With the advent of social media came a new communication reckoning. A more fluid path to share ideas, opinions, experiences & observations. We wrote, we read, we liked, we shared, we commented. We opened ourselves to being influenced in ways we had never imagined. Yet, one area still seems largely impervious to change; remaining petrified and impervious. We still fail to notice when we are exhausted, excited, energized. We still fail to recognize the change in our internal beat. A change in our own hearts. We still fail to influences ourselves (about ourselves). It’s not an old mistake; b ..read more

Victor Freitas @unsplash One thing is evident. We cannot expect to draw against a core that has been woefully neglected. Following this thread, I thought it might be appropriate to share a few articles from the The Core Masterclass reading list — which is designed to build awareness about this very topic. If you read my work, you are likely familiar with my stance on the internal stability of a team or organization. This is simply more of that. While the elements that contribute to organizational core stability (clarity of mission, etc.) and individual core stability (psychological safety, etc ..read more

Katarina Sikuljak @unsplash Most of us would hesitate to admit that we are not reading (or not reading nearly enough). There is an unspoken pressure to do so — with so many messages that tell us that more books is, well, just more. I do a fair share of my reading on-line, in the form of articles. However, my interactions with books has fallen sharply over the last few years. Simply put, there are things that stand in the way. Here are a few quick suggestions concerning the elements that may require our attention. Hopefully, one or two, may help. Acknowledge that less, can be more. A slim book ..read more

Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels.com If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading. – Lao Tzu Let’s be frank for a moment. Have you noticed that your hit rate for buoyant days at work has reached a new low? Your patience might be worn thin. You may not feel the “gusto” when approaching the tasks that you would normally find engaging. The actual work may somehow feel more difficult. In “core-stability” terms, our psychological resources may be depleted. This can include joy. Now, first things first — have you stopped to process this or simply continue to muddle th ..read more

Art: Monica Bond @ https://www.ciaozen.com/ As many of us are, I am particularly hard on myself when it comes to work life. I participate in egregious inner conversations concerning a host of topics; including an inability to tolerate boredom and a long-standing uneasiness speaking in front of large groups. When these arguments arise, I am particularly unfair and inflexible. Admittedly, these conversations are infrequent, but are surely damaging. Being hard on yourself isn’t a rarity — but it is can weaken your work life core. Indeed, we all have bad days and weeks. We all have relative weakne ..read more

Amanda Kloska @unsplash “Yeah, it might be all that you get. Yeah, I guess this might well be it.” – Theme from Ted Lasso, by Marcus Mumford & Tom Howe During a coaching session, a client & I stumbled upon a vein of the past involving a less than perfect manager. The relationship ended years ago; yet, the leftover angst created by the relationship was definitely present. The manager wasn’t a horrible boss by any stretch of the imagination. However, it had left an indelible mark on how my client viewed his own capabilities. I should go on to say that in my opinion, the perfect manager ..read more

Hai Tran @unsplash Muse 1: any of the nine sister goddesses in Greek mythology presiding over song and poetry and the arts and sciences Clio is the Greek Muse of history. 2 : a source of inspiration especially : a guiding genius. My grandmother used to stock a drawer on the end of her bright, pink kitchen with paper. When I visited her as a young child, it was always one of my go-to spots. Whether she placed that paper to indulge my penchant for sketching, I’ll never know. But, I’m grateful that she provided the materials which acknowledged the importance of creativity. Being able to create so ..read more

Adib Harith @unsplash In my mind, our expectations for the holiday season feel a bit misaligned. Many of us are juggling typically high expectations — in the midst of a pandemic world that simply feels a bit unhinged. Personally, it feels much like a bad dream playing out in slow motion. Within our work lives though, it feels as if things are speeding up. That mountains need to be moved. That work has been put off. That we need to get going. Alongside all of this, we may have evolved as people (and so have feelings about work), in ways that may be difficult to pin down. I would venture to say ..read more

Photo by Ruslan Burlaka on Pexels.com Living through history has again challenged us in ways that we could never have anticipated. It has forced decisions we never thought we would have to make, brought moments of both fear & relief and decidedly rearranged us as people. It has revealed our unheralded strengths — and chinks in the amour. Undoubtedly, we’ll come through to the other side as changed human beings. These changes may be revealed as subtle or drastic, nuanced or obvious, for both our betterment and detriment. (The permutations are endless & rich, mirroring the collective of ..read more

Alexander Schimmeck @unsplash As a coach, it is vital to reflect upon my own work life and learn from its experiences. Ultimately, offering advice without introspection — could read as empty & hollow. As with most career journeys, there have surely been highs & lows. I’ve held roles that were for the most part glorious, where work felt like an expansion. I’ve also found myself in roles that were challenged from the start, leading to doubt and exhaustion. All in all, no matter what the cards hold for us — there are constants that should be present to sustain us. These elements provide t ..read more