I’ve been conducting several Strength Workshops recently. It seems to have many leaders and organizations are coming to see the value of focusing on their team member’s gifts. My journey into the world of strengths began with a fortuitous encounter at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. While pursuing my doctorate, I crossed paths with Don Clifton, a professor in the Psychology Department. Don posed a simple but profound question: What if we shifted our focus from looking at what is wrong...

As a graduate student at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, I was the evaluator for a federal grant, working with educators implementing the newly passed Title IX legislation. We met for two summers over two weeks. When we began our sessions, the administrators sat in the front, the counselors sat in the middle, and the coaches sat in the back. The coaches spent much of those first few days reading their newspapers. One of my evaluation approaches was to...

We found it hidden in my mother’s closet when we cleaned her apartment after she died. The summary of legal findings from the State of New York Supreme Court determining the resolution of my grandmother’s estate. The document was filled with the painful memories my parents harbored as they watched their family business and relations dissolve.  The family business, Charles Citrin and Sons, which had supported five different families, blew up over the inability of the next generation to find...

In my last two Resilient Wednesdays, we delved into the concept of trust, exploring its significance, operation, and methods for evaluating trust levels within teams. We also examined how individuals, regardless of their role as a leader or follower, can demonstrate and enhance trust through their actions. Today, in this final installment on trust, let’s focus on how we can empower our teams at work and home to understand, embrace, and exhibit trust behaviors more effectively. In the complex landscape...

I recently spoke with an attorney regarding working with one of his client’s family business’. He described some friction between the family patriarch and his daughter, who was heiress apparent. When I insisted, throughout several preliminary meetings, that I would have to talk with the owner before we proceeded, he told me it was not necessary and he could set everything up. At that point, I told him I was not the right person for the job,  he became a...

Rethinking the Traumatizing Workplace A number of letters to the New York Times Work Friend Advice Column understandably focus on how difficult the workplace can be for many people. Over the past year, however, people began reporting that their workplace is traumatizing.  Recently, one person reported being meaningfully bothered by her new boss’ desire that have some social get togethers after work.  Another person complained about not wanting to look at pictures of a colleague’s new baby because she thought...