Whether an individual, team, or organization,
increase your value by developing the voice of a leader.

Liz Trocchio Smith

Liz Trocchio Smith
Certified Executive Business Coach
and Trusted Advisor

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Your Post Can Affect Your Career

I read this article in the Dallas Morning News Sunday Paper, written by Diane Stafford, and wanted to share with my readers.  It is great advice for not just young adults entering the work place, but also a great reminder for those that have been in the workplace for awhile.  I have shortened it for easy reading. Read on. “It’s summer.  Attention spans are short.  Vacations beckon.  Here are some…

How To Retain Young Employees That Keep Leaving

Leaders often lose great talent because there’s no promotion available. It’s terrible to watch your best employees quit after you have invested your time and resources in their professional growth. You may even question why you are investing so much in developing them in the first place. On the other hand, leaders who discover a way to promote their top talent when there’s not a position readily available can retain…

Trust Requires Certain Leadership Habits

For years, organizations far and wide have attempted to crack the code on what makes for a healthy and profitable work culture. Well, let me save you time and money and simply break it to you here: It is trust. We already know this to be true from several studies. For example, Great Place to Work — the global research consultancy that partners with Fortune to conduct the annual study…

Stay Interviews Are The New Exit Interviews

Want to do something that will launch you into the new era of HR? Get rid of your exit interviews and replace them with “stay interviews.” If you’re new to this concept, unlike the exit interview, managers are using stay interviews to get fresh insight into improving the work environment or their own leadership skills to retain those valued employees today–not after they have emotionally disconnected and stopped caring. Fair warning:…

Fundamental Truths We Too Easily Forget

It’s surprising how easy it is to lose sight of the important things in life. Busy schedules and weekly routines have a tendency to put the brain on autopilot. Some of life’s essential truths need repeating. Keep this list handy and give it a read any time you need a boost. BEING BUSY DOES NOT EQUAL BEING PRODUCTIVE Look at everyone around you. They all seem so busy—running from meeting…

Signs You Are Nearing Burnout at Work

  Recently Forbes published an article on how to recognize burn out.  We can all face these challenges on occasion, so read on to see if you have any of the signs. Doing challenging work is engaging. It gets the creative juices going and generates a sense of satisfaction once you complete it. But challenging work can also be overwhelming. Without pacing, challenges can easily lead to long nights of…

Mentoring – Make It Meaningful

We all want to give back and leave a legacy to those that are following behind us to make the work place, and the world, a better place to be.  I mentor a lot of young professionals and have learned some tricks of the trade that I want to share with you so you can be the best you can be! Demonstrate compassion and honesty You just have to care….

How Some Work Cultures Can Wear You Out!

Far too many companies believe that a cutthroat pressure-cooker culture gets results. They think the harder they crack that whip, the better people will perform. High-pressure cutthroat organizations spend 50% more on healthcare for their employees than organizations with a more positive, supportive environment because 80% of workplace accidents are attributed to stress, as are 80% of doctor visits. Cutthroat organizations are actually less productive because they experience significantly lower…

How Stress Literally Shrinks Your Brain

  We all know that living under stressful conditions has serious emotional, even physical, consequences. So why do we have so much trouble taking action to reduce our stress levels and improve our lives? Researchers at Yale University finally have the answer. They found that stress reduces the volume of grey matter in the areas of the brain responsible for self-control. So experiencing stress actually makes it more difficult to…

Inclusiveness Is Key

My husband and I recently came back from a trip with our dear friends, Jim and Robin. Jim came up with a great idea for dinner conversation so everyone would be included.  Each night, someone picked a topic they were familiar with or had read about and it became the conversation at dinner.  As there were several of us, it gave everyone at the table an opportunity to join the…

Confidence Matters

When you feel confident, the whole world seems to belong to you. You suddenly surround yourself with other successful and confident people, and both opportunities and success come your way with ease. Everyone, at one time or another (including me!) struggles with lack of confidence.  Below I share some quick and easy ways to keep your confidence strong. Define your purpose. It’s hard to be confident in what you’re doing…

What Death Reminded Me About Life

This past weekend, I attended the funeral of a very dear friend. My heart was heavy as I visited with her family and friends and talked about a life taken too soon. I cried and smiled as I remembered our time together and the laughter and experiences that we shared.  In death, we always seem to stop and reflect. Here are a few thoughts I wanted to share that we too…