Blog

Quotes of the Week

“Often we allow ourselves to be upset by small things we should despise and forget. We lose many irreplaceable hours brooding over grievances that, in a year’s time, will be forgotten by us and by everybody. No, let us devote our life to worthwhile actions and feelings, to great thoughts, real affections and enduring undertakings.”~ Andre Maurois, 1885-1967, Writer “One half of life is luck; the other half is...

Motivation Creation

Let’s face it, motivation is not always intrinsic. Motivational bumps-in-the-road can strike us at any time and can be caused by a number of factors. Perhaps we’re having trouble staying on task after a long weekend, having a slow work day, or we are so overworked that we’ve hit a wall. Whatever the cause for the motivational slump, there is a way to get out of it: the 50:10...

Quotes of the Week

No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent.  ~John Donne, poet None of us is as smart as all of us.  ~Ken Blanchard, author and management expert Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision.  The ability to direct individual accomplishment toward organizational objectives.  It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.  ~Andrew Carnegie,...

Take a look at Wendy’s facebook tour

How to get the most out of your team

Team work has always been a difficult concept for employees to grasp and put into practice. Often everyone wants to be the “cook” and no one wants to be the “bottle washer”. However, there are a few strategies to use the next time you are appointed “cook”. Give your team an opportunity to contribute. After interviewing John T. Chambers, Chairman and CEO of Cisco Systems Inc., Bronwyn Fryer, editor...

Quotes of the Week

“Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their sleeves, some turn up their noses, and some don’t turn up at all”- Sam Ewing, former baseball player. “Every noble work is at first impossible”- Thomas Carlyle, writer. “It is your work in life that is the ultimate seduction”- Pablo Picasso, painter. “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work”-...

The Modern Day Garden of Eden. Same Story, Different Fruit

It almost seems like a test from a higher power. Here is this fantastic, wonderful technology, placing the world at your fingertips, but you are only permitted to analyze data on excel. How is it even remotely possible to expect that we can devote our full attention to work related tasks when our primary tool for completing said tasks is a distraction machine? Itʼs not that we mean to...

Achieving Balance

Everyone aspires to achieve balance between their work and home life. Follow these simple tips to help you achieve better balance. 1.  Keep an Agenda: Writing down all your appointments and project due dates will enable you to manage your time effectively and keep track of your commitments. Be sure to build in some “free” time into your day in case of an unexpected emergency. 2.  Prioritize, prioritize: Make...

Quotes of the Week

 “Our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world as being able to remake ourselves”- Gandhi, political leader. “The place to improve the world is first in ones own heart and head and hands”- Ralph Waldo Emerson, poet. “When you learn, teach. When you get, give.”- Maya Angelou, poet. “Nothing limits achievement like small thinking. Nothing equals possibilities like unleashed thinking”- William Arthur Ward,...

Stress Relief with Wendy Woods…(Sigh)

In 30 minutes you are presenting to the board of directors. As you stand in front of the elevator panting, you recall this morning’s mishaps. You missed the bus because you forgot to print an extra copy of your report, leaving you no other choice but to run the 10 blocks to your office building in the -15 ̊C weather. You bolted through the streets cutting traffic and spilt...

How to ensure you’re part of a winning team

Image courtesy of photostock/FreeDigitalPhotos.net Working in a team can be a daunting task because of different personalities and work styles. However, there are a few strategies you can use to ensure you are a part of an effective team: Set specific goals for each of your assigned tasks. Formulate each goal around the:  who, what, when, where, why and how. A recent study released by Leadership IQ, a training...

Back to Basics: Instilling Kindergarten Ideals to Inspire Creativity

If you entered into a competition where you had to construct the tallest freestanding structure possible out of 20 sticks of spaghetti, one yard of tape, one yard of string, and one marshmallow, who would you want on your team? It can safely be said that every organization has acknowledged the need for a creative workforce, and with good reason. Creativity spawns innovation and innovation leads to growth, longevity...

Harriet Takes the Wheel: A Fable that goes from Frenzy to Freedom

Feeling frustrated? Running in circles? Need  a break? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then this is the book for you.  Harriet will help you break away from this frenzy to a life of comfort and ease. Author, Cathleen O’Connor, is an inspirational speaker, writer and consultant, and the inspiration for the book stemmed from her own busy life. O’ Connor was a top executive when...

Feeling blue towards Creativity

What does the colour blue mean to you? Do you think of the open sky and how it represents freedom? Or do you visualize the deep blue sea and feel its peace and tranquility? Would you believe that blue can cause feelings of creativity? According to Rui Zhu and her colleague Ravi Mehta from the University of British Columbia blue can prompt creativity. This is the result of the...

Quotes of the Week

“To find joy in work is to discover the fountain of youth”- Pearl S. Buck, novelist. “Far and away, the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing”- Theodore Roosevelt, former president of the US. “Real success is finding your lifework in the work you love”- David McCullough, author. “In order that a man may be happy, it is necessary that he...

