Don’t take things personally.
In the Godfather, Michael is admonished by his brother Sonny, to which he responds…
There is nothing harder than not taking things personally when you’re a 1) control freak, 2) take pride in your work, 3) Type A personality. Every suggestion feels like a criticism, or worse, a shortcoming. This is something I’ve grappled with my whole life. So what helps? Continue reading
Someone asked me a question about my post about helping everyone…..what if you have a duck who thinks it can be an eagle? What’s the best way to hand that situation without demotivating them?
I know, it sounds overly dramatic. But this was one of the key lessons I learned from a very senior person early in my career. This is what he explained to me: Continue reading
A lot of people have come to me for help in my career, which most times I’m happy to do. Sometimes it’s a quick conversation, an email, and sometimes it’s something deeper. But once in a while, you’ll have someone who seems to need too much help, leaning on you for everything, and seems to have made you their person. They’re needy. You feel bad because you’re frustrated. Here’s what I learned. Continue reading
Talking about something is fine when you’re trying to figure something out or give advice. But nothing is better than the actual doing. And doing is so much harder.
As our parents age, as our kids grow up, I’ve realized something. Continue reading
Morgan Stanley CEO James Gorman was the Bloomberg cover story in February this year….if you haven’t read the article, it’s worth reading. One of the most fascinating habits he talks about is what he does every day…..even at his level. Continue reading
I don’t consider myself a good cook, but I do like to ensure what I make is tasty. Under the category of making life easier, here are the go to recipes that I make time and time again when I’m entertaining….with doggie bags home! If you’ve been to my house, you’ll recognize some of these….
Someone asked me for my thoughts on how to deal when you have a manager who isn’t in the same office as you are. Reality is, this is becoming the new normal with people working remotely and location strategies as a way to reduce costs. The reality is that even when you’re in the same location, it can be hard to get time with your manager! The key is communication: using verbal, written, and face to face. Some lessons learned having remote bosses….. Continue reading
So two people were going through a similar challenge, but ended up with quite different outcomes…all to the good. One person wanted to leave his role because he got the sense there was no progression opportunities (many MDs…crowded at the top), and he didn’t feel that financial services had the upside it once did. The other person felt like she also didn’t have progression upside either, and that she was getting no recognition…so time to look. Here’s what happened: Continue reading
A friend of mine sent this to me called “Understanding Depression in Young Asian-American Women.” Nothing in the article really surprised me except this: “…young Asian American women ages 15-24 having some of the highest rates of suicide across all racial groups.” I am not an expert….but I wanted to share because part of being the solution is talking about it. Continue reading