Publications

As a leader, you want the people in your organization to trust you. And with good reason. In our coaching with leaders, we often see that trust is a leading indicator of whether others evaluate them positively or negatively. But creating that trust or, perhaps more...

Tara, an MD/PhD who works for a large public university, contacted one of us (Suzanne) a few weeks after participating in a negotiation workshop she ran, wanting to share some positive news about successfully negotiating an 11% pay increase. A faculty member for six...

As a manager, you know you need to think about your team members’ careers and help them develop professionally. But are you challenging yourself to go beyond the standard resources your company offers and provide customized coaching and support to each employee? A...

Perfectionism is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it can motivate you to perform at a high level and deliver top-quality work. On the other hand, it can cause you unnecessary anxiety and slow you down. How can you harness the positives of your perfectionism while...

There are lies, there are big lies, and then there are myths. And myths are the worst of the three. Unless you have sealed yourself off in a social media echo chamber, lies are easy to spot. Except, that is, when the lie is a big one. People hearing or reading big...

Each morning, you emphatically write at the top of your to-do list, “Work on presentation!” Perhaps you even underline it a time or two for emphasis. But at the end of the day, your resolve has turned to dismay: yet again, you spent most of your time in meetings. And...

Have you noticed your organisation becoming so focused on building a happy, engaged workforce that your leaders are becoming profoundly conflict-avoidant? I see examples of this all the time. One clue that your team is avoiding conflict is if the least bit of...

History’s great achievers—a Napoléon, a da Vinci, a Mozart—have always managed themselves. That, in large measure, is what makes them great achievers. But they are rare exceptions, so unusual both in their talents and their accomplishments as to be considered outside...

You’re the manager of a high-performing team of great people. The team has hit its stride; members have even developed a bit of a shorthand with each other that helps them weather challenges and nail deadlines. Then a core member of the group gives notice that they’re...

The physical environment of the workplace has a significant effect on the way that we work. When our space is a mess, so are we. That is certainly true from a simple logistical perspective: we lose precious work minutes every time we go searching for a lost paper on a...

From the agenda to the speaking order, leaders often plan meetings carefully. But one thing that frequently gets overlooked is the attendance list. Sometimes, it feels easier for the organizer to just invite an entire team or several — both to ensure that the right...