Early in my career, empathy was my ace-in-the-hole management technique. I was all business when it came to helping my team on technical, process and performance issues, but if they had an emotional reaction or issue, I reverted to empathy because it was the easy thing to do. I learned that when I...
Coaching Advice
How To Get Through The Never Ending To-Do List
I’m a list maker. There’s something very gratifying for me to be able to cross things off my “list”. They’re done. Finished. It feels good and satisfying. I’m sure those of you who are list-makers can relate. But what about the task list that never ends? The one that just keeps getting bigger and...
The Impact of Poor Leadership on Burnout & Job Satisfaction
Burnout is a work-related process of chronic stress and disengagement and has been called the occupational hazard of the 21st century. The formula for job burnout is simple: too many job demands, too few job resources, and not enough recovery or time to re-charge your batteries. Burnout impacts...
Dear Dana Workplace Advice: Career Planning in the Age of Digital Disruption
Welcome to “Dear Dana”, our regular column to give you career and workplace advice/coaching. Please write in and tell me about a career challenge or frustration you’re facing at the office! Today's topic is career planning! – Dana Theus Dear Dana: You wrote a post about how white collar workers...
How To Psyche Yourself Up For Difficult Conversations
By: Mary Schaefer What do you do when you’re really ticked off A client asked me for coaching to help deal with having difficult conversations a colleague. The colleague made false accusations, talked about him behind his back and micromanaged. Overall he made him look bad. We talked over several...
Assertive or Aggressive? There IS a Difference (in Leadership Communications)
"The minute I express my opinion clearly, I get labeled as aggressive." This may be the most recurrent refrain I hear from the women leaders I coach when discussing leadership communication styles. They report that if they hold back or are soft-spoken, they get run over in conversations. Yet if...
Speaking Truth To Power – Why Leaders Keep Fools Nearby
In researching Speaking Truth to Power to help people use their own deep wisdom to advance their careers, I stumbled on this great article by James O'Toole on Harvard Business Review called A Culture of Candor. O'Toole gave several examples of corporate cultures that encourage people to challenge...
Sponsor vs. Mentor – 3 Tips for Attracting a Sponsor
Is “Executive Sponsor” is the New “Mentor” for Women Leaders? The missing piece in women's advancement strategies into leadership? Mentorship helps us be effective, but it’s not as helpful at helping us get a job as sponsorship is. Dana takes a look at what is means to have a sponsor vs. a mentor...
Year End: The Psychology of Closure
Have you ever noticed that once you can tell a story about something, it’s in the past? The year’s end is upon us and I observe my clients reaching for closure to make sense of another time of upheaval in the world. I encourage everyone to engage the psychology of closure, not just at year...
Can Empathy Help You Overcome Bias?
Almost everyone deals with bias, and there are many strategies to deal with it, but we love Dana and Kate’s takes on InPowered strategies for confronting bias with empathy and humility. Enjoy a not-so-obvious-but-very-effective strategy to deal with awkward and unfair situations you find yourself...