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

Monday Morning Coffee

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Monday Morning Coffee

Stop, Look and Listen

Monday, July 21, 2014 Good morning, My husband Randy and I enjoy spending time outdoors and getting some exercise on the weekends.  When we are not golfing, we love to go for a long bike ride.   Lately when we venture out on our rides, I have noticed nobody is paying attention to what they are doing.  We have about a 3-mile ride from our house that takes us to…

Women, Sorry, Not Sorry!

Monday, July 14, 2014 Good morning, I often observe and speak about how frequently women apologize for not having done anything they should be sorry for.  I speak of it with many of my clients, colleagues, and in speaking engagements.  I observe it in women more so then men, and it comes up in many lunch and dinner conversations with both genders. Recently, Pantene launched a commercial on this very…

Time Is All We Have

Monday, June 30, 2014 Good morning, My husband and I just arrived back from a wonderful vacation with our good friends Jim and Robin.  They invited us to join them, along with another couple and close friends, Susan and Tom, on a trip to the Virgin Islands and to cruise the many islands through the BVI, where they would be spending the summer.  Jim and Robin are great travel companions,…

Dear College Graduate

Monday, June 9, 2014 Good morning, Most young adults have just graduated from college and will, with any luck, be entering the work force.  If you have children, nieces, nephews or friends of those that fall into this category, you may want to pass on some of my advice to them this morning.  Or, if you happen to be a recent graduate entering the workplace, listen up. First, check your…

That’s What Friends Are For

Monday, June 2, 2014 Good morning, If you work in the Dallas commercial real estate community, then you know we are a pretty special and unique group.  To say we are a close knit industry is an understatement.  Most of my generation grew up together in the business, and generations coming after me are doing the same.  So we are all great friends in this community.  When one our friends…

Mothers

Monday Morning, May 12, 2014 Good morning, Yesterday was Mother’s Day, and I wasn’t with my mom because I was out of town.  I knew I was going to be out of town, so I spent last weekend with her.  It’s not the same though, it wasn’t Mother’s Day.  She didn’t seem to mind because I know she is happy to spend time with me whenever we are together.  But…

Trust

Monday Morning, May 5, 2014 Good morning,  Recently my husband Randy shared an interview with me my from the author of a new book, “Trust, Inc.: How to Create a Business Culture That Will Ignite Passion, Engagement, and Innovation.”   The author is Nan S. Russell, and the interview was worthy of Monday Morning Coffee. Q: Why trust? What makes this leadership quality so essential right now? Russell: Trust is at an…

Self Confidence

Monday, April 21, 2014 Good morning, I recently read an article about women and self-confidence, but the advice applies to everybody.   Here are the takeaways: 1. Strive for excellent imperfection. According to the authors, women have a tendency to feel bad if they don’t do everything–from how they look to how they parent to how they talk–perfectly.  As a result, they sometimes fail to take risks lest they fall…

Listen To Your Employees

Monday, April 14, 2014 Good morning, In a recent LinkedIn survey, here are 10 things folks said they needed to be happy in their jobs.  If you have good employees and want to make sure to retain them, read on.  These came straight from them, so listen and learn. 1. I need to like what I do. “Do I like what I do, am I good at it, do others…

Mentoring

Monday, April 7, 2014 Good morning, It seems like everywhere you go and everywhere you look, some organization, group or individual is looking for a mentor.  This morning, I am participating, along with 24 other top female professionals in Dallas, with the Dallas Business Journals’ Mentoring Monday, which will kick off a “speed-dating” like mentoring program of over 100 women mentees at the Belo Mansion for “mentoring moments” shared by each…

Leadership Lessons From March Madness

Monday, March 24, 2014 Good morning, Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships. –Michael Jordan March Madness is upon us. It’s the time of the year in college basketball where dreams come true and when hearts are broken depending on the final score. How’s your bracket looking? Regardless of how your team performs there are key leadership lessons to be learned.  Here are five worth your consideration. Expect…

Are Your Employees A Challenge?

Monday, March 17, 2014 Good morning, Do your employees drive you up the proverbial wall? When you go home, do you inundate your spouse with stories of how awful they are?   If so, you’ll probably recognize these employees, and appreciate our solutions on how to fix the problems.   1. Doesn’t respect your time.   This employee comes in late every morning and leaves early often.   If a meeting…