating slowly but surely, and it’s clear that identifying ways of working together and adapting to
The risks we take in our lives are often a direct measure of how willing we are to step outside our comfort zone. The risk of being seen. The risk of being judged. The risk of not being liked. The risk of failing. The risk of the unknown. The list goes on and on. Yet, we rarely consider the successes
Coming off a long weekend celebrating Thanksgiving here in Canada, my heart is full of gratitude. For so much really. This year has been a whirlwind of change, entering a new chapter in my life, letting go, learning, expanding, sharing, growing and so much more. It’s been transformational, to say the least, and continues to be – and with no
Emotions and ‘the workplace’ are often not seen in the same sentence unless we’re talking about emotional intelligence. There’s an immediate reaction that the two don’t mix and emotions simply don’t belong in corporate. Yet, over the years, we’ve had emotional intelligence courses and workshops of the like become increasingly popular. Not because we’ve become more accepting of the concept
Whether it’s in corporate or as an entrepreneur, trust and credibility are critical to your ability in establishing strong relationships. They go hand and hand and we want both to exist in the people we work with. Even in our personal relationships – friends, family, relatives, etc. you want to know the people you have relationships with are trustworthy and
Is your organization struggling with low employee performance? While there can often be multiple reasons that impact employee performance, there’s an easy and what I believe an underutilized solution. One that is underestimated in terms of the benefit and impact it can have not only on your employee’s performance but your business as well. Show your employees you appreciate them.
Fear in the spiritual sense is the absence of love. In everyday life, it looks like this… “I need to make enough money in case something happens.” Or “I have to go to that conference, or I won’t meet any new clients.” Or “If I ask for time off, they’ll think I’m lazy and not working hard enough.”
What’s the most important skill you’re assessing when you’re interviewing talent? Does a talent’s soft skill vs. hard skill and/or competencies to do a job hold the same level of importance for you? I can probably guess that your answer would likely be no, although I’m sure you would agree it’s important just not as important as the hard skills
