When you take action at work, are you making things better . . . or worse? The American workplace reveres action. Our drive towards forward motion is embedded in our national psyche. One of our nation’s forefathers even tied one’s own self-definition to the ability to act. Thomas Jefferson once said, “Do you want to…
Hallmarks of a Workplace Professional
There are two types of people in the workplace: amateurs and professionals. Amateurs play small; they are constantly in “protect” mode . Amateurs whine, belittle, gossip. Amateurs see things only from their perspective. Professionals play at a whole different level. The hallmark of true professionals is that they don’t rely solely on their technical expertise for greatness….
Will It Be a Good Day for You Today?
I walked into the produce section of my favorite grocery store. Two store associates were stocking lettuce. I overheard one of them say, “Well, you know, I’ve decided that it’s gonna be a good day today.” I looked up and he caught my eye. As he walked toward me, I saw that his name…
Why Letting Go Solves Problems
Have you ever been confronted by a dilemma or problem that had you stymied? You know, one so vexing that it felt as no matter what you tried, a resolution seemed impossible? The impenetrable wall remains. Surely you’ve heard the aphorism “Quitters never win and winners never quit”. Many would have you believe that to…
The Difference Between Finding Happiness and Being Miserable
I saw this quote in (of all places) the November/December 2012 print edition of WebMD. Normally, quotes attributed to Sarah Silverman aren’t a good fit for this blog. I really like her take on happiness, though, so I’m including it as this week’s Food for Thought Friday. Are you indulging in a similar form of…