Avoiding grief and loss is impossible in our personal and professional lives. Loss can come at the most inconvenient times, especially when you have work commitments. While most people can take a short time off work and other responsibilities while grieving, it certainly isn’t adequate. Coping sufficiently with tragic life events can take months—even years. Therefore, there is often limited reprieve from life’s responsibilities and a need to resume your job even though you may not feel ready.

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

The life of a small business owner is a busy one. Factor in taking care of a family and keeping up with the demands of everyday life, and you may feel your motivation begin to dwindle.

If you’ve been in business for a while, you may notice that you feel uninspired by your small business. Perhaps you haven’t yet seen the growth or success you were hoping for; sometimes, it takes much longer than we anticipate! Or maybe you’re experiencing burnout from the repetitive nature of your daily work and the relentless responsibilities that come with owning your own business. Getting support and [...]

Professional relationships are complex and even delicate sometimes. While many work relationships may blossom into beautiful friendships that enhance effective collaboration, some are not quite so rosy. Any individual who has been an active professional for a long time will tell you that the people you work with can make or break your work experience. Find out the best ways to get along with coworkers.

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Many companies across all industries are struggling to hire quality employees and keep them. The complaints that I hear most often from company owners and leaders are relentless turnover and attrition. Employee attrition is a huge problem. Once hired, some people don’t even show up for their first day of work or quit after a few weeks.

Therefore, company hiring and training costs have surged. These challenges are compounded by poor employee attitudes, a sense of entitlement, and hires lacking the internal motivation to do the work.

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

The “new normal” has dramatically changed the employment landscape. Today, millions of Americans are working remotely and taking advantage of the gig economy. And even as the pandemic is loosening its grip on businesses, 82 percent of company leaders plan to allow their employees to work remotely, according to a Gartner survey.

Transitioning to a digital workplace is a challenge for many employees unaccustomed to working from home. And leaders choosing to give employees more flexibility need to set up new measures for performance, productivity, and accountability. Thus, understanding the [...]

Managers are not always great leaders. Emotional intelligence can be the defining difference between a manager that is mistrusted or respected, and a leader that discourages or inspires employees to do and be better. There are critical emotional intelligence skills that will help you to be the best manager or leader you can be.

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Post-pandemic millions of professionals pivoted their careers and business that could be done virtually. Freelancing presented enormous opportunities that would have otherwise remained unavailable previously, such as added job flexibility and creative freedom. In addition to providing additional income, these positions made it easier to manage time between professional and family obligations. The Gig Economy was made even more popular by the pandemic.

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Employees across all industries complain about micromanagement. In my work as a business consultant and leadership coach, micromanaging surpasses all other complaints. It is one of the quickest ways to shut down productivity, creative minds, and passionate employees. And it’s one of the leading reasons why employees flee a company.

Micromanagers are not deliberately trying to cause distress in the workplace even though the outcomes are usually fed-up employees and burnout. In fact, people who micromanage rarely intend to disempower those they supervise. They often mean well and don’t realize [...]

We’ve all experienced the consequences of poor communication or a lack of effective communication in the workplace: strained employee relationships, poor morale, non-productivity, misunderstandings,… the list goes on. It’s a leader’s job to set the tone and standard for communication in any organization.

Effective leaders know that they must set the example for organizational culture. When good communication skills start at the top, the model can promote emotional intelligence and trust throughout an organization.

Mary Parker Follett, who was once regarded as the Mother of Modern Management, said, “Management is the art of getting things done through people.” Managing people is an intricate dance between art and science. Understanding what motivates employees is key, so they develop professionally, feel fulfilled, meet company goals, and have high performance.

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes