Liz Trocchio Smith
Certified Executive Business Coach
and Trusted Advisor
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With most everyone out this week for Spring Break, I thought I’d pull out a favorite MMC of most of my readers. Sadly Abby and Lilly have both passed over the rainbow bridge, but they live on in our hearts. This is from 2015. Those of you that know me, know that I have a love for animals. I am particularly fond of Labrador Retrievers which I have had most of…
Good leaders look good on paper. Great leaders look great in person; their actions show their value. Yet some leaders go even farther. And they’re even more successful not because of what you see them do… but because of what you don’t see them do. Where the best leaders are concerned, what you see is far from all you get: They forgive… and they forget. When an employee makes a mistake —…
As an executive coach, I always tell my clients to take the negative and “soft” words out of their verbal and written vocabulary and replace it with positive and strong words. It makes an amazing difference in how you come across in your delivery, and how people see you as positive and composed. Here are 10 common words that you could drop from your everyday conversations, both written and…
Author Amy Morin’s book “13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do” is a great book to check-in and see where you stand. Here is the quick down and dirty. Don’t waste time feeling sorry for yourself – Everyday has its ups and downs If you dwell on the downs, you develop a glass half empty mentality. Don’t give away your power – Every day comes with new choices. These include how…
Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history. Also known as African American History Month, the event grew out of “Negro History Week,” the brainchild of noted historian Carter G. Woodson and other prominent African Americans. Since 1976, every U.S. president has officially designated the month of February as Black History Month. Other countries around…
Do you every feel like you are always under stress? It seems to be everywhere! Be mindful of what causes you stress. We all have things that set us off — particular triggers that cause a less-than-helpful knee-jerk reaction. Understanding what stresses you out can help you improve your emotional intelligence and resilience. One way to identify your triggers is by completing statements like, “I become overwhelmed when…,” or “At…
I recently read a New York Times article that spoke of how men and women made decisions under stress. Picture a scene from “The Big Bang Theory” where the scientists are testing men and women under normal circumstances, when everything is low-key and manageable, men and women make decisions about risk in similar ways. We gather the best information we can, we weigh potential costs against potential gains, and then…
My husband officiates college football for The Big XII. The officials from several of the conferences came together last year in Dallas for a clinic. I joined them for a dinner event that included a speaker on Saturday night of the clinic. The speaker was a past college and NFL football official by the name of Red Cashian. Now, most of the officials I have met over the years are…
January is everyone’s fresh start. We resolve to exercise more, eat healthier, pursue career aspirations, spend less time online, or work on our relationships. The truth is one in three people abandon their resolutions by the end of January — citing a lack of time or commitment to the goals to begin with. If you are serious about sticking to your resolutions, there are some solid methods that may increase…
Even though many of us have numerous occasions to feel grateful in both our personal and professional lives, we often miss out on opportunities to say thank you — especially at work. Failing to express gratitude is a missed opportunity. Research finds that it allows you to savor positive experiences, cope with stressful circumstances, and strengthen your relationships with colleagues. And sending a message of gratitude can also have powerful…
The habits of highly successful people allow them to consistently perform behaviors that breed success. Everything from eating well to responsible spending to task completion and beyond requires habits that make such behaviors part of our daily life. Michael Jordan spent his off seasons taking hundreds of jump shots a day. Cy Young award-winning Phillies pitcher Roy Halladay routinely does a 90-minute workout before practices. The young Venus and Serena Williams would wake up at 6:00…