Articles + Blog

This page is divided into two somewhat lengthy sections: Articles, then Blog. You can use the search function (the magnifying glass icon at right in the nav bar) to search for articles and blog posts on specific topics of your own interest.


Articles:

I welcome you to use these articles individually and/or reprint them in your own publication. Feel free to edit the articles to best fit the needs of your readers, but be sure to follow these guidelines for reprinting procedures:

  1. When you download the article, please email [email protected] with your intent to use.
  2. Include Jim’s bio just as it appears at the end of each article.
  3. Send Jim one copy of the e-zine or item it is published in.

Everyday Happiness

5 Prescriptions for Happiness (downloadable PDF)


Strategies for Personal Change


Leadership and Workplace


Happiness Principles


Annual Planning Kits


Blog posts:

What is Coaching? In two minutes

I get this question often: What is Coaching?  Over my years in the profession the answer has gotten easier, as more people understand coaching as a service provided by trained professionals.There are 50,ooo+ coaches in the world and that number is growing fast; yet the definition of coaching is becoming better defined every day, as … Read more
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What to do when someone you love is grieving

A coaching client recently lost a dear aunt to cancer. “She was like a mom to me,” he explained. A day after our last meeting, he wrote to ask for some help. “Hey, Jim, I was talking with my cousin today. He said that his dad isn’t doing well with his wife passing. He cries … Read more
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Employee Engagement is Not Enough!

For the past 15 years much of our workplace discussion on Leadership has gotten sucked into the conversation about Employee Engagement**, focusing on the critical role that managers and leaders play in leveraging the heart and soul of the people on their team.  We speak of leveraging the Engaged group, striving to better connect with … Read more
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Is It Possible to have Too Much Dark Chocolate?

I was in a store with a colleague, and we passed the chocolate display. “Aren’t you going to buy something, Jim?” She asked. “No,” I replied, “I have a pretty full shelf right now.” “Oh, come on,” she said. “Can you possibly have too much chocolate?” I paused for a moment.  “Actually, yes,” I confessed. … Read more
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How Do You Deal with Problem Employees?

In this podcast from station WJCU in Cleveland (John Carroll University is my alma mater!), host DB Hegler leads a conversation on dealing with “problem employees.”  The first part of the podcast is an interview with a Cleveland-based employment attorney who focuses on the legal dimensions of addressing or even preventing workplace issues. In the … Read more
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Stop. Start. More. Happy.

Let’s see a show of hands: how many of you are working on personal change goals? Yep, I thought so. How balanced is your thinking process? On the journey from “where you are today” to “where you want to be,” it is just as important to identify what you want to KEEP as what you … Read more
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My Summer Reading

I don’t create a huge summer reading list any more.  but people still ask.  So as I’m making my selections, I’m sharing.  Here are some books I’m reading while on the beach this year: For personal transformation, Daring Greatly, by Brene Brown.  Everyone who has read this insists I will love it — about being vulnerable and showing … Read more
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Today I choose joy

Every day is a choice.  Every day I get to decide my attitude for the day. Image credit: Julia Kostreva  
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We will destroy it with our lasers…

So I was checking out my Klout score today — having received an upbeat message about how I’m showing so much IMPROVEMENT since I signed up for my account.  Go, me! — and the site froze.  This was their error message: I laughed out loud for several minutes.  I am ever so grateful to the … Read more
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What Do We Need to Give Up For a Happier Workplace?

I recently attended Human Resources Conference where the topic of performance appraisal came up constantly — in the keynote sessions as well as breakouts. The last speaker of the day pointed out this recurring theme: “What we’ve heard today is that everyone – employees, managers, and HR – hates the annual appraisal process as practiced … Read more
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