Author: Rachel Hanson

Cut through the noise. Keep the main thing the main thing. Actions speak louder than words. Think outside the box. Break down silos. Etc. We roll our eyes at cliches, and yet there's often a melody line of truth and wisdom in them. Spout them without action and they're simply overused bullshit phrases. Live them … Continue reading Cliches

It's unkind to hold someone accountable to unclear standards. Clarity is kind. Once the standard is super clear, accountability is simple. Did you clear the bar or not? If not, what must be done to get there? Are you willing to do it? What's the timeframe? If the standard is continually not met, then the … Continue reading Clarity is kind

Most people stop right before "the thing" comes out. The Thing your spouse is actually upset about, the frustration that you're actually having with your direct report. We hint around it, tip toe around it...and then hope that's good enough. It never is. Avoiding "the thing" keeps us stuck in rumination, builds mountains out of … Continue reading The Thing

Rules hem you in. They have a hard cap, and they're designed to keep you within the lines. At times that is appropriate, but when over used they develop an atmosphere of compliance, at best. Use them sparingly. Standards elevate you. They beg for you to reach for them, to be and do more. To … Continue reading Rules vs standards

How do you prepare for a big moment? It starts with preparation. There's at least two different kinds of preparation. Specific preparation - preparation for the task and topic at hand. This involves familiarizing yourself with the the relevant information, details,  data,  numbers,  identifying the melody lines and gaining clarity on what you believe to … Continue reading Preparation

A client of mine has an underperforming teammate that reports to her. Inspection is needed. She got some advice that she should go have one on ones with this leader's team...she didn't feel right about that. Good. If you want to cut a leader's legs out from under them AND fail to help them grow, … Continue reading Learn together

Loyalty, like all virtues, requires discipline around it. When loyalty is over cooked, you can become loyal to a fault. You can become loyal to the bad actor and take too long to cut them loose, to the endangerment of the team. You can remain loyal too long, even when you're taken advantage of repeatedly. … Continue reading Loyalty

In practice with a client the other day I was reminded again that home is where the heart is AND where the hurt is. That's not surprising. Home is where we're typically most vulnerable, most open, most fully ourselves. The more vulnerable you are, the easier it is to be and feel wounded. Here's the … Continue reading Home