Article Index (Title)

Are You Asking the Right Questions?»
by Yvonne T. Ryan, Leader's Edge CA, San Jose, CA, February 2007.

Everyone knows how to ask questions. But are you asking the right questions in an interview, on the job, or in a social situation? Knowing how to question others effectively is both a skill and an art...

Be A Coach-Mentor: Develop Your People to Their Full Potential»
by Yvonne T. Ryan, Leader's Edge CA, San Jose, CA, February 2007.
Smart leaders and managers know that it is important to build and maintain the value of their greatest resource — their people. It's difficult to develop the potential of your people if you have not ascertained their existing skills, knowledge, and abilities — in other words, their competencies...

Beat the Backstabber!»
by Grace L. Judson, Svaha Concepts, Oceanside, CA, January 22, 2008.
The other day, I had lunch with a friend (I'll call her Sue) who's been struggling with a backstabber in her office. (I'll call him George.) George has been shooting down Sue's ideas to her face, in meetings, and behind her back...

Can 9 out of 10 be Wrong?»
by Grace L. Judson, Svaha Concepts, Oceanside, CA, August 15, 2007.
A recent BusinessWeek article reported that 90% of the nation's managers think they're in the top 10% of performers in their workplace. There's clearly a disconnect here, though it's nice to know we're such a confident group. What causes...

Communication with Techies — When You Aren't One»
by Yvonne T. Ryan, Leader's Edge CA, San Jose, CA, January 2007.
It is usually unwise to strongly stereotype a group of constituents. However, when it comes to training or coaching technical people ("techies"), a few considerations do commonly apply...

Depression is a Thief — Turning Depression into Action»
by Yvonne T. Ryan, Leader's Edge CA, San Jose, CA, October 2008.

Depression is a thief. It sneaks up on you (often when you least expect it), steals those things you hold most dear, and leaves you with feelings of insecurity, helplessness, and fear...

Everyone's Got Style»
by Grace L. Judson, Svaha Concepts, Oceanside, CA, September 30, 2008.
You're undoubtedly familiar with the idea that everyone has a different learning style, communication style, and so on. You've also probably experienced any number of the many styles assessments there are out there, from Myers-Briggs to DISC to whichever was popular in the organizations where you've worked...

Find the Fear»
by Grace L. Judson, Svaha Concepts, Oceanside, CA, May 27, 2008.
It's simple: fear is at the heart of just about all unproductive behavior. Whenever anyone seems particularly stubborn, unresponsive, blind to what's happening, unwilling to collaborate or compromise, you'll almost certainly find...

Getting Incremental»
by Grace L. Judson, Svaha Concepts, Oceanside, CA, May 31, 2007.
"I don't have time to start that now!" Have you said that recently? You might be contemplating a project that has real heart and meaning for you — one of those big-goal projects that really matter. Or it could be a straightforward "to do" around...

Getting the Skinny!»
by Yvonne T. Ryan, Leader's Edge CA, San Jose, CA, June 28, 2007.
You're considering a change in the direction of your career. Maybe you haven't quite figured out "what you want to be when you grow up." Or, you know what you want to do, but you're not sure what sort of position will allow you to do what you love while still getting paid enough to live a comfortable life...

How Much Time Does It Really Take?»
by Grace L. Judson, Svaha Concepts, Oceanside, CA, September 2006.
I have a friend who actually knows how to work all the functions on his Ironman watch — you know, the timer, the split-lap timer, the alarm, the countdown timer. I don't know if it's an obsession with him, or simply something he does to keep himself amused, but he times everything. He can tell you how long...

Many Faces of No, The»
by Grace L. Judson, Svaha Concepts, Oceanside, CA, October 27, 2008.
No. That little word carries a huge burden of fear, anxiety, and frustration. How many deeply important questions aren't even asked because the asker fears hearing "no"? How many "no" answers are felt as personal criticism or attack? And how many "no" answers are heard as "never"?...

My Manager Doesn't Like Me...»
by Yvonne T. Ryan, Leader's Edge CA, San Jose, CA, June 2007.
Do you and your manager find yourself at odds with one another on a regular basis, or as a result of circumstances seemingly beyond your control? One of my clients recently remarked during a coaching session, "My manager doesn't like me." Since I know...

New Perspectives on Networking»
by Grace L. Judson, Svaha Concepts, Oceanside, CA, November 11, 2008.
For most of my life, I was a confirmed non-networker. In fact, you could have called me networking-phobic. I raised a skeptical eyebrow at statistics describing how most jobs are landed through networks, because all my jobs came through recruiters or ads. I probably never would have started my business if I'd realized...

No Wasted Moments»
by Grace L. Judson, Svaha Concepts, Oceanside, CA, August 31, 2007.
It occurred to me recently that we may be exceeding the speed limit. Technology creates an illusion of instant communication with people halfway around the world. Time blurs into abstraction in meetings spanning half-a-dozen different time zones...

Performance Problem, The»
by Grace L. Judson, Svaha Concepts, Oceanside, CA, September 16, 2008.
If you're a manager, you've either got one or you've had one; no manager is ever spared. Someone on your team isn't doing his or her job. She's not following through; he's coming in late and leaving early. His inaccuracy creates problems for others; her inability to prioritize or say "no" causes crucial deadlines to...

Politics of Consultants, The»
by Grace L. Judson, Svaha Concepts, Oceanside, CA, March 18, 2008.
The political implications of bringing in outside consultants are complex and often overlooked. Whether deliberately or simply obliviously, most decisions to hire consultants are made by senior management without addressing...

Start Out Right»
by Grace L. Judson, Svaha Concepts, Oceanside, CA, March 4, 2008.
"Congratulations — you got the job." Uh…now what? These days, employers expect new employees to "hit the ground running," especially new management and executive employees. With your enthusiasm for taking on this new challenge, it's tempting to bounce into work and...

Thank You — I Think!»
by Grace L. Judson, Svaha Concepts, Oceanside, CA, October 31, 2007.
Have you ever gotten a compliment that you didn't understand and weren't sure how to take? I don't mean what's typically called a "backhanded compliment," which is an insult in disguise. I mean something that's truly meant as a compliment, but you can't quite figure out what it means, or...

Watch Your Language!»
by Grace L. Judson, Svaha Concepts, Oceanside, CA, September 30, 2007.
The language you use every day — your word choice, sequence, and tone — plays a more critical role in how you're perceived than you may imagine. How you respond to a question, a compliment, even a comment on the weather, affects...

What is Managing Up?»
by Yvonne T. Ryan, Leader's Edge CA, San Jose, CA, May 2007.

"Managing up" is all about establishing good relationships with the leaders above you, so you can further your goals and the goals of your group. People deal best with those they like, or at least respect. Overall, you will need to...

When Politics Come Home»
by Grace L. Judson, Svaha Concepts, Oceanside, CA, April 15, 2008.
It's easy to see the part politics plays in the workplace, where you're thrown together with people you might not prefer to spend time with. But politics is everywhere, in every relationship, every contact between two or more people...

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