Change is never easy. Change is a bumpy process. But why is change so hard? Change is hard because it is an emotional experience for most. An emotional experience, particularly an experience one often has little choice in being part of, creates resistance. Resistance is a natural emotion, though an emotion that can make changeRead… Read more »
As a writer and communicator, this has been an unprecedented week. First, I took the plunge and wrote about my dad’s recent death while also reflecting on his immigrant family “fight to life” struggles and the ebbs and flows, the highs and lows of a father-son relationship. (For the essay, email [email protected] or Click here:Read… Read more »
As I open this essay, please forgive an immodest turn. Upon reading or hearing one of my edgy or catchy phrasings, for example, the title of my book, Practice Safe Stress, or a motivational mantra, such as, “Do know your limits and don’t limit your ‘No’s,” I often receive some verbal or nonverbal sign ofRead… Read more »
Part I introduced three necessary transition stress interventions for engaging an audience on “The Reorg Rag” ™, that is going through transitional crisis: 1) “Bring Your Inner Clint Eastwood” – demonstrate a readiness to empathically and assertively handle audience anger or angst, 2) “Warm Up and Cool Down the Audience” – through healing humor andRead… Read more »
Based on work with a variety of organizational and corporate clients, Part I outlined three necessary transition stress interventions for engaging an angry and anxious audience caught in a rough and rocky reorganizational sea change. (Email [email protected] if you missed Part I.) The foundational interventions were: 1) “Bring Your Inner Clint Eastwood,” 2) “Warm UpRead… Read more »
This past week I led programs with Metro-DC city and county government agencies that are in the throes of reorganization: a) the quasi-private/city government agency is anticipating major overhauls and upgrades to their information processing systems which may result in significant job restructuring and redesign, as well as possible job loss, b) the county governmentRead… Read more »
Emily King gave me an embarrassed grin as she struggled not to cry. “I always choke up when I tell this story”, she said sheepishly. I smiled broadly and encouraged her to go on. She did, and thus began the first of many lessons she’d share with me that afternoon. In her own words: “AfterRead… Read more »
If you’ve started a new position, transitioned into a new role, or planning on making a move in the near future, I’d recommend reading , “The First 90 Days: Critical Success Strategies for New Leaders at all Levels” by Michael Watkins. Michael Watkins is an Associate Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School. ThisRead… Read more »
This week I was the keynote speaker at the Forty Plus annual dinner (www.40plus-dc.org/), a volunteer-based, Washington, DC, career transition/support group. In general, members are white collar types, e.g., federal employees, managers, IT professionals, academics, even some entrepreneurs, who are “in between jobs.” With only 20 minutes of speaking time, my subject was definitely apt,Read… Read more »
Major changes are needed to make sure Americans are safe during a Presidential transition. That’s according to the Partnership for Public Service, which just wrote a new report Ready to Govern: Improving the Presidential Transition. Read more here.