Raise your hand (or drop me an email) if you love being told what to do! I’m guessing there aren’t a lot of hands raised out there nor will I get a lot of emails from most of you. Whether you’re a teenager being told to pick up your socks or professional going through a process or system change, most of us don’t like being told what to do. It’s common for people to want control over your own destiny or, at a minimum, to feel like you are being brought along on the … [Read more...]
It seems like it would be great to be from the south, and not just for the biscuits. Why? Mainly because of people like Dr. Phil. When he says something like, “You can’t change what you don’t acknowledge,” we all just shake our heads in agreement, “Yup, he’s right.” “Foundations are built, they don’t just build themselves.” - Kim LaFever If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, that’s what I would say to anyone working in a team setting today. It’s as true … [Read more...]
DIY: Live the Life You Love with a Career Map The job market has been HOT the last year or so and yet many people feel edgy, like we are living in uncertain times. Maybe it's the summer heat or the crazy politics in Washington. who knows! Whatever the reason, there is one thing you can do NOW to take charge and feel confident about your future. Build your own career map. Let's begin with two simple truths... 1) Only You Can Own Your Career. No one can do it for you, nor should … [Read more...]
Power to the People - It's Not A Generational Gap “To Give Anything Less Than Your Best is to Sacrifice the Gift.” – Steve Prefontaine Last month we talked about Millennials in the workplace and debunked a few myths. I also promised to continue the theme and focus on the other workplace generations this month. Since then, I realized that it's less about generational gaps and more about making ALL employees a central focus because most people want the same thing from work: to be … [Read more...]
Why do some teams fall apart under pressure, when other teams overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles and keep getting stronger? It’s not just about the people. Teams stacked with great talent often still fail to get past major challenges. And having a strong leader isn’t enough either. To deliver truly outstanding results, your team needs a culture of sustained engagement. What is engagement, and why do I need it? Engaged employees are fully involved in and enthusiastic … [Read more...]

Milk-Bones. Frozen fruit pops. Italian soda. Gluten-free crackers. That's all it took for me to “misplace” my husband at the supermarket recently. Shopping doesn't tend to be a team sport for us. But one day after golf recently we stopped by the store for a few things. For most of the trip we were side-by-side and in lockstep. But then, as we neared the end of our list, we went our separate ways: me to get fruit pops and him to get the Milk-Bones. And that’s where the problems … [Read more...]
What would you do if you had 200,000 more dollars to spend this year? I know what I would do. I’d buy that little house we saw in Mexico last week - the one with the rooftop Jacuzzi. And, I’m pretty sure that’s not just the tequila talking. $200,000 is one of those funny amounts. It’s not BIG money; most people couldn’t retire on it. And maybe it’s not a lot when you are talking rooftop Jacuzzi. But, it’s A LOT of money in just about any other circumstance! And … [Read more...]
What's the before and after shot for your team? Lately I've been working with teams going through tough stuff: conflict, confusion, misunderstanding, things not getting done, you name it. I wish I had before and after shots of the teams I work with – you know, like the ones you see in magazines when someone or something gets a makeover? Since I don't have photos (and wouldn't share them even if I did), here’s my take on what's in and what's out when it comes to helping your team with a … [Read more...]
It’s been 3 years since I started Positive Disruption and in that time there’s been a lot of reinvention. Like reinvention from my cushy corporate life to the nail-biting that can sometimes come along with starting up a business. There’s been any number of iterations on what is it that I really do, or don’t do – are you a consultant or a trainer, do you do coaching, or what? Finally, in the last year it became crystal clear to me: I am at my best helping client teams navigate the … [Read more...]

It’s 10 PM and one of your direct reports sends you the budget updates you’ve been waiting for. He’s spent all day and into the night working on them, trying to get them as close to right as possible. You take a quick look at the spreadsheet and frown. It’s not bad but you feel like something is missing or they’re not as complete as you’d hoped for. It’s not really telling the story you wanted. And the formatting is just ok, even if he did use the standard template. So you … [Read more...]