maripat | Varga & Associates

Working with the Waves that come your Way…

Aug 28, 2010 | Career Development, Communication, Leadership, Personal Development

Earlier this month on vacation, I found myself in Huntington Beach, CA. (better known in some circles as “Surf City”). My visit just happened to coincide with the finals of the U.S. Open Surfing championships. Curious too see what this kind of sporting event would be like, my brother, who I was visiting, took me out onto the Huntington Beach Pier in time to watch the men’s final event. It had come down to the two top surfers – hometown native, Brett Simpson and South African, Jordy Smith – the number one ranked surfer in the world.

What Wooden’s words communicate

Jul 26, 2010 | Career Development, Communication, Leadership, Personal Development, Teamwork

Former UCLA Basketball Coach John Wooden died at age 99 on June 4, 2010. His legacy as a coach will live on and even in retirement – through speeches and books – he translated the lessons he shared with his championship teams to business professionals and anyone who wanted to discover the champion within themselves.

Defining Success – The Courage to Choose Work you Love

Jun 1, 2010 | Career Development, Employee Engagement, Personal Development

How do you measure success? If you live on the north shore of Chicago chances are that things like a good education, a prestigious career where you can command a high paying salary would be counted among the indicators. All good things but not always the measures that count for everyone.

Go Undercover for the Customer

Apr 15, 2010 | Communication, Customer Service, Employee Engagement

Many of you have seen the popular new CBS series titled, Undercover Boss. Each episode follows a senior executive of a major corporation who is working incognito as a new entry-level hire for one week. Through the experience they discover how the company really works. The show is well done and sends out an important message to leaders: You need to experience your company through the lens of the employee to truly understand what is working and what’s not.

Seven Communication Practices for Personal Success in 2010

Mar 16, 2010 | Career Development, Communication, Leadership, Presentation Skills

The arrival of Spring signals an opportunity to refresh skills and try
on new techniques to improve your personal communication.
In a down economy it becomes more important than ever to be at
your best, get noticed and be remembered. In this edition of my
newsletter I will focus on elements of your personal
communication that will help you accomplish those goals. I’ll
review best practices that will get you noticed and remembered
positively after a networking event, job interview or even within
the environment where you currently work.