October 24th, 2019 by Kelly Kienzle
Do you remember this photo from 1990? Do you see our “pale blue dot”? Look closely in the center, a bit to the right. This is a photograph taken of the Earth as the Voyager left it behind to explore our solar system. This photo helps me…
August 28th, 2019 by Kelly Kienzle
“I am already that person.” This is a new phrase that I re-discovered today as I was looking at some old notes from a few years ago. I had been talking about a change that I wanted to make in my coaching style but was getting stuck. My…
July 30th, 2019 by Kelly Kienzle
We live so much of our lives in the past or in the future. As leaders, as colleagues, as parents, as friends, we are constantly analyzing and replaying events from the past hour, the past week or the past year. We also spend large amounts of time…
June 26th, 2019 by Kelly Kienzle
The Questions As I consider my next birthday, the 50th one, I begin to indulge in fantasies of what and when my retirement will be. What will it look like? How will I find meaning in what I do each day? How do I approach this period…
May 7th, 2019 by Kelly Kienzle
The Scene The team’s leader frowned as she clicked forward through the coming months of her calendar. She could see the mounting number of changes that her team would soon face. She could feel her temples start to press inward on her brain as she considered…
March 1st, 2019 by Kelly Kienzle
Internal politics, personal drama, and conflicting viewpoints are what most often drain our energy at work. We feel dragged down by the heaviness of trying to keep the peace, find middle ground or push our agenda through the sticky cog wheel of internal decision-making. Finding Common Ground…
January 8th, 2019 by Kelly Kienzle
In January, work teams often discuss new goals for the coming year. This admirable task can have a dark side to it though. Setting new goals can make us view the past year as “not enough” or as a short-lived victory, barely acknowledged. If we are…
November 20th, 2018 by Kelly Kienzle
How often have you asked, wondered or worried whether you are spending your professional life in your most ideal way. How much do I enjoy my job? Am I really passionate about this field? Is this what I want to do for the next 10 or…
October 11th, 2018 by Kelly Kienzle
As my faithful readers know, I usually write about a topic on leadership growth and transformation. But last week I went to my 30-year high school reunion and unexpectedly learned something I want to share here. What I learned was this: Our strongest and longest-lasting relationships…
August 17th, 2018 by Kelly Kienzle
Empathy is one of the 5 elements of emotional intelligence and, in my experience, the one we most struggle to understand and express at work. Empathy is when we understand the emotions and actions of others. But so often we just cannot understand the rationale and…