Disconnect to Connect

Always connected seems to be our new reality. Mobile technology has given us more work flexibility and entertainment than we ever thought possible. Although convenient, it’s an invitation for continual disconnection to the important things in life.  As people who want to impact the lives of others in a positive way, we must intentionally disconnect to … Read more

3 Big Questions for Team Motivation

Many mangers expect an engaged and motivated team as a result of combining a group of engaged and motivated individuals. In a team setting, people’s motivations adapt and change as their goals become more dependent on the work of other people. A new dynamic enters the environment and people begin to evaluate the competence and … Read more

10 Clechés that Kill Motivation

Forgive me for being a little negative in this post. Just for fun, I want to list some of my cliche  and buzz-phrase pet peeves. Some of these are just warn out while others simply sound unprofessional. Managers who use these can expect to kill motivation. Use them at your own risk. 10. Rightsizing – … Read more

5 Ways to Build a Great Team

Great teams don’t just happen. They are built.  Over the past 15 years, I’ve had the opportunity to serve on teams, lead teams, and facilitate dozens of team building meetings. I’ve observed and studied what helps teams grow together and increase cohesion and trust. Below, I discuss 5 ways managers can move a team toward … Read more

Why Your Personal Energy Is So Important

It’s evident that more people and organizations (both for-profit and non-profit) are becoming increasing interested in how to maximize energy. The reasoning is simple, the more energy a person has the more she or he will be able to fully engage in whatever activity is at hand. In our energy draining world, where many of … Read more

What is your Genius?

Have you ever thought of yourself as a genius? I think most of us never think of ourselves as having an extraordinarily high intelligence or natural capability. Although academic research many years ago created a paradigm of general Intelligence and IQ, more resent research is telling us a different story. People can be of average … Read more

What Really Motivates

While some are still stuck in old paradigms of motivation, many have moved beyond this command, control, and threats style to an over-reliance on the behavioral model of rewards. Scientific studies continue to support a more sophisticated perspective that relies on the leader creating environments of autonomy, competence (mastery), and relatedness (purpose). This video provides … Read more

Why New Year’s Resolutions Fail and How You Can Achieve Yours

Sorry to be a downer but only about 40% of people follow through well enough to keep their new year’s resolutions according to Psychology professor John Norcross at Scranton University. We don’t need a research study to know that most people fail when trying to make change by utilizing resolutions. Having coached more than a … Read more

What Will Matter?

What will matter is not what you bought but what you built, not what you got but what you gave. What will matter is not your success but your significance. What will matter is not what you learned but what you taught. What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage or sacrifice that … Read more