When I was in fifth grade, I often came home after school and watched DuckTales, an animated television show produced by Disney. In one episode, a flashback shows Scrooge McDuck preparing to leave Scotland for America. Before he departs, his father tells him, “Remember to work smarter, not harder.” Later in America, McDuck ends up in a riverboat race where his job is to shovel coal into the furnace to keep the paddle wheel in motion. Tired of the backbreaking work, he remembe

Early in my career I sometimes felt like I was reacting to events throughout the workday. The direction of my day could easily be altered by an interruption from a colleague stopping by my office or an email that someone else thought was urgent. As a result, I found myself working longer hours to accomplish what needed to get done. Then I found and began using Stephen Covey’s time management matrix from his best selling book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. As depict

We are problem solvers, so when faced with a workplace issue, we are wired to focus on solutions. However, research suggests people are...

Aligning your values with your work impacts your job satisfaction and health. Research from McKinsey has found that “people who say they are ‘living their purpose’ at work report levels of well-being that are five times higher than those of people who aren’t.” Not surprisingly, these individuals are also more engaged in their work. McKinsey developed a matrix based on nine personal values that are recognized across cultures. I recreated the matrix below. The horizontal axis r

By Oriah It doesn't interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for and if you dare to dream of meeting your...

Many of my students secure full time employment at highly respected companies when they graduate. Stable jobs with generous employee...

My career choice gives me the opportunity to speak in front of a wide variety of audiences from students to executives. After all these...

My favorite game when I was a young child was Candy Land. I’m told that I had a habit of cheating to ensure my gingerbread man was the...

Clearly defining the problem you want to solve is an important step in the problem solving process. However, individuals and teams often rush through or ignore this step. In doing so they make some common mistakes that result in a variety of negative outcomes including wasted time, confusion, and low engagement from decision makers. This article provides insight about how you can improve your communication by framing problems clearly and in terms that matter most to your audi

Not satisfied? Explore your options. Even the most optimistic among us have good reason to be restless, disappointed, fed up, or even...