Liz Trocchio Smith
Certified Executive Business Coach
and Trusted Advisor
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All managers need to motivate their employees, but many struggle to get it right. Bosses looking to deliver an effective pep talk should explain why the work they are asking people to do is important. How do the employees’ tasks connect to the organization’s purpose? Point out ways your team is making a real difference for customers, the community, or each other. Or you can connect your employees’ responsibilities to…
Most of us are focused on all the things we have yet to accomplish at work. But constantly staring at a long to-do list can take a toll on your emotional well-being. It’s important to occasionally recognize and appreciate all you’ve accomplished. Take periodic breaks from the busyness of work to think about what you’ve checked off your task list. You may want to keep a “done” list alongside your…
Short-term assignments, transfers, or rotation programs can have big advantages: You’re exposed to new geographies, functions, cultures, and people. But these temporary positions often come with little or no training, so it’s your responsibility to get up to speed fast. Here are three ways to make sure you’re getting the most from a short-term assignment: Set goals.At the start, write out what you hope to accomplish during your tenure —…
Some people equate good listening with sitting silently, nodding, making eye contact, and, when the speaker is done, paraphrasing what you heard. But these things are only part of what makes someone feel that you heard them. The best listeners go deeper by trying to understand the substance of what the other person is saying. Doing this requires that you ask questions to clarify your understanding and push the other…
It’s important to prepare for job interviews, including thinking about how you’ll answer certain questions. But you don’t want to just stick to your talking points. If you answer too quickly and your response is too smooth, you risk looking like you’re delivering a rehearsed answer, rather than engaging in a genuine conversation. So after the interviewer asks a question, pause — even if you’ve practiced a response. Listen for…
You want to work less but you can’t imagine how, especially since you feel like you’re already behind. Begin by deciding how much you want to work. Set a target range of hours — for example, 45–50 hours per week — and use that number as a stopping point. If choosing a weekly range is overwhelming, start small by focusing on an incremental goal, like leaving 15 minutes earlier each…
I just returned from the National CREW, (Commercial Real Estate Women) Network Convention in Houston. It’s always uplifting and powerful to connect with women from all over the world. What is always fun to me, is not only do you connect with women from all over the world, but you also connect with women in the same city you work in. We all get so busy and overwhelmed with, well,…
To build a team of creative thinkers, you need to hire people who are open to new experiences and have resilience, emotional stability, flexibility, and empathy. During interviews with potential hires, ask questions that test for these traits. For example, you might ask the candidate to come up with multiple solutions to a problem, and then see if they are able to draw connections between those solutions to find a…
No company wants to pass up a useful innovation. But given the current pace of technological change, how do you know that the next “revolutionary trend” isn’t just going to be a costly distraction? When deciding where and when to invest in technologies like artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and biometrics, consider whether the new technology does one of the following in a unique way: Eliminates customer pain. Know your customers’ biggest…
When a majority of salespeople miss a goal, it’s often because the management team set the goal too high. Unrealistic goals not only dampen sales, they also cause top-performing salespeople to get frustrated and leave. Here’s how to assess whether your sales goals are stretching into the impossible: Track historic goal achievement outcomes. Set a benchmark for the percent of salespeople that should make their goals (typically 60%–75%). If the percentage…
We’ve all had that feeling of being a poser, being unworthy, or being unqualified to do something we’ve been tasked to do. But the fact that everyone occasionally suffers from impostor syndrome (even CEOs) doesn’t make it any easier to handle. Next time you feel like you’re in over your head, try these three things: Recognize the benefits of being a novice. There are positives to being new in your field….
Talking about politics at work can be tricky; however strong your views are, you don’t want to alienate your coworkers. Here are some strategies for having a tactful, diplomatic dialogue. Focus on learning. Chances are, you’re not going to change your coworker’s mind, so frame your conversation as a chance to learn about their viewpoint instead. Ask questions. Be curious and open-minded. Show respect. Validate the content of your colleague’s…