Newsletter Archive

10/30/2024 – How to Talk About Politics at Work

It may seem like the election season is getting longer and longer and things are getting more and more angry. You’re not totally wrong. There’s definitely more anger and emotion...

10/23/2024 – How to manage our assumptions about ourselves

Last week, I talked about challenging the assumptions we make about others. But how do you deal with the assumptions that you make about yourself? For instance, my ongoing feeling...

10/16/2024 – How to get rid of your assumptions, part 1

For a lot of people, the time before a hard conversation is the hardest time. You get yourself worked up and really anxious about a lot of things coming up...

10/09/24 – What are your triggers?

It’s so important to keep your cool in difficult conversations. Think of it like walking on a balance beam – you need to stay balanced – as calm, cool, and...

10/3/2024 – How to de-escalate anger

Dealing with an angry person isn’t easy. You’re probably not a huge fan of getting yelled at (who is?). Most people, when someone is yelling at them, respond in the...

09/19/2024 – Setting boundaries in hard conversations

Hard conversations will test you, your patience, and your values. Don’t get the wrong idea – it’s important to get out of your comfort zone in these types of conversations...

09/12/2024 – How to Prepare for Difficult Conversations

Last week, I talked about the anxiety and fear that’s normal when getting ready for a difficult conversation. “What if they start crying?”“What if they get angry at me?”“What if...

09/05/2024 – Dealing with Fear

I used to do martial arts and before every sparring session or fight, I felt like I was having a heart attack. Before that and since then, I’ve never experienced...

08/22/2024 – 5 Lessons from taking over a team in conflict

Have you ever been given a team that was in conflict with each other? One nonprofit I was working for was going through a merger with one major hiccup. The...

08/15/2024 – How to handle difficult group conversations

You led an open roundtable discussion with your team and it didn’t go well. They argued, yelled, vented their frustration – all seemingly towards you. And the worst thing? They...

07/03/2024 – Celebrate July 4th with 7 Freebies

I know, it’s not Thursday. So why is this email coming at you today? Well for those in the US, Thursday this week is a holiday (July 4th) so I...

08/01/2024 – 3 Ways to say no to unwanted meeting requests

The meeting that should have been an email.* Look, this problem haunts everybody, in every industry – so you’re not alone. Truth is, we all have to sit through meetings...

08/08/2024 – Unlock better conversations with ground rules…

Does this sound familiar? You’re stressed about a hard conversation at work – maybe you’re giving difficult feedback to your manager, or you’re giving a warning to your employee for...

07/18/2024 – 8 Hard Conversations and What to Say

You won’t always know when you’ll get into a difficult conversation. Truth is, they can happen any time. But a big mistake I’ve seen others make is “agreeing to disagree”....

07/11/2024 – The Guide to using SCARF to develop your team

Leading and managing people isn’t easy. Even if you’re good with people and you’re great at your job. You’re still finding it hard to get others to do what you...

06/27/2024 – 4 Essential Strategies to Start Hard Conversations Now

I know that starting difficult conversations is never easy. And I get it – it’s not easy to tackle hard topics when you don’t want to offend or hurt the...

06/20/2024 – 3 Ways to promote yourself for career growth

I know it’s not easy to talk about yourself. You’re a hard worker and you’re really good at what you do. You were raised to be thoughtful of others and...

06/13/2024 – 3 Ways to keep difficult conversations from derailing

If you’ve ever been in any hard conversation, this is something you’ve experienced. You’re trying to get your point across. But then, the other person goes off topic, or starts...

06/06/2024 – How to balance Empathy and Accountability

Holding employees accountable with empathy. This is the ultimate struggle Because if you supervise another person, you expect your employees to do their job. But sometimes they don’t Or it’s...

05/30/2024 – Balancing Performance and Behavior: Tips for Tough Employee Reviews

How to address this The policy here is HONESTY. Tell your employee directly that they’re getting a raise because of their performance, not their soft skills. I want to be...

05/23/2024 – The Biggest Root Cause of Conflicts is

I’ve been working with a guy that’s been having lots of stress with his wife. They’ve got two young kids, full time jobs, and a new house. If you have...

05/16/2024 – Master Tough Meetings

will be willing to share. Psychological safety is a trending term these days, but whether you use it or not, the principle remains the same. People who feel safe enough...

05/09/2024 – 3 Questions to Discover Your Purpose

I worked really hard to become a therapist (something I’m still in debt for). And I spent years working in a super rewarding, but equally stressful environment. And like many...

05/02/2024 – 10 Ways to Respond to Someone Rejecting Your Ideas

Imagine this scenario – you’re trying to get another person to buy into your idea. Or you’re a manager trying to get your employee to do their job. Or you...

04/25/2024 – How to Push back Against Your Bosses

It’s no surprise, since I don’t hide this. Early in my career, when I wanted to push back against senior leaders I wasn’t diplomatic. I think it was me trying...

04/18/2024 – 3 Barriers to Successful Nonprofits

This past winter, I was interested in a question: Why are some nonprofits better than others at getting things done? Specifically – how were some nonprofits able to actually execute...

04/11/2024 – 3 Strategies to get Comfortable with Social Media

Lately, I’ve been getting more questions around this idea – “I need to post more on social media, but I don’t know where to start.” Usually, the questions come from...

04/04/2024 – 3 Networking Strategies for People who hate Networking

I recently went to an alumni night for my grad school program. That’s not an error, I just realized that I forgot to take pictures and I’m kicking myself now...

03/28/2024 – How to Handle Lying in hard Conversations

We’ve all been there We’re already stressed because we’re trying to have a difficult conversation But we don’t feel like the other person is being entirely truthful with us. Someone...

03/21/2024 – Supporting Loved Ones through a Lay Off

I got laid off last year from a job that I truly enjoyed and thought I was going to be there for at least a few more years. Around the...

02/22/2024 – How did I hold back my own career and effectiveness

I’m going to be honest, I used to hate the idea of networking and building relationships with senior leaders. I always thought of it as fake and not authentic. In...

02/15/2024 – 5 Things I Learned from Getting Unfair Feedback

Once upon a time, I was training a new facilitator. It was her first time and she was nervous with public speaking. But we were co-facilitating so I was able...