Finding more opportunities to make presentations can bring new energy to your career. Public speaking allows you to stand out, show what you know, and connect with a wider group of people. The more talks you give, the more you build your confidence and polish your style. And the prospect of presenting helps you identify what's important and work harder to know your stuff. I often encourage clients to raise their profiles by...

Recently a reporter asked me to name the one piece of advice I most often give clients. Because coaching isn't supposed to be just about giving clients standard advice, I side-stepped that question. But since then I've been dreaming that if I could wave a magic wand to give all of you one enhanced career skill, that super skill would be listening. By "listening" I mean you not only shut your mouth long enough for the other...

Have a problem at work?Listening may be a solution.Regardless of how you define your key workplace objectives, I’m willing to bet that better listening skills could help you achieve at least one of them.By “listening” I mean you not only keep your mouth shut long enough for the other person to talk, but you also shut down the voice in your head when it tries to tell you what to say next. You concentrate on the speaker, and...

Fear looking like an apple polisher?It’s probably time to get over it.One of the greatest TV characters ever was Eddie Haskell, Wally Cleaver’s oily conniving friend, still to be seen on reruns of “Leave It To Beaver.” Eddie was an archetype who no decent person wants to resemble — a two-faced sycophant, always scheming and currying favor to promote his plansThe fear of looking like a brown noser is so powerful among profes...

Celebrations can enhance your workplace culture and help team members become more productive. Sharing appreciation for success and good fortune can support the well-being of individuals, foster a sense of community and promote the health of your whole organization.Creating a celebration can be a wonderful way to acknowledge achievements and encourage people to do even better. Positive reinforcement is a powerful motivator a...

To help your team thrive,agree on some structure &communicate widely and often!When I want a quick sense of whether a team is working well, I take a look at how the members communicate.“Jenna” was an agency branch chief who wanted to help her 14 direct reports become more innovative and productive. Years ago her branch had been organized into cascading layers, with three deputy chiefs each managing two to four people. That...

Boredom isn’t productive. So make some changes! As I waited in a Post Office line, I watched the clerk. She looked to be so deep into the doldrums that she could barely hear her customers. It seemed that, when she finally took in a request, she’d move in slow motion, lethargically searching through stacks of paper with her eyes half closed and her mouth half open. As the minutes ticked on, I became annoyed....

What’s your brand at work? And why does it matter? There’s you, the essential person you are. Obviously related, but not quite the same, is you — the professional who shows up on the job and makes a contribution. And then there’s your professional brand. Originally a “brand” referred to a word or symbol indicating the owner or producer of a product. Ranchers used hot irons to brand cattle. And...

Step 1: Set clear goals. Step 2: Choose metrics. Do you have professional and other goals in mind for the year? For the future? So what’s your plan? It can be motivating to have a broad, enticing vision, but it can also be daunting. Sometimes people put off their biggest objectives and most exciting projects because they don’t even know where to begin. To get started and keep moving toward your goal...

How to stay steady in a changing workplace A longtime client I’ll call “Betty” asked me to give a talk about how to survive in an organization that’s going through a multi-year transition. I was pleased to speak at the company where Betty is a manager. But when she told me the topic, I was surprised. That’s because I can’t think of anybody more adept than Betty at navigating a rewarding career through an indus...