Finding a mentor
If you work with someone or for someone, mentoring might be offered to you without your asking. For solo-preneurs or rising stars in an organization, you might have to go seek it. Here are some thoughts from the old hand about how should you go about asking.
Hacks for mentoring
I was asked to follow up from last week’s post with more hacks for mentoring. New supervisors are often uncomfortable giving direction to those who just recently were peers. Being a first-time supervisor is probably the most difficult step in a leaders journey. So, let’s start with your mental game.
Mentor, don’t instruct
How often does someone try to delegate up to you? Hey boss, how do I get on the shared drive? Hey boss, what should I say to this difficult customer? Hey boss, should we get a different supplier?
Celebrate May
There is something about May that screams celebration. Especially this year, with the long winter and late spring, it has been a riot of flowers, allergies and happy life events.
Just show up
There is a business proverb that I like to repeat, perhaps more often than others like to hear it: “Showing up is 80% of success in life”. Google says that Woody Allen said it first. Well, there is a lot of truth to the statement, whether you like Allen or not. How many times do […]
What is your BHAG?
Do you have a BHAG (a big hairy audacious goal)? I found mine a few years ago.
Receiving feedback
Is it easy for you to receive feedback? For most of my life, you could give me positive feedback all day long. I would tend to dismiss it, but I’d be emotionally happy. If i received negative feedback, my stomach clenched as my jaw froze into a slight tight smile, which may have looked like […]
Practicing what I preach
My Vistage Members don’t get out of a 1-2-1 without me asking Did you get exercise? Are you eating well? Did you get some creative time? They expect it, they anticipate it and they really do want to be asked. Part of business coaching focuses on those things we know how to do, but have […]
What we dismiss
It is the role of the business leader to make decisions. Sometimes, no, quite often, we have to decide with less information than we would want if we had more time. So, we have to take risks and make choices. Lately. I’ve been thinking about what we dismiss in that process. Urgency drives us barreling […]
Giving feels good
Every second Sunday, I get together for brunch with a group of women committed to Dining for Women, an organization that supports women and children in extreme poverty outside the US. We each bring a dish and the money we might otherwise send eating out we give to the charity. Why do I do it? […]