Emoji can be useful to make workplace communication friendlier and less abrupt. When used in moderation and in the right context, it can bring people closer together. If you spend any time on social media, you have seen your share of emoji—those little pictures of yellow smiling faces, cups of coffee, and soccer balls. (The older term, “emoticon,” refers to the ones that are done with typographical images,...

In the past 13 years of coaching and training professional women around the globe, I’ve seen firsthand that thousands of women have spent years building careers they thought would make them happy, only to wake up and realize they are very far from where they want to be, without a clue as to what’s in the way. Thousands are expending great amounts of energy hiding the fact that they’re scared, sad and demor...

When the company taps you on the back, don’t look back. Think about what you need to do (and what not to do) to make yourself successful in your new role. If this scenario hasn’t happened to you, or not recently, it is surely something you dream about. You’re called in to the boss’s office for a meeting. There, you get the happy news that you’ve been tapped for a new role at your company, poss...

Employees are critical to the success of most businesses. They are the profit makers of any company, without whom delivering products and services to customers would be impossible. Savvy managers understand that success is dependent upon teamwork. But are you sure that you’re making the most of the talents your team members have? Each individual is unique and has her own set of experiences and strengths formed through...

When the concept of reverse mentoring burst on the scene in the multigenerational workplace, it was all about having cool 20-somethings teach the older crowd how to use “the Facebook.” Now most generations are pretty savvy—in fact their takeover of Facebook has sent Gen Z scurrying to Instagram or Snapchat. But that doesn’t mean that they still can’t learn a thing or two from the younger generati...

If you’re looking for more challenge in your job, and there doesn’t seem to be a promotion in the offing, you may be asking yourself, ‘What’s next?’ That’s how my coaching client (I’ll call her Dawn) was feeling when we first met. Dawn was a manager at a non-profit and felt like she’d gone as far as she could go in her position. She’d been taking on more responsibility,...

Content. We hear about it all the time and are encouraged to produce more of it. But what is content? Simply put, content is anything that you create that communicates an idea. Content can be a blog, a white paper, a video, or an audio recording. “Content marketing” is the practice of creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain your audience. The ultimate goal is to dr...

It’s understandable that a lot of people complain about their commutes to and from work, appointments, or client meetings. I don’t. It’s not that I like being cut off in traffic or sitting at stoplights; it’s just that I have learned to see the time I spend driving as an opportunity. A recent AAA survey says the average American adult drives 17,600 minutes—that’s almost 300 hours—ev...

Congratulations! You finally made the time to create a professional LinkedIn profile and it looks pretty darn good, if you do say so yourself. Here are some do’s and don’ts for keeping it relevant. Regularly add to your contacts. A robust network is your ticket to ongoing success. When you meet new business associates, clients or colleagues add them to your network — the sooner, the better. When you head b...

The telephone is the most common business tool and its proper use is essential for career advancement. Talking with a potential client, customer or colleague on the phone can sometimes be challenging. Without seeing an individual’s face, messages can become muddled and meanings misinterpreted. To strengthen telephone communication skills, ace the following: Make a great first impression Show the caller you&#...