Catalyst Leadership Coaching

Women and MBA Degrees

October 8, 2009 at 2:43 pm

As a woman with an MBA degree and someone who wants to see more women in the C-suite, I read with interest an article entitled Defining Workplace Dreams for Women MBAs in the September 28, 2009 issue of Forbes magazine. The article referenced a study by Universum, a research firm focused on employer branding. Universum [...]

Have You Googled Yourself Lately?

September 8, 2009 at 5:37 pm

In talking with job seekers, I often ask if they are actively using social networking sites, notably LinkedIn, as part of their approach to landing a new job. I get a yes answer only about half the time. I strongly encourage these folks to build their profile on LinkedIn, start making connections, and seek [...]

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Today, Stability Trumps Other Forms of Recognition for IT Staff

August 19, 2009 at 4:46 pm

A couple of recent studies have looked at what companies can do to retain key information technology staff when there is no budget for raises. Slightly more than one-third of the technology professionals polled by Dice.com said that they want their company to give them a guarantee of job security. Who wouldn’t want that given [...]

Inexpensive Ways to Show Employees You Care

August 10, 2009 at 4:34 pm

Last week I attended a meeting for human resource professionals. The dinner speaker talked about fun in the workplace – an unusual topic given today’s economic climate. The speaker’s examples of workplace fun were along the lines of employee parties, picnics, and catered lunches. As I sat there, I had to wonder, who can think [...]

Great Places To Work

July 30, 2009 at 4:20 pm

You’re probably aware of annual surveys that identify some of the best places to work in the U.S. A few companies seem to make these lists year after year, for example, Aflac, Google, Starbucks, and Whole Foods. What if there was an online job board that listed openings at these and other great workplaces? [...]

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Everything Changes

July 25, 2009 at 4:29 am

In the past couple of weeks I’ve been reminded of how quickly things can change and not always for the better. Relationships that we thought were solid are now crumbling. Loved ones who were happy, healthy and vigorous are now sick and dying. Jobs that we thought were stable and recession-proof are suddenly gone. Homes [...]

Job Angels

June 30, 2009 at 11:55 am

I was recently interviewed for a story in the Atlanta Journal and Constitution (AJC) on the grass-roots movement called Job Angels. This group and others like it are designed to connect job seekers with people who may be able to help them in some way. The piece was written by Laura Raines and appeared in [...]

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Reinvent Yourself

June 15, 2009 at 5:29 am

Last week I met with a mid-career female who is in a job search. She asked me what I thought of the concept of ‘reinventing yourself.’ Specifically, she wanted to discuss the pros and cons of reinvention. I had never been asked this question before so it took me a few moments to formulate an [...]

Just Dance

June 2, 2009 at 8:00 am

A friend sent me this link to a YouTube video of Ellen DeGeneres’ commencement speech at Tulane University. Ellen’s advice to the new graduates includes ‘be true to yourself’ and ‘just dance.’ Watch the video, and then ask yourself a couple of questions. Ellen Degeneres Commencement Speech How do you define success? Now, answer another [...]

Coaching: A Critical Skill for Leaders

May 26, 2009 at 1:07 pm

Did you know that coaching is being used more often and in new ways to help the bottom line? According to a study by the Center for Creative Leadership and Cylient, businesses plan to expand their use of coaching into 2009. More than half (53 percent) of the companies surveyed said that they expected their [...]