Dear Madeleine, I have a problem with lying. Yes. I am a liar. But I’m not a compulsive liar by any means. What I mean is for a long while I’ve been thinking about little lies that most everyone I know so easily uses—and it bugs me a lot. I’ve analyzed how these “little white…
Dear Madeleine, I work for a company that required everyone to come back to the office the second week of November. I thought it was too early, and was proven right by Omicron. The company is a traditional, conservative kind of place, and the CEO lost patience with the whole remote thing. I was happy…
We all have those times when we feel out of focus or off track. When this happens to you, do you ever consider that it could be due to poor self-management practices? For example, perhaps you were so intent on achieving the next level of your career that you sacrificed your health and well-being. Or…
Dear Madeleine, I am serious person. I was a serious child, raised by very thoughtful and serious immigrant parents. I have always had high expectations and standards for myself. I am now a manager of a large group of people and I am continually frustrated that almost none of them live up to my expectations.…
Dear Madeleine, I work in sales in a large medical device company. I kill my numbers and have been number one in my region for the last six quarters. I need your advice. My company continually makes errors in creating inventory of the devices we are selling. I just don’t think that I, in good…
Dear Madeleine, I have a wonderful team. They are all very different, with different strengths and skill sets, which I think makes us well rounded. They lean on each other when they need to problem solve. My problem is that my boss seems to have it in for one my people—let’s call her “B”. We…
We’re winding down to the end of another year. I find that late December provides a great opportunity for a “year in review” assessment. But instead of looking at your goals and lining them up against the measures for success delineated by your company, I propose a different review today. Ready? Look ahead—far, far ahead.…
As Andy Williams crooned, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year.” No, I’m not talking about Christmas. I’m talking about March Madness! I’m a big fan of college basketball and the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament is like Christmas in March. There are always underdogs upsetting the established favorites and feel-good stories of players overcoming…
Today’s guest post is by David Cordery. Most organisations have mission statements—a clearly defined and articulated purpose to focus energy and help leaders make decisions. But what about a clearly defined and articulated personal purpose? While most of us have some idea about what we want to do with our lives, many of us don’t…
When I first heard someone talk about values, I thought they were talking about things like “don’t steal” or “treat others the way you want to be treated.” I learned that values are the underlying aspirations and intentions we have for and about ourselves. A value could be a thirst for learning, a strong desire…