When I first started managing people, I knew I was going to have to give feedback. I was nervous because the only real first-hand...

In a world filled with constant change, the way you approach new opportunities can make all the difference. Your mindset impacts the way...

It's becoming increasingly more apparent that HR teams are facing challenges that other teams just don't face -- challenges that are more...

If you've never worked in HR, you just can't know what it's like to be an organization's therapist, coach, statistician, legal...

My fellow coach, Ian Lopez, has contributed this fantastic post -- check him out at www.cambioleadership.com As adults, we have the...

Good listening is key to all kinds of things -- understanding what's being asked (and what isn't), building relationships and trust, and...

I went to my college reunion this past weekend and was struck by how many of my classmates were doing incredible work -- projects they...

In yesterday's HR Swap, we focused on how to deal with the high volume and wide variety of problems people bring to HR without taking on each problem as your own. Problems people were facing ranged widely, from hiring managers who wanted to hire in states where the company doesn't operate to managers wanting to fire people they hadn't documented as underperforming. The complexity and uniqueness of the kinds of issues HR professionals face would be funny if they didn't actual

In last week's HR Swap, we had a fantastic conversation about what it means to be "strategic" and how the participants decide where to focus their energy. We defined being strategic in a variety of ways, all of which laddered up to making something better and more efficient. So many HR professionals are overloaded with day-to-day tasks in addition to big-picture cultural shifts that any project or initiative that gets your attention should be one that makes not just the live

The last of the Seven Boundaries at Work are Internal Boundaries, and these are important not just at work, but in any relationship you have -- both with other people and with yourself. (Interested in the others? They are Physical Boundaries , Conversational Boundaries , Material Boundaries , Time Boundaries , Emotional Boundaries , and Mental Boundaries .) Internal Boundaries – To manage your feelings and decide what you do with them This is the boundary that protects you

In keeping with the theme I've been working on lately, this post about Mental Boundaries will be somewhat similar to my previous posts on Physical Boundaries , Conversational Boundaries , Material Boundaries , Time Boundaries , and Emotional Boundaries in that it outlines what Mental Boundaries are, what it looks like when they're violated, and how you might stand up for your boundary going forward. Mental Boundaries – To have your own thoughts, values, opinions, ideas, and

If you haven't been following along, you might want to check out my previous posts on Physical Boundaries , Conversational Boundaries , Material Boundaries , and Time Boundaries each of which covers a different way to protect and differentiate yourself at work and in life. In this post, we'll be looking at one of the trickier boundaries, Emotional Boundaries. Emotional Boundaries – To choose how emotionally available you are to others, how much of others’ energy you take on

If you're just tuning into this series, you might want to check out my previous posts on Physical Boundaries , Conversational Boundaries , and Material Boundaries , each of which covers the things you put in place to protect your body, your ears (and triggers), and your stuff. In this post, we'll be looking at one of the most important boundaries that exist for both work and life, time boundaries. Time Boundaries – To protect the use and misuse of your time Time boundaries t

In Seven Types of Boundaries at Work , we looked at the seven different kinds of boundaries you may need at work (good title, no?) and what physical boundaries are, and how to enforce them. Then, in Conversational Boundaries , we looked at what you can do when people repeatedly talk about things that make you uncomfortable. Today we'll dig into another kind of boundary you might experience at work, depending on what you do and where you do it -- material boundaries. Material

In my previous post, Seven Types of Boundaries at Work , I defined what boundaries are, how they can be helpful, and the seven different types you may need at work. Then we looked at physical boundaries in greater depth. Today we'll dig into another kind of boundary you'll likely experience at work -- conversational boundaries. Conversational Boundaries – To decide if and when a topic is discussable and for how long We have enough stress at work and don't need to add to it i

All too often, we forget to take care of ourselves at work. We do our best to treat our colleagues well and assume positive intent on their part, but every now and then, they don't have our best interests in mind. And, while it's a good idea to have boundaries in place whether your colleagues are intruding on them or not, it's especially important to do that when it starts to look like you're not being respected. What is a boundary? A boundary is a limit or space between yo

Many of my clients come to me because they're unhappy at work and don't know what they want to do next. Should they stay? Leave? Go after a promotion? Change to another department? Another field? Start their own business? I never tell them what to do -- how could I? But I do help them unpack a lot of baggage around work and investigate what's important to them, both at work and at home. The unpacking There are two big questions to kick off your unpacking: 1) What role

When I met my husband, I had no idea how bad I was a handling transitions. Every single time a season changes, I'm nostalgic for the one that's over. I get sad leaving my parents' house at the end of a visit. I spend the last day of vacation grouchy. And don't even talk to me about pre-k graduation. (So. Many. Kleenex.) So it's no surprise that, for me, the whole New Year New You thing doesn't resonate. I liked the old me and the old year. And what does this new year re

How do you know when what you're dealing with is burnout? How is it different from run-of-the-mill exhaustion or depression? And what are the signs to look for in others? Research shows that there are three main categories of burnout symptoms: exhaustion/overwhelm, cynicism, and inefficacy, (in addition to a number of physical symptoms, many of which are tied to mental symptoms). Let's take a look at what some of those symptoms look like and what to keep an eye out for if

I was trying to make a fairly small decision recently about whether I should volunteer at my daughter's school or not and found myself really struggling. If I chose not to do it, I would miss out on some really valuable time with my daughter, and the chance wouldn't come again. But if I chose to do it, I would have to take lots of time away from my work and stop taking on new clients, which is something I don't want to do right now. It wasn't a life-changing decision, but I