Things to do after you’ve been laid off …
Certain experiences are common, but that does not make them easy to manage. Being laid off is one of those problematic yet common experiences. The tech sector has had some notable downsizings, so many people were laid off from Shopify, Meta/Facebook, and Twitter in...
Six Good Career Books to Add to Your Library This Year
Summer is a natural time to indulge in some new reading material. With summer reading in mind, here are six good career books worth adding to your library whether as a physical book you’ll want to highlight and underline, or as an audiobook, which is a great use of...
Rethinking and Modernizing Executive Presence
As an executive coach, clients sometimes ask me for advice on how to develop their executive presence. And every now and then, someone will make it clear that they have a very narrow definition of executive presence — and it usually rubs me the wrong way. The...
The Pitfalls of Being Too Nice at Work
Are you in the habit of saying yes to every request, even when it’s not in your best interest? Have you ever felt like a pushover, allowing coworkers or superiors to take advantage of your kindness? It’s time to address the pitfalls of being too nice at...
The Surprising Upside of Healthy Workplace Rivalry
Does rivalry always have to be negative? After my last blog post about Workplace Jealousy, I started reflecting on the potential pros and cons of the related idea – workplace rivalry. One of my favourite organizational psychologists, Dr. Adam Grant tackles this...
The Insidious Impact of Workplace Jealousy
What happens when we see others succeeding at work? Does it trigger inspiration, or does it trigger workplace jealousy? I am grateful that I have seen countless examples in life and at work when the presence of excellence is so inspirational that others realize what...
Micro-Kindness in the Workplace
Recently a post on LinkedIn about organizational culture and inclusion caught my attention – and got me thinking about the concept of micro-kindnesses in the workplace. To paraphrase, my LinkedIn connection said: “I sometimes worry that I’m not doing enough to...
Characteristics of Good Hybrid Work Arrangements
One topic that is popular among employees, leaders, and HR professionals is the hybrid work arrangement, combining both in-office and remote working. Returning to the office is exciting for some, but a daunting prospect for others. Organizations are at various stages...
The Importance of Trust in Remote and Hybrid Workplaces
Many professionals are still working remotely or in hybrid work environments. While this type of arrangement can be great for convenience, productivity, fostering creativity and better use of resources, one issue I keep thinking about is the challenge associated with...
Leaders and the Self-Awareness Gap
Leaders: how accurate is your understanding of your impact on others? According to the Industrial/Organizational Psychologists at Psychometrics.com, 95 percent of leaders believe they are self-aware, while a shocking 10-15 percent actually are. Ouch, that’s a big...
Self-Awareness is Crucial for Leaders
“We do not learn from experience but from reflecting on experience.” – John Dewey Do you know how others view you as a leader? Regardless of where you are in your career, self-awareness is a key building block for effective leadership. Being conscious of our...
“The Great Work Breakup” and What Women Want (Part Two)
Women are demanding more from work, and to get what they want, they’re switching jobs at the highest rate possibly in history. The pandemic kicked off the Big Quit; now we’re into “the Great Work Breakup.” Women are no longer putting up with conditions that...
Why “the Big Quit” Has Morphed into “the Great Breakup” (Part One)
Why “the Big Quit” Has Morphed into “the Great Breakup.” What’s Going On? (Part One) Women are switching jobs in record numbers. The pandemic touched off “the Big Quit;” now, we are seeing the aftermath of that mass exodus: “the Great Breakup.” And while there could...
Truths and Myths About Quiet Quitting
The term “quiet quitting” is everywhere these days. On TikTok, more than 90 million videos are currently tagged #QuietQuitting. However, while the term “quiet quitting” is new, the concept really isn’t. Definitions of “quiet quitting” vary, but the basics...
Scary Work: Revisiting Some Haunting Past Situations
Corporate Psychopaths The real-life corporate psychopath isn’t the over-the-top caricature of a masked, axe-wielding maniac chasing his victims down a dark alley. At the same time he’s also not the more measured villain like the yuppie investment banker in the...
The Big Quit Continues: Why Employees are Unhappy at Work
Job dissatisfaction is at an all-time high. Despite fears of a recession, the Big Quit is still underway, with more and more people quitting their jobs in search of something better. I’ve written previously about the Big Quit phenomenon, and how the uncertainty of the...
Quiet Firing: When Something “Feels Off” at Work
Have you been putting in extra hours at work, but your boss isn’t taking notice? Maybe he or she’s been more critical of your work lately, even though you know you haven’t made any mistakes. If you’ve ever been in a situation where you felt...
Black Psychology – What is it and why is it important?
Q1: I suppose the first question, which seems a bit obvious, is “What is Black Psychology?” Answer: While I was a graduate student in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, I took a mandatory course on the History of Psychology. We had to write a research paper that linked a...