As a leadership coach, I’ve encountered a lot of business owners and managers who dive into culture-building head-first. I always admire their gusto, but sometimes I must caution them to pull back. That’s because it’s all too common for leaders to confuse perks with culture—and while both have their place, the one is not a substitute for the latter.

Where Perks Come Up Short

Let me give you some examples. Say you want to build a culture that attracts new employees—top talents from within your field. So you set up a break room with a nice eating area and a Ping-Pong table. You institute casual Fridays. You maybe even let your team members work from home one day out of the week.

That’s all well and good—but it’s not culture. These are all perks, and they may well bring new employees into the fold. They’re not going to help you retain employees, though, because they’re not providing your team members with the thing they’re really looking for—a sense of belonging, and of usefulness, within the organization; a chance to make a difference, to develop, and to grow.

Creating Culture

That’s what culture can provide—a sense of ownership. And it goes well beyond perks. Any leader can provide some creature comforts, but it’s much harder—and much more rewarding—to develop a company culture where your people thrive.

Culture-building means creating an environment in which everyone feels like their opinion is heard and valued. It means empowering your team members to make creative decisions, and even to take some risks. It means showing your employees that you want to see them develop their skillsets, rather than remain stagnant.

Transform Your Culture

None of that can be accomplished through buying a few bean bag chairs or bringing a keg into the office. It’s only accomplished by building a sense of community over time, which may require you to rethink the way you handle meetings, organizational hierarchy, and daily interactions with your team members. In other words, it may require an act of transformation—but in the end, it’s a transformation that’s worth it. Start the process by enlisting my services as a transformational leadership coach!

When you’re planning a conference, seminar, or professional event, selecting the right keynote speaker is perhaps the most important decision you have to make. The keynote speaker sets the tone, establishes the themes, and provides much of the substance that attendees will take away from the session. As such, it is important to approach the hiring of any keynote speaker with care—and that means conducting a rigorous interview before you make a commitment.

What should you be asking your potential keynote speaker before he or she is hired? Let me make a few suggestions.

The Right Questions to Ask a Potential Keynote Speaker

• What preparations will you make to ensure a successful presentation? A good speaker will do some careful planning and study to ensure that the address fits the theme of the event and provides real solutions to the people who are present. You should expect to hear some concrete answers about how your potential speaker will go about this.
• How will you ensure that your presentation is memorable to all attendees? Again, it never hurts to ask for concrete examples of how the speaker will make the presentation stick.
• Do you like to interact with the audience? If so, how so? You may be looking for someone to present more of a one-way lecture, or else someone to stimulate conversation; either way, these questions can help you know what you’re getting.
• What is your background? Ask not only about professional credentials, but about the speaker’s general life experience—a good way to sniff out any potential prejudices or worldviews that might make the speaker a poor fit for your audience.
• Who are some other speakers whose work you admire? This is a good way to make sure that the speaker is actually familiar with the field, and with the other players in it.
• How long is the perfect speech? Some speakers go on way too long, and others come up shorter than expected. It’s good to have a sense of these potential dangers in advance.
• Why should we choose you as our keynote speaker? Ask for the speaker’s elevator pitch. A good keynote speaker should be able to present himself/herself well!

When you pick a keynote speaker, it represents a major commitment—so don’t hesitate to vet your candidate thoroughly!

There are a lot of perks that come from being your own boss—but motivation isn’t always one of them. When you’re a freelancer or a solo entrepreneur, self-discipline is imperative, and in some cases hard to come by. There’s no boss breathing down your neck or holding you accountable; you’re the boss, and it falls to you to stay on track and get things done.

Maybe that’s something you struggle with—but there are steps you can take to keep yourself moving forward. Let me recommend just a few of the strategies I’ve picked up from self-employed leaders over the years—strategies to help you get things accomplished.

Productivity Tips for the Self-Employed

Take care of yourself. First and foremost, being productive does not mean burning the candle from both ends. If you want to stay motivated, you’ve got to keep your energy levels up—and that means getting eight hours of sleep each night, staying hydrated, and getting some physical activity. Build some personal time into each day so that you can take care of you, before you try to take care of everything else.

