I Love You Just the Way You Are

Every so often someone tells me they want to ‘confront’ their ‘shortcomings’ and then ‘make strategic changes.’ Sounds sweet, so why am I cringing? For one, it’s almost always after someone has told them they need to change because they don’t fit in. It’s usually their manager of some sort, but occasionally it’s someone more […]

Networking for the New Year (and beyond)

I’ve been talking with some people for years, trying to define ‘relationship’ in the context of networking as a step to defining how to value those relationships. I’m giving up on those conversations as of today. For one, they are based in the assumption that one person is worth more than another. No doubt, someone […]

The End is Coming

Of the year, that is, not the world. I usually don’t think about my New Year’s resolutions until at least the 30th of December, but I’ve got a couple of big goals for 2019, so I’m starting early. Since it’s easier to give advice than take it, I’m going to write this for you, too. […]

Leading Into the Light

There is a famous old Peanuts cartoon. Linus, ever philosophical, quotes “It is better to light one candle rather than curse the darkness”, whereupon Lucy, ever the pessimist, says something like, “You stupid darkness!” Before you choose your favorite (and yes, one choice is more ‘socially desirable’) consider the advantages of being a Lucy. You […]

On Being a Republican Parent

Bear with me a moment here. I’d better leave a note for my (grownup) kids here, even though I’m pretty sure they don’t read this blog. Mom is still as left liberal as she always was and she still wishes we still had that last family still living in the White House. But sometimes, you […]

On Public Hearings

On Public Hearings…. If you’re a typical American, you’ve at least been peeking at the nightly news to get the day’s summary of the Supreme Court appointment debacle…

What if we Gave an Election and Nobody Came?

Election Day will be here soon. Wherever you live, you’ll probably be asked a few ballot questions along with your selection of candidates for whatever job openings there are. Yours might be about your willingness to fund some project or change some tradition or underwrite some new bureaucracy. Did you ever notice that these Election […]