Take a moment to look at a handful of job postings on a job site. Go ahead, I’ll wait…chances are you’re going to see something along the lines of “dynamic company looking for a team player”. So essentially, someone who enjoys working with others, is hardworking, supportive and encouraging, and likes to high-five people. But […]

After achieving my Psychology degree, I wanted to broaden my intellectual horizons by taking some courses that would allow me to put my theoretical knowledge into practice. Management, it seemed, was a good place to start. Why? Because I had worked under a lot of take-charge managers who knew nothing about how to handle the […]

I go through a myriad of emotions on my daily (hourly?) emotional roller-coaster rides, but while fear and helplessness feel the worst, boredom is the real jerk. It’s so innocent, so innocuous. In my case, however, boredom is a gateway emotion. Because when I’m bored, I’ll suddenly find myself walking towards my pantry and grabbing […]

It’s not uncommon for mental health red flags to be dismissed by parents and teachers as “normal” teenage angst – a tendency toward isolation, nervousness, lashing out, or sleeping too much. I would often lock myself up in my room, which was dismissed as an introverted tendency, but I did so because I was actually […]

I am a creature of habit. I have the same morning routine: Snooze my alarm 3 times, turn on the radio, wish I could sleep in, roll out of bed, brush my teeth, feed my cat, and hope I remembered to put clothes on before stumbling out the door. I take the same route to […]

You’d think that having Baby Boomers as parents – the original “Me” generation, the hippies, the counter-culturists – would mean my parents would be mellow, go-with-the-flow types. Nope. Something happened when they boxed up their bell bottoms and platform shoes, and traded their peace sign for a wagging, “you’re-in-trouble” finger. I’m a Millennial who grew […]

I’ve got some MAJOR pet peeves when I’m driving. Like those people who cut across three lanes at the last minute to get off at an exit. Or drivers who don’t signal their thanks when you allow them to merge ahead of you. I really, really wish driving through traffic was like the game Mario […]

It’s hard not to ignore the common theme of male characters in movies: The stoic silent type that doesn’t blink an eye in the face of danger, the bad boy who is always emotionally out of reach, or the gruff male character who prefers to display his feelings in actions rather than words. It seems […]

I know of few women who eagerly welcome the aging process, but getting older does have its benefits. With experience comes wisdom – and I’ve always found that the best lessons I’ve learned were learned the hard way. Like the importance of asserting myself. Or recognizing that destructive criticism, masked as advice, says a great […]

In team-oriented job environments and fields that involve working with the public, it seems like a no-brainer to hire an extroverted person. You may even be led to believe that extroverts make better leaders because of their outgoing nature and interpersonal skills. So the logical conclusion would be to hire a team of extroverts, right? […]

Trying to be perfect is Sisyphus-like turmoil. Face it: No matter how hard you try, you’re going to mess up sometimes. You can certainly do something very well, even near perfect, like not breaking the yolk when you flip an egg or launching your dirty socks in the laundry basket on the first try, but […]

In a previous blog, we looked at four types of toxic people who put productivity and morale at risk. Here is another set to look out for – and I’ve saved the tougher ones for last. Take a deep breath…here we go: Rule-breakers Why they’re a problem: Employees who buck the system and disrespect rules […]