Make a To-Do list… and a Not-To-Do list. Here’s an ingenious little productivity hack that I think more solopreneurs could benefit from. In the morning, make a list of all the things you need to get done that day—your top goals and priorities. Then, on the other side of the page, make a list of the things that just aren’t as important—the things you’re happy to drop. This prioritization can really help you maintain perspective, and it can bring a sense of structure to the unfolding of your day. Most of all, a Not-to-Do list prevents you from becoming overwhelmed.

Connect with people. You might think it’s easier to be productive when you’re all alone in your office—but sometimes, solitude can be counterproductive. You need to talk with other people, brainstorm together, and bounce ideas off each other. Have a regular appointment with colleagues, mentors, or peers, and make sure you’re recharging those social batteries at least once a week or so. Online chat programs can sometimes be helpful in a pinch.

Schedule some quiet time. By quiet time, what I mean is a few minutes where you don’t have a vibrating phone or a blinking inbox. Plan an hour or two of time every morning where you just get stuff done, and let all your notifications and electronic communications sit for a while. Learning to turn off your devices is a critical step toward self-discipline.

Say no. Working for yourself brings unlimited possibility—but that’s not always a positive thing. If you want to be productive, you’ve got to pick and choose your priorities, rather than stretching yourself too thin and getting nothing done. This takes us right back to the Not-to-Do list, in a way: You’ve got to develop your sense of the things you don’t need to do, you don’t need to take on.

Guard your time. Focus on the things that need to get done. It sounds simple—but as any solo entrepreneur will tell you, it can be tough to master. I hope these tips will help you.

You may have launched your business more or less by yourself—but as the company grows and new opportunities present themselves, you may find yourself faced with the choice of whether or not to bring in a partner.

This is a big decision, and not one to take lightly. A lot of companies are made by strategic partnerships. Then again, a lot of companies are broken by bad partnerships.

Let me say this right off the bat, then: There is nothing wrong with choosing not to bring in a partner. Maybe your company has grown to a level you’re comfortable with, and you’re content to stay there, running the show on your own. There’s nothing in the world wrong with that.

But if you do want to grow, and you know you cannot do it on your own, bringing in a partner is one of the best ways to do so—providing you’re alright parting with some piece of equity in the company.

Preparing for a Partner

If that’s the road you choose to go down, here are a few words of advice.

Don’t ignore your gut. Your instincts about a person are not invalid here. If you simply do not like or trust a person, well, that means it’s going to be awfully hard to develop any kind of a sound working relationship with them. Trust that instinct.

Look for compliments. You want someone whose vision for the company will align with your own, but you also need someone who can provide things that you can’t—whether that means expertise, resources, or connections.

Get everything on paper. Each person’s role, boundaries, expectations, and exit strategy should be formally noted in a partner’s agreement.

Don’t rush into anything. Some of the business owners I’ve talked to say that you should know someone for at least a year—talking with them, vetting them—before making a partnership. Your mileage may vary, but certainly make sure there is a relationship in place.

Take a personality test. And, ask the other person to do the same. Get a better sense of how your personalities will work together—or how they might potentially clash.

The bottom line: Be careful in picking a partner. Know what you are getting into. And trust your gut—always a good practice in the world of business.

Human Resources is always evolving, and the way in which companies interact with their employees—and vice versa—is in a continual state of flux. Leaders, business owners, and HR managers alike need to stay up to date on the latest trends, and there are a few significant ones that can be expected as 2017 unfolds. Let me show you what I mean.

HR Trends to Watch Out For

There’s a new generation entering the workforce. I still see a lot of articles offering advice for employers trying to understand the millennial generation. Here’s the thing, though—millennials have been in the workforce for so long now that they’re no longer the new kids on the block. In 2017, many members of so-called “Generation Z” will be hitting the 21-23 age range, and thus entering the workforce in higher numbers. If you want to understand your employee base, it’s time for a shift in the articles you’re reading!

Employee reviews will continue. The last couple of years have brought a rallying cry to do away with the annual performance review—something many employers have followed through with. My sense in talking to HR pros across the country is that this trend is dying down. My guess is that, in 2017, a good majority of companies will continue to do annual reviews, and we’ll all hear less and less about ditching the review process.

There are more and more non-traditional workers. The last decade has brought a dramatic uptick in the number of people who work as contractors, freelancers, and contingent employees—and in 2017, that number is likely to continue rising as more and more professionals find themselves in non-traditional work settings.

Culture will be as important as ever. With so many things in flux these days—politically, culturally, technologically—companies are seeking ways to move forward with some steady sense of their core identity. That’s what culture is all about, and I anticipate that more and more businesses will take a long, hard look at their cultural values in the months to come.

