You know you need to build a professional brand to effectively market yourself in your career. But how do you build awareness of your brand? Branding is one of those things that we like to make really difficult. It doesn’t have to be; it’s actually quite simple. Let’s start with what branding is not. It isn’t: A tagline A logo A website A campaign These are all tactics that you employ...

Our environment is full of triggers! Smells, sounds, sights barrage us constantly and can affect our actions in both our personal and professional lives. Some triggers are so powerful they can keep us from focusing on making meaningful change, and we unknowingly become a creation of the world around us rather than who we want to be. In this digital age, the biggest trigger is the internet and advent of very sophisticated...

Cornerstone OnDemand researchers have discovered a surprisingly simple way to increase productivity: better office seating arrangements. In a recent article in Harvard Business Review, Jason Corsello and Dylan Minor described the results of a new study, which suggested that who an employee sits next to affects how they perform — and that grouping the right types of coworkers together can improve productivity and wo...

Kathleen, a grade six teacher wonders whether to accept the promotion to principal. Les, a human resources manager, wants a job that 'excites' him. Recently laid off, Barbara thinks this might be a perfect time to start her own business. Tom, an engineer, wants to try a different field where he can still use his engineering skills. Intuition is a great tool to use in solving varied career and personal challenges. Sigmun...

John resigned and left a couple of weeks ago. It was on good terms, but you recruited John and feel some of the sting. After all, you needed him in that role and went out and got him. He left you hanging - he left for what he considers a better opportunity before spending a year at your company. Free Agent Nation my #$$. What ever happened to working through the bumps? Cue the music from the Godfather... Then, t...

Johnny Mercer and The Pied Pipers first recorded the song “Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive” in 1944, and many stars have covered the tune–Bing Crosby, Ella Fitzgerald, Paul McCartney, Barry Manilow, and, for you punk fans, The Vindictives, just to name a few. But for David Corbin, it was a version by a dancing bear that stood out. Corbin, a friend I’ve grown to respect as a fellow professional speak...

Some relationships are permanent; examples can include our families, life partners, close friends, and professional colleagues. These are lifelong bonds we form with some people. Other relationships are transient. Transient relationships with friends, acquaintances, coworkers and colleagues can be highly enriching or quickly forgotten and last for a few days or a few years, either way, they are temporary. Today we hav...

Taking control of what recruiters and hiring authorities find when they search for your name online isn’t just smart — but critical in today’s digital and global job search landscape. So, what have you done to steer your online image the right way? We'll, let's see... #1 You are probably on LinkedIn. Yes? Great. No? #2 You have a Facebook account. Good! Maybe. Be careful with w...

Have you ever felt guilty at work when there really was no reason to? True guilt is the negative feeling we have when we harm others. False guilt, on the other hand, is a negative feeling triggered by not living up to standards that are no longer realistic or because of things outside our control. For example, we may feel guilty because we think we are no longer contributing to our group project. Or a manager may feel gu...

I recently had a very telling conversation. I was speaking with a man at a networking event. Let’s call him David, for the sake of this story. David regaled me with the story of his professional life. He graduated from an Ivy League university in the late 1970s, with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy. Upon graduation, he moved to New York to pursue his dream of becoming an accomplished stage actor. As expected,...