In the business world, and more so in politics, ugly is the only word I can use to describe the nasty things people so badly want you to hear about their opponent. I call it the “ugly truth” because it is no more related to facts than the monsters under the bed. It does not seem to matter anymore whether these nasty things are based on fact. With the advent of social … [Read more...]
Using the L Word in Business
I use it every day. The more I find myself engaged in relationships that cross both personal and professional boundaries, the less I try to resist. I can also say that the advent of social networking has made building true friendships easier at work where once a line was drawn. And dropping a "love ya," or a "sending you love" comment seems to soften those lines even more. … [Read more...]
Something Worth Fighting For
What are you willing to fight for? Where are you willing to draw the line? What motivates you to take a stand? Questions you should know the answer to long before you have to pick a side. As I go through the political mire of the transitioning the Tennessee State Fair from metro government into private hands, I realize there are very few people willing to suit up for battle. … [Read more...]
Overcoming Disappointment
If you think you've read this before, you may have. If you're reading for the first time, welcome to my world. I'd like to think that I'm learning along the way and that when I'm faced with new challenges I create new solutions. But sometimes, just sometimes...disappointment comes back around to greet us like an unwanted house guest...we take it in, but hopefully we have … [Read more...]
The mystery of Agent Stan Conch…SOLVED!
Do you know Agent Stan Conch? More importantly, can you manage working with him? He is in every part of our work life and personal life. We ALL know and work with Agent Stan Conch. He is wildly unpredictable, can be furiously stormy and always seems to show up at the least opportune times. How does one prepare to deal with his/her Agent Stan Conch? The strong, the … [Read more...]
The Business Case for Building a Flexible Work Culture- Part III
In the Part I and II of this series we talked about the opportunity to support our need for flexible work cultures with a solid business case. We outlined the fact that the majority of our employees require flexibility at some point in their careers. Research increasingly points to flexibility as one of the most important career considerations of staff, emerging leaders and … [Read more...]
The Business Case for Building Flexible Work Cultures- Series Part II
In the Part I of this series we talked about the opportunity to support our need for flexible work cultures with a solid business case. We outlined the fact that the majority of our employees require flexibility at some point in their careers. Research increasingly points to flexibility as one of the most important career considerations of staff, emerging leaders and even our … [Read more...]
The Great Escape
What would you do to escape reality? A friend shared his daydream with me last week and it gave me a new appreciation for the realm of make-believe. I know we should always strive to function within our realities, but I think spending time daydreaming may be a short-term escape that helps us through difficult times. My friends' daydream was as simple as associating a road … [Read more...]
The Aspirations of Women
"Women simply do not have the aspiration to pursue C Suite roles which is why we do not see equal numbers of men and women in leadership positions." I have had this conversation more times then I wish to remember when working with organizations on increasing gender diversity in the leadership ranks. The aspirations of women can be a very perplexing yet popular topic of … [Read more...]
The Most Talked About Barrier- Work/Life Balance
This is the fourth post in a series about the barriers impacting the lack of advancement of women in business. We have discussed the background regarding women's lack of advancement and also covered the first two barriers- Lack of Career Advocacy and Lack of Visible Role Models. This final post in the series is about the most talked about barrier regarding women's lack of … [Read more...]