To find the best team members, hire for values as much as technical skills

Why the perfect candidate becomes your biggest headache three months later You validated their technical abilities. You got strong references. You enthusiastically welcomed them. And yet, bringing in new talent too often feels like playing ‘Hit or Miss’. Though you’ve recruited time and again, you still can’t predict who will last. By all means, validate […]

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How Relationship Wisdom Fuels Your Career Progress

Relationship Wisdom: The Antidote that Transforms Relationship Friction into Career Momentum There’s a particular kind of professional exhaustion that has nothing to do with workload. It shows up as dread before certain meetings, the weight of unresolved tensions, or that persistent sense that you’re working twice as hard for half the recognition. You deliver excellent […]

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Be wary of apologizing: it can cause Relationship Friction!

You think apologizing will make it better? Think again! Just recently, a client asked me to review an email to their manager. Two phrases stood out: “I hope you won’t think me forward.” And: “I trust this email won’t anger you.” At first glance? Respectful and even empathic. In reality… Those two sentences would damage […]

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Why conversations with Millennials hit a wall

Finally understand why your conversations with Millennials hit a wall. I often coach managers who struggle with their Gen Y / Millennial team members. This classic case of Relationship Friction seems a near-universal pain point in professional life right now. It’s exhausting for everyone. My diagnostic: my clients’s professional whys do not align with their […]

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How anger can build up your Relationship Wisdom

Harnessing your anger can help you access your Relationship Wisdom. Anger has a bad rap which I think is underserved. While there is obviously much truth to Ryan Holiday’s statement that there’s “no one stupider than an angry person”, I wish to tell you about how to use anger to combat Relationship Friction. In last […]

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Make up a reason to keep engaging even when Relationship Friction bites

Beat Relationship Friction by making up a reason not to disengage. When Relationship Friction bites, we typically have one of two immediate, instinctive reactions: Anger or withdrawal. This post focuses on withdrawal—that paralyzing feeling, the instinct to run, to disengage. For example, When an important conversation doesn’t work out, you freeze and become mute. When […]

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About the pain of relationship friction

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the epitome of Relationship Friction I hesitated to post about this: such a loaded and incredibly delicate topic. Let me make it clear: my intention with this post is NOT to make light of this war. My point is this: Relationship Friction is the root cause of conflict. It can take many forms. […]

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About managing versus coping

Employers ask you to manage. You also need to be able to cope. The difference between the two is crucial. Many of my clients face excessive workloads. Incessant demands impossible to plan for. Ever-rising business volumes without the right processes. In response, they are expected to manage. Managing is both cognitive and behavioural. It demands […]

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About team dysfunction

Is your team dysfunctional? 5 ways to tell – and what to do about it If you are the manager of a dysfunctional team, There is constant interpersonal drama instead of strategic work. Your team simply cannot deliver Your projects are delayed if not altogether failing. Paradoxically, your team members are individually gifted but their […]

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5 Top Tips to RESET your Career

The Art of Negotiating your Career Transitions, Big and Small Hello and welcome to Career Tips! In this edition, a bit of an original offering: an hour-long webinar on career transition! Wow! I designed this workshop for everyone currently thinking of changing jobs, whether the change means just a progression within your current employer or involves a switch to […]

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4 Steps to Effective Decision-Making

Taking your PICK™ (click below to view the video or read on if you’d prefer!) To all those of you who took a well-deserved break, let me welcome you back! You know, there is an interesting piece of statistics I always think about when it comes to September: September is the month when people make the […]

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