Remember When your Boss was Older than You?

Posted on August 5, 2021June 29, 2021 by Jan Hovrud

Remember When your Boss was Older than You?

The workplace is truly a new place. In this place the boss isn’t always the guy with the gray hair anymore.

As baby boomers age and younger, technology savvy workers move up the chain of command, generations are beginning to experience a very different workplace dynamic.

Now, those leading the company teams may be much younger than the workers they are asked to lead. This, of course, can lead to challenges and conflict.

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What should you learn from the Potential Boss During the Interview?

Posted on July 29, 2021August 5, 2021 by Jan Hovrud

What should you learn from the Potential Boss During the Interview?

Happiness on the job has many factors – the right pay, location, challenges that suit our capabilities, benefits, and more. For all the hours spent at work, the boss is also a critical factor in evaluating whether or not to accept that new position.

But what can you really find out about the boss during the length of an interview or two?

Plenty! According to Caroline Levchuck, author of the article, “Four Questions to Ask a Potential Manager.”

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Type and Sacred Hoops

Posted on July 22, 2021July 22, 2021 by Jan Hovrud

Type and Sacred Hoops

Most of us know about the success of Phil Jackson and his unique coaching style that led to six NBA championships.

But have you ever thought about it in regard to the type preferences of the MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator)?

In type theory, there are two ways of taking in information – Sensing and Intuition. People tend to trust one of these preferences over the other.

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Type and Team Projects

Posted on July 15, 2021June 29, 2021 by Jan Hovrud

Type and Team Projects

On your next team project watch how the various MBTI preferences play out!

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Strengthening Your Resilience through Problem Solving

Posted on July 8, 2021June 29, 2021 by Jan Hovrud

Strengthening Your Resilience through
Problem Solving

“You can’t keep blaming yourself. Just blame yourself once, then move on.”

Homer Simpson, quoted in the London Daily Mail

During difficult times keeping problems in perspective may be a challenging task. But possibly the most critical aspect of developing resilience may be in learning that we have a choice about our attitude.

Reframing how we think is the first step toward managing how the problem may be solved.

Try this exercise for gaining perspective in the next difficult problem you encounter:

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Your Path to Finding a Mentor

Posted on July 1, 2021June 29, 2021 by Jan Hovrud

Your Path to Finding a Mentor

A good mentor relationship enables both the mentor and the mentee to develop and grow new talents and increase self-awareness.

The mentee can receive objective advice that keeps him/her from falling into common pitfalls and become more in tuned with what is needed for his/her development. The mentor can hone leadership skills and benefit from seeing another person positively grow and change.

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Communicating Deliberately

Posted on June 24, 2021September 28, 2021 by Jan Hovrud

Communicating Deliberately

Open communication with others fosters trust, enhances information flow, builds relationships and increases respect. Effective leaders know the value of two-way communication.

Our relationships at work can make or break our ability to implement our vision and goals. Changing situations demand increasingly sophisticated interpersonal skills.

Embracing the power of type preferences can have a tremendous impact on how we reach others. Use the following tips to communicate deliberately in your next conversation with someone of the opposite preference.

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Leadership and Empathy

Posted on June 10, 2021June 7, 2021 by Jan Hovrud

Leadership and Empathy

While learning about Emotional Intelligence, many people find it difficult to understand why empathy is an important competency for leadership. Some people proudly proclaim that they don’t have much empathy, while others roll their eyes about this “warm and fuzzy” virtue.

But what people fail to realize is that when we show lack of empathy in our daily lives, it serves as a roadblock not only to our relationships but also to our coaching abilities.

Empathy is the ability to read other people and see things from their perspective.

It involves tuning into body language, facial expression, posture and tone. When we show empathy we “hear” the whole message both verbally and non-verbally. We work to understand rather than projecting our own interpretation of reality on them.

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Give the Gift of Listening

Posted on June 3, 2021April 20, 2021 by Jan Hovrud

Give the Gift of Listening

Listening enables us as leaders and mangers to value our employees. It helps people get the most out of meetings and conversations. True listening promotes cooperation. It assumes the other person has worth, dignity and something to offer.

Some benefits to increasing your listening include: building cohesive teams of people, developing individuals to be better contributors, making solid decisions, knowing how to connect with others and creating an atmosphere of reduced stress. When people reflect on their best boss a frequent response is that the person was a great listener. Listening is a gift that aids us in both personal and professional growth.

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