Today’s tip: STOP THE ‘MEETING MADNESS’, START LEADING PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATIONS! One of these days, a good friend of mine was sharing her frustration about the day. She had awakened early that morning with one thing -and only one thing- in mind: finishing a two-page report. It was a task she needed to do; it was part…
I AM SICK AND TIRED OF YOU… DO YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT?
I AM SICK AND TIRED OF YOU… DO YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT? Would you want to talk with anybody who jumpstarts a conversation with such a statement? Most likely not. I wonder, then, how come several of our most essential conversations are either triggered by or follow such feelings, albeit unspoken. It is…
MAKE A STAND, FACE YOUR FEARS
Tip of the week: MAKE A STAND, FACE YOUR FEARS This was a special weekend for some of us. It was Easter weekend, a quintessential Christian event, and it coincided with the official entering of my daughter into adolescence. My ‘little cookie’ turned thirteen, in the middle of a global pandemic, and with her father…
BUILD YOUR RESILIENCE, MANAGE YOUR EMOTIONAL LABOR!
Tip of the week: BUILD YOUR RESILIENCE, MANAGE YOUR EMOTIONAL LABOR! It was Friday afternoon, and I was emotionally tired. I also was hungry, but primarily I was grumpy. I did not know it at the time, but I was not managing my stress too well. I had spent the previous three days in self-isolation,…
SPEAK YOUR TRUTH!
Today’s tip: Speak your truth! Be polite; be quiet; be kind. Respect your elders; honor your parents; respect your boss. Obey your teacher, your mama and, above all, obey your wife (this is just for Latinos 😊, I think…) All of these -perhaps some more than others- are wonderful things. Sound advice that we should…
WASH YOUR BRAIN TWICE A DAY!!
Today’s tip: WASH YOUR BRAIN TWICE A DAY!!! Time does fly. It already has been a couple of weeks since that awful weekend when I got home to ‘sleep’ on my couch through shivers and joint pain; fever and headaches. It all started with a hardly noticeable temperature on Thursday afternoon. I had planned to…
I AM VULNERABLE, THAT’S MY STRENGTH!
Today’s tip: I AM VULNERABLE, THAT’S MY STRENGTH! These are Peter’s words of wisdom for the participants at a recent leadership training organized with Harvard University. For our non-UNICEF colleagues, Peter, without any need for fanfare, title, or even last name is UNICEF’s Representative in Nigeria and most likely he will be very unhappy with…
POLITICALLY CORRECT, WHY NOT SIMPLY CORRECT?
Today’s tip: POLITICALLY CORRECT, WHY NOT SIMPLY CORRECT? This may not be a politically correct tip or mail… I beg your indulgence if it annoys, hurts or disturbs any of you, but I feel I must and I believe we all should ponder on the topic of racism and in general the irrational divisions we…
BREAK YOUR ROUTINES!
Today’s tip: BREAK YOUR ROUTINES! It was a sunny afternoon, the table in the shared garden of my compound was ready and filled with pots and dishes. My colleague -and neighbor- was busy blowing air, ensuring the charcoal burned red in the BBQ, and I was happy to join my first Eid celebration. As I…
PAMPER YOURSELF, LEAD BY EXAMPLE & RESPONSIBLY GET OUT THERE!
Today’s tip: PAMPER YOURSELF, LEAD BY EXAMPLE & RESPONSIBLY GET OUT THERE!!! Some of you have been generous enough to share with me your concerns, aprehensions, and fears. Regardless of position on the company organogram or social order, I have noticed that they are all very similar, and -guess what- coincide with many of my…