Knowledge is power. And knowing yourself, your strengths and weaknesses, is critical when embarking on a career path, climbing a mountain, choosing a friend and needing a go-to answer in an interview process in which that annoying question about your strengths and weaknesses is still asked. What you … [Read more...] about Know Yourself: Honor Your Heritage, Embrace Your Environment
Business Cents
When Bad People Happen to Good Jobs
My mom once told me, “Nature’s laws are God’s laws, and they must be followed.” In her wisdom, she recognized the need to respect and adhere to the forces that aren’t going to change one iota – like gravity. One of my favorites is balance. This Law of Nature is demonstrated everywhere in the … [Read more...] about When Bad People Happen to Good Jobs
Are You Hiding in the Conference Room with Noise-Canceling Headphones?
Walking through a building of scientists one day, I noticed a sign taped to a door that reminded me of a handmade “Keep Out” message hanging from a child’s treehouse. The words said something about “Writing Time” and “Please Do Not Disturb.” At first glance, the sign felt harsh and almost rude, … [Read more...] about Are You Hiding in the Conference Room with Noise-Canceling Headphones?
Over the Moon with Soft Skills
Jessica Watkins is a 31-year-old, unassuming, small-framed geologist with an easy smile and former member of a Division I national champion rugby team. She is many things, including an astronaut-in-training, but she’s not a pilot…yet. When NASA selected her from a field of 1,800 applicants to be … [Read more...] about Over the Moon with Soft Skills
Bringing Your 2020 Vision into Focus
Many of us consider the stroke of midnight into the New Year to be some sort of magical reset button that comes with snow flurries and a kiss. I happen to be one of them. However, turning that magical moment into everyday life usually takes a little more than fairy dust, like a bold decision, … [Read more...] about Bringing Your 2020 Vision into Focus
Leaders Don’t Waffle When Waffles aren’t the Right Decision
If you’ve ever gone to lunch with someone who couldn’t decide what to order, you know the pain of indecision. While you, everyone else at the table and the server are quietly on standby, that individual is thoughtfully considering whether it’s a quinoa-bowl kind of day or a full-on loaded burger … [Read more...] about Leaders Don’t Waffle When Waffles aren’t the Right Decision
Everything Has a Life: Knowing When to Leave What was Once Good
Waterbeds. These were pretty “far out” in the ‘70s. By the late 1980s, one in every four or five mattresses sold in the United States was a waterbed. But almost as fast you could say “Tempur-Pedic,” waterbeds in the ‘90s floated out of sight, man. And this is why your dream job may eventually … [Read more...] about Everything Has a Life: Knowing When to Leave What was Once Good
Volunteers are Not Free
It’s been said that time is our most valuable asset. So, it’s an incredibly precious gift when someone volunteers to give it away. It may be providing labor for a project, like building a home in a developing nation; or offering expertise, like when retired business people volunteer for … [Read more...] about Volunteers are Not Free