Widen Your Lens

Theresa Hoffman Theresa Hoffman

The Beauty of Delegating

For most of us, delegation can be hard at first. It requires coaching, an initial time commitment, and a willingness to take our hands off the wheel. Many managers never really get there. But oh, what a missed opportunity it is to not delegate frequently and effectively.

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Theresa Hoffman Theresa Hoffman

Get Better at Feedback

For many of us, giving constructive feedback can be challenging. For any number of reasons, we hesitate, missing the moment or avoiding it entirely. That's a lost opportunity. Giving feedback is a learned skill — the more you do it, the more proficient you will become — and it can be incredibly helpful to those who receive it.

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Theresa Hoffman Theresa Hoffman

You Need to Set Goals. Really.

With the end of the year upon us, it’s a perfect time to evaluate where we have been and think about what we hope to accomplish in 2024. That's why I recommend setting some goals for the coming year. Don’t panic! Goal setting is incredibly valuable in helping you get where you want to go and, once you get started, it can be both energizing and fun (seriously).

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Theresa Hoffman Theresa Hoffman

Raise Your Emotional Intelligence

For 25 years, my husband and I hosted large Thanksgiving gatherings, buzzing with siblings, nieces, nephews, and in-laws. This tradition was a whirlwind of joy — and chaos. But it taught me invaluable lessons about Emotional Intelligence (EQ), particularly in leadership.

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Theresa Hoffman Theresa Hoffman

Dreadful One-On-One Meetings… A Surefire Guide

Regularly scheduled, one-on-one meetings are a phenomenally effective tool for helping employees stay involved, motivated, and on track. Unfortunately, when conducted poorly or haphazardly, they can represent a missed opportunity for your team and your organization more broadly.

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Theresa Hoffman Theresa Hoffman

Self-Awareness Is Step One

Many leaders are predisposed to taking action. Of course, that’s important. But action without clear direction can be counterproductive and confusing to colleagues. That’s why self-awareness is so important. It helps you map the course before setting off to “get things done.”

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Theresa Hoffman Theresa Hoffman

What Everyone Already Knows About You

A few months ago, I taught a 90-minute online workshop for a group of physician leaders. The topic was Emotional Intelligence. Not everyone could be there live, so we recorded it. I wanted to review it before sharing with the missing parties, so I sat down to watch it. Eek! It was nothing short of disturbing.

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Theresa Hoffman Theresa Hoffman

Wait! Don’t Follow That Impulse

I’ll just come right out and say it: I am a sucker for jelly donuts! And the best donuts I have ever eaten are sold at an amazing Amish Farmers’ Market near where I live in West Chester. I go to the market every month or so to explore the stands of cheese, meat, veggies, desserts, and more.

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Theresa Hoffman Theresa Hoffman

Have Your Values Gone to the Dogs?

Every time one of my children leaves for college, we get a new dog. It happened eight years ago when my son Johnny left. It happened again four years later when my daughter Christina left. And now, with my youngest child, Scott, set to blast off this fall, I fear that dog #3 could materialize any minute.

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Theresa Hoffman Theresa Hoffman

What’s Your Kryptonite?

My husband, John, and I spent a wonderful 17 years living on a little farm in Chester Springs, Pennsylvania. We had goats and chickens and bunnies. It’s where our three kids grew up and it was everything we hoped for.

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Cathleen Swody Cathleen Swody

4 Tips for Boosting Your Listening Power

Surface-level listening is a recipe for dangerous misunderstandings. However, with practice and discipline, listening is a learnable skill. Here are four ways to boost your listening power.

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Cathleen Swody Cathleen Swody

Listen to Learn, Not Judge

“But I am listening!” As executive coaches, we’ve heard this when a leader’s 360 feedback indicates employees don’t feel heard. So, where’s the disconnect? This post will cover how leaders can improve listening skills for better results and less miscommunication.

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Theresa Hoffman Theresa Hoffman

Why Leaders Coach

When leaders coach, they are investing in their direct reports. Are you guiding your employees or giving them the solution? Coaching will help motivate, develop, and engage your employees to contribute at high levels. Build the essential skills of coaching and watch your team deliver results.

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Cathleen Swody Cathleen Swody

The Focused Energy of Engaged Teams

Many workplaces are dealing with significant change efforts, tight budgets, bandwidth issues, and general uncertainty. So how can managers motivate people despite these challenges? Investing in three underlying drivers of engagement will position your team for sustainable performance and growth.

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Theresa Hoffman Theresa Hoffman

Get Started on Your Enneagram Journey

The Enneagram is a personality system that quickly builds self-awareness. Learn how to get started on discovering your own type on the Enneagram and a few of the common challenges you may face on the path.

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Cathleen Swody Cathleen Swody

4 Tips for Choosing Participants for High Potential Programs

Focusing on leadership development for high potential employees can help invest company resources optimally and build the leadership pipeline. However, how high potential program participants are chosen can be ineffective, resulting in frustration and wasted resources. Identifying high performers, and then evaluate potential with these four considerations.

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Tools, Articles, Videos Theresa Hoffman Tools, Articles, Videos Theresa Hoffman

5 Tools for When You're Triggered at Work

We’ve all been triggered at work. Small things set us off and bring an immediate negative reaction. Sometimes, we are unwittingly reacting in the present to a charged experience from the past. In this post, we explore 5 strategies for the next time you have a strong reaction at work to help you navigate to a more positive outcome.

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Cathleen Swody Cathleen Swody

The Practical Leadership Skill of Optimism

As the uncertainty of the pandemic challenged many leaders, companies have become more interested in strengthening optimism skills to support problem-solving and stress management. Optimistic leaders get people unstuck and moving in a positive direction, resulting in engaged and productive teams. Learn how in this post.

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Cathleen Swody Cathleen Swody

3 Ways to Re-Focus Your Mind at Work

Focused attention is increasingly rare and many people are struggling. The most effective leaders find strategies to get out of their heads, limit automatic reactions, and stay alert to what is actually happening in the environment. Check out these 3 small, but powerful practices for re-focusing.

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