Attention, please

Pandemic-induced stress and other reasons have led to decreasing workforce numbers and increasing pressure on remaining employees. Demanding, rude, and uncivil behaviors by some customers – and employers – only exacerbate the situation. Please be patient, understanding, and considerate. Thank you. [Image credits: “Dude breathe” photo by Kyndall Ramirez on Unsplash.jpg. Sign posted in office 

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Favorite Quotes on Pandemic-Related Changes in the Workplace

Last year’s disruption by COVID-19 led to copious content on its impact on the workplace discussing how leaders could navigate, cope, innovate, sustain and/or continue to grow in anxious and uncertain times. As an advocate for a positive and engaged organizational culture, I was fascinated with the discussions and resulting responses to the pandemic. And 

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New Books for Holiday Gift-Giving This Year

“A book is a gift you can open again and again.” Garrison Keillor I’m a fan of giving books as gifts especially when paired with soothing tea, specialty coffee, indulgent chocolate or other sweet treat. Such gifts feed the senses as well as the mind. So I’m happy to recommend five new nonfiction books that 

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“Hands down, face-to-face is the best” (pun intentional)

Confession: I have as much fun talking about LEGO® bricks as I do working with them. I actually use these colorful plastic building blocks in team development as a Certified Facilitator in LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® (LSP) – a novel approach that enables participants to “think with their hands and listen with their eyes.” I had 

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What I Enjoy about My “Work” as a Facilitator

How many people do you know who truly love what they do? Well, you can count me as one of them. Combining multiple roles of “catalyst, conductor, and coach,” my work as a facilitator is complex, challenging, and gratifying. Projects may appear to be similar, yet each facilitated session is unique. I enjoy my work 

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Boss’s Day 2020 – Appreciating the Best and Worst Bosses

Seeing the selection of Boss’s Day cards for October 16th reminded me of the bosses I previously worked for who ranged from great to toxic. [See my suggestion below for observing Boss’s Day this year.] I had the privilege of working for a few executives I highly respected. I also worked for execs who were 

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Important Reminder for All Employers

It’s been several months since COVID-19 disrupted and changed the workplace. Regardless of where your employees now work – whether from home, at your place of business, on the road, or some hybrid approach – the following still applies. “The way your employees feel is the way your customers will feel. And if your employees 

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Exploring the Work-from-Home Experience & Its Out-of-Office Toll

Employees who are used to working in an office environment have undergone an abrupt change to working from home the past several months due to COVID-19. Curious to learn how they were handling the absence of in-person communications, collaboration, and teamwork, I reached out to colleagues (executives and professionals in a variety of organizations where 

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Acts of Employee Engagement Needed Now

I was recently reminded of a practical and low-cost way to help keep employees engaged in this stressful time. Surprisingly, I found it in an article written last year before the unthinkable happened. It’s easy and something everyone can do — bosses, business owners, co-workers, colleagues, partners; i.e., anyone you work with. It can be 

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Beware of “Askholes” & Others Who Won’t Listen

Understandably, people who ask for advice may not always follow it. But how they listen and respond makes a difference in the outcome and its impact on others. This includes frustrating encounters with “askholes” — people who constantly ask for your advice, yet ALWAYS do the complete opposite of what you told them to do” 

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