What do you say when someone takes credit for your work? Asks you out on a date? Or experiences a death in the family?

A few years ago, I published a course on LinkedIn Learning titled Navigating Awkward Situations at Work.

The course was formed from my own experiences navigating the social weirdness of Corporate America. I wanted to help people step into those cringe-y moments with confidence. And while, “What to do when your coworker smells” may not apply as frequently in virtual work, we still face uncomfortable moments, sometimes even more frequently.

Virtual work brings its own set…

If your sole purpose in business is to make money, when an economic crisis hits, you’re going to flounder. In a time of economic volatility, the firms who define themselves by their earnings alone will be hard pressed to rally their teams or innovate on behalf of their customers.

Contrast firms whose single North Star is money with organizations who have a customer-focused purpose bigger than money. A team aligned to improve life for customers has somewhere positive to look during a crisis. They’re less likely to panic because customers still need their help. Clarity of purpose improves resilience. For…

I started my career as a wide-eyed Procter & Gamble sales rep. When it came time to attend my first sales meeting, I was equal parts nervous and excited. Our meeting kicked off with the head of customer experience for a big retail grocery chain, talking about how they were going to create a next-level experience for grocery store shoppers.

They told us, “Our goal is to get our target customer (moms of young children) to spend more time in the store.” …

We’re one month into the New Year, and for many of us our resolution to be kinder, more grateful and more connected is falling by the wayside.

All hope is not lost. We can reclaim those good intentions with just a few intentional actions each day. Here are four way to keep yourself grounded, grateful, kind and connected.

1. Embrace whole-person feedback

Much of work-place feedback is task-related and very behavioral. It’s a good thing; people should know what is expected and how they are measuring up. Metrics and deliverables matter.

It’s also essential to layer on whole-person feedback (especially…

I was on the phone with a senior leader from Texas yesterday. I asked what he was doing over the holiday. He answered in his Texas drawl, “Well I’ve never been big on New Year’s celebrations but this year, I’m gonna spend my mortgage on fireworks. I need to blow some shi** up.” I’m not the only one who wants to put 2020 in the rearview mirror. I’m afraid of coming within 10 feet of fireworks so there won’t be any Roman candles at my house. However, I certainly share the sentiment. 2020 is going out in flames. Before we…

All the cool kids have purpose. Or so it seems. As more organizations begin to adopt corporate purpose statements, we see announcements on social media, a push for purpose-driven hiring, and CEOs deliver inspirational townhalls.

Yet for many front-line leaders, keeping an aspirational purpose alive in the cadence of daily business is challenging. Much like keeping your fitness goals or parenting aspirations front and center during a pandemic, an inspirational purpose sounds great on your best day, but in the face of stress and uncertainty, it often falls by the wayside.

The economics of pointing an organization towards a higher…

Here’s How to Truly Unplug

We know that disconnecting from work can reduce our risk for burnout, jumpstart creative, innovative thinking, and overall, make us happier and more grounded people.

Yet for many, particularly high achievers, disconnecting sounds easier than it actually is. If you’re trying to unplug for an evening, or even for a week or two over the holidays, you may find yourself frustrated by your brain’s inability to “comply” with your scheduled vacation.

Here are five tips to help:

1. Write down your thoughts

If you’re lying awake at night thinking about all the things you have…

There’s no open bar, no opportunity to see your old pals, and no chance for the top revenue producers to bask in the glow of their applauding (and envious) peers.

This begs the question, should you even bother with a sales meeting?

The resounding answer is YES. Your sales team need motivation and connection now more than ever. However, if you think you are going to replicate what you did in person, in online format, forget it. Let’s be honest, those one-way information dumps weren’t great in person. On zoom, they’re excruciating,

Traditional sales meetings often (unintentionally) send a message…