by Shelley Row | Dec 1, 2020 | goals, Neuroscience, over thinking
What is the “whole brain approach?” What a year it’s been! With the new year approaching perhaps you are looking for, have applied for, or are considering a new job. That can be stressful and anxiety-producing, and you can find yourself over-thinking it....
by Shelley Row | Nov 10, 2020 | Employee Culture, Leadership
The problem with most managers Here’s a tale of two managers. Can you relate to either? Shontelle: She was one of my top engineers. She analyzed each problem to the nth degree. She was thorough and logical. A real problem solver. That’s why she was promoted to a team...
by Shelley Row | Oct 28, 2020 | Leadership, Employee Engagement
Leadership development is about applied learning that lasts. When I shifted to applied learning techniques, I saw increased impact, transformed behavior, and lasting change. Why leadership development trainings don’t work · Does your organization provide periodic...
by Shelley Row | Sep 15, 2020 | Decision-Making, goals, Leadership During COVID19
I’m sure you all can relate to the fact that many of the goals I set for my business at the start of 2020 look nothing like where we’re going to land on December 31st (just 106 short days from today). For the companies I work with, I know their 2020 visions also did...
by Shelley Row | Aug 30, 2020 | Decision-Making, Leadership During COVID19, sailing
Remember back in early March, when every single decision and idea we had was met with fear and doubt, because none of us knew for certain what to expect, or how bad things were going to get? Now, after several months of settling in to so many “new...
by Shelley Row | Aug 18, 2020 | Leadership, Leadership During COVID19, Neuroscience
Is learning something new the best way to combat “pandemic fatigue?” I don’t know about you, but since mid-March I’ve now seen, heard and read at least a gazillion advice columns and podcasts from “experts” all telling us ways in which we could be...
by Shelley Row | Aug 4, 2020 | Business Skills, communication, Employee Culture, Leadership During COVID19
According to a June Gallup poll, 54% of workers surveyed said they are currently not engaged, meaning they are “psychologically unattached to their work and company.” Another 14% said they are actively disengaged, meaning they “have miserable work...
by Shelley Row | Jul 23, 2020 | communication, Employee Engagement, Leadership During COVID19
In times of uncertainty, be certain of what your team needs from you As a leadership trainer and coach for over a decade, I can’t help but consider how significantly this ongoing pandemic has pulled back the curtain to reveal some of the most effective and glaringly...
by Shelley Row | Jun 2, 2020 | communication, Decision-Making, Employee Culture, Employee Engagement, Leadership, personality profile, success
It seems like a good idea to use your existing senior staff to develop and conduct leadership training for mid and up-and-coming engineer managers. After all, you’re already paying them and they have proven leadership skills. Why not use them to train others?...
by Shelley Row | May 19, 2020 | Business Skills, communication, Decision-Making, Employee Culture, Employee Engagement, Leadership, Neuroscience, over thinking, success
Exhausted after a Day of Zoom Calls? Four Tips to Manage Your Energy in a Virtual Environment Meeting after meeting after virtual meeting. It’s exhausting. Have you noticed that meeting online all day is more exhausting than if you were meeting in person? How...
by Shelley Row | May 5, 2020 | Business Skills, communication, Decision-Making, Leadership, success
Use This Checklist to Evaluate Your Program! (agency) Trust is the currency of public agencies. You need trust to work effectively with elected leaders, to successfully argue for your agency’s funding, and to build relationships with citizens who pass judgment on your...
by Shelley Row | Apr 29, 2020 | Business Skills, communication, Decision-Making, Leadership, success
Use This Checklist to Evaluate Your Program! Your staff is working and serving clients because your organization provides an “essential” function. That’s great…for now. But you foresee a future with tighter revenue, constrained travel, and...
by Shelley Row | Apr 21, 2020 | Business Skills, communication, Employee Engagement, Leadership, over thinking
In case you haven’t noticed by now, an effective webinar isn’t simply a regular presence on a screen. Webinars should be designed differently…well if you want them to be impactful. Particularly now with everyone participating in webinars, yours can...
by Shelley Row | Apr 13, 2020 | Business Skills, communication, Decision-Making, Employee Culture, Employee Engagement, Leadership
Photo credit: Aleksandr Davydov This is the fourth newsletter based on the Over-Thinkers Guide to Working at Home Effectively. You can find the original guide here. Each week, we’ve written more information on one of the topics in the guide. This week’s...
