Tag Archives: Balance

For Moms and Dads

July 4, 2012 by Joyce Richman
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Moms, Dads, your grown kids are home for the holidays. Some of them are gainfully employed, making tons of money. They’re beautifully groomed, happy, healthy, generous, and kind to small animals. They’ve not only met your expectations, they’ve exceeded them. Others have returned home, not for the holidays, but for the duration. As kind, good, well groomed, respectful and generous they may (or may not) have been in the past, what’s been leeching out lately Continue reading →

A Few Warnings to Be Aware Of

June 28, 2011 by Joyce Richman
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Warning to  Workaholics on Vacation No beach is warm enough, no pool deep enough, no book long enough to keep you from the next call, the next report, the next conquest. No companion is fun enough, no escapade strange enough, no catacomb deep enough, to keep you from the next deal and the next plane that gets you to where the heat is hot enough, the mountain high enough, the trial tribulation enough, to make Continue reading →

Retiring to…what?

November 30, 2010 by Joyce Richman
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“I can’t help but wonder what he’ll do once he isn’t working here anymore. This place seems to be his whole life; what happens when it isn’t?” I bet you know him. He comes to work early and stays late.  He’s known as a company man. He’s dedicated, loyal, with a work ethic that challenges the most diligent. His only fear is failing health even though he’s never had a sick day. (He’s never had Continue reading →

Heads Up – The Future Has Landed

October 5, 2010 by Joyce Richman
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Frank needs some help and no one here seems to be able to get through to him. I asked Frank’s boss to describe the problem. His response told me more about what it wasn’t than what it was.“Frank’s not rude or withdrawn; he’s not outspoken or overbearing. He never gets angry. The guy is very intelligent. He understands how our business works and does what it takes to get his job done. We could let Continue reading →

Keeping Your Balance with Reorganization

July 13, 2010 by Joyce Richman
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Heads up, friends and neighbors. Companies are reorganizing and if you’re working for them you know what that means: the earth is going to move under your feet. If you want to keep your balance even as those around you might be losing theirs, think about what you want to do, what you say and who you to say it to. Let’s begin with the “Don’ts”: Don’t engage in a whisper campaign against management. In Continue reading →

Take Time, Take Charge: Do Circumstances Block Your Way?

March 16, 2010 by Joyce Richman
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The answer lies somewhere in the pause. How many situations have you made worse because you stepped in where you weren’t needed, said more when less was enough, and offered opinions when none were requested? How many times do you wish you’d said more, because less wasn’t enough? When you wish you’d offered a kind word or a statement of support? There is nothing heroic about speaking first if speaking last is the wiser choice. Continue reading →

Lessons for a Successful Career

March 9, 2010 by Joyce Richman
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It’s surprising, frustrating, and disappointing when our strengths, (“I’m so organized;” “I’m very decisive”), turn out to be our weaknesses (“He’s so compulsive!” “She’s so dictatorial!”).  Do any of the following apply to you? Career lesson #1:  No one likes the smartest kid in the room if the smartest kid makes other kids look dumb. When you’re launching your career it’s important to establish yourself as someone who is quick, bright, and eager to get Continue reading →

Unrealistic Fear

February 9, 2010 by Joyce Richman
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Tom (Dick, or Harry) has a problem. He’s in way over his head. Competent, well educated, articulate, he’s scared of the slippery slope that lies ahead. He could veer off the path, but he’s chosen to stay the course. And he’s relieved it will soon be over. They’re going to fire him, he just knows it. Realistic fear? Realistic, no, not remotely. Fear, yes, absolutely. I’ll leave the psychological evaluations to those who specialize in Continue reading →

Stop Looking in the Rearview Mirror and Focus Ahead

December 22, 2009 by Joyce Richman
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If you only focus on where you’ve been and what you’ve left behind, you won’t see what lies ahead. All she could talk about was how stuck she was; how she and her business, both successful, had slowed, then ground to a stop. “My customers once had money to throw around and they loved to throw it my way,” she wailed. I had a high end business and my clients didn’t have to worry about Continue reading →

Rejoining Your Life After an Unexpected Layoff

November 4, 2009 by Joyce Richman
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I bet you know him. He goes to work early and stays late. He’s known as a company man. He’s dedicated, loyal, with a work ethic that challenges the most diligent. His only fear is failing health even though he’s never taken a sick day. (He’s never had a day that he stayed out sick. He’s had several sick days.) He’s just been laid off and never saw it coming. He was starting to think Continue reading →

Don’t Just Work Hard and Be Smart: Work Smart!

November 4, 2009 by Joyce Richman
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Carolyn (not her real name) comes to work tied up in knots and goes home the same way. She’s worried that she won’t have enough time to get her job done. She’s worried that someone will ask her a question that she can’t answer. She’s worried that she’ll never be as smart as she needs to be. If Carolyn were the only victim of her angst, that would be difficult enough. But she isn’t. Everyone Continue reading →

The Benefits of Social Capital in the Workplace

September 17, 2009 by Joyce Richman
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When Harvard University professor Robert Putnam authored the book “Bowling Alone” in 2000, he wrote that social capital (the collective value of all social networks) had seriously declined, that we weren’t visiting as much, joining as much, gathering as often at our churches, lodges, PTA’s and community socials. As a result, we weren’t as trusting, sharing, or cooperating. Several weeks ago his concerns were echoed in national surveys that sounded the same notes of concern: Continue reading →