Earnest Consulting Group

Why New Year’s Resolutions Fail–and What To Do About It

December 28, 2022 | Leadership

Photo by Engin Akyurt: https://www.pexels.com/photo/writing-2023-on-sand-beach-13088176/ If you’re like most people, you’re thinking ahead to the new year. And if those thoughts include new year’s resolutions, you likely know that the majority of people--at least 80 percent, according to even the most conservative estimates--fail at turning those goals into reality. The key to making your resolutions stick is to learn from those who buck the trend and finish what they start--those, to put it another way, who don’t do what most people do. Here are three keys to success. 1. Start small. Trying to do too much too soon is a…

I Don’t Do Mondays! Part III – Mondays are a Mindset

May 27, 2020 | Communication, Leadership, Self Help, Time Management

This is the final post in a three-part series–why I don’t buy into all the negatives associated with Mondays. In Part 1, I shared my tips for prior planning: how a little forethought can help us avoid the Monday blues. In Part 2, I talked about setting boundaries--how to take more control so I can start the week more productively. Today, I’ll cover the importance of mindset: what we can do to reframe the way we think about Mondays. WHY WE GET “A CASE OF THE MONDAYS” Changing our mindset about Mondays begins with understanding why they can be such…

I Don’t Do Mondays! Part 1

April 28, 2020 | Leadership, Self Help, Time Management

No, this does not mean I don't work on Mondays. What I don't do is the idea of Mondays. Remember the line from Office Space, "Sounds like someone has a case of the Mondays." I think that line from the movie speaks more to the person who pines for the weekend and is sad it's over. I don't usually share that sentiment and look forward to my first day back after the weekend. Maybe that's sometimes why I tend to work a bit more on Mondays than other days. Chaos Rules I also have gotten a sense from many that…

Burnt out at Work? Part 3 of 4.

January 8, 2020 | Leadership, Self Help

If you have just joined us, I have been writing down some thoughts that I have shared in-person with groups about workplace burnout. Transforming a presentation into a blog post has also allowed me to expand on some areas and share more experiences. Recap To recap, my experience has shown that I begin to experience workplace burnout when I'm not taking time to take care of my workplace wellbeing. I have also been able to break down four areas, which I call the pillars to workplace wellbeing. They are: Setting Boundaries Gaining Perspective Connecting with my Mission Practicing Self Care.…

Burnout at Work? Part 2 of 4.

December 23, 2019 | Leadership, Self Help

If you are starting to follow us, we are presenting a series of posts that discuss workplace burnout. As discussed, burnout has affected almost half of the current workforce at some time in their career. Nearly one-quarter of the workforce is currently experiencing burnout. I have shared my experiences with some groups recently and decided to put some of these ideas to print. Quick Recap As currently stated, my successful way of working through periods of burnout is to work on my workplace well being. My experience has broke workplace wellbeing into four pillars: Setting Boundaries (With Others AND Yourself)…

Pigheaded Discipline or Flexibility?

February 6, 2019 | Leadership, Self Help, Time Management

Photo by Mark Cooke on Flickr As I have posted before, I am in the midst of re-reading Chet Holmes: The Ultimate Sales Machine. While the book talks about how to increase sales through better prospecting and scripting, it first addresses time management and how to plan out your day. A Life Long Student I have long been a student on how to best manage time. I don't believe tools such as google calendar, google tasks, or Microsoft Outlook are time management strategies. They are just tools. Since being in the workforce, I have used Franklin-Covey's Planner and David Allen's Getting Things…

Does Being A Great Team Leader Mean The Door Should ALWAYS Be Open?

December 31, 2018 | Leadership, Time Management

Photo by egvvnd on Flickr I began reading a book called the "Ultimate Sales Machine" by Chet Holmes. I enjoyed reading the first chapter that discussed time management some time management techniques. One point the author made was to schedule every aspect of my day. This schedule included managing frequent pop-ins by other co-workers. He called them, "got a minute" meetings. You know, each time a subordinate, co-worker, or boss peeks their head in your cubicle or office door and says, "got a minute?". Instead, he encouraged his readers to block 30 minutes each day for "open office hours" where people could hold…

‘Twas The Night Before Christmas – Business Edition

December 14, 2018 | Communication, Employee Recognition, Leadership, Teamwork, Trust

Photo by sea turtle on Flickr ''Twas the night before Christmas, all had left for the holiday break. But I was at the office stirring, for rarely a break did I take. Never resting, always doing. Not having fun, and burnout ensuing. With engagement low, and turnover high, Unless attitudes changed, my dream would surely die. If only my people were loyal and engaged in their responsibilities, And showed behaviors like teamwork, instead of showing their hostilities. For a change, I took a look at myself, and for the first time I did see, That the problem wasn't my employees,…

Did We Respond or React?

October 16, 2018 | Communication, Leadership, Trust

Photo by aaron gilson on Flickr One of Merriam-Webster's definitions for the word "react" is "to act in opposition to a force or influence." One of Merriam-Webster's definitions for the word "respond" is "to say something in return." Given these definitions and some of my experiences, here is what I have learned: Along with the spoken message, reacting involves some type of behavior. It could be defensiveness, manipulation, passive-aggressiveness, or rage. Reacting comes from someone who is either angry or scared or both. Often, that feeling of anger or fear is triggered by the message being heard, and usually, this is…

You’ve Been Promoted To Supervisor. Now What?

May 18, 2016 | Communication, Leadership, Trust

Photo by David Blackwell on Flickr Your boss quit. Management has promoted you to supervisor. Please check out my short video about what to do when you have been promoted from a non-leadership position to your first one as a leader. https://youtu.be/EGu1e84mNYw What would you say in your first conversation with your direct reports after you had been promoted?