by Shelley Row | Apr 6, 2020 | Business Skills, communication, Decision-Making, Employee Culture, Employee Engagement, Leadership
I bet you have been on more virtual meetings in the last couple of weeks than ever before. Locked in the house avoiding COVID-19, we’re all working on virtual meeting platforms. Take Zoom, for example, the company added more users in the first two months of 2020...
by Shelley Row | Mar 31, 2020 | business, Business Skills, communication, Employee Culture, Employee Engagement
Particularly for those of us who work on technical projects, it’s tempting to use the time working from home to focus project work; however, as a manager, your staff need your attention now more than ever. Maybe you supervise highly technical people who enjoy...
by Shelley Row | Mar 25, 2020 | business, Business Skills, communication, Employee Culture, Leadership
photo credit: rawpixel The world has shifted and here we are – at home – working. Having worked out of my home office for years now, I can say with assurance that there is a difference between working at home for a couple of days a week and working at home for an...
by Shelley Row | Mar 20, 2020 | business, Business Skills, Decision-Making, Employee Engagement
Whether your technical expertise is in engineering (like mine), law, finance, technology or science, we technical folks don’t have good reputations as managers. When a technically accomplished person is promoted into management, suddenly the old skills that made us...
by Shelley Row | Feb 19, 2020 | communication, Decision-Making, Employee Culture, Employee Engagement, Leadership, success
What’s your leadership philosophy? What’s your leadership philosophy? I’ve asked that question to interview candidates and it has been asked of me. Frequently, the candidate is stumped as was I the first time. Don’t let that question stump you....
by Shelley Row | Jan 22, 2020 | Employee Culture, Leadership
In researching this article, I found countless resources on “how to write a vision and mission statement,” “how to execute a vision and strategy,” and “why you should have a vision statement.” I found no articles on how to create a...
by Shelley Row | Jan 6, 2020 | Decision-Making
Hard-to-work-with, passive-aggressive, disagreeable, arrogant, unresponsive, unmotivated, angry. Know anyone like that? Rational, levelheaded, thoughtful, curious, respectful, friendly, easy-to-get-along-with, agreeable. You probably know people like this, too....
by Shelley Row | Dec 17, 2019 | Business Skills, Podcast
I recently was asked to speak on the PharmCast podcast (where they talk all things pharmacy and wellness.policy, people and the profession) to share ideas and tools for pharmacy leaders to steady themselves and their staff. This is part two of my conversation with...
by Shelley Row | Dec 9, 2019 | Business Skills, communication, Decision-Making, Leadership
We’re learning about the ten skills that technical professionals need when they become a manager. Let’s discuss the importance of having a broad range of information sources. Big Decisions: Are you considering a broad range of information sources? When you need to...
by Shelley Row | Dec 3, 2019 | Business Skills, Leadership
I recently was asked to speak on the PharmCast podcast (where they talk all things pharmacy and wellness.policy, people and the profession) to share ideas and tools for pharmacy leaders to steady themselves and their staff. I help provide guidance for navigating...
by Shelley Row | Nov 26, 2019 | Leadership, communication, Employee Engagement
We’re learning about the ten skills that technical professionals need when they become a manager. Today let’s discuss the importance of getting to know that special person who simply knows how to get things done in the office. And it’s not simple!...
by Shelley Row | Nov 5, 2019 | Business Skills, Decision-Making, Leadership
We’re learning about the ten skills that technical professionals need when they become a manager. Today we’ll talk about the importance of knowing the influences outside your organization that can shift its direction and how you can stay on top of them....
by Shelley Row | Oct 21, 2019 | Business Skills, communication, Decision-Making, Employee Culture, Employee Engagement, Leadership, success
Our new boss arrived with an agenda and he wasn’t timid about it. It seemed that he gathered input from everyone but us. Because he was influenced by an array of people unfamiliar to us, the work environment became challenging, to say the least. Through this...
by Shelley Row | Oct 8, 2019 | Business Skills, communication, Decision-Making, Employee Culture, Employee Engagement, Leadership, success
Teresa wanted to see the big picture strategy before discussing specifics. Tom wanted general ideas with time to think before deciding. Paul wanted to give orders that were followed to the “T”. To be successful, each of these bosses required a unique...
