Editor's Note

It’s a human tendency to compare. Well, some of you might disagree, but sadly that’s the truth. Be it the house you own, the car you drive or the phone you use, if someone has a better one, you feel a bit disappointed. If you own something better than others, you feel happy too. When we do this, we are either showing off our success to others or wanting what others have. This focus on the others keeps us from evaluating ourselves based on what we want and what we are capable of doing. Our cover story by Walt Grassl You Own Your Dreams, brings home this great message, “You get results based on your choices”

You Own Your Dreams: You get results based on your choices

Paul and Sara were attending a luncheon that brought together colleagues from their officeas well as recently retired colleagues. Sara commented to Paul that some of the retirees seemed very happy and others were lookinga bit lost – just as it wasback at the office. She asked Paul if he had any idea why. She could understand the differences in the workplace, but in retirement?

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Remember What’s Important: The purpose of our journey through life

I attended a concert by the Brothers Cazimero, two talented and well-loved Hawaiian musicians. Early in the evening one of the brothers, Roland, fell ill and had to leave the stage. Suddenly his brother Robert found himself on stage in front of a thousand people without his partner, unable to perform the two-hour repertoire they had rehearsed. He had to wing it.

Value Communication: It’s key to your success

Can we agree on something? Success, whether on an individual or organizational level, never happens in a vacuum. No one succeeds alone – everyone must communicate in order to collaborate, manage or lead. Communication is the common currency we all use to get things done – in our lives and in our careers.

Unethical Persuasion: How to protect yourself

Have you ever agreed to do or buy something you really didn’t want or need, and later wondered, “Why did I say ‘yes’?”You’re not alone. Whether you ended up doing a colleague’s job, buying nutritional supplements you had little use for, or donating time and/or money to a cause you weren’t passionate about, chances are you said “yes” due to some finely-honed persuasion.

Love Your Job: Why keeping your job is a lot like staying in love

You just got a new job! You love it! It's the absolute, most fantastic, academically and financially rewarding career opportunity you have EVER encountered. You wax poetic about how this is going to be the best employment of your professional journey thus far. It is going to more than satisfy your need for intellectual challenge, it is going to bring you to hitherto unknown heights of self-awareness.

The Woman Bully Boss: Have you experienced any of the tactics of bullies?

Forty percent of bullies are women, and when women are bullies, they choose women as targets 71% of the time. Sadly, when the bully finds his or her target, the target pays with his or her job. That’s according to Dr. Gary Namie who started The Workplace Bullying Institute in 1998 after his wife, Ruth, experienced bullying firsthand at the hands of a female supervisor. That sour experience prompted their research into bullying to support the passage of laws to curtail workplace abuses.

Communication Is A Critical Skill: It is not a soft skill

Interpersonal communication is a critical skill necessary for life, leadership and business. One reason communication skills training does not work is because communication is viewed as a soft-skill instead of a critical or strategic skill. I talk about this in No-Drama Leadership at length. Your philosophy about communication (soft versus strategic) as well as your competency in various forms of communication brands you as a professional or a novice; savvy or clueless; responsible or inconsiderate. In short, the way you communicate affects brand YOU.

Occupy Your Space: Attain success in life

I stood in the ring at the Colorado World Tae Kwon Do State Championship, facing my opponent, who happened to be eight years younger than me, my mind racing around in an attempt to remember the training I had received to succeed in this moment. One particular remembrance lead to a victory medal: When your opponent stands before you, shift your focus to the space around them, in this way you will be able to utilize all available options for movement along with pathways to flip any attack into positive momentum, revealing the portal through which you can execute your knowledge for a successful outcome. Look through your target to your desired goal in order to unleash your complete strength and technique with accuracy.