It is only natural to take credit for our accomplishments. We work hard to advance our careers. However, we usually had some help along the way. It is good to recognize and thank those who helped us. When I think back over my career two areas spring instantly to mind; my accomplishments, and my difficulties. […]

This week has been really one for the record books when it comes to bad financial news. The US slipped from it AAA bond rating for the first time, and many predict it is the first step down the slippery slope to complete financial collapse. This follows on the political shenanigans revolving around raising the […]

When thinking of living within our means, the first thing that springs to mind is our bank account. “Don’t spend more than you make” the first rule of financial stability. Is the same true with our skills and talents? Don’t give more than you receive. Sound selfish? What about “you have to give before receive” […]

This week I exchanged e-mails with a company interested in instituting a formal mentor program for new employees. The objective of the program would provide a formal structure for new employees to obtain advice and guidance from the senior staff outside of the usual management tract. In many organizations, the supervisor or manager has the […]

President Clinton popularized the saying “I feel your pain” as way of connecting with voters without actually committing to doing anything to improve their situation. Since then it has become common in political and business rhetoric. Although saying that you feel someone else’s pain implies that you are empathic, sympatric, or compassionate it does not […]

The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential… these are the keys to personal excellence. – Confucius Do you have the will to win? It may seem like a silly question. Why would you put so much time and energy into something if you do not have the […]

It is ingrained in our psyche. The harder we try the more likely it is we will succeed. It is drilled into us by our parents, teachers, coaches, and all would be givers of sage advice. Hard work = Success.; If at first you don’t succeed try harder; The harder you try the more you […]

Graduation time is here. For many of us this is the first time we really face making a serious life decision. Although we’ve made decision along the way, until we graduate from high school or college, most of our career decisions were pretty much mandated. Now for the first time, we have to really decide […]

Need a Mentor? If you don’t have a mentor, or don’t have a good mentor you need one. Although we take credit for our accomplishments, as well we should, usually there is one or more people behind our success. We all learned to walk, and most of us think we did ourselves thorough endless ties […]

Over the years I have researched and tried several models and success formulas. Some were very simple and involved little more than doing a good job and waiting to be noticed. (That never worked for me) Then there are the very complex models that are a compilation of traits of those who have achieved success. […]

This week the news media focused on the threatened government shutdown. Politics aside there were some great strategies and tactics employed by all sides to advance their goals. Soon you will see subtle variations of these strategies and tactics in the workplace. The political arena is the crucible where the art of organizational and personal […]

Hard work and perseverance are the bricks and mortar of building a successful career, but being able to attract and accept opportunities are the construction cranes that lift you to new heights. There are endless number of success stories of people being in the right place at the right time, and securing a ticket to […]

Strategy, according to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategy deals with how one event affects others. Once only thought of as a military process, strategic planning is now a common political and business term. In its purest sense strategy looks at how elements are linked and provides a high level plan to achieve a goal. Until recently military strategies were […]

An ideal company considers the interests of the employees when making decisions that may affect their status or careers. This seldom happens in these days of lay offs and down sizing. Businesses say they are fighting for their very survival by cutting staff. Truth is that most companies are doing just fine. The economic downturn […]

Even leaders can gain from a mentor and mentoring comes in many forms. I am becoming a fan of the TV show Survivor. In many respects it is a microcosm that reflects leadership strategies. In my opinion the game of resembles the workplace. There are teams that compete against each other while each individual is […]

Are you the go to person in your office? There always seems to be someone in the office who is the go to person. No matter what the question, problem or task this person seems to be able to come up with a workable solution. Although valued for their knowledge and skills, they usually do […]

: Just being yourself should be good enough, but look at most successful people and you may notice they work very hard to present a desired image. Either consciously or subconsciously we all adopt the language and mannerisms of those that impress us. Just think of how many slang words and expressions have been added […]

This week I engaged in a discussion on how to best to demonstrate self-confidence.  Before we even got started there was a big discussion on what self-confidence really is.  The difference came down to the comparison between two widely held definitions.   The classic dictionary definition – confidence in oneself and in one’s powers and abilities, […]