Karen’s Articles
Deer Nightmares and Your Five
When my eldest son Josh was six, we moved into our home. Our neighborhood was built in a wooded area and, unfortunately, the building of this community displaced wildlife. We had new landscaping and the deer were thrilled with the fresh vegetation that had been...
Can You Fix My Boss?
“Please, oh please, tell me that people can change,“ I hear frequently. And more specifically, can my boss, my co-worker, my spouse, my teenager, or my mother-in-law change? All of us in consulting professions hear that same question over and over, although it takes...
Mirror Busting
I busted the side mirror on my van, again. I do it frequently. My garage entrance is narrow. My car is wide. It happens when I am rushing. Not paying attention. Trying to be in two mental places at one time. Recently, I traveled to a coaching meeting. When I arrived,...
When Your Error Detection Sends Others Off the Deep End
As leaders, it’s our job to troubleshoot and solve problems. But sometimes this highly developed sense of error detection can go off the deep end. I think it happens to all of us and I can share an example. One weekend afternoon, back when our kids were young, my...
Vistas, Assumptions, and Insurance
Last week I was talking with a director whom I will call Celeste, and she was very worried. She had delegated a project to Pete, and he wasn’t succeeding. He had missed every deadline. He didn’t understand the technical language and he...
Does Your Organization Promote Broom Riding?
I heard him as I was walking down the hall, “I can’t believe you screwed that up! You are so incompetent! Now I will need to stay late! Aarrgghh!” As I entered the cubicle area, I saw him ride his broom into his office just as he slammed the door. (Okay, so I made the...
I Like the Way You Part Your Hair
When my son was in the second grade, I volunteered in his class. It was a classroom with eight very gifted, yet very challenging, young boys. One particular afternoon, one of the little boys in the class was particularly cranky and angry. I asked the teacher, "How do...
Vision Quest – Be What You See
It was a foggy, icy day. I was driving on I-95, my son Jeffrey in the passenger seat. We were heading back from North Carolina after visiting colleges. I broke the silence, “Jeffrey, what did you think of High Point?” “It was OK,” came his monotone reply. “That’s it?...
Does Fitbit Cause Divorce?
A few years ago my husband Bill and I purchased Fitbits. We both set an intention of walking 10,000 steps each day assuming it would improve our health. For me, it was an idea to consider and it would help to enhance my overall fitness level. To Bill, it was a life...
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