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Karen’s Articles

Contemporary workspace flat vector illustrations set. Working office employees sitting and standing behind ergonomic furniture cartoon characters isolated on white background. Coworking openspace area.

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 had...

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, in...

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 that...

Coworkers connect puzzle pieces, teamwork. Business concept partnership, cooperation of businessmen and businesswomen, career growth, development and success.

How to Create a More Positive Workplace: Connecting With Coworkers

I conducted a virtual workshop this past fall on creating a more positive workplace. The insights of the thoughtful and engaged participants were so phenomenal that I have been sharing highlights from the program through a series of blogs. There was one detailing what...

Business people getting over stressed in the office, exhausted, tired person working long hours, competitive business life, stress and depression concept illustration.

Always On

I just got back from a mini-vacation. It was the first time our family had been together in a very long time, and such a joyous event! Try as I may, I have been afflicted with the same “always on” work mentality as so many of my readers. While working from home has...

How Writing Sentences Improves Mindset

May is Mental Health Awareness month, and while many factors affect mental health, the practice of gratitude can have a positive impact. One simple way to practice gratitude is to notice the good things that occur in our personal and professional lives. Psychologists...

Man Fatigue during home video conference meeting call. Post-work exhaustion from constant face-to-face digital interactions. Working remotely Stay connected during pandemic to combat loneliness

Zoomed Out!

At the beginning of the pandemic I wrote an article about leading virtually. There are lots of tips about setting up your home office, finding a suitable backdrop and keeping a routine. What I did not address is video conferencing fatigue. Few of us imagined in March...

To Tell or Not to Tell?

Recently a manager revealed a hiring experience to me. She was interviewing candidates for a new position, and the job description for the position didn’t list the salary range. The rationale was, “We don’t want to miss out on hiring someone good.” That said, the...

Thankfully the New Employee Isn’t Drinking Your Espresso

Can you imagine coming home from the gym one day and there sitting at your regular spot at the kitchen table is someone you don’t even know enjoying an espresso, having just ground your best beans to make it? Only later do you find out that your roommate had invited...

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