Category: Stress
Leading Staff through Holiday Stress
The holidays are a busy time and can be truly challenging, both personally and professionally. Often when we are stressed, going in too many directions, overwhelmed, or dealing with organizational changes, our EQ takes a real nosedive; regardless of our rank or position (CEO’s to the front lines)! If, during stressful times, we take a few minutes to take a deep breath and think things through before we speak, we move from reactive mode to proactive mode and avoid being “inhumane”, which always turns out to be counter-productive. Recognizing Humanity in Organizations All organizations are “living organisms” filled with human beings. A colleague of mine, Sandi Cardillo, has a beautiful saying: “Make change more human for the humans.” Regardless of the type of change — loss of staff, shuffling the organizational chart, financial reorganization, company growth, etc. — the goal should be to “make the change more human for the humans”. As leaders, our goal is to get things done through others. As leaders, it is our job to set the compass for all our team members to grow and to bring their own capabilities (strengths) to the organization. As leaders, we create the environment for them to succeed by getting them in the right seat of the bus and then trusting they have the capability …
The Season of Gratitude
As our Thanksgiving holiday here in the US is around the corner (November 27th) and our Canadian friends have already celebrated their Thanksgiving (October 13th), I am reminded to think about Being Grateful. We are all so busy with this wonderful adventure called life. It is easy to just keep going day in and day out without taking the time to simply think about what we are grateful for in our daily lives. I was recently challenged by one of my mentors, Chris Osborn, CEO of Coach Training Alliance, to answer the questions: How does gratitude manifest itself in your life? What is the role of gratitude in coaching? As I thought about my response to these questions, the Cornucopia popped into my mind and I found a great history of the Cornucopia dating back to 15 BC. Check it out! Gratitude manifests in my life through so many ways I see gratitude on many levels: Basic Gratitude: So grateful for a roof over my head, food on the table and “safe” place to live, where I am free to go for a walk in solitude and peace. Physical Gratitude: For the life I have lived so far with a healthy body and mind. (well most times a …