Ask the Experts

By Federico Foli and Vera Anderson The COVID-19 pandemic has taught us that sudden, unexpected, changes are just part of life. The moments of change and transition can cause tension because we become comfortable in our environment and routines. They make us feel safe. This idea of stability clashes with the very nature of everything

As we enter 2022, it’s an opportune time to both reflect on challenges, and successes, from this year and to finalize tactical plans to address potential obstacles for the upcoming one.  In 2021, the new phenomenon of “The Great Resignation” began. It refers to the massive number of workers quitting their jobs, sometimes without even

Happy New Year. As we continue to reboot to whatever the “new normal” is, here’s hoping that this year will be one of health, happiness and prosperity for you and your company, or organization. As you focus on the days and weeks ahead, you might find yourself reflecting upon successes and/or failures over the past

As another year arrives, it is often the time for resolutions, declarations, changes and so much more. While all of that is exciting, and forward-thinking, in some ways those grand propositions—or assumptions—can be discouraging and even disappointing. They can give the impression that change is meant to happen at a certain strike of the hour,

“You’re so lucky you run your own business. You get to do what you want when you want—your time is your own,” and “How do you coach people on interviewing when you haven’t had to interview in over 15 years, since you started your firm?” are odd, and frequent, comments I get … and perhaps

If you’re feeling burnt out, apathetic or exhausted, you’re not alone. In varying ways, we are all navigating the pandemic flux, this latest wave of worldwide uncertainty. This state of mind is defined by the Washington Post as “blunted emotions, spikes in anxiety and depression and a desire to drastically change something about our lives.”

In my last column, we explored the value of having a mentor. This month, we’ll go deeper with a step-by-step process to help you find one.  First, be introspective and truly understand your strengths and weaknesses. This will help you identify a mentor who can help you leverage and maximize those strengths and help you

It’s hard to believe the holidays are already here, and if you’re like many business owners, managers and sellers, you’re either looking back on the year with a high degree of satisfaction and accomplishment, or you might be asking, “Where did the year go?” How has your year been? Maybe you’re planning one last push

The holidays are supposed to be a special time of year where family and friends come together in the spirit of celebration and tradition. For those struggling with their mental health, and the threat of the pandemic ever present, this year is looking to be another challenging year for millions of people. Here are a

In 1993, I became both impressed and enamored with two adorable and smart middle-school sisters, at the Boys and Girls Club, on the perilous Westside of my hometown of Chicago. I was honored to have been asked to serve on my first board of directors there. Since then, it has been exceedingly rewarding to work

Giving and receiving feedback can be a gift … if we allow that experience to be that. With steady rates of job changes, and seemingly surprising resignations in many offices, some are tempted to turn feedback into a game by only focusing on the positives of a team member, overlooking errors, miscommunications and missteps, and

There’s no question that, within the professional buyer/seller environment, preferences and practices have changed dramatically in the last 18 months. In many organizations—on both sides of the desk—the dynamic between buyer and seller has been altered in many obvious, and not so obvious, ways. In a newly released Sandler Research Center report, What Buyers Want