Those are my predictions, but I’d love to hear yours. Leave me a comment and let me know where HR is headed in the coming year!

There’s a common misconception about creative people, I’ve found. The misconception is that the people who are bursting with brilliant ideas tend to be highly spontaneous, a little chaotic, not necessarily organized… people who simply allow their ideas to flow freely, without being impeded by too much structure.

The truth, though, is that many of the most creative people I’ve come across are highly organized, and in fact they say that the secret to their success is their routine, which helps them keep their mind focused on devising creative solutions.

But what if that’s just not you? What if you long to be creative, but you also don’t do as well with routine? What if you’re truly worried that greater structure in your life will send you straight into a rut?

Well, I’ve got some suggestions for you.

Creativity Without Routine?

Go for a long walk—or even a hike. If you find that you’re just not coming up with the bright ideas you need, I really recommend going for a hike—not just a great way to get the blood pumping, but an excellent way to restore cognitive functioning, improving your attention span and your ability to tackle complex problems. Don’t be afraid of getting out of the office to get the creative juices flowing!

Start writing. Another strategy is to get a legal pad, a journal, or even a blank Microsoft Word document and just start writing—about whatever you want. Express yourself. Chronicle the events of your week. Get stuff off your chest, or just let your imagination run wild. This is a fantastic way to jumpstart your creative thinking.

Embrace the mess. Generally, I’m a big believer in tidiness and office organization—but if you find that the uncluttered nature of your workspace feels stifling, don’t be afraid to mess things up a little bit. For some, a little chaos is where creativity is bred!

Procrastinate. Up to a point, it may be okay to put stuff off—or at least, switch from one project to another. Are you the kind of person who works best under pressure? If so, then you may actually benefit from pushing those deadlines.

You can be a free spirit and still be a productive leader—and in some cases, that may be the best way forward. These tips may help!

Every leader wants to be productive—but how? That’s a hard question to answer because, in truth, there is no answer. Productivity looks different for different people, and the only way forward is to find a productivity approach that works for you.

With that said, I’ve got six productivity strategies that I’ve absorbed from some of the great leaders I’ve worked with. Not all of them will work for you, necessarily, but I bet some of them will. So here we go:

What Makes a Productive Leader?

1. Spend some time each evening to plan for the next day. Take some time before you leave the office to write out the next morning’s to-do list, double check for any appointments on your calendar, lay out any paperwork you may need first-thing, organize your desk, and get things set for the coming day. Arrive at work ready to just go.
2. Think in terms of goals, not to-do lists. Do you have a lengthy, complicated to-do list that’s stressing you out? Scrap it, and instead write down just one or two broad goals for your day. Let those goals, not the nitty-gritty stuff, be your guide.
3. Don’t be afraid to quit. Leaders and entrepreneurs generally don’t like throwing in the towel—but sometimes that’s just the best thing to do. If you have a project that’s going nowhere, or is obviously a failure, can it and move on to something more valuable.
4. Protect your time. I say this all the time, but I really do think it’s important to actually schedule—and maintain—a couple of hours each day where your door is closed, your phone is off, and your email is out of sight… some time that’s just for you to get work done.
5. Take advantage of the Not-To-Do list. Try writing down the things you don’t have to think about over the course of your day—the long-term projects that you’re alright to just forget about for a day. Give yourself permission to not get caught up in them.
6. Factor in some active time. If you don’t have some time scheduled each day for a workout—or at least for a walk—then you can expect to grow stagnant and to lose energy. Give yourself a little time to recharge each day!

Try some of these practices today—and see if they give your productivity a boost.

Being in a position of leadership can be deeply satisfying; it can be personally empowering and contribute to an overall sense of fulfilment. The paradox is that it can also be draining; anyone who has ever led knows that there can be an accompanying sense of stress, anxiety, and burnout. That’s simply the nature of the beast.

That’s why it is imperative for leaders to be proactive in safeguarding their mental health—taking practical steps to maintain their sense of mental clarity. What are those steps, though? Let me list just a few tricks of the trade, as learned from some of the great leaders and entrepreneurs I’ve had the privilege of working with.

