Learning from the Seventh Circuit — the Art of Being Influenced
The New York Times’ recent article about Seventh Circuit Judge Diane Wood, a “left-leaning woman in a world of right-leaning men,” highlights her ability to influence her colleagues — most notably conservatives Judge Richard Posner and Chief Judge Frank Easterbrook. Her skills as a persuader make her an attractive potential Supreme Court nominee to Democrats like me seeking to replace retiring Justice Stevens with a jurist who can influence Justice Kennedy to side with the more liberal wing of the high court. Enormous credit is due the extraordinary Judge Wood,...
Read MoreTeach Your Children Well — Another Reason Not to Multi-task
Along with the mounting research that says that multi-tasking is ineffectual, let me add one more reason not to do it: your kids. If you want to teach them good manners and focus, you’d do well to practice a little mono-tasking. Maybe it’s just me, but I often have a hard time getting my kids to pay attention to what I am saying. At school, teachers instruct children to give “attentive listening,” while at home I find myself saying, “look at me when I talk to you” with ever more frustration. I was really getting annoyed with with my kids, and then I...
Read MoreInterviewing Beyond Your Comfort Zone
I recently coached two people who were preparing for job interviews that were a stretch from their current position. Several themes emerged that lead me to provide the following guidance to job-seekers. When interviewing for a job takes you another rung up on the managerial ladder, especially if the job takes you beyond your comfort zone, you may feel insecure about how to prove to your interviewer that you can take on the greater responsibility. Don’t panic. Your resume was good enough to get you in the door. The interview is your opportunity to synthesize the elements in your...
Read MoreCouples: Tips to Build Positivity in 15 minutes (or Less!)
Today in my Dual Career Couples Workshop, we focused on building connection, appreciation, and aligning values. It was really fun and inspiring to witness four couples engaging one another on topics that really matter. They were talking and listening, being serious and laughing, disagreeing and compromising, fundamentally respecting one another. Here are some of the suggestions I gave them to increase positivity in their relationships: *Send your partner a text message or email during the day just to check how their day is going or to relate a success or something funny. *Make your...
Read MoreStarting Sunday — Workshop for Dual Career Parents
I’m really excited about my upcoming workshop on Dual-Career Parenting. It’s not so much a parenting workshop as a relationship workshop for parents. If you know anyone who would be interested, I still have room for two more couples. *Parenting and Relationship Strategies to Keep Your Partnership Strong* What becomes of “us” when baby makes three (or more ….)? The change of priorities that accompanies parenthood upsets the pre-baby balance, and the constant and often conflicting demands of children and career lead many couples to put their relationship on the back...
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