Once in a while it seems like everything is going our way. Even if we encounter challenges they are small and easy to deal with, which makes feel even more in control. Sometimes these periods last for weeks, even months, other times only a few days. However the feeling they give us is like an […]

Last evening I spent with my daughters and some of their friends. Most of the quests were in their middle 20s to late 30s. The conversation bounced around a lot from topic to topic, but it seemed to always return to their jobs and careers. There were several things that interested me in their discussions, […]

Did you ever notice how some parents take an active interest in their children’s activities? Some just drop their kids off at practice and pick them up when it is over. Others stay and watch, encouraging their kids when they do something good. Then there are those who take an active roll in helping their […]

I met a new friend with an interesting job situation. She is the sole representative of a foreign company in New York City. Being a long way from the home office has created some real challenges. First there is a lot of envy among her home office coworkers, which results in less than desirable support. […]

Although designed for use in the short interval when you have a captive audience in the elevator, an elevator pitch is also handy when you have just a few minutes to pass on information or make a favorable impression. While for the longest time, I thought that elevator pitches were shameless acts of self-promotion, and […]

I really believe most of our goals are achievable. What seems to derail us on our quest of success is the choices we make along the way. In looking at the popular advice on how to achieve your goals, most boils down decide what you want to do and do it. What could be simpler? […]

Are you plagued by the statistics that seem to fill the headlines regarding personal success? There are the classics that say you cannot reach the top unless you go to an Ivy League school. Another states that unless you are in the top 5% of your class in grade school you don’t have a chance. […]

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. […]

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. […]

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 […]

Most of us focus only on salary when negotiating our employment packages, but it is worth your time to evaluate what perks may be worth to you in both money and quality of life. There is more pressure than ever for businesses to hold down costs, with special emphasis on wages. It may be easier […]

With limited space, theaters use marquees to advertise what is showing. Often there are pictures or scenes from the production and short text messages to give an idea of what the show is about. The content on the marquee is chosen carefully to entice expectations and boost ticket sales. Your reputation is your marquee and […]

One of the most common overestimations we make is our ability to communicate effectively. Most of us have been communicating since birth to get our message across to others. An infant almost instinctively learns to get mother’s attention when hungry, in need of maintenance or attention. Usually this involves making an annoying noise (crying) until […]

Among the many New Year Resolutions you make this year improving your  networking and interpersonal skills should be near the top of the list. Developing  a strong social and professional network of friends and associates is essential to    achieving most of your career goals. Almost everything you want in the workplace  depends on other […]

Making New Year Resolutions is a tradition for most of us. It is sure the hot    media topic for the swing week between Christmas and New Year’s Eve. While the  mood of Christmas puts most of us in a festive mood, it also causes most of us to  be reflective on personal and professional […]

There is a lot of conventional wisdom and advice that says to be successful you must set goals and work hard to achieve them. Although setting goals and hard work may be essential to success, there seems to be something missing. Others add that you should have a plan to achieve your goal, a map […]

Many of us are caught up in situations that are less than ideal, and sometimes Thanksgiving highlights the negatives rather than accentuating the positives. So instead of giving thanks for all we have, we dwell on the negatives. Perhaps I am an idealist and think that Thanksgiving should be like a Norman Rockwell setting in […]

Networking is one of the most fundamental elements of success and one most of us neglect the most. There are many axioms relating to the importance of building personal and business relationships. If we take a few minutes and think about it, almost everything we want must come from someone else. In this tightly interwoven […]