Protecting Your Mental Health

• First and foremost, take care of your body. Make sure you’re giving it the kind of nutrition it needs to function at its best, and to handle stressful situations with the utmost strength. Get eight hours of sleep at night, allowing your brain to recharge. Make time for physical activity, too—a great way to cope with daily anxieties and cares.
• Be protective of your time. Have a calendar, and use it not just to set appointments, but also to schedule blocks of time when you can be alone in your office and get work done; and, time outside of the office for you to enjoy recreation or to connect with family.
• Have someone you can talk to, someone you can vent to—ideally a mentor, or, if not, a friend who may work in a leadership position elsewhere, and who can understand what you’re going through.
• Use your vacation days. Time away from the office is essential for mental health.
• Don’t feel like you have to take on everything yourself. Hire people who you know you can trust, and outsource simple, repeatable tasks to vendors if need be.
• Stay organized. Have a to-do list for each day, but also consider keeping a not-to-do list—a list of things that it’s okay to put off for another day if need be. Organization is so critical for mental health and clarity.

Your mental health is vital for your success—and for your happiness. Be active in promoting and preserving it.

What’s the most important ingredient in your professional conference event? It’s not a trick question. Though the venue and the food are both critically important considerations, it’s the actual content that people are going to come for, and it’s the content that people will remember. And the key to delivering strong content, of course, is enlisting the best possible conference speaker.

If you’re an event planner, that means really doing your homework, and choosing a conference speaker wisely. As you evaluate potential speakers, consider some of the following strategies, secrets, and tips—all of which will guide you to make the best decision possible, and to end up with a conference that participants will speak highly of.

How to Pick the Right Conference Speaker

Watch your speaker perform. You wouldn’t buy a car without taking it for a test drive, and neither should you engage a speaker without actually watching that speaker perform. Any reputable speaker will be willing to send you a YouTube clip or some other video sample.

Ask about past experience. If you’re looking for a speaker to present at a marketing convention, you want to ensure that it’s someone who’s presented to marketers before. Don’t hesitate to ask about past experience with your industry or niche.

Look for speakers who want to include you in their preparation. You don’t want someone who’s just going to rehash tired old talking points. You want a presentation that’s tailored to your group. Try to find a speaker who will ask you questions and seek your feedback in planning his or her remarks.

Seek a speaker who will stick around. Make sure your speaker is willing to stay after the presentation and talk with people one-on-one, take questions, or just be present at your conference. You don’t want someone who’s just going to speak, then make a mad dash for the door.

Be cautious about speakers who want to sell stuff. It’s fine for a speaker to want a table to sell his or her book, but be careful in hiring anyone who seems like they only care about promoting their wares. That’s usually a bad sign.

Go with a speaker who seems interested in your organization, your mission, and your goals. As you interview potential speakers, listen for those who also seem like they’re interviewing you—because those are the ones who are really going to be invested in your event.

Be strategic in picking your conference speaker—and land on someone who will really provide optimal value to your group!

Business leaders tend to be good at many things, but they’re not always good at staying on top of their personal finances. Of course, it’s not that they lack ability; it’s just that they get caught up in their business finances, which aren’t quite the same thing. I think a lot of entrepreneurs, executives, and other high-producing leaders would benefit from pausing to focus on their own specific financial situations.

Getting On Track with Personal Finances

Yes—but how? This post certainly isn’t meant to be a comprehensive money management course, but I do have a few particular suggestions to make:

Be clear about your goals. What exactly are you trying to accomplish? To retire early? To retire well? To put kids through college? To get a sports car and a boat? To attain a certain lifestyle? Simply to have financial security? Know what it is you are trying to achieve with your personal finances.

Remember that money is a tool. Along similar lines, remind yourself that money isn’t something to acquire just for the sake of it—you want to do something with it, and it’s important to know exactly what that is.

Consider all your income sources. Are there different ways you could be generating money—whether through investing, selling books, freelancing, consulting, or becoming a paid speaker? It’s good to think through all possible ways of bringing money into your home.

Focus on clearing debts. As for immediate financial goals, paying off any outstanding debts is always smart—because once you do so, you’ll be able to seriously pursue those other big financial goals!

Save money. Personal finance is really all about planning for the future, and that means stocking money away for the long term. Meeting with a financial planner is the best way of determining how to save—but if you’re not ready to take that step just yet, it’s great to simply develop the habit of allocating money from each paycheck to a savings account.

Surround yourself with people who are smarter than you. Make sure you have people you can talk to about money, and receive wise counsel about your personal financial habits.