by Shelley Row | Sep 25, 2019 | Business Skills, communication, Decision-Making, engineer, Leadership, Neuroscience, over thinking, success
Imagine a Ferrari. It looks sleek and fast. Now imagine a Ferrari with a Ford Focus engine. It still looks sleek but its performance is impacted by the mechanics under the hood. It’s not so different for you. The influences “under your hood” dramatically impact your...
by Shelley Row | Sep 12, 2019 | Business Skills, communication, Decision-Making, Employee Culture, Employee Engagement, engineer, Leadership, Neuroscience, personality profile
Can You See Your Humps? Your Strengths and Communication Styles? Keep Reading To Learn Here. How do you behave at work? What work style and communication traits are associated with you? There’s an African proverb, “The camel never sees its own humps, but that of its...
by Shelley Row | Aug 28, 2019 | Business Skills, communication, Decision-Making, Employee Culture, Leadership
When you download a new app, buy a new phone or acquire the latest cool technology like Alexa, you learn to use it. You explore its capabilities, you learn how it works, and over time you learn how it can assist you. Do you make that effort with your staff? Do you...
by Shelley Row | Aug 14, 2019 | Leadership
Think about your first management position. What was initially on your mind? For most of us, we dove into the technical work. What are the projects? Are they on time and on budget? What are the technical challenges? What is the financial picture for each? For sure,...
by Shelley Row | Aug 1, 2019 | business, Business Skills, communication, Decision-Making, Employee Culture, Employee Engagement, Leadership, Neuroscience, over thinking
Whether your technical expertise is in engineering (like mine), law, finance, technology or science, we technical folks don’t have good reputations as managers. When a technically accomplished person is promoted into management, suddenly the old skills that made us...
by Shelley Row | Jul 17, 2019 | Business Skills, communication, Decision-Making, goals, Leadership, Neuroscience, over thinking
Is your leadership falling victim to the villain? “What villain?” you say. It’s a dastardly villain that limits your leadership potential and short-circuits your effectiveness. Particularly in technical fields, we’ve been trained to go along with the villain. Here’s...
by Shelley Row | Jun 12, 2019 | anchors, Business Skills, Decision-Making, Leadership, Neuroscience, over thinking, sailing, success
It was supposed to be an easy cruise. That’s what they told me. The 47′ Morris sailboat, sailed the Newport to Bermuda race and finished second in her class. We were part of the crew sailing her back to Newport. And, it was my first sailing trip. To say...
by Shelley Row | May 27, 2019 | business, Business Skills, communication, Decision-Making, Employee Culture, Employee Engagement, goals, Leadership, over thinking, purpose, success
Do you worry about leaving town for vacation? Have you already bought a new car (if you would be interested, a quick glance at sites like https://invoice-pricing.com/ could get you the best price for your vehicle) for your road trip, but then are you double guessing...
by Shelley Row | May 6, 2019 | Business Skills, communication, Decision-Making, Employee Culture, Employee Engagement, goals, Leadership, Neuroscience, over thinking, purpose, success
Learn to take back control of your decision-making! You strive to make data-driven decisions, but too much data can result in analysis paralysis. Plus, in this fast-paced and complex environment, data from the past may not foretell the future. Our interviews with 77...
by Shelley Row | Apr 22, 2019 | Business Skills, communication, Decision-Making, Employee Culture, Employee Engagement, goals, Leadership, Neuroscience, over thinking, purpose, success
Why doesn’t your Employee Development Program work? Do you have: Out-spoken staff with good ideas who alienate others? Staff who don’t speak up because they want to avoid conflict? Hastily-sent, sharply-worded emails that leave those on the receiving end...
by Shelley Row | Apr 9, 2019 | business, Business Skills, communication, Decision-Making, Employee Culture, Employee Engagement, goals, Leadership, Neuroscience, over thinking, purpose, success, Uncategorized
It’s a position that seems perfect for you. You made it to the interview and now it is your big moment. There’s a lot at stake. Not only do you want to make a good first impression, you want to be memorable for the qualities that matter. But are you ready?...
