Career Coaching for Students

Stress Quotient: What You Need to Know to manage workplace stress

You need to find out how to control your stress, or your stress will end up controlling you. Here’s all of the information you need to know about Stress Quotient.

What is Stress Quotient?

Stress Quotient is a diagnostic assessment developed by Rick Bowers and Dr. Ron Bonnstetter, of TTI Success Insights (TTI SI) in 2014. Stress Quotient measures 7 categories of stress (Demand, Effort/Reward…

Achieve Your Goals by Boosting Your Emotional Intelligence

By Carl Nielson #leadershipdevelopment #EQ #EI #executivecoach #HR #leadershipgoals

As the concept of emotional intelligence has gone global, we’ve watched professionals flounder as they try to improve their emotional intelligence (or EI or EQ) because they either don’t know where to focus their efforts or they haven’t understood how to improve these skills on a practical level. An EQ assessment…

Leading a successful team can be compared to directing a musical performance, such as a classical orchestra or choral concert. Individuals who bear little resemblance to each other often need to learn how to harmonize and respect the differences they bring to the team. Their diversity in behavioral style, knowledge and expertise, when properly harmonized, makes beautiful music.

It is rather easy…

Talk to Your Kids About Why You Work So Much

Working parents sometimes worry that they’re letting down their kids by spending too much time at the office. Once your children are old enough to understand, address this concern head-on by having open, honest conversations. Talk frankly with them about the pressures you feel and what you truly want. Don’t blame your company for the times when you can’t be flexible or you’re stressed at home;…

You have strengths that make you distinctive. And, you’ve seen yourself in situations when those same characteristics wouldn’t be called a strength.

For example, a well-honed sense of self-control can turn into rigidity. Courage, taken to the extreme, might become recklessness. Honesty, if not tempered, can turn into cruelty. Usually, the darker side of our talent strengths are seen when we are…

Organizational Resistance or Human Resistance to Change? The Science of Inertia.

John Kotter is a New York Times bestselling author. His latest book, the wryly titled That’s Not How We Do It Here!, is an animal fable in which two clans of meerkats in the Kalahari – one large, well managed, but rigid; the other small, relaxed and innovative – attempt to survive in the face of sudden droughts and vulture attacks.

It’s a study of how past triumphs can instill a dangerous false…

The cost of one one-hour meeting with six manager or professional technical attendees ranges from $600 to $1,500. Add in the cost of facilities and it is likely 25% higher. That’s just one hour, one time. To convene a group meeting, here are best practice suggestions for anyone leading or participating in the meeting:

Prior to the Meeting

Always publish an agenda prior to each meeting or ask…

Leadership Skills: Empathy for Your Team

Show Empathy for Your Team

Empathy—the ability to read and understand other’s emotions, needs, and thoughts—is one of the core competencies of emotional intelligence and a critical leadership skill. It is what allows us to influence, inspire, and help people achieve their dreams and goals. Empathy enables us to connect with others in a real and meaningful way, which in turn makes us happier—and…

A Little Interview Prep and Practice Can Help Determine If Sales Candidates Will Be Successful

According to Will Brooks, COO of The Brooks Group (a leading corporate sales effectiveness training firm), the single biggest challenge in hiring salespeople is that it is both logical and emotional in nature.

The false-logic challenge is that having someone in place is better than having no one at all. This is a false position based on what we know a bad sales hire typically costs you:

Wasted…

Which Competency Model System is Best for My Company?

Many competency model systems are too narrowly applied for the value, amount of work and expense. I found one offering meets all of my requirements for cradle-to-grave talent management use, high manager acceptance and engagement, amount of work required and cost/value for what you get.

According to Talent Management Magazine’s article on December 3, 2015 by Jim Graber, “Competency models allow…

Ownership, words by Marshall Goldsmith

Marshall Goldsmith, a bestselling author and world-renowned executive coach, has published a new book called Triggers.  In the book, Goldsmith examines the environmental and psychological triggers that can derail us at work and in life.

“Triggers provides the self awareness you need to create your own world, rather than being created by the world around you.” — Alan Mulally, CEO of the Year (US)…

Thoughts for a New Year

A new year is a great time for reflection as are birthdays and anniversaries. Here are some quotes that are worthy of framing and reading on a regular basis.

“2016 is a new year. A new beginning. And things will change.” ― Taylor Swift

  “Although no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.” ― Carl Bard

  “The beginning is the most…

Discovery Questioning – A Skill Used to Create More Powerful Conversations

Have you heard the story about “Cutting off the Ends of the Ham”

A young girl was watching her mother bake a ham for a family gathering and noticed her mom cutting off the ends before placing it in the oven.

“Mom, why do you cut the ends off before baking the ham?” she asked.

“Hmmm…I think it helps soak up the juices while it’s baking.  I’m actually not sure, though. That’s just the way your…

Have you ever given yourself a leadership check-up?

Successful leaders seldom wait for failure before appraising their leadership skills. In this high-paced work world, it’s important to take the time to reflect on your own leadership development. Reflection turns experience into insight.

The following areas of focus as a leader and relate questions will help you test your leadership strengths…

Be Strategic in Sharing Your Success

People often prepare for failure, but they rarely prepare for what they will do when they succeed. Even when we consciously want to be successful, enjoying that success can be a challenge. Being successful can leave others envious, and even hoping to see you fail. To avoid causing resentment, it’s important to learn when, where, and how to share the good news.…

Stop Trying to Hide Your Failures

In the movie, Pitch Perfect, Brittany Snow (in pink) plays the part of an anal perfectionist, very judging of herself and others. Through the story line, she reveals how much she hates what she has become but her father had always demanded perfection. Is your company’s culture like her movie father?

Even though failure is praised in places like Silicon Valley,…

Futuristic Thinking

Bill Bonnstetter, Chairman of TTI Success Insights, an international talent assessment and organizational development company and developer of TriMetrix talent assessments, DISC behavioral assessments and 360 Feedback Surveys wrote an article about futuristic thinking, How We Can All Contemplate The Future Of The Workplace,  that was published recently in one of my favorite magazines, Fast…