Category: Career Development

Are you a Decathlete or Specialist at Work?

At work, do you do one thing really well or have you developed the ability to do many things with a high level of proficiency?

I look forward to watching the Olympics every four years – not only to watch the amazing athletes who have trained so hard to get to this point – but to also observe how the athletes manage the pressures and intensity of the competition. How they express “the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat”. While locked in battle, how well do they work together and demonstrate respect?

This past week I was glued to the track contests and noticed the difference between what I would call the specialists (athletes who train solely in one sport) and the decathletes (who are required to master 10 different sports).

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Improve your Presentations with an Actor’s Moves

When we go to the theatre and see actors on the stage communicating a story we get wrapped-up in the action and forget that the lines that are spoken are scripted and the movement on stage is choreographed. If the production and talent are good it all looks and feels organic and yet it was orchestrated well in advance.

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Leadership Lessons from the Boy Scout Handbook

Sometimes what is old is new again. The Boy Scout Handbook was first published in 1910 and it has recently been used to turn around a troubled school and transform boys into men.

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In a recent episode of 60 Minutes that aired on March 20th, St. Benedicts Prep School in Newark, New Jersey was featured. The school, once a mostly white, prestigious prep school had fallen on hard times. Today the all-boys school is 50% African American and a third Hispanic – with the remainder white. The majority of the student population live in poverty and gangs, violence and drugs rule their neighborhoods. The odds are against these kids.

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Make a business case – it TRUMPS name-calling

As I observe the insanity we currently called the Republican Presidential Debates I am amazed at how the candidates seem to miss the boat on what most business professionals know is necessary to not only be heard but to have their idea green-lighted for approval and action – make a well-thought out business case for your idea.

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Lead with a Headline: Remove Presentation Static

head·line noun – a head of a newspaper story
or article usually printed in large type and giving the gist of the story or article that follows.

They-Begged-Me-Not-to-Write-This-Twitter-Headlines-to-Change-Your-Life

It is no secret that living in the digital age means we are bombarded with information. Some of it is important and relevant but most is a great source of distraction – or static. Static is that crackling or hissing noise we might hear when we have a bad connection to one of our telecommunication devices. It is annoying and causes communication fatigue.

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Bryan Cranston on How to Fake It

You’ve all heard the expression, “Fake it ‘til you make it.” In essence it’s a technique to avoid the trap of a self-fulfilling prophecy related to a lack of confidence. For example, you are getting ready to deliver a big speech at your company’s conference. You are nervous but that won’t help you. Instead, you “pretend” to be confident. You “act as if” you’ve got this one nailed! To accomplish this you might reach out to a mentor or coach to get some last minute advice.

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