Flight as Relationship Wisdom, not cowardice: in praise of avoidance. When I was 16, philosophy entered my life to feed a hunger I didn’t even know I had: I wanted meaning. Often confused, I also wanted advice: not my parents’, biased, nor my friends’, just as clueless as I. I appreciated philosophy’s variety of […]
Read MoreWhen crisis hits at work, reach for your purple crayon 🖍️💜 Are you in crisis right now? If not, have you ever experienced one and can you remember it? In the book Harold and the Purple Crayon*, a boy escapes catastrophe thanks to a magic crayon. In the grip of calamity, do you wish you […]
Read More“My manager is toxic. Can you really help?” I hear this far too often from prospective clients. Don’t despair: Relationship Wisdom can help even with toxic people 🤛 When it comes to toxic people, very little helps. That’s true. But it’s not nothing. I had three toxic managers over the course of my 24-year career. […]
Read MoreWhen You Drive a Cross-Functional Initiative, You’re Putting Your Organizational Credibility on the Line In this article series, I explore how Relationship Friction and Relationship Wisdom shape career progression through apparently innocuous and yet critical, often recurring workplace moments. We began with the Direct Contributor, examining what happens when a task is assigned and misunderstood. […]
Read More“You will function better. It might not be at your current workplace though.” This is what I told a prospective client the other day. Three main blocks hinder ambitious professionals from thriving and advancing in their career: 1️⃣ fear – of reputation damage, loss of opportunity, and even rejection/marginalisation 2️⃣ lack of clarity – confusion […]
Read MoreWhen You Delegate a Task as a First Time Manager, No Less Than the Future of Your Entire Team Is at Stake Last month, we looked at a defining moment in the career of a Direct Contributor: the moment when a manager entrusts them with a task or project. For the employee receiving the […]
Read MoreNo Less Than the Rest of Your Career Is at Stake When Your Manager Entrusts You with a New Project In previous articles, we explored two ideas that sit at the heart of how careers really unfold: Relationship Friction and Relationship Wisdom. The first describes those subtle interpersonal tensions that quietly erode trust, confidence, and […]
Read MoreWhy 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 […]
Read MoreRelationship 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 […]
Read MoreYou 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 […]
Read MoreRelationship Friction: The Hidden Force That Breaks Careers ‘Relationship Friction’ (RF) is one of those concepts people recognize immediately when it is named yet struggle to describe while they are living inside it. Among other things, it shows up as tension in meetings, second-guessing after conversations, resentment that quietly accumulates, or a persistent sense that […]
Read MoreFinally 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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