Ah, the modern workplace—a delightful melting pot of Baby Boomers, Gen Xers, Millennials, Gen Zers, and whatever letter comes next. Most business articles and expert panels seem obsessed with explaining how different we all are. We’re told Boomers want stability, Gen X want simply to be noticed, Millennials want work-life balance, and Gen Z craves…
It’s not an outrageous statement to say we’ve become polarized. Whether it’s driven by a 24-hour television cycle, social media, or your next door neighbor’s conspiracy theories, there’s a lot of “either/or” going on. You’re either Republican or Democrat. You’re either too young to understand or too old to know better. You’re either right, or…
It’s hard to go far without hearing about the impacts of Artificial Intelligence. Depending on who or what you listen to, AI is going to range from helping us marginally improve our lives to completely running our lives altogether. The answer? AI is going to ruin the world as we know it. Feel better? You…
I’ll admit it. It feels a little cliché to talk about journaling during the New Year’s timeframe. It feels like everyone already does it, has done it before, or started journaling on January 1st determined to make this year the year! My goal isn’t to convince you to journal. Instead, I want to share what…
How quick are you to give someone the benefit of the doubt? To give them grace even before they’ve earned it? In a recent podcast episode, I interviewed Justin Fox, an Army veteran and 20-year operations leader, about the transition from military life to civilian leadership. One of the challenges Justin faced – as do…
Thankfully, I’m not a celebrity. I know the money and fame sound tempting, but becoming a celebrity brings with it a host of negative consequences most of us wouldn’t want to deal with consistently (see: paparazzi). And I won’t even get started on what it takes to get in shape to play an Avenger superhero. …
We’re living in some pretty wild times. The current coronavirus pandemic has closed businesses and schools, pushed widespread work-from-home solutions, and in many cases, forced millions out of jobs – hopefully for just a shortened time period. While it’s easy to let the magnitude of the situation become overwhelming, we have a choice in how…
As Dave Chappelle taught us, sometimes keeping it real can go wrong. But we don’t all have to be like Vernon Franklin. Keeping it real can pay off, too. When I was 25 years old and three years into my corporate career, I found myself invited to speak with the top brass at the company.…
Last year I did an event for a large manufacturing company in Wisconsin. As I do with all of my clients, I spoke with them beforehand to discuss their main goals for the engagement, which helps me capture the spirit of the event and how I might incorporate company-specific concepts into my content. This client…
The Internet is (mostly) a wonderful thing. In an instant, we can share knowledge or insight with the world. We can learn from others who are experts in a particular field. We can join conversations with people we’ve never physically met. I’m convinced the power it has given us to have a voice and platform…