Liz Trocchio Smith
Certified Executive Business Coach
and Trusted Advisor
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Asking the wrong questions when interviewing candidates can lead to bad hiring decisions. Preparing your questions in advance is crucial for identifying someone who will enhance your team, both in skill and in compatibility. Here are four types of questions to help you learn the most about your candidate. 1. Warm-up questions. While it may be tempting to jump right into tough questions, ease in by introducing yourself and asking…
Whether you’re interacting with colleagues, clients, friends, family members, or strangers, conversations are the building blocks of relationships. To become a great conversationalist in both work and non-work settings, use the TALK framework: Topic, Asking, Levity, and Kindness. Here’s how. Start by preparing topics. Think ahead about two or three things your conversation partner might enjoy discussing. Once you’re talking, don’t linger too long on any one subject—switch topics if…
Listening isn’t just about hearing the words someone’s saying to you—it’s about proving you value their voice. Listening well builds trust, strengthens relationships, and drives better results on your team. But even strong, well-intentioned leaders fall into these five common listening traps. Here’s how to avoid them. Haste. Good listening is a demanding task that takes time. Rushing signals disinterest to your team. Set aside focused, distraction-free time for conversations…
If you struggle to delegate, you’re not alone. But holding onto every task isn’t just overwhelming—it can hold you back. Effective delegation isn’t about offloading work, but empowering your team, boosting efficiency, and freeing up your time for high-impact priorities. Here’s how to get started. Identify your roadblocks. Do you resist delegating due to control issues, perfectionism, or fear of failure? Recognize these tendencies and ask: What’s the real cost—not…
Tension and disagreement are inevitable in the workplace. But there’s a difference between healthy and unhealthy conflict. Here are four ways to encourage productive conflict on your team. Say it’s ok. Normalize disagreement. Tell your team it’s expected and essential for collaboration. Set clear norms: focus on ideas, not people, and respect different perspectives. When conflict arises, remind them it’s a sign of engagement, not dysfunction. Name positive tensions. Identify…
Tomorrow is April 1st, April Fools Day! Do you ever wonder why we celebrate April Fool’s Day, or do you just go along with the silliness of it all and laugh the day away hoping to not get fooled? Well, leaders, here is a bit of history for you. The origins of April Fools’ Day are obscure. The most commonly cited theory holds that it dates from 1582, the year…
We’ve all been there: You’re mid-conversation, but the person you’re speaking to is only half-listening. Maybe they’re scrolling their phone, nodding absentmindedly, or giving you a distracted “uh-huh.” It’s frustrating, but instead of shutting down, try these steps to reset the conversation. Pause and assess. Before reacting, take a breath and evaluate the situation. Are they distracted because of you, or is something else going on? This mental reset helps…
Saint Patrick’s Day, celebrated on March 17th, honors Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. Born in Roman Britain, he was kidnapped by Irish raiders and later returned as a Christian missionary. He is credited with spreading Christianity in Ireland and using the shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity. Over time, March 17th became a religious feast day marking his death in 461 AD. Originally a solemn occasion, the holiday…
Are you taking on too much at work? From saying yes too quickly to feeling guilty about downtime to frequently working during off hours, overcommitment shows up in ways that drain your energy and limit your focus. Small, intentional changes can help you reclaim time for the work that truly matters. Regularly assess your workload. Dedicate time each week to evaluating your current responsibilities. Keep your calendar realistic, and reserve…
With modern communications tools, interruptions have become an unavoidable part of the workday. How can you strengthen your attention and stay on track? Here are seven techniques to help you cut down on distractions and increase your focus. Lay the groundwork. Prioritize sleep, hydration, and movement. Create focus rituals—signals that tell your brain it’s time to concentrate—like a dedicated workspace, a particular desk setup, or a consistent routine that primes…
In an era of hyperconnectivity, hustle culture, and frequent change, hurry sickness—the constant feeling of needing to rush—can leave you exhausted and irritable. Here’s how to slow down without sacrificing your performance: Build in buffer time. Schedule space between tasks to handle surprises or reflect. Block out undistracted time for deep work or reevaluating priorities. Pause before committing. Before saying yes to a request, ask: Is this mine to handle?…
The origin of Presidents’ Day lies in the 1880s, when the birthday of Washington—commander of the Continental Army during the American Revolution and the first president of the United States —was first celebrated as a federal holiday. In 1968 Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Bill, which moved a number of federal holidays to Mondays. The change was designed to schedule certain holidays so that workers had a number of long…