Hard talks are an inevitable part of the human experience. All of us encounter difficult and awkward situations at work and in our personal lives, and at the heart of those situations are (you guessed it) difficult and awkward people that are usually the source of the problem. No one (except psycho- and socio- paths) […]
There is a saying in business, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know”. I don’t agree with this statement. It almost implies that connections are more important than the content of your character or your knowledge or expertise. However, while there may some truth in it, I would modify the statement to say […]
In January 2016 The world economic forum put out a report saying that “critical thinking” was among the top needed skills both in 2015, and it will continue to be a top skill in the year 2020. Organizations have a bit of a cognitive dissonance or conflict when it comes to critical thinking and critical […]
“What is your purpose?” “What is the meaning of your life?” Have you ever thought about these questions for yourself? The concept of purpose is broad, transcendent, and certainly not something you bring up in casual conversation, but knowing our purpose is critical to our success in life. It gives us focus, meaning, and a prism to view our life through to determine whether we are focused on the right things or not. If you look around, the people with the deepest sense of purpose seem to do the best.
In my post, “Confessions of a Micromanager” I talked about what’s really going on inside the head of a micromanager – using myself as the case study. In that post, I talked about “the problem”, how micromanagers operate primarily from a place of insecurity, fear, or a lack of control or trust. In some cases, […]
Early in my career, I worked for a person who was the very dictionary definition of micromanagement. It was so bad working for them they actually gave me heart palpitations for months. Because of that experience, I swore I would never become a micromanager. Until about ten years ago… I was in a leadership position […]
Hello, my name is Mark, and I am married to Perfection. I’ve been married to Perfection for over 30 years, but I’ve come to realize that I have a problem. Perfection has not been the spouse that I thought she would be. High achievers have high standards and high expectations of themselves and others. Often […]
3 Ways to know if you are your own person Abraham Maslow the renowned 20th Century psychologist, proposed a theory of human behavior that is primarily driven by “needs” – The need for food, shelter, safety, security, love, acceptance, esteem, confidence, and respect. The needs actually fall in a hierarchy of needs. The bottom of […]