One person tries to move a desk through a door frame. Three more well-meaning coworkers come to help. Now there are two on each side of the desk, pushing in opposite directions.They keep trying. “At this rate, we are never going to get it in,” one person says exhausted. “In?” A scenario that is almost…
I remember hearing the expression “to love someone else you need to love yourself first.” At the time, I thought, “That is the silliest thing I ever heard.” And decades later, having litigated and resolved employment disputes for over 20 years, I now understand what this means. In times of high stress, as in the…
When the pandemic started, we formalized household chores. My 12-year-old son’s chore is to mop the floor. I was proud to find the mop this morning, thinking he proactively completed his assigned task before school. I later found out he repurposed the mop and used it to reach the Oreo cookies on a high shelf….
Are you “unwinding” or “unraveling?” Some people have shared that after a long day in this pandemic era, they like to “unwind” with binge-watching or several alcoholic drinks. And while the occasional drink or episode is great for relaxing, make sure you are truly “unwinding” and not “unraveling.” How to tell the difference? Ask yourself:…
Have you ever seen this battle scene in an action or fantasy movie? One army, with its soldiers and cavalry is on one side. The opposing army is on the other. The two armies charge at full speed towards each other, across a huge plain, with weapons and heavy armor, screaming battle cries. Finally they…
Starting your meetings on time can help you build a more inclusive environment, now more than ever. When the office workplace was the norm, sitting and waiting in someone’s office, or outside their office, while their previous meeting “ran over” was a pet peeve. But there was some comfort in the ability the person waiting…
In light of our beautiful summer days, I have seen spiders spin intricate webs, birds build sturdy nests, and bees build perfect symmetrical hives. So many animals are born engineers, already knowing intuitively how to build complicated structures. We as humans are born knowing how to build nothing. It is our capacity to learn which…
The NYC streets are full of fond memories: a corner on which I closed a deal on a call, a coffee shop where I met a colleague, a train gate where I was texting employment advice, office buildings where my clients were located. I was literally “going places.” Simply passing these locales in any given…
Ready. Aim. Release. Miss. Adjust Aim. Release. Miss. Adjust Aim. Release. Bulls Eye. I recently picked up archery. Initially, I spent a lot of time on “Ready.” I would aim and line everything up, focus on my preparation and… miss the target entirely. I did the same thing over and over. Until I realized that…
“Knock, knock, may I come in?” When we had offices we knocked on doors. Even with cubicles and open desk areas, we literally said the words, “knock, knock.” Now, with limitations on space and current safety precautions, we have to ask stores, banks, post offices etc “may I come in?” Asking to enter a retail…