Of course, you’ve got to guide the finances of your company—but make sure you also set aside time to handle your own finances.

Are you the kind of person who loves being in the midst of a lively brainstorming session? Do you feed off the energy of other people, boisterously putting forth their ideas and generating spirited discussion and debate? For a lot of people, brainstorming sessions can be galvanizing. For others, though, they can be intimidating. Those who are more introverted by nature may not get the same satisfaction you get from participation in these idea-generating dialogues.

That can be a problem for your team. It might mean that the introverted people in your midst don’t feel engaged by the brainstorming process—which means, in turn, that you may not benefit from hearing their great ideas.

Brainstorming for Introverts

For leaders, I think this question is worth considering: How can you host brainstorming sessions that get all your team members—including the introverts—involved?

I can think of a few recommendations.

Create an environment in which people can come and go. Introverts may be more likely to participate if they know they can exit when they reach their limit.

Encourage introverted team members to come in at the end of the process. Once the extroverts have had their say, and figured out what they really think, that might be a good time to bring in introverts.

Include silent periods in your brainstorming sessions. At the end of the session, ask everyone to take three minutes in silence to write down notes or simply think about what they’ve heard—which can be invaluable for introverts.

Allow introverts to add their ideas after the fact. Leave some room on your white board or on your collaborative document for introverts to add their thoughts later on, in a quiet moment.

Provide facilitation. A brainstorming session may be free-flowing, but you should bring the whole team together afterward to provide a more formal, organized summary of the ideas presented and decisions made.

Basically: Provide a loose structure to where introverts can find their own way into the process, but also allow for enough organization that your brainstorming session wraps up neatly. Those are my tips for getting everyone sharing their ideas.

Many of us seek leadership positions because we hope they will afford us the kind of lifestyle we want—but it doesn’t always happen that way. Often, the pressures of leadership lead to long hours in the office, unhealthy habits, and a general decrease in quality of life.

But can anything be done about it? I certainly think so—but it requires you to make some choices, develop new habits, and be resolute about preserving your health, your happiness, and your sanity.

What Can You Do to Improve Quality of Life?

Here are some specific actions you might take, in no particular order.

Steer clear of toxic people. Take inventory of the people in your life; is there anyone who drags you down, or constantly discourages you? Those toxic influences can wreak havoc on your mental wellbeing. It can be painful, but cutting out those relationships may be the answer.

Unplug. Being glued to your smartphone or tablet at all hours of the day can have a corrosive effect on your mental, emotional, and even physical health; for instance, did you know that the blue light from your electronics messes with your sleep cycle? Devote an hour or two per day where you put the device out of sight and out of mind. I recommend right before bedtime.

Practice mindfulness in the morning. One key to improved quality of life is being in the moment. Try this: When you wake up each morning, take five minutes to simply appreciate where you are. Be still and quiet, and meditate on the things you have to be thankful for.

Get organized. While some people benefit from clutter, most don’t, and in fact a disorganized work area can actually be a major cause of stress. Take some time to get seriously organized, and provide yourself with a stress-free work environment.

Collect inspiration. Keep a running list of quotes or sayings you come across that offer you encouragement, and revisit it when you’re feeling dispirited.

Break big goals into smaller steps. If you’re feeling daunted by the big milestone you want to reach by year’s end, try breaking it down into a few simpler tasks you can carry out this week.

Learn how to say no. Give yourself permission to decline some offers or inquiries this week, freeing more time to focus on the most important things on your to-do list. Practice not over-committing yourself.

With these steps, you can enjoy your life more; you can be healthier, happier, and more useful in the workplace.

If you’re like most leaders, you have different goals that you’re trying to reach—some of them short-term, others long-term. Of course, it’s the long-term goals that can be the most challenging, the most draining. You have them in the back of your mind each day, yet it can feel like you’re not really making progress. Even when you work hard at meeting these goals, it can feel like nothing’s really changing, or that you’ll never be able to cross it off your to-do list.

This can breed all sorts of problems—burnout, self-doubt, and loss of focus. Staying motivated is imperative, but it doesn’t come easy. That’s why great leaders need to actively pursue focus, and to cultivate habits that keep them on track toward meeting those far-off goals.

Staying Focused on Long-Term Goals

Let me offer a few suggestions.

