Liz Trocchio Smith
Certified Executive Business Coach
and Trusted Advisor
Get “Monday Morning Coffee with Liz”
direct to your in-box every Monday Morning with tips on what it takes to be a great leader
This past weekend, I was proud to walk across the stage to receive my diploma from having earned my Executive MBA from Southern Methodist University in Dallas. Those that shared this chapter in my life with me during this program (my husband, family, friends and classmates) helped me through this challenging and exciting time, and to them I give my heartfelt thanks. To say the last two years of my…
Monday, May 9, 2016 Good morning, I have recently been shopping for a new service and have been impressed by one vendor on the incredible customer service I have encountered, and have been equally disappointed by the lack of customer service from the other. Being in the service business myself, I thought maybe I was over critical, but I decided it was not rocket science on how to treat people…
Monday, May 2, 2016 Good morning, It’s easy to find someone to tell you what you want to hear, but your true ally is one who tells you what you need to learn. Give yourself an edge with these gems of sage advice that most people ignore. Take time to know yourself. “Know thyself” said Aristotle. When you know who you are, you can be wise about your goals, your dreams, your standards, your…
Monday, April 25, 2016 Good morning, Recently, I was privileged to hear Dr. Sandra Chapman, founder of The Brain Institute at the University of Texas in Dallas, speak to a group of professionals. I was so impressed with what she had to say and her research, that I immediately went out and picked up her book, Make Your Brain Smarter. Her study on the brain is so fascinating that I wanted…
Monday, April 18, 2016 Good morning, We’ve explored the things the most respected bosses do, and the inevitable habits that unhappy employees fall into. It’s only fair therefore that we talk about the habits of the world’s most respected employees. Start by thinking about the colleagues you’ve most enjoyed working with–the most successful and likable people. I’m confident I can describe these people, because the most respected employees often have…
Monday, April 4, 2016 Good morning, Almost nobody likes dealing with office politics, and it’s the people who do enjoy it that you have to worry about. And just like regular politics, office politics is an unavoidable element of human behavior—bring people together and the jockeying begins. A lot of the advice about how to handle office politics boils down to “just don’t play,” as if avoiding the political system…
Monday, March 28, 2016 Good morning, “To do our work, we all have to read a mass of paper. Nearly all of them are too long. This wastes time, while energy has to be spent in looking for the essential points.” Sound familiar? It could be a complaint made by anyone who has to read memos to make decisions. But that complaint wasn’t made by a company executive yesterday. It…
Monday, March 21, 2016 Good morning, You’ve got minutes until March Madness starts again this morning…do you know what your employees are doing? I can tell you–they’re setting up their live streams, poring over their brackets, and sweating out the minutes until their alma mater takes the court. What your employees probably are NOT doing however, is putting their full, absolute concentration toward their work. And you know what…that is…
Monday, March 7, 2016 Good morning, If you live in Texas, you know we have been experiencing unseasonable spring like winter. It has been in the high 70’s and low 80’s over the last few weeks. I ventured out to run some errands over the last weekend in my bright red convertible Volkswagen Bug, and yes, with the top down! Weather like we have had just immediately puts people in a good…
Monday, February 29, 2016 Good morning, Starbucks continues to grow relentlessly, with CEO Howard Schultz just announcing plans to open 500 new stores a year over the next five years. Much of this growth will happen in China, where Schulz is undeterred by the recent economic slowdown. While many factors contribute to Starbucks’ immunity to economic trends, most are driven by Schultz. Starbucks’ massive size hasn’t stopped him from realizing…
Monday, February 22, 2016 Good morning, A good friend and colleague of mine, Paul, recently posted his thoughts on leadership qualities in an industry newsletter. He was so right-on with his assessment that I called him and asked him if I could share his thoughts with my readers. Thank you Paul! “In my opinion and in no particular order, these are the essential qualities a person must develop and possess to exhibit…
Monday, February 1, 2016 Good morning, Whether you’re a Fortune company or an emerging business, whether you’re focused on innovation or are desperately grasping for ways to remain relevant, here are some of the non-negotiables that could allow you to redefine an industry rather than follow one. Remember that ideas should have no boundaries, but they do need constraints. Free people from limiting their ideas by saying things like “We could never do…