Liz Trocchio Smith
Certified Executive Business Coach
and Trusted Advisor
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No one has time for a bad meeting. So be sure you’re not wasting people’s time, including your own, by making each meeting purposeful, inclusive (of the people who actually need to be there), and participatory. Start by inviting people to contribute to the agenda beforehand. This will increase everyone’s buy-in. Then, explain why the meeting matters before you dive into the agenda. For example, you might say, “I’d like…
Learning to make good decisions, without hesitation and procrastination, is a skill that can set you apart from your peers. How can you stop vacillating on tricky choices, especially under pressure? Here are the steps to take when faced with making a tough call. Start by considering many different viewpoints. This doesn’t mean you should seek out everyone’s opinion. Instead, identify the right people with the relevant expertise and give…
When a goal seems particularly onerous, or the path toward achieving it feels unclear, it’s easy to just do nothing and push it off to another day. This is a mistake. Here are three strategies to start tackling that goal you’ve been putting off: Hire a coach or look for a mentor. Having someone to support and encourage you can make a big difference. They can be particularly helpful in…
Intuition is frequently dismissed as mystical or unreliable. In reality, it’s one of the most powerful decision-making tools at your disposal. Here are a few ways to learn to go with your gut: Distinguish your gut feeling from fear. Ask yourself: Am I tempted to make this decision to avoid a threat, rejection, or punishment? Or do I feel excited, at ease, and content with the choice at hand? Practice….
Forming a new habit in the best of times can be difficult, let alone trying to make changes when you’re already spent. But just because you’re exhausted, doesn’t mean you can’t build new, healthier habits. The key is to start small. First and foremost, make sleep a priority: go to bed and wake up at the same time each day. Most of us go to bed too late to get…
Happy New Year from all of us at The Trocchio Advantage!
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from all of us at The Trocchio Advantage!
We all want to get better at something. Maybe you’d like to be a more inspiring leader, be more productive, or take more risks. But ask yourself two questions. First, do you really want to do better? Presumably the answer is “yes,” but if you’re looking to improve because, say, your boss wants you to, be honest about that. Change will happen only if you’re committed to it. Second, are…
We all have parts of our jobs that aren’t fun. But even an unpleasant task can have meaning if you search for it. Try this exercise. Think about an activity that you don’t always enjoy doing — delivering performance reviews, for example. Now ask yourself why you do it, but ask four times. The first time you ask “Why do I do this?” you might answer, “Because I have to”…
Thanksgiving is a holiday that is filled with myths and legends. Many societies have a day set aside to give thanks for the many blessings they enjoy. In the United States, Thanksgiving has become a time for families and friends to get together, probably eat too much, watch football and give thanks. Here are some fun facts you can share over stuffing and pumpkin pie! While most Americans think of…
Many people handle work stress by buckling down and powering through. But that’s not a great way to actually relieve your anxiety. Instead, try reframing the stressful situation as a learning opportunity. Learning something new adds to your skill set and knowledge, and helps you develop feelings of competency and growth, which can alleviate feelings of stress. You can also learn with others. For example, rather than just wrestling with…
Disappointments are inevitable and unpleasant — a missed promotion, a failed project, a poor investment — but you can always learn something from them. To constructively deal with your next setback, think through what happened. Distinguish situations that were predictable and preventable from those that were unavoidable and beyond your control. Ruminating over something that didn’t go your way — and that you couldn’t control — will only frustrate you…