Be a Weed

(This is a reprint of a post from 2015.) I attended a national conference in 2015 and had the great pleasure of hearing Victor Hwang speak. At the time he was CEO of T2 Venture Creation, a Silicon Valley firm that builds startup companies and designs the ecosystems that foster entrepreneurial innovation. He’s also the author … Continue reading Be a Weed

Our National Gap Year

Here’s another take on this weird, endless, awful year: let’s consider it a gap year. Seth Godin writes that many students are considering taking a gap year, delaying starting or continuing college until things return to normal – or as close to it as we can get. But Godin says the gap year is a … Continue reading Our National Gap Year

A Great Thank You Note

I recently heard about a candidate who had great qualifications for the position, but made what might have been a near-fatal mistake. She interviewed well, but she didn’t send a thank you note after the meeting. The hiring manager confessed that it almost cost her the offer. It made me think it was time for … Continue reading A Great Thank You Note

How to Get Better at Anything

Performance = Potential – Interference In her book Naked at Work: A Leader’s Guide to Fearless Authenticity, Danessa Knaupp tells the story of Tim Gallwey, who authored The Inner Game of Tennis in the 1970s. Gallwey claimed he could teach anyone to play competitive tennis in less than an hour, and managed to prove his … Continue reading How to Get Better at Anything

Be the Coach, Not the Boss

In previous posts, I wrote about how your advice habit is making everyone around you feel less empowered and less smart. Michael Bungay Stanier is the author of The Advice Trap: Be Humble, Stay Curious & Change the Way You Lead Forever, a book about how to get rid of your tendency to jump in … Continue reading Be the Coach, Not the Boss

Your Picture is Worth 1,000 Words

(A version of this post appeared previously in my Jacksonville Business Journal column The Careerist.) Your LinkedIn photo takes up just a square inch or so of your profile, but it can have a big impact on how people connect with you. Knowing how others in your industry present themselves may help you stand out … Continue reading Your Picture is Worth 1,000 Words

Listen More, Talk Less

In a previous post, I explored why giving advice isn’t working for you or the people you’re trying to help.  Today’s post is designed to get you into a productive listening mode. Michael Bungay Stanier is the author of The Advice Trap: Be Humble, Stay Curious & Change the Way You Lead Forever, a book … Continue reading Listen More, Talk Less

Take My Advice. On the Other Hand, Please Don’t.

You can tell whether a man is clever by his answers. you can tell whether a man is wise by his questions. -Naguib Mahfouz Michael Bungay Stanier says you have an advice problem.  I have one, too.  Bungay Stanier is the author of The Advice Trap: Be Humble, Stay Curious & Change the Way You … Continue reading Take My Advice. On the Other Hand, Please Don’t.

3 Upgrades for New Graduates

Graduating from college or high school and beginning your first serious job search means you need some upgrades. Here are three improvements new graduates can spend some of their cash and time on before starting to schedule interviews. Upgrading your wardrobe is essential if you want to be taken seriously as a professional. Invest in … Continue reading 3 Upgrades for New Graduates

Advice to Women: Be the Waffle, Not the Pancake

(This post originally appeared in my Careerist column in the Jacksonville Business Journal) I just checked my calendar, and yes, it is still the 21st century. But you’d never know that by reading through the “Power-Presence-Purpose” training delivered to female employees at EY (formerly Ernst & Young.) The last time the 55-page training was delivered … Continue reading Advice to Women: Be the Waffle, Not the Pancake