Maintain a big-picture mentality. Keep your eyes on the prize. Don’t let the day-to-day stuff swamp you, and distract from the big thing you’re trying to accomplish. Have your long-term goals written down, clearly articulated, and somewhere where you can remind yourself as often as you need to of what you’re really trying to do.

Make sure you’re receiving support. This may seem a little soft, but it’s something I’m serious about: You need people in your life who will encourage you and speak words of positivity into your life. Have mentors who you can go to with questions. Have friends to whom you can vent. And have team members you can trust to brainstorm with you.

Ask for help when you need it! There’s nothing wrong with asking for a hand, or a second set of eyes, when a problem is really stumping you. In fact, just expressing your struggle to someone can make you feel a lot better about it.

Know what inspires you. What are the things that really recharge your batteries, and get you excited about life? Books? Movies? Hikes? Time spent with family? Know what it is that turns you on, and reconnect with that inspiration often.

Have an outlet. Likewise, make sure you have a way to get your mind off of your work for a few minutes, and allow your body a chance to re-energize; a creative hobby can be great, or simply daily exercise.

Do something for someone else. Finally, if you’re finding yourself feeling bogged down in your work, I recommend shifting your focus to the needs of others from time to time. Volunteer. Mentor. Do something good for someone else. You’ll be amazed at how it reinvigorates you!

You can meet your long-term goals—and you can do it by maintaining focus and energy. Utilize these tips to help you do so!

What’s the most crucial factor in determining the ultimate failure or success of your next conference or seminar? It’s not the venue and it’s not even the food, though both of those things certainly matter. No, what really makes or breaks it is the choice you make for conference speaker.

At the end of the day, your speaker will offer up a memorable presentation with real, value-adding takeaways for your conference participants—or, not. The difference is all the difference, so when choosing your speaker, it’s important to take great care.

That includes avoiding a few common errors. Let me show you what I mean. Here are a few things not to do when picking a speaker for your conference.

Choosing a Speaker Without Considering Your Theme

Your conference should have an overarching concept behind it, and that’s ultimately the thing that will pique people’s interest in coming. It is imperative that your speaker be chosen with this theme in mind. Pick someone who can speak authoritatively on the theme you have chosen.

Choosing a Speaker Without Thinking About Timeframe

When will your speaker actually give the big presentation? Usually, it’s best to have the main speaker deliver remarks at the beginning and/or the end, to really capture that theme and frame the rest of the conference around it. You may also be interested in some breakout sessions or smaller presentations from the speaker—but you’ll want to consider that in advance.

Choosing a Speaker Without Considering Personality

Some speakers are known for being humorous; others, inspirational; others, straightforward and data-driven. Which type is right for your conference and your audience? That’s an important point to consider.

Choosing a Speaker Without Seeing Him/ Her Speak

It’s totally within your rights to request video clips before you hire somebody, and to really know what you’re getting into. No reputable speaker will deny this request.

Choosing a Speaker Without Considering Your Budget

Cost matters, and speaker fees can sometimes be deal breakers. It’s best to know that up front.

When considering a conference speaker, it’s important to do it right—and that means not doing it wrong.

Nobody likes travel delays, but they can be especially frustrating when you’re an entrepreneur or an executive with a lot on your plate. When you have a million things you need to be doing, sitting in an airport is about the last thing in the world you’d like to be occupying your time with—but wait: There are ways to actually use your flight delays to mark things off your to-do list. Allow me to offer a few suggestions.

Make Use of Your Travel Delays

• Streamline your check-in process. Sign up for airline apps, or consider getting pre-checked with the TSA. Even if you’re sitting at the gate for a while, getting checked in quickly can give you more down time to get some work done!
• Don’t forget to make a to-do list. Have a quick rundown of short, manageable goals that you can accomplish while you’re waiting for your plane.
• Be equipped with good Internet access! This is where a personal Wi-Fi hotspot on your mobile device can really become invaluable.
• On a related note, have some device chargers handy! Make sure you don’t leave them in a checked bag.
• Use your time in the airport to prep for upcoming meetings or presentations. Make sure you’re ready for whatever engagements you have once you get off the plane, since that’s probably where your mind will be anyway.
• Catch up on emails. The airport can be as good a place as any to catch up on overdue correspondence.
• Alternatively, take some time to pursue inbox zero! Either file or trash all the messages in your general email inbox area.
• Make some phone calls—so long as they’re relatively brief ones. The airport isn’t conducive to long phone conversations, but can be just fine for quick check-ins.
• Get up to date on what’s going on in your industry. Read up on some blogs and news headlines. Also consider getting some documents ready to be read offline, once you get onto the plane.

