Conversation Algorithms

Gossip Didn’t End in High SchoolRemember when you finally graduated high school and were so excited to leave the drama behind? Goodbye, gossip! Goodbye, rumors! Goodbye, cliques!Fast forward: You enter the corporate office. Suddenly, you feel like a teenager surrounded by instigators. But, this time, the stakes are higher because office gossip won’t just make you unpopular. Instead, it could cost you your job!You never learned to deal with gossip in high school because you thought it would e[...]

This is the second article in our series on Narcissism. If you haven’t already read our first article, we recommend checking it out here. Here's How to Deal with a Narcissist at Work. If you think you’re dealing with a narcissist at work, you first need to determine whether or not they are, in fact, a narcissist. Unfortunately, Narcissistic Personality Disorder can only be diagnosed by a mental health professional. Still, there are specific indicators you can look for that will help you[...]

Written By Sarah Hodges “We’re changing our benefits plan next year, and I need to know how to deliver the news to our staff,” said an executive coaching client in a recent session. The delivery of bad news is a common topic that comes up whenever I’m coaching a leader who sees the value in an engaged culture.  They know that sometimes they have to make hard decisions for the good of the organization as a whole, but they also want to protect employee morale. “How should I tell t[...]

Written By Sarah Hodges The Most Common Leadership ComplaintsAs an Executive Coach, one of the most frustrating and recurring issues my clients face is employee underperformance.     - “Their job is simple.  I don’t know why they can’t just do it,” a leader told me during a recent coaching session.     - “They should be able to complete this task. It’s just not that hard!” said another manager.     - “They keep asking me the same questions over and over again!” co[...]

Written By Sarah Hodges Instigators are lurking in your life right now.  They exist in your family, circle of friends, and in the workplace. They cause problems, and their interactions leave you with less energy - like a vampire who feeds off your positivity and optimism.  Sometimes they’re easy to spot, but many of them wear masks veiled as your support system. You need to unveil these instigators to learn how to manage them in your life. Here are Five Easy Ways to Spot an Instigator #1[...]