Steven's Own Words

Do You Have Permission To Fail?

Do You Have Permission To Fail?

Have you heard this one? If you can’t give yourself permission to fail, you can’t give yourself permission to succeed.   Put another way: If you’re unwilling to be wrong, you can’t be right. The amount of times this has shown up in my life, and the lives of my clients...

How To Have Those Tough Conversations

How To Have Those Tough Conversations

We talked last week about accountability, but what happens when someone fails to live up to their end of the bargain and it’s time for “the tough conversation?” Ouch! A client of mine got a new job a couple months back, that, in many respects, was exactly what she...

Why The CVI?

Why The CVI?

Last week we mentioned the CVI, and I thought we should take a moment to talk about it. For those of you who might be wondering, the Core Values Index is a powerful assessment that cuts to the core of who you are as a person by measuring exactly what you value. This...

Making A Well-Rounded Team

Making A Well-Rounded Team

My editor is heading to New York City for a vacation, and I couldn’t help but reminisce about the time my in-laws took us and my girls there for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. My youngest, Leah, absolutely loved it; that was years ago and she talks about NYC to...

Under Construction

Under Construction

My house desperately needs a new roof and a new paint job. And a new furnace. And a new dishwasher… 🙂 So we’re in the process of refinancing in order to pull out some of its equity for the repairs. I live in Portland, so since there are only about twelve sunny days...

The Individual Vs. The Team

The Individual Vs. The Team

I recently read this article about a new school in Sweden. This school is built from the ground up to rethink learning to truly engage the learner at an individualistic level. And there is one line in this article that really caught me: “We don’t want a school for...

Can You See The Possibilities?

Can You See The Possibilities?

I remember, way back in the day, I was working for a software company, selling scheduling technology to colleges and universities. At one point, I was talking to a prospect whose entire team was, unfortunately, attached to an incredibly obsolete, home grown program....

Sitting In Celebration

Sitting In Celebration

It’s officially summer, and I’m still shocked by the fact that my youngest daughter just finished the fifth grade. She finished elementary school! At times like this Ferris Bueller keeps playing in my head: "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around...

What’s Your Independence?

What’s Your Independence?

How was your fourth of July? The day we celebrate our Independence. So here’s a powerful question: What are you declaring independence from? What are you breaking away from this Fourth of July? Fear of risk? The naysayers in your life? The status quo of mediocrity and...

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