Dear Madeleine, I am seeking your guidance. I am studying for a BA in human resource management and will be completing my degree program within the next six months. I must submit a final research paper. I need to find a topic and put a plan together fast, but I am struggling. Will you assist me…
by Doug Glener and Dr. Victoria Halsey It’s a common workplace belief: You should be able to handle anything that lands on your desk. The specifics don’t matter. You’re a professional and you can tackle the challenge, no matter how long you’ve been at a job. Admitting you need help in a competitive work environment…
For years, Victoria Labalme thought she couldn’t succeed without a clear plan. She made choices along the way that were not typical but felt right to her. Even when she felt like she was falling behind, she kept pursuing what interested her. One day, out of nowhere, she received a call that changed the course…
Dear Madeleine, I am a senior manager in a large government agency that has been decimated and paralyzed by our current administration. Don’t worry, I am not going to get political. But I do need help, because growth and opportunity have ground to a standstill in our organization and I have a whole team of…
“If you’re always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be.” –Dr. Maya Angelou It is so rewarding to coach clients who want to be amazing and who dare to rise! They are fully aware of their current reality of operating in the normal status quo and are now ready to…
Dear Madeleine, I love to grow and develop. I always take advantage of any 360° feedback assessments my company offers. I regularly ask my boss, direct reports, and peers for constructive feedback. Lucky for me, my 360° scores are high and I generally hear “just keep doing what you are doing” from my coworkers. That…
Imagine your doctor just told you that you have high blood pressure. That’s important information. However, unless you do something with that information, such as starting medication or altering your diet, nothing will change. You will continue to have high blood pressure. Making a plan and taking action is required to change the situation. The…
Hi Madeleine, I am a hotel manager for a high end property in a large metropolitan city. I am trying to create a program where department heads and midlevel managers at the hotel can come together to chat candidly about their career goals and how to achieve them. I have a vision to devote 30…
Coaching a senior leader can be complicated. They have lots of demands on their time, huge decisions to make, and often do not get a lot of direct, honest feedback from people around them. In fact, coaching anyone can be complicated—because humans are complicated. We are constantly scanning our mental and physical landscapes for…
Good leaders are constantly striving for excellence. They start with themselves, then raise the bar for their team. It’s a journey that requires a combination of self awareness and growth. I had a chance to experience both of these things when I recently accepted a new position with my company. Eight months ago, I stepped…