Dear Madeleine, My problem is that my people—not all of them, but enough—are extremely needy. They come to talk to me and they take up hours of my time. They talk about their kids, their lives, and their problems and seem to expect that I’m fine with listening to all of this. I’m not. I…
When you are a coach who works with leaders from all walks of life, you begin to notice patterns. One pattern I’ve noticed is that about one-third of the leaders I work with consider connecting and building relationships a part of their job, while the other two-thirds do not. This second group of leaders generally…
Hi Madeleine, Earlier this year I joined a consulting firm that works with companies in my previous industry. I had taken a break to get a management degree and got a taste of consulting doing an internship that was part of my program. I believed consulting would be a different world where I would learn…
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 spent a decade of my career at a very sexy, high profile tech company and rose to a senior position. I worked 24/7 and my commute was a horror show. When my kids were little, my husband was traveling a lot for his job, and things started fraying around the edges, I…
Everyone experiences emotions—happy, sad, angry, afraid, ashamed, etc. Emotions can move you forward or hold you back. Your reactions to others’ emotions can positively enhance a relationship or partnership, or negatively detract from it. People with high emotional intelligence are able to recognize emotions that surface within themselves and others. Emotional intelligence, also known as…
Dear Madeleine, I’ve had my eye on a position that might be opening in my company. It would be a big step for me, but I think this is the job I have always wanted. My problem is that the minute I start even thinking about applying, I feel overcome with anxiety and literally break…
Dear Madeleine, I started a business with my best friend about ten years ago after the real estate bubble burst and we were both laid off from our financial services business. Against considerable odds, we have been very successful. We decided when we started to grow that he would be CEO and I would CFO/COO. …
Hi Madeleine, I have been working for over 15 years in my field and have moved up the ranks. In my last role I was a manager. Six months ago, I left my old job and moved to a company that had a small team where I was given a supervisor/team lead title that was…
Dear Madeleine, I have been assigned to handle a new team and we are currently in the developmental stage. Yesterday as I did a few one-on-one sessions, one of the new hires on my team (let’s call her Laura) mentioned that one of my tenured team members (let’s call her Carol) was cold to her.…