[Life Back West] December 2012 – “Mr. Watson, come here. I need you.”

Colorful Door

Life’s choices and chances come to you in so many ways that if you’re not looking you most likely miss more than you catch.

More often than not you focus on what you’re losing or lost, not what you could have gained.

The passing of a year, and meetings with some former colleagues this week reminded me of one simple fact; we regret more what we think we’ve lost than what we’ve likely gained.… Read the rest

Sorry? Say So Effectively!

Last Friday the 13th (somehow fitting) was “sorry” day at  Back West’s world headquarters; three occasions that someone said to me “I’m sorry.”

How effectively those apologies were tells you the things that make a sorry work, and how saying you’re sorry can also make the situation even worse.

Here’s the three:

  • Stephanie Smith, the person who cuts my hair was a no-show (as in the lights were off, the door locked, and no one in her shop) for my appointment late Thursday afternoon.
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Are the “Best Places to Work” Really the Best Places to Work?

The San Francisco Business Times announced its Best Places to Work in the Bay Area for 2011. This year’s ranking brought nominations from 301 companies representing employees in 12 counties around the greater Bay Area. The eighth annual Best Places to Work awards recognized the top employers in five categories based on company size.

Are the “Best Place to Work” the best places to work?Read the rest

Your Career: How to Say Goodbye

There are few things that are more important than first impressions (that tagline: “You only have one chance to make a great first impression“), the time in-between, and leaving that lasting impression by how you say goodbye.

People can forget at times a lot of bumpiness in that in-between period if the bookend hello and goodbyes are done well.

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What Do You Do When Your Boss Throws You Under the Bus?

She had been a life preserver of wisdom when my career as a senior exec hit the intersection of homophobia and high corporate politics (“I think,” she had offered, “that someone in your situation should get good legal counsel quickly.”) and now over a decade later we had the chance to reconnect over hot chocolate and conversation.

This time – unfortunately – she was the one who was on her way out, and it was my chance to offer advice and guidance.… Read the rest

Coaching Tips: How to Dress for Success

John Molloy’s 1980’s classic Dress for Success spawned a generation of workplace climbers who fashioned their work wardrobe around his advice. While 30 years later his advice lingers: some of it unfortunately  (e.g. yellow power tie, or manlike power suits for women ) and some of his advice that is spot on. The gist of Molloy’s advice? If you want to be more effective in the workplace, think about what you wear.… Read the rest