There are plenty of ways you can make your time in the airport productive, though I would also urge you to take some time to just chill if you need it; maybe the most productive thing you can do in an airport is to just rest up and restore some mental health and clarity.

There’s no shortage of articles out there that promise “productivity hacks”—practical ways to get more done, to stay oriented toward your goals and committed to your deadline. I’ve noticed something worrisome about these articles, though, which is that most of them tend to assume a traditional office environment.

What happens, though, when you work by yourself? How do you stay focused when you’re a freelancer or a solopreneur, working from your own home and responsible for arranging your whole day?

This is a common question, and I’ve got a few points to make by way of an answer. Here are some of the steps you can take to stay on point, even when you’re working all by your lonesome.

Staying Productive—Even While Working From Home

Devote different days to different types of work. It can be overwhelming just trying to wrap your head around all the different responsibilities you have—so one thing you might try is setting aside certain days for certain projects. Make Friday an administrative day. Make Tuesdays and Thursdays the days where you try to make headway on big client projects. Try to set all your meetings and conference calls for Monday. You get the idea! This way, you can maintain a very particular focus and a certain kind of productive energy from start to finish each day, without feeling like you’re bouncing back and forth between different projects.

Do your work in blocks. If you’re not able to pull off the different-work-on-different-days approach, try dividing your work day into blocks. Block off two hours in the morning to write. Block off an hour after that to answer emails. While you’re writing, turn your email notifications off. And while you’re responding to emails, make that your only activity.

Get tools that help you eliminate distractions. While you’re working on a big project, it can be important to not check social media or email—but if you find it difficult to stay focused, you may want to get browser extensions that block certain sites or provide you with reminders to stay productive. Momentum is just one browser plugin that I’ve found to be useful.

Note that by following these basic steps—and working in divided days or blocks—you can keep an eye on your own schedule and prevent it from becoming too full or too bloated… thus allowing you to truly focus on doing good work without biting off more than you can chew!

One of the signs of a truly great leader is a willingness to seek out feedback—and to accept it graciously, even when it’s less than positive.

Obviously, none of us like being reminded of our flaws, and we can all struggle to receive difficult truths. And yet, this is one of the ways in which we grow: when friends or colleagues get real with us and show us how we can work harder, thrive more, become better.

So as you solicit feedback, how can you make sure that you’re really hearing it, implementing it, and handling it with aplomb? Let me offer a few brief tips.

Dealing with Tough Feedback

First, stop. Your natural reaction will be to bristle, to get defensive. You might start to say, “Yeah, but…” Resist that temptation. Make yourself be quiet and still. Listen to the whole of the feedback you’re being given, and marinate on it before you react. Think through your response.

Say thank you. Someone was bold enough to point out some areas for you to improve, which not only shows courage, but also proves that the person cares about you. He or she is trying to help—so offer your appreciation.

Find an element of truth in what you’re being told. Let’s say someone tells you that you always talk too loudly in the workplace. Well, that’s probably an exaggeration—but maybe you do talk too loudly sometimes? Likewise, if someone says you’re always late, what he or she likely means is that you are frequently late. Don’t take the tough feedback as a total insult, but rather, look for that little bit of truth. Identify any patterns in your own behavior, based on the feedback you’ve been given.

Be curious. Ask yourself why someone would venture to provide you with this feedback—what problem he or she is trying to solve. When you’re curious, you’re engaged in finding the truth, rather than becoming defensive.

Seek clarity. Don’t hesitate to ask questions to find out what the person is truly trying to tell you. Make sure you understand before you try defending yourself.

Be willing to take tough feedback—and to use it to truly grow!

If you’re planning a conference for your industry or niche, the first thing you need to know is that many of the people you invite go to several conferences over the course of the year—and as such, they have certain expectations for how a good conference should be run.

You obviously want to make sure that your conference is memorable for all the right reasons—but how? Let me offer a few tips of the trade that any conference planner needs to know.

Make Your Conference Memorable

In the weeks leading up to your conference, keep people informed. Email and social media are great tools for keeping participants in the loop with regard to new speakers, events, booths, presentations, etc. Keep people excited and engaged through regular contact!