by Shelley Row | Mar 26, 2019 | Business Skills, communication, Decision-Making, Employee Engagement, Leadership, Neuroscience, over thinking, purpose
Data-driven decision-making. Data analytics. Data mining. Data sounds so logical, rational and objective. But is it? Don’t misunderstand, as an engineer, I love data! And, as a leader, I learned that data alone is not enough. Data is incredibly important for a...
by Shelley Row | Mar 12, 2019 | Business Skills, communication, Decision-Making, Employee Culture, Employee Engagement, goals, Leadership, Neuroscience, over thinking, purpose, success, Uncategorized
Is your life hectic? It seems that everyone I talk with laments their frenzied life. Have you ever considered that your customer or client is also frenzied? You can add to their frenzy with uncertainty or create an oasis of calm certainty through proactive...
by Shelley Row | Feb 24, 2019 | communication, Decision-Making, goals, Leadership, Neuroscience, over thinking, purpose
It started by mistake. As I pondered the topic for this newsletter, I picked up the kaleidoscope on my desk. It sits there to remind me to always see other perspectives. By mistake, I stared through the wrong end. Have you ever looked at the back end of a...
by Shelley Row | Feb 12, 2019 | Business Skills, communication, Decision-Making, Employee Culture, Employee Engagement, goals, Leadership, Neuroscience, over thinking, purpose, success, Uncategorized
I admit up front that I’m not good at recognizing the nuances of people. That’s why I want to share this tip with you. It helps me and it’s likely to be valuable to you, too. My step-daughter, Linnea Miron, is the CEO of Real Wellness. She and I talked about the...
by Shelley Row | Jan 27, 2019 | Business Skills, communication, Decision-Making, Employee Culture, Employee Engagement, goals, Leadership, Neuroscience, over thinking, purpose, success
We were having dinner at a friend’s house and admiring his family memorabilia neatly arrayed in the bookshelves. There were the kid’s sailing trophies, family photos, delicate antique demitasse cups and a bright blue tube. A bright blue tube? “What’s that?” I asked....
by Shelley Row | Jan 16, 2019 | Business Skills, Decision-Making, Employee Culture, Employee Engagement, goals, Leadership, Neuroscience, purpose, success
You’ve been there: a dull presentation; a pointless meeting; a boring training program. And, maybe you’ve given a tedious presentation, presided over an unenthusiastic meeting or provided training when no one seemed engaged. It doesn’t have to be...
by Shelley Row | Dec 31, 2018 | business, Business Skills, communication, Decision-Making, Employee Culture, Employee Engagement, goals, Leadership, Neuroscience, over thinking, purpose, success
It was a dark, stormy night. Rain was falling in buckets as we drove to Houston to pick up my sister at the airport for the holidays. The white lane lines were scarcely visible. We had a general outline of the road but were stressed because of the limited visibility....
by Shelley Row | Dec 12, 2018 | Business Skills, communication, Decision-Making, Employee Culture, Employee Engagement, goals, Leadership, Neuroscience, over thinking, purpose, success
Holiday shopping. Holiday cooking. Holiday travel plans. Holiday decorating. Holiday visitors. Holiday hubbub. It’s easy to get lost in the holiday this-and-that. In the midst of the holiday bustle, I challenge you to also reflect and plan but in a different...
by Shelley Row | Nov 13, 2018 | Business Skills, communication, Decision-Making, Employee Culture, Employee Engagement, goals, Leadership, Neuroscience, over thinking, purpose, success
You drive along admiring the fall colors when suddenly the check engine light comes on in your car. What does that mean? For most of us, the check engine light indicates that something is wrong inside the car. We best find out what it is. You have an internal check...
by Shelley Row | Oct 30, 2018 | Business Skills, communication, Decision-Making, Employee Culture, Employee Engagement, goals, Leadership, Neuroscience, over thinking
As Thanksgiving approaches in a couple of weeks, let’s turn it upside down. Rather than giving thanks, let’s give those around us something to be thankful for. Here’s the perfect gift – your attention. A friend recently said to me, “The most precious gift you can...
by Shelley Row | Oct 15, 2018 | Decision-Making, Leadership
Meet my brother-in-law, Jerry Trimble. Jerry has been flying helicopters his entire life. His mom has a photo of him as a two-year-old sitting in a helicopter reaching for the stick. (He’s adorable. He would hate me saying that which makes it even more fun.) He’s...
