The Monthly Memo.
Employee Appreciation – a Year End Reflection
As the year comes to an end, I recently saw a guide to tipping. What is the appropriate tip for the people we interact with? One suggestion was for the person who delivers the newspaper, and, of course, very few people actually receive a physical paper these days. I,...
No Title Needed to Lead
Maybe you can’t wait until you get that promotion. Or maybe you can’t wait to get your career going so you can become the boss. Some senior leaders are waiting patiently for that “final promotion” they’ve been working on for their whole career. All of that may be...
Taming the Straight Shooter
Do you know people who are simply straight shooters? They don’t sugar coat anything and you sometimes get their message right between the eyes. The good news is you always know where you stand with this person, right? The bad news is, as they grow in their leadership...
Wellness in the Workplace
It’s time for a Monthly Memo guest columnist, and why not bring in a professional? My daughter Katie Rose helps people after receiving her Masters in Counseling and Family Therapy at Regis University in Denver. Here are her thoughts on finding your way in today’s...
Don’t say, “That’s a good question.”
One of the most tired expressions used in business and media in-person interactions is the old delay tactic. A person hears a question they are not sure what to do with and they immediately jump to that worn out and worthless comment, “That’s a good question.” Please,...
Connecting the Kitchen and the Podium
Have you eaten a restaurant meal you would call exceptional? Just having someone prepare your food is a luxury, and to have it be especially good is a true gift. Well, I’m here to tell you the work that goes into prepping a great meal is absolutely a roadmap you can...
200 Memos and Counting!
In a bit of fateful timing, Thanksgiving has fallen just as I am writing my 200th Monthly Memo. When this journey began, I was in my 40’s – my kids were in Junior High and grade school - and I was just beginning my entrepreneurial career. Nearly 20 years have passed...
Teach Your Kids This
In a couple of stunning interactions over the last few weeks I’ve come to realize some young people enter the work world without a clue – and parents hold a huge responsibility here. If you are not regularly talking with your kids about work – what it means, what it’s...
You’re hired for…?
So, why might someone hire you? If you answer, “For my technical skill. It’s my knowledge of the industry/business/endeavor that will be the deciding factor,” you are probably in the majority of people who might be answering that question. You also very likely would...
My Sales Experience Surprise
For most of my career I defined myself as an “anti-salesman.” Sales seemed like a dirty word to me. All those people cravenly going after the almighty dollar. Terrible. Then I discovered one of the most effective salespersons out there was – me. What!? How could this...
Talking Points Troubles
The trouble with talking points – planned answers for difficult or tricky questions – is that they too often SOUND like talking points! Whether you are pro golfer Phil Mickelson explaining why he is taking huge money to set up a rival golf tour or just about any...
Stop Doing This!
We’ve all fallen into this trap. We are asked a question and instead of answering, we throw in a bunch of extra words and sounds which only get in the way. Here’s how it plays out - see if you have heard it: A person is asked a straightforward question, like “What is...
What’s Your Worth?
Entrepreneurs – especially small business owners and folks who are just getting started – will often ask me how to charge for their services. Great question! I wish there was a simple answer, and it has been a struggle for me over the years. For that reason, let's...
Being the Best. Always.
I had a weird thought recently while sitting in a doctor’s office waiting room. What went through my mind was this: “I want to be the best patient this doctor sees today.” This was my first time seeing this person and I found myself thinking how I was going to be the...
Two great words: “What if…”
Your first words should always be great. That should be your only standard. If you stand up to speak, your first words should grab the audience – make them want to hear more. If you are writing, it should be clear from the first words that this will be a worthwhile...
Tips for Great Storytelling
Want to advance your career or grow your business? Become a better storyteller. Stories that are well told stick in people’s minds, they connect us and they are often much easier to relate to than any other form of communication. To get started on the storytelling...
There is a correct way to say “Thanks.”
Perhaps you’ve never given this idea a thought – and if you haven’t that’s okay –but there is a right and a wrong way to say “Thanks.” Given what we are celebrating right now, it only seems fitting to explore this idea. If you’re skeptical, I understand. This is a...
Issues with confidence? I have answers!
Quite often over the last almost 20 years of consulting work I have been asked to work with people who seem unconfident in front of an audience or in important meetings. For many of these individuals, the lack of confidence feels like an unconquerable mountain when...
Presenting Yourself Virtually
So, how long has it been since you checked your LinkedIn picture? Continuing a thread I started with my last Monthly Memo, today’s focus is selling YOU in the virtual world. I had a chance to share some of these thoughts with the west coast gathering of Women in...
Marketing in the Virtual World
If you’ve always counted on personal contact to spread the word about your business or service, the last 18 months have been challenging! What have you done to keep connected? I plan to write a couple of Memos on the topic and would be happy to share your thoughts....
Speaking Up At Work
If you have a good idea, a complaint or something that could fundamentally change the course of your workplace, hold on! First it’s important to understand HOW you should present that idea to give yourself the best chance of success. The stakes? People who do this...
Your Roots Are Showing – Always
First, I want to make it clear this is not a COVID-era commentary on hair color! Instead, we’re looking at different roots – and these are also key to your identity. In fact, they are even more a part of who you are, more than hair color, eye color, or skin tone. Why?...
Where Do Good Ideas Come From?
Everybody wants them. They fuel business and government and medicine and every other endeavor every day. Good ideas are at the heart of what keeps us moving ahead and the magic of those ideas is sought by everyone. How many meetings have you attended where the...
Just How Much Should You Talk in a Meeting?
Have you ever been in a meeting where one person, without knowing it, is dominating the conversation and as a result crushing any creativity or momentum for the group? Or maybe you have feared you are that person! Either way, I was observing a meeting recently with...
Seeing the Effects of Correct but Misleading Messages
In a time when we need to understand science and facts, we are also seeing the impact of ineffective messaging around important ideas. Take for instance the discussion about the coronavirus vaccine. Scientists and journalists – in the hopes of covering every aspect of...