Liz Trocchio Smith
Certified Executive Business Coach
and Trusted Advisor
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Like most people, you probably lean on filler words while speaking, such as “um,” “ah,” or “you know.” But these verbal crutches diminish your credibility and distract from your message. To drop them from your speech, replace them with pauses. Start by identifying the filler words you use too often, and then pair them with an action. For example, every time you catch yourself saying “like,” tap your leg. This…
Managing egos, the over and under-inflated, the forceful and the fragile – is one of the great challenges facing any leader. It is a crucial task, however, if a group is going to have a fighting chance to succeed, to become a true team rather than a collection of individuals – lone wolves – each looking out for him or herself rather than the “pack”. Leadership must get those individuals…
Even in dire circumstances, you can still lead with optimism, helping your team and your customers stay resilient amidst uncertainty. The first step is to be a role model. Lip service alone won’t work. Also, keep in mind that a positive outlook is easier to adopt as a group, so help employees foster a sense of connection with each other. This can be as simple as celebrating when a team…
Balancing work and family has never been easy, but the global pandemic has led to a whole new set of challenges. If you’re struggling to be productive, consider setting boundaries for yourself and your kids. For example, you can make it clear to your family when you’re on and off the clock, trying to stay out of your office area during your “home” time. If something urgent comes up (and…
When your team is working remotely — and possibly on different schedules — people can feel like they’re expected to be online all the time. But this lack of distinct downtime isn’t good for you or your team. As a manager, it’s your responsibility to establish communication norms while encouraging people to continue to work flexibly as needed. Define clear “communication hours,” for example, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.,…
If you aren’t reaching your goals, the solution probably isn’t to take on more work. Instead, consider what you might stop doing. You’ll have more time for what really matters if you eliminate unnecessary busy work. Here’s a simple exercise to make that happen. First, identify a specific goal or an area of your work that you’d like to improve. Then, take a piece of paper and divide it in…
It’s exhausting to look at a screen all day. And yet, if you’re working remotely, it may feel unavoidable. To maintain your energy throughout the workday, try to proactively disconnect from screens whenever you can. Remember that video calls aren’t necessary for every meeting: Try a regular phone call every once in a while to mix things up. Also, choose physical over digital when you can. Brainstorming ideas for an…
We’re consuming more information than ever before — but retaining all that knowledge is another story. If you find yourself struggling to use what you read (or even just remember it), you probably aren’t learning productively. To be a more efficient learner, try three things. First, focus your reading on a single topic for several months. The deeper you go into a subject, the stronger a foundation you’ll have for…
We often blame our phones for our worst habits, from multitasking to poor spelling. But our phones can just as easily help us build better habits, by triggering a desired behavior. Start by considering when and where you want the habit to happen. For example, if you want to start flossing your teeth every day, decide when you’ll do it (after dinner or before bed?) and where (bathroom or kitchen…
We all have habits and behaviors we wish we could change. But just being aware of a bad habit isn’t enough. To truly fix it, start by considering your goal (say, “I want my team to know that I trust them”) and the obstacles you expect to face along the way (“I struggle to delegate”). Next, frame what you will do about the obstacles as if-then statements. To address the…
Focusing is hard — especially during a pandemic! Blaming not being able to focus on the constant distractions around us is easy. But trying to get rid of distractions isn’t enough to fix the problem. We also have to retrain our brains to concentrate. For example, when your work is interrupted by email, the real issue isn’t email; it’s that being tethered to your inbox makes you expect an interruption…