Listening is really tough. Hearing is easy enough, as long as your ears work properly. But, listening? That’s hard. When we’re having a conversation with someone else, we often spend a good deal of time doing what psychologists call “listening to respond.” Couples counselor Kari Rusnak, LPC, CMHC,
Seven years ago, I wrote 10 Things to Say Instead of ‘You’re So Talented’ after giving a TedX talk called Forget Talent and Get To Work. The talk proved popular and amassed over 80,000 views. It was one of my most popular columns and even a decade later, readers are still checking in
Workplace conflict is exhausting and what you’ve been doing hasn’t worked. You’re not imagining it. The passive-aggressive colleague, the indecisive manager, the drama-magnet employee—they’re draining your energy, eating up your time, and making you question your own professionalism. You try everything: documenting, rehearsing, venting, apologizing. But the same
I have always had a bit of imposter syndrome, but now it is at an all-time high after changing industries. I am a “senior leader” in a small org but may be more of a generalist. No amount of “you got this” or “you’re doing fine” can change
As an American who has lived in Switzerland for 16 years, I still find some German words to be absolutely hilarious in English. This street, for instance, will never cease to be funny. You can look it up on the map–it’s not AI-generated. It is near the primary
Lawsuits are costly, and any business owner would be wise to avoid hiring someone likely to sue. How do you know if they are likely to sue? Well, Kevin Dahlstrom, a Boulder, Colorado, entrepreneur, tweeted about his recent experience with an employee who had a litigious track record: One time I hired someone
HR is stressed out and understaffed If you’ve applied for a HR position or tried to hire for an HR position lately, you’ve seen the influx of resumes. It’s a tight job market and companies are stingy with their budgets. This means HR often has to do
After I gave a speech about Gen-Z in the workplace, a human resources director in the audience asked if we could chat briefly. She explained that their Gen-Z employees would not stop asking for—even demanding—a four-day workweek. She was at her wit’s end, trying to explain to them why that
SURVEY TIME!!! I’m giving a DisruptHR talk in a couple of weeks, and my topic is WHO HR IS. I’ve compiled a list of survey questions for HR Professionals in the United States. Many of those questions mimic what you would see in a Gallup poll. The purpose
Firing people is one of the most challenging things managers and business owners must do. Terminations can also open you up to lawsuits. Employees may claim that you terminated them because of their race, gender, or other protected characteristic. So, sometimes managers resort to underhanded tactics to get
