Liz Trocchio Smith
Certified Executive Business Coach
and Trusted Advisor
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It’s frustrating when a teammate doesn’t pull their weight—but it doesn’t have to derail you. You can manage the situation without letting it harm your career. Here’s how. Document your contributions. Keep a clear record of your work. It’s not about blaming anyone; it’s about showing your role in the project. Whether through emails, updates in project management tools, or private notes, this habit ensures transparency and provides a safety…
When you hit a career milestone—whether it’s landing a promotion, winning a major client, or exceeding sales targets—you expect congratulations. But what if colleagues respond with jealousy or resentment instead? Here’s how to approach the awkward situation with grace. Check your assumptions. Before jumping to conclusions, assess whether their behavior has truly changed. Are they making passive-aggressive comments? Avoiding you? Engaging in one-upmanship? If the pattern is consistent, their resentment…
As you move up the leadership ladder, getting work done through peers—not just direct reports—becomes an essential skill. But delegating laterally requires nuance, not just authority. Here’s how to do it effectively. Choose the right tasks to delegate. Only delegate work that fits your peer’s domain, advances their goals, or uses their existing tools. Misaligned asks feel like favors and are likely to get a quick “no.” Frame it as…
Stepping into a senior leadership role is about more than simply managing a bigger team. It requires a new mindset, focus, and definition of success. If you’re finding this transition to be harder than you expected, you’re not alone. Here’s how to recalibrate your approach. Coach, don’t solve. You’re no longer the go-to problem solver. Your value now lies in helping your managers become confident decision-makers. Instead of offering answers,…
Your workday is a blur of meetings, emails, and endless to-do lists. You’re constantly moving, constantly responding—but are you actually present? Without taking time to reflect, you risk missing big opportunities, making poor decisions, and ultimately burning out. Here’s how to step back without falling behind. Give yourself permission. Being busy isn’t the same as being effective. Productivity culture rewards constant time commitments—but the most important insights often come from…
Flexibility is a blessing—until it isn’t. When you try to do everything for both your work and your family, burnout can sneak in fast. The key is to approach flexibility strategically, so you’re fully present when it matters most. Here’s how. Define what’s enough. Without clear boundaries, you’ll always feel behind. Set standard work hours and define the personal commitments that matter most to you. Equally important: Give yourself permission…
When life is packed with work and family demands, joy often falls to the bottom of the priority list. In fact, many professionals spend most of their time on achievement and meaning, leaving little space for happiness. But no matter how busy you are, you can still create more joy in the time you have. Here’s how. Spend time with others. Joy is amplified by connection. Shared activities with family…
A failed negotiation stings, but it presents an opportunity to improve. The best negotiators don’t avoid failure but instead analyze and learn from it. Follow these five steps to turn a setback into a growth opportunity. Acknowledge—and accept—the failure. It’s easy to blame others or ignore what went wrong, but denial prevents growth. Accept the outcome without excuses. Recognizing your role in the failure allows you to move forward with…
If you’re searching for deeper fulfillment beyond your career, volunteering is a powerful way to find it. The impact you make doesn’t have to be grand—starting small can create meaningful change. Here’s how to get started. Don’t let doubt hold you back. It’s easy to feel like one person’s efforts won’t matter, but focusing on what you can influence—whether in your neighborhood, community, or a cause close to your heart—makes…
Did you know, International Women in Engineering Day (INWED) was launched in the UK in 2014 by the Women’s Engineering Society (WES) to celebrate the achievements of women in engineering and to inspire more girls and young women to consider careers in the field. Originally a national campaign, it quickly gained international recognition and became a global awareness day by 2017, officially named International Women in Engineering Day. The date,…
Many leaders dismiss empathy as an optional, “touchy-feely” skill. But failing to demonstrate it can lead to low morale, poor retention, and a culture where people withhold ideas and concerns. If you want to drive better results, use these strategies to make empathy part of how you lead—consistently and clearly. Start with a shared definition. Without agreement on what empathy actually is, your team will default to assumptions. Collectively define…
Proactive work—for example, taking the initiative to improve workflows or design new resources—can energize you and create real value. But it also disrupts your routine and drains mental energy, making it harder to focus, make decisions, or stay engaged later in the day. To stay sharp while going the extra mile, take a few simple steps. Take real breaks to recover. Frequent, purposeful breaks (like walking, breathing deeply, or unplugging…