Live stream your conference. Well, maybe not every second of it—but live streaming the main presentations can be a great way to build buzz and generate excitement. And there are so many live streaming options available now, from Periscope to Facebook Live.

Ensure an actionable theme. Every conference needs to have a unifying theme, and it’s vital that your theme immediately convey value. Make it clear from the get-go that those who attend will go home not just with facts and figures, but with practical information they can implement immediately.

Allow for networking. Conferences aren’t just about the presentations; they’re also a great opportunity to connect with other people from your industry. Make sure you allow some time to facilitate networking.

Make sure you have an excellent speaker. This is what people will remember the most—the quality of your speaker. Do your due diligence in finding the person who best fits the needs of your audience.

Don’t make it too stuffy. Having hundreds of people crammed into a lecture hall for hours on end is not only boring, but it’s old-fashioned. Bring some looseness to your conference structure with more breakout events, smaller workshops, etc.

Your conference can be a memorable one—and these tips will help you make it so.

You can’t force people to be happy—least of all your employees. What you can do, however, is create a workplace culture that promotes positivity.

This is a worthwhile undertaking, and for a few different reasons. The first is that a positive workplace tends to breed positive people—and when your employees have positive energy, they tend to be more productive, more energetic, and more engaged.

That positivity spreads to customers, too. Have you ever done business with a company where the employees were exceedingly cheerful and kind? It probably made an impact on you. It probably made you glad to be doing business with them.

Instilling positivity in your company culture is a noble quest, then—but how can it be accomplished?

Let me offer some suggestions.

Bringing Positivity to Your Workplace Culture

Make a choice about the kind of business you want to have. Ask yourself this: When an employee leaves your company, how will he or she remember it? As a happy place, or as an oppressive one? Consider what kind of legacy you want to leave with your employees, and make that your guiding concept.

Hire positive people. Bringing positive people onto your team is paramount. Do you have a new applicant who is constantly complaining about his or her current boss? That kind of attitude isn’t going to change when they join your team. Hire smartly, and be tuned in for positive outlooks.

Encourage feedback—and listen to it. Welcome your employees to come to you with suggestions for improvement—and be grateful for whatever feedback you receive. You don’t have to implement every suggestion made, but do really listen to it, and respect it.

Give recognition where recognition is due. Don’t hesitate to provide public praise or rewards for team members who do exemplary work. Show your appreciation for the people who work for you.

Provide a sense of purpose. The enemy of positivity isn’t necessarily negativity, but rather aimlessness. You can combat this by making sure all your employees know what your vision is, and how they play a part in achieving that.

As part of my leadership coaching, I often ask people this question: What kind of leader do you most like to work for? This can be a helpful way to get people to understand their own style, their own needs and preferences.

I’ve asked the question many times and to many people, and I’ve received a multitude of answers. There’s one answer I’ve never received, though. I’ve never heard anyone say they wanted to work for a micromanager.

That’s because, well, nobody likes micromanagers. That kind of leadership style can have a corrosive impact on trust and positivity in your company culture. And yet, micromanagers do exist. In fact, it’s not impossible that you’re one of them.

The Signs of a Micromanager

How can you tell? Let me run through some quintessential traits of micromanagers, and you can decide for yourself how many of these fit your leadership style. If indeed you are a micromanager, it may be time to do some soul-searching, or even to invest in an executive coach to help you modify your leadership approach.

Some of the signs you might be a micromanager include:

• You obsess over control. You constantly need to know what everyone on your team is doing. You insist that everything be done your way, and you routinely call back work that doesn’t meet your particular standard. You fear the loss of control in your office.
• You try to do everything all on your own. You ultimately think you can run a business as a one-person show.
• You believe that you alone have the best approach to every task… and that your employees don’t have good ideas or alternative points of view that are worth considering.
• You are constantly suspicious that people are wasting time and resources. You ask for detailed records of supply use, phone calls, etc.
• You look for any excuse you can find to organize a meeting… no matter how unnecessary it may be.
• You refuse to delegate. Or, when you do delegate, you immediately start second-guessing your decision.

Diagnose Yourself

If you meet any of the criteria of a micromanager, well, it’s a safe bet that you’ve already been diagnosed as such by members of your team. But there are ways to change your habits, and one of the best ones is engaging an executive coach. Reach out to me to learn more!