Let’s face it, there times in life when we’re going to fall down—either through the fault of our own doings or through the travails of daily living. The test of our strength and our character is how we get back up. Sometimes, life knocks you down and it takes the wind from your being. Sometimes, it’s good to sit and inhale a moment or two, letting your lungs refill with the force of life before you rise again. What’s…
We’ve had a number of conversations lately about the longing for a summer vacation. Not a week or two, but the whole summer off from school with, as folks have described, “enough time to get bored.” Many people do take a vacation in the summer, yet don’t find it to be quite what they are longing for. And many others haven’t had a vacation in years as they struggle with finances or work demands or family needs. It’s challenging to…
indəˈpendənt, adjective 1. free from outside control; not depending on another's authority. synonyms: freethinking, free, individualistic; 2. not depending on another for livelihood or subsistence. synonyms: self-sufficient, self-supporting, self-reliant, standing on one's own two feet Most of us have the privilege of being independent and therefore able to take action on our own behalf. Today, we would like to encourage you to celebrate your independence and to take action on your own behalf in the area of your life where…
In the last couple of weeks, we’ve had a number of brilliant leaders start our meetings by saying some version of “I’m a mess!” They then go on to describe a range of experiences—both professional and personal—that they can’t resolve easily. They recount a range of pain points from long-held challenges in a family business, to a change in direction from the Board of Directors, to a shift in the market, to a diagnosis of a frightening illness, to the…
One of the things many of our clients struggle with is how to get the most out of the negative people in their lives. Those people who are quick to see what’s wrong, or to resist a new idea, or who focus on all the potential “disastrous” consequences of a decision. Almost all of us have one or two in our lives and they can make moving an initiative forward challenging, unless you have the ability to tap into the…
As the world moves faster and faster, there are demands on each of us to match the pace. Yet, as humans, we count on a level of predictability and stability to move forward effectively. In fact, our brains count on being able to kick into habit to manage the demands of all that’s coming at us. When it gets to be too much, we get fatigued by all the change—hence the term Change Fatigue. Organizational change fatigue can become a…
How many times have you said, I feel like… to describe your experience? If you’re like most of us, probably quite a few. When you say "I feel like," you’re actually not talking about feelings at all, but instead you’re talking about what you think. If you replace the words, I feel like with I think you’re more accurately describing what’s happening, and as a result, you’re experienced as more credible. Here are some examples: I feel like you’re mad at…
Of all the traits that make up a good leader, resilience is probably one of the most important. re·sil·ience /rəˈzilyəns/ noun the ability of a substance or object to spring back into shape; elasticity. the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness. Resilience is something that you learn and develop over the course of your lifetime—it’s not something we can do innately. Resilience means that you can manage your fear, disappointments, and negative inner voice to come back to a…
Change is hard. We all know that it’s inevitable, but most of us like the sense of safety and control that comes with a reasonable amount of sameness. Remember when we were hunters and gatherers? Predictability often meant a greater chance of survival, so change unnerves us—whether unplanned or planned. And, it often comes as a surprise to people that positive change can be as hard for us to embrace as a challenging change. As we move toward a positive…
Last week we talked about the Gallup poll that showed that 93% of the people surveyed have left their organization to find job growth opportunities elsewhere. We talked about being aware of the need to grow your teams and nurture your leadership pipeline to create ongoing success in your company. This week we’d like to get you thinking about what this same statistic means for you in your personal life and relationships. If this poll is even partially correct, it…
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Carpenter Smith Consulting is a Women Business Enterprise, Oregon Cert ID 7047.
