As we move into the 6-month mark recognizing how COVID-19 has changed our lives, the stress is palpable. Many parents and students are struggling with online learning, childcare, and trying to work from home while also supervising virtual education for young children. That challenge intensifies if those parents have returned to a place of work beyond the home. Those who have work are adjusting to the new normal of perpet...

Many years ago when I was in my corporate life, I happened upon the powerful book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and I was very drawn to its simple yet transformative principles and strategies. To me, they just made perfect sense and those rare people whom I found to be great leaders were naturally applying these principles in their lives and work. On the other hand, I saw all around me certain behaviors of colleag...

I’m sure you’ve noticed the ubiquitous statements against racial inequality in recent days. Such statements are being issued by public organizations, educational and nonprofit institutions, and for-profit companies. These statements are, sorry to say, generally mealy-mouthed in nature. It is very unusual for any entity to come out publicly to disavow both explicit racism and microaggressions. (Kudos to Ben &...

You may have seen them on social media…the memes and articles about how our lives will be forever changed due to Coronavirus. One of those memes, from Brené Brown, recently appeared in my social media feed questioning the whole idea of “normal” and pointing out that “normal” in the current age has had a very low bar. Brené Brown observes… “We will not go back...

How do I stay visible and provide value when I’m working remotely? As more people work from home, I’m hearing a similar concern from many of my coaching clients. It’s a great question. Not being physically present with your team and senior leaders has its consequences. It means you have to be more intentional about putting yourself out there, promoting your achievements, and sharing what your tea...

In reading article after article and headline after headline about the pandemic and what is happening in so many people’s lives around the world, one thing above all has become crystal clear, and that is: The coronavirus has stolen much from us and irrevocably altered how we see our reality. Experiences, situations, events, and beliefs about the “reality” of life that so many of us took for grant...

I’ve got a list of productive things I’d like to tackle while the coronavirus storm blusters onward: Clean out drawers. Organize computer files. Design new client resources. Learn how to groom my dog. Paint my home office. Try new recipes. All of these are activities I don’t normally have time for. You’ve probably got a list of your own. Part of my change coping strategy is to “do.” S...

This piece first appeared in Compliance Week. Author Jaclyn Jaeger is an editor with Compliance Week and has written on a wide variety of topics, including ethics and compliance, risk management, legal, enforcement, technology, and more. I am grateful that she allowed me to share her piece with my global audience. Companies all around the world right now are working around the clock to adjust to a new normal as we quickl...

My inbox is flooded with questions about COVID-19, including how employers should be handling the crisis and what employees should expect from their management. This is truly an unprecedented event; although companies want to maintain uninterrupted service for customers and clients, that may not be possible. And that’s okay because the employees that make up any organization should be the company’s priority. Thi...

I have been asked a lot of questions about what employers can and can’t disclose about a former employee’s performance and reasons for leaving the company. So, I decided to find out what the law says, as well as what in-house counsel would generally advise an HR department, about disclosures. I consulted with Carole Jurkash, a fellow University of Chicago graduate who went on to get her law degree from Yale Law...