Karen’s Articles
Voltaire and Appreciation
“Appreciation is a wonderful thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well." - Voltaire I have been sharing a series of blogs on the importance of gratitude in our personal and professional lives, and on the benefits of routinely recognizing the...
Ask a Stupid Question
I attended the National Speakers Association Conference last week and as always, I learned so much. Here is one of my favorite quotes from the conference that I would like to share with you. The quality of the answer is dependent on the the quality of question. —...
It’s Only a Policy if It’s Enforced
Recently I met with leaders who were trying to develop a return to office policy. They decided on a blended approach, having everyone come into the office two days a week and work from home the other three. As we discussed the enforcement of the policy, we started...
What Would You Do?
In order to create a respectful and inclusive culture, organizations need to provide regular diversity, equity, and inclusion training. But once you have had that basic training, how can you mix it up and make it relevant year after year? At Concordia Consulting,...
No One Listens to Me!
I was an undergrad at the University of Virginia when a classmate said, “It’s so rude to interrupt.” What? I had never heard that before. I truly had made it to college without being taught that interrupting was rude. My mother tells the story of an ordinary...
Blending Is Not Just for Your Blender
I went to lunch last Thursday with my colleague, Shirley. Shirley has been a VP of HR for the 18 years that I have known her, and I have been able to partner with her in three of the four companies where she has worked. Shirley wanted to meet with me because she...
How Will You Observe Juneteenth?
I grew up in the South, but didn’t know about Juneteenth until just a few years ago. Juneteenth is a holiday celebrated on June 19th to commemorate the emancipation of enslaved people in the US. The holiday was first celebrated in Texas, where on that date in 1865,...
Cicadas and Perspective
I walked outside to go to an appointment today and heard the deafening hum of cicadas. I sent a group text to my family that read, “Cicadas.Are.Loud.” If you live in the metro DC area or some other parts of the East Coast, cicadas are a thing right now. I think...
Sign up for Karen’s Newsletter
You will also get notified when Karen releases new content like articles, and more!