Powerful communication
Amplify Voices on Your Team
Have you ever been in a meeting where you said something that you thought was really brilliant and no one really seemed to notice and then a few minutes later, someone else said something remarkably similar and everyone piled onto it? That can be pretty frustrating, right? Believe it or not, I’ve heard more stories…
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Track Your Turn
Are you taking up more oxygen in the room than others or are you barely contributing to meetings, such that people are wondering why you’re there. An important aspect of emotional intelligence (EQ) is relationship management. Often this means making sure that there is time and space for everyone to get their opinion and thoughts…
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How To Gracefully Recover When Your Technology Fails During Meetings
Article originally appeared in Forbes Last week, I was on a working vacation with my daughter and had a planned meeting with a new connection. Let’s call him John. When I jumped off my previous client call, I was already running two minutes late, which, of course, never feels good. I checked my digital calendar…
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What Are People Really Saying?
Do you ever wonder if what people are saying is what they really mean? The truth is that about 90% of our communication is non-verbal so it’s not the words we say but our actions and body language and our tone of voice. Build up your emotional intelligence (EQ) by learning to read the room.…
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How to lead a productive online meeting that doesn’t suck
When a lot of us shifted to working from home arrangements, there was a certain novelty in the whole setup. We could put on a nice top and keep our pajamas on, join zoom calls, and eat lunch whenever we wanted. But the change-up in our work from home arrangements is unlikely to come soon;…
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Giving Feedback: What I learned from puppy training
I have learned that when training a puppy, it is so important to give feedback at the exact moment they do something. Why do I bring this up? Because when we are working remotely as so many of us are right now, there is an absence of immediate feedback. By the time people get feedback…
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How Not to Start off Your New Year
It’s Saturday morning January 2nd. I often hike with one of my best friends on Saturdays. During Covid, we began embarking on weekly longer up and downhill 6-mile hikes. Jo: It’s raining here in Berkeley. Is it raining by you? Sara: I’ll check. Just looks foggy here, no rain. Jo: So should we go today?…
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Do You Have an Agenda?
Have you ever gotten to a party and thought, “Huh, I don’t think this is what I expected?” This is exactly what happens when we show up at a meeting where there is no agenda. Your challenge this week is to review your meeting schedule. If there is a meeting on there that you don’t…
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You Have Too Many Meetings
You have too many meetings. It’s the simple truth. But as a leader, you need to set aside time weekly, if not daily for deep, strategic thought. After all, that’s why you are in the leadership role. Problem: How do you carve out the time for strategic thought when you are in meetings from early…
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Five Mistakes To Avoid With Partially Remote Employees: Lessons From Biotech
Article originally appeared in Forbes It’s time to return to the office. Or is it? How can newly hybrid companies best manage the divide between in-person and remote workers? Reaching out to biotech company CEOs, I learned crucial do’s and don’ts. When shelter-in-place hit the Bay Area, many biotech companies found themselves with most of…
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