Jobless: Now What?

When you lose your job, the typical response is a sense of helplessness and self defeat. Why me? Why am I not good enough? What's wrong with me? There's nothing wrong with you. For most individuals who lose their job during a company-wide RIF (reduction in force), the decision has nothing to do with them personally. During economic downturns, companies have to make very difficult decisions, usually across the board, to reduce costs and stabilize the organization's financial situation. So, ... Read More

What Is PSI?

PSI is a simple, web-based personality and behavioral strengths assessment inventory. It provides participants with an objective, non-judgmental profile to rank their job, career and motivational interests against the classic Hippocratic Model (4-quadrant grid). Unlike similar instruments that use this grid model to "label" people into one of four categories, PSI recognizes that the complexity of our personality does not fit into a single dimension. The resulting feedback allows participants ... Read More

The Problem Is Apathy

Do you care? Do you want to be a good person? A good parent or spouse? A good citizen? Do you want to be a good employee or a good manager? Do you really care? I've been asking that question of audiences for years. The overwhelming majority of tens of thousands have said yes. I bet you did too! I was once invited by Xerox to come to Chicago and speak. I was to be the final luncheon speaker at the end of a week long customer conference. I got there early enough to hear several spea... Read More

The Pilot Died!

You and I need information whether it's good or bad. Even with discouraging news we all "get through the moments" better with reliable data. Such is the lesson taught by an insightful Southwest Airlines pilot. This is a story I've told clients again and again. Southwest is that little "pretend" Texas-based carrier according to a friend of mine who works for Delta which he believes is a "real airline". Southwest changed its industry. Many airlines in business when Southwest got started a... Read More

The Little Blue Card

David never got his blue card. David is my lifelong friend from childhood. He had it tough. One of a preacher's nine kids, he always had to be perfect. David was never allowed to make decisions: they were always made for him. So when he grew up and left home, he made lousy decisions because he didn't know how to make good ones. David joined the army and was injured during training, hit on the head with the steel door of an army tank. He's never been quite the same since. He also got m... Read More