“Red tape. Infighting. Office politics. Employee morale. Can\’t get things done. Lack of communication. Layers of bureaucracy. Not valued. Rude, difficult people. Indecision. Lack of support. Inconsistency. No clear direction.” These are sample answers from readers to a Winning at Working survey that asked about the biggest problems at work. And then we wonder, as […]
In the late 17th century, Lord Chesterfield, an English writer and politician, wrote to his son, “Whatever is worth doing at all is worth doing well.” Three hundred years later, we still heed this advice from the fourth Earl of Chesterfield. Yet doing it well doesn\’t mean doing it perfectly. The 21st century workplace requires […]
Many boomer women get so excited about parlaying their passions into sustainable businesses that they sometimes forget to do the legwork needed before jumping into entrepreneurship. While this process may seem tedious at first, and something that is simply delaying your dream, evaluating the marketplace, your skill set, and how the two fit together proves […]
When faced with catching a fly ball, Lucy missed again. “The past got in my eyes,” she told Charlie Brown, “I thought I had it, but suddenly I remembered all the others I\’d missed.” In two decades in management, I\’ve known hundreds of workplace Lucys. People who let their past get in the way of […]
Because a solid foundation is essential to a strong entrepreneurial start, months and sometimes even years of preparation are critical for any budding entrepreneur, let alone a savvy boomer woman such as yourself. From building up financial reserves to crafting a well-researched business plan, boomer business owners must dig the well long before they\’re thirsty. […]
Traveling over the holidays to visit family outside of Denver, we were fortunate to arrive after a blizzard stranded thousands at the airport, and depart before the cancellation of flights for a second storm. However, our holiday presents were not as fortunate. Okay, things happen. Following up on the undelivered gifts we were informed by […]
I had just finished commenting to my husband how much I liked the use of copper in the Parade of Homes\’ kitchen we were touring, when I overheard another woman telling her husband how much she disliked the look. It made me laugh. It\’s funny how we see things differently. Work is like that too. […]
He was concerned with the direction a decision was leaning, Jon said on his voice mail. Could I meet him for lunch in the cafeteria before Friday\’s meeting to talk it through? As peer managers involved in policy implementation, our departments would be impacted by any direction taken. Friday\’s meeting was with the decision makers; […]
In the Black Hills of South Dakota, carved in granite, the six-story faces of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt create a grand impression viewed from a distant, or standing on the national monument\’s viewing terrace. Visiting Mount Rushmore on vacation, I found the documentary of its making fascinating. Weeks later, one […]
Financial guru Suze Orman taught us to look at our first “money memory” from childhood to help us understand how we view and handle money in our adult lives. Now, let\’s take a look at your “childhood entrepreneur” memory, and get a sense of what your now-boomer self can learn from her inner entrepreneur. The […]
