Liz Trocchio Smith
Certified Executive Business Coach
and Trusted Advisor
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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…
AI is no longer just a tool; it’s part of your workforce. If you want to lead effectively in this new era of “agentic AI”—AI systems that can act independently, without constant human supervision—you’ll need to treat AI agents as teammates, not just software. That starts by rethinking how you structure and source work. Map tasks and outcomes, not just roles. Break down each job into its individual tasks. Then,…
Our Founding Fathers Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence? Five signers were captured by the British as traitors and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured. Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War. They…
As we approach National IBD Day, I want to take a moment to share my personal journey with Crohn’s Disease — a form of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) that affects millions around the world yet often remains misunderstood. Living with Crohn’s means navigating a chronic illness that doesn’t always show on the outside. It’s a condition that brings unpredictable flare-ups, fatigue, pain, and a long list of physical and emotional…
If you’re feeling exhausted every Monday morning, the problem might not be how much free time you have on the weekend, but how you use it. Instead of defaulting to passive activities, try “leisure crafting”: a more intentional approach to your free time that improves your well-being—and even boosts your work performance. Identify activities that really energize you. Leisure crafting isn’t about changing your hobbies—it’s about changing your mindset around…
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…