Together with Me

Working from the bottom of your heart will get you further than working from the bottom of your profit and loss statement. Odds are, you know how to think about your business in terms of operational efficiency, profitability margins, and strategic planning. You know the structure you need in place to service your clientele, the […]

How to show your appreciation in a way that builds stronger relationships with employees, vendors and other colleagues. Corporate gifting has pretty much always been a de rigueur expense for most companies, with resulting spending that is simply staggering. A July, 2021 study conducted by Coresight Research (sponsored by GiftNow) estimated that the corporate gifting […]

There is ample discussion about the best styles of authority and how to emulate them, but far less about the more nuanced attributes of excellent leadership… until now. Depending on what books or articles you read, there are more than twenty different leadership styles. An autocratic leader, for example, is generally a unilateral decision-maker, while […]

While working conditions have certainly improved, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that the average American works 8.8 hours per day. Yet research suggests the average worker is only productive for less than three hours during their workday. From checking social media to texting family and friends to surfing the internet, our workdays are wrought with distractions that impact […]

As we speed towards the upcoming months, activities, vacations, and general socializing are all ramping up. Meanwhile, more businesses are reopening and restrictions are lessening. Vaccinations are becoming readily available and many people are inching closer and closer toward a sense of pre-Covid interaction and engagement. With so much uncertainty and seemingly ever-changing information, comfort […]

When we think of compassion, we often think of comforting someone. We think of both sympathizing and empathizing with a friend, colleague, family member, or partner who is struggling with a personal challenge. Without a doubt, this type of response is valuable and offers qualitative support to someone during a trying time. It also demonstrates […]

Whether it is on a personal or professional level, we all know mistakes happen. From a cognitive perspective, we understand that it is how we respond to the mistake that is paramount to preserving our own integrity and satisfying the offended party. However, like many things in life, we might know why we should respond […]

In basic terms, a partnership is when two or more people consciously choose to work in tandem towards a common task. This can be short or long term. And this can be personal or professional. There are many types of partnerships that exist. In our personal lives we have friendships, platonic love, and marriages. We […]

If you know me, have read my book or articles, or have watched The BUILD Framework® Show I host, you will know that I try to keep things positive. I certainly feel it is more effective to focus on the positive when it comes to goal setting, personal growth, building relationships, leading others, and so […]

At the end of every year, there is always quite a bit of talk about setting New Year’s resolutions. We are encouraged to set new goals, establish new rituals, develop healthy habits, and generally reinvent ourselves. A study by Inc.com determined that five of the most common resolutions of 2020 were to: Lose weight/diet  Exercise […]

As we roll quickly into the holiday season, it is abundantly clear that this will be a very different experience for most of us. This time of year almost always adds more stress to people’s lives. Couple that with the current circumstances and it is a potential recipe for disaster. Travel will be down. Gatherings […]

When you hear the phrase “crisis management”, what comes to mind? What feelings does it engender? What are your biggest concerns? For most of us, this phrase has a very negative connotation. A crisis is often unexpected, severe, and something for which we feel ill-prepared. Whether it is a personal or professional crisis, the impact […]

Life is filled with a series of partnerships. And while they may vary in scope, length, and intensity, each has the opportunity to be meaningful. Whether it is a personal partnership between family, friends, or lovers, or a professional relationship between business partners, companies and customers, or businesses and vendors, you should choose your partnerships […]

One of the cornerstone elements of The BUILD Framework® is “B” — Build Relationships. However, when most people hear the word relationships, we think about people with whom we will have regular, lasting interaction for mutually beneficial purposes. This is certainly a part of relationships. But, every relationship, be it everlasting or simply a brief […]

The feeling of being overwhelmed tends to sneak up on us. We often equate being overwhelmed to an overabundance of responsibilities. In general, I find most people tend to balance a lot of responsibilities without even realizing just how much they take on and accomplish every day. It is truly remarkable. But at what toll? […]

Current circumstances aside, stress has always been and always will be a daily part of most of our lives. We stress about work, family, and friends. We stress about health, retirement, and our kids. We stress about bills, body image, and even our legacy. And while each of our situations is unique based on our […]

According to the Bureau of Labor statistics, the average person will have 10 different jobs by the age of forty. Some of the most common reasons people leave their jobs include limited opportunities to use their skills, bad management, poor company culture, lack of advancement, too much or too little work, and lack of acknowledgement/benefits. […]

There are over 580 million entrepreneurs in the world. Many of us have great ideas. We dream of new inventions, starting businesses, and even running our own companies. We imagine what it would be like to be the steward of our own success. But how do we go from idea to successful execution? The reality […]

When we think of the New Year, we often think of resolutions. I want to lose 20 pounds. I want to start my book. I want to get a new job. Sound familiar? Ask yourself this: how many resolutions have you started and kept? How many have failed? Do you know why? Let’s start with […]

For many of us, work is a necessity. We need to work to pay the bills, feed and clothe our family, put gas in our car, and purchase the many other essentials to keep our lives running smoothly. And because we associate work with obligation, it has earned a rather negative connotation in our minds. […]

As children many of us were taught to use the words “please” and “thank you” as a standard course of communicating with people. Please was the “magic” word when we needed or wanted something. And “thank you” was our way of showing appreciation to someone else for providing us with something. While this was most […]

In 2001, I was a regional security manager for Electronic Data Systems (EDS). As the personal liaison to all the federal agencies for my region, I made it my responsibility to know the teams at the various agencies. If I didn’t know them well enough, I wasn’t doing my job. At the time, a partnership […]