Last week, Jessica Liebman (managing editor of Insider, Inc) wrote a controversial article on Business Insider declaring that the number one mistake an employment candidate makes during the selection process is failing to send a thank you note after the interview. She even went so far as to say, “As a hiring manager, you should always expect a thank-you email, and you should never make an offer to someone who neglected to send one.” She backed this claim by highlighting the hundreds of people she has hired over the last 10 years. Unsurprisingly, readers responded strongly to her arbitrary standard … Read More
Which Came First—The Procrastination or the Stress?
I overheard a conversation in the coffee line on Monday that bothered me all week. Person 1: What’s up with you today? You seem a bit off. Person 2: I’m ok—just a bit stressed. Person 1: Really? Work stress or home stress? Person 2: I don’t know. Both, I guess. I have this huge project and there’s a lot of pressure with it. I really need it to go well. There’s just so much to do and I can never get ahead. I’ll probably have to work all evening every night this week to get it done. Person 1: Didn’t … Read More
Do You Sabotage Your Learning Culture?
When was the last time you learned something new? Think back on that moment and how it happened. Perhaps you were searching for more information on a topic and came across something new. Or the information may have been presented to you unexpectedly. If you pay attention, it’s likely true that you learn something new every day. But, establishing a learning culture in an organization is not as simple as it may seem. Many organizations have great intentions but fail to execute a strategy that truly transforms a culture into one that values constant development, knowledge transfer, and thoughtful inquiry. … Read More
The Missing Piece of the Female Leadership Equation
Leading up to International Women’s Day today, my social media feeds have been overflowing with videos and images of female leaders and women gathering together to network with, learn from, and support one another. Female executives have been sharing their personal career development stories and how they were able to break the glass ceiling on their way to the boardroom. These stories should be told and amplified as much as possible, but with one caveat.
Beware the Busyness Trap
In the endless battle for better work/life balance, we say we want to work smarter, not harder. But do we? We search for life hacks and consume books on how to do more with less. But it seems we like the idea of the 4-hour workweek more than we’re capable of implementing the concepts. Intuitively, this just doesn’t make sense. Why do we complain about the lack of work/life balance, and also constantly brag about how busy we are? There are a number of factors at play here, but one disturbing factor is how much our culture rewards being busy.
Five Keys to Leading Virtually
As the polar vortex took the Midwest by surprise last week, I connected with my friends and colleagues who work in the areas most affected by the extreme temperatures. Other than frost on the inside of the window and a few heating repair bills, it seemed like a regular week for these professionals. They all work from home and have done so for years. They don’t have to worry about a nasty commute or dangerous roads. Their worst-case scenario is a toddler bursting in the room during a video chat.