Happy New Year!
When I started writing a blog about a year-and-a-half ago, I have to admit I was scared…
Scared to put myself out there.
But, through gentle prodding from my coach, I got into a new early morning routine and after these many months, I have to admit it’s been fun and rewarding.
One of the best parts of that quiet early morning hour I take each day is that it has really made me think - think about what I can write that might help someone.
So today, I want to share (for the very first time – Woo-hoo! - Drum roll please) my 10 best articles, based on their popularity.
From their humble beginnings as posts on my website, these articles have been shared on LinkedIn, Facebook, Google + and more. People have tweeted about them and shared them.
And then there are the comments. Thanks to all of you who take a moment to say something. I really appreciate that.
While no one tends to make critical comments, I want you to know I’d be ok with those too.
Because those are the ones that help me get better.
In 2018, I’ll continue to write about teamwork, collaboration and leadership because I am curious about those things and am always looking for the magic that happens when those things are working at their best.
So here we go with My 10 Best Articles of 2017.
1) How to use silence to make your work and your life better
The fact that this one came in at number 1 shows how many of us are feeling these days. It’s an article about ways to find some quiet time in your life and how to use listening to connect better with your colleagues. The 19th century French composer Claude Debussy said, “Music is the silence between the notes.” I think it’s the same for many things we do. Adding some silence to what we say and do makes our other moments more meaningful.
2) Yes, things can suck sometimes. How to be happy anyway!
It’s so easy to get pulled down in this life. It’s a trap that awaits us as we step out the door in the morning (or maybe just after we wake up). I’ve made it a point to notice happy people. I don’t mean the over-enthusiastic person who yells “good morning” while you’re still half asleep. I still want to punch him. I mean the person who, whenever you meet them, has a way of making you see the bright side of life – no matter what’s happening. This is an article about ways to be more like them.
3) How to have people fall in trust with you
As I say in this article, most of us don’t think about trust very much when it comes to our own actions, but everyone we interact with does. People we meet or do business with are constantly assessing us to see how trustworthy we are, and whether our walk matches our talk. Everyone of us wants to spend our time with people we can count on and this article talks about ways to build trust with those around you.
4)10 things you can do to be a great collaborator
People who put themselves second to creating a great outcome with others are rare. This article gives you some tools to become an amazing collaborator, which will help you reach your own goals much faster because everyone will want to work with you.
5) Why you need to think twice before making promises.
Interesting that there are 2 trust-based articles in my top 10. This one is about your most important brand - You. The number of promises we make and follow up on are one way that those we interact with measure our trustworthiness. Don’t take this lightly. What we promise others is important.
6) Why you need to do better that a smile and quick hello
This article is about building better relationships with your colleagues. The world is getting smaller and, more and more, you’re working alongside people whose backgrounds might be very different from your own. While I know you have work to get done, taking the time to get to know someone you work with a little better will make work go a little more smoothly.
7) 3 things you can do to resolve workplace conflict
I used to avoid conflict like the plague but eventually I realized that when you work with passionate people, conflict is going to happen. The important thing is to have some strategies to deal with conflict in a respectful and problem-solving way. This article shares 3 ways to do that.
8) How to be comfortable with change before it’s too late!
If you feel like you need a change but are scared to do it, then this article is for you. It talks about how to become comfortable, even pro-active, when it comes to dealing with change.
9) How to make your people more cohesive
If you’re a leader, then one of your biggest challenges is getting your people to feel connected. This article has 12 great tips on how to build camaraderie and cohesion within your team.
10) You could do it by yourself, but should you?
This one is about the constant challenge of trying to do too much yourself. I was guilty of this for years and still fall into this trap sometimes. This article looks at some of the reasons we do this, and reasons we shouldn’t.
There you go – my top 10. I hope that there’s something here that helps you in some way, and I look forward to creating more articles in the coming year. As always, I am open to your comments and suggestions.
