“Did you see our careers site?” I mumble, “yes,” knowing what they are going to say next. I get the question every time. “Well, what do you think of it?” I use the same answer every time, too: “Do you want the explicit truth or the polished answer?” I usually laugh when I say this to break the awkward silence …
Asking questions is not built into the psychology of our society, and it’s unfortunate really. I mean, you tell me. How many times have you asked your partner or child – “well, did you ask?” How many times was the answer “no”? Exactly. Social norms have made it weird to ask too many questions of a stranger. We’re all so …
Need a conversation prompt? Just say, “I hate my boss.” Add a swear for emphasis, some name-calling if that makes you feel better. That phrase usually starts an echo around a table or at a bar. A lot of “me too” and “oh, you should meet mine.” Then everyone starts to recite all of the oh-so-obvious ways that their managers …
I’m all for efficiency. Check out any of those online personality assessments that are supposed to help you sell to me. I like direct communication. Let’s get shit done. I’m the same way when I go to the grocery store. I organize my list in the order of the rows. I don’t like to wander aisles at all. Speed is …
After joining my first big company, Monster.com, I was sent to my first big conference. As their social media ninja, they wanted me to know the most forward-thinking social strategies and sent me to learn from the big brands. I geeked out. I read all of the overviews and had my agenda planned days ahead of getting there. Not only …
I’ve been traveling more than usual over the last few weeks, which inevitably means I have to leave the comfort of my favorite airline (Southwest) for more favorable flight times or prices. After one particularly long travel sprint, I ended up on Frontier. Frontier is one of those airlines that promotes the super cheap flights– the “$10 to Vegas” kind …
I’m going to say something a little unpopular, especially among the big agencies who want to charge you 6 figures for a one-liner: I don’t think most companies benefit from having an employer value proposition, or EVP. Don’t @ me. Before you throw any virtual tomatoes, hear me out. When I say employer brand, what do you think of? When …
A few weeks ago in the airport bathroom, I overheard a conference call taking place in the stall next to me. Cringe. I hate that. Are you so important that you have to pee during the call? I get if you’re at home. You really need to go, so you put yourself on mute. But remember, I said I overheard …
How you tell a story matters. Don’t believe me? Keep reading. It’s within the intricacies of navigating the details and following the hints that we find a connection. The cliffhangers. The next page. Stories are where we start to imagine instead of merely reading. They push us to connect, create, and conspire instead of just digesting a simple plot line. …
There’s something really special about an art museum. The way it demands silence and reverence. The colors. The ideas. Their allure isn’t only in the silence but the unique experience found in each and every museum around the country. Whether in Cleveland or Chicago the collections of art are so vast that in every new country or city, you can …
