I work with people who are truly wicked. Wicked smart! Wicked creative! Wicked thoughtful! Clearly, I happen to prefer the definition of “wicked” as an adverb: very, extremely. Of course, it’s also an adjective, meaning fierce, among other things. It is an absolute privilege to know wicked people in my…
I’m currently on hold with an airline. I’ve been on hold for 47 minutes and counting. And, yes. I went to the website first! Here’s a little piece of advice. If you’re trying to move a flight that’s already paid for, skip the website and call. My ticket is nonrefundable,…
Americans seem to think in 90-day increments. Declutter your home in 90 days. Lose 20 pounds in 90 days. Grow your own vegetable garden in 90 days. (Or, in my case, kill any type of garden in 90 days.) Ninety days can be limiting. Think, 90-day warrantee, 90-day product trial,…
Is your heart racing? Mine is definitely pounding! No, I’m not watching my favorite Formula 1 driver attempt a treacherous overtake, as I sometimes discuss in my blogs. I haven’t consumed a double espresso. Yet. And I definitely didn’t go for a six-mile run. It’s a deadline which has my…
Americans like to count things. Our social media “likes.” The number of steps we take each day. The seconds left to the end of a football game quarter. There’s a psychology to it. Count up or down. Does one feel more positive than the other? Take a moment to think…
The scenario seemed simple: A colleague was going to be presented with an award from a prestigious person and wanted to reciprocate with a “timeless gift.” Something meaningful to reflect their working relationship over the past 10 years. He also wanted the gift to focus around the theme of a…
Your co-worker’s email read: “See you tomorrow.” You naturally assumed you would see them at the meeting. It was going to involve a critical discussion. So, when they went MIA and were nowhere to be found, you panicked. Turns out, your colleague was at the meeting. Virtually. We all make…
Is it Time to Say No More? It goes without saying that bad communications decisions almost always result in negative consequences. (Oh wait, I just said it.) Communications are usually the first thing that a client will complain about when things don’t go as expected. At a minimum, frustration. Ultimately,…
“We eat first with our eyes,” according to Marcus Gavius Apicius, a First Century Roman famous in his time for his love of food (and authoring a cookbook). In fact, researchers long ago learned that our brains gain information about the foods we eat simply by looking at them. Color…
Scrolling is one of life’s daily activities. We spend approximately 17 hours every week, or a whopping 864 hours each year, scrolling through apps. In contrast, Americans share fewer than three hours in a given week with friends. It’s easy to go straight to social media as a prime communications…