If an Organization Could Teach its Employees Just One Thing…

It would be how to learn. In Peter Bregmanʼs article, The Best Way to Use the Last Five Minutes of Your Day, he explores the lack of personal reflection as a factor in conflict among teams, communication problems and many other workplace woes. Specifically, he highlights a hardworking, driven, passionate, overbearing and controlling head of a retail division named Julie*. From her teammates perspective, she was competitive and territorial....

Getting Input to Maximize Creativity

Your supervisor requests that you hold a meeting with the development team to discuss strategies to attract new clients. You want to ensure success and know that this can only be accomplished with the input of your team members. In fact behavioural scientist, Patrick Laughlin has shown in his book Group Problem Solving, that getting input from a group can produce a better outcome than relying solely on one problem solver....

Quotes of the Week

“The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by the play instinct from inner necessity. The creative mind plays with the objects it loves.” –Carl Jung, psychologist. “Imagination is more important than knowledge”- Albert Einstein, scientist. “Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower”- Steve Jobs, Creative Head and CEO of Apple. “Happiness is not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the...

The Action Plan

Last week I wrote an article, Getting Buy in for Your Idea that discussed some strategies when seeking approval for an idea.  If you were wondering what now or what steps should I follow? Here is an action plan that will eliminate the guess work: Identify the Company Culture, Vision and Goals You must understand your company’s vision and culture. Can your idea contribute to this vision? Be realistic...

Public Speaking

Image courtesy of jscreationzs/FreeDigitalPhotos.net People generally get nervous when they are required to speak in public. When their presentation is in front of their boss and his superiors, the level of intensity gets multiplied by about 100. If you get queasy or knots in your stomach with the idea of public speaking, we’ve got you covered. Here are 3 tips that will relieve the tension: Keep their Attention– Start...

Getting Buy in for Your Idea

With the new year in full swing you may believe that it is your time to make a difference. Perhaps stepping out of the shadow of your coworkers or showing your supervisor what you can do. In How to Get Your idea Approved, author Amy Gallo reveals the 3 essential strategies to utilize when seeking approval for an idea. Two Heads are Better than One Before scheduling that formal...

Importance of Breathing

Image courtesy of federico stevanin/FreedigitalPhotos.net Breathing is something we all do but most of us don’t do it properly. We breathe shallowly and quickly so we don’t get the benefits that our bodies need from a decent supply of oxygen into our lungs. Another wonderful benefit of proper breathing is that it can quickly help us manage stress. Here are 3 quick ways to improve your breathing: Check in...

Quotes of the Week

“The leader has to be practical and a realist, yet must talk the language of the visionary and the idealist. “ – Eric Hoffer, author “Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson, poet “The supreme quality for leadership is unquestionable integrity. Without it, no real success is possible, no matter whether it is...

2010 in review

Like our blog? Click here to read our review for 2010 by wordpress.com

Quotes of the Week

“When the conduct of men is designed to be influenced, persuasion, kind, unassuming persuasion, should ever be adopted. It is an old and a true maxim, that a “drop of honey catches more flies than a gallon of gall.”— Abraham Lincoln “I strongly believe that the responsibility of leadership is to shape the debate—to practice and project the right attributes—whether in a business enterprise, in our society, and even...

Attaining the Happiness Advantage – Part Three

In parts One and Two of the Happiness Advantage, I outlined the key points made by Sean Achor, CEO of Aspirant and author of The Happiness Advantage: the Seven Principles of Positive Psychology That Fuel Success and Performance at Work in a recent HBR Ideacast. In the interview, Sean outlined what is meant by the happiness advantage and offered up some quantifiable research showcasing the benefits of this paradigm...

Quotes of the Week

“The moment of victory is much too short to live for that and nothing else.”-Martina Navratilova, Tennis Player “The man who occupies the first place seldom plays the principal part.”-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe “Accept the challenges so that you may feel the exhilaration of victory.”-George S. Patton “If you do not look at things on a large scale, it will be difficult to master strategy.”- Miyamoto Mursashi “Nothing limits...

Measuring the Happiness Advantage – Part Two

In Part One of Measuring the Happiness Advantage, I summarized a recent HBR Ideacast which featured Sean Achor, CEO of Aspirant and author of The Happiness Advantage: the Seven Principles of Positive Psychology That Fuel Success and Performance at Work. To recap, the “happiness advantage” refers to the ability of your brain to do more when you’re positive. Number Crunching Now, if you’re like me, you want some form...

Quotes of the Week

If we are strong, our strength will speak for itself. If we are weak, words will be of no help. ~ John Fitzgerald Kennedy Genuine poetry can communicate before it is understood. ~T.S. Eliot Think like a wise man but communicate in the language of the people. ~William Butler Yeats Good communication does not mean that you have to speak in perfectly formed sentences and paragraphs. It isn’t about...

In honor of my mom – Susan Levin Woods

On Nov. 5, 2010 I finally cut my hair. My journey began in the summer of 2007 when my mom got sick with cancer and I decided to grow my hair for donation. After numerous chemo treatments that summer, my mom was affected like many others and lost all her hair.  It was a devastating and stark reminder that she was fighting a life threatening illness.  Fortunately she was...