One of the Greatest Gifts We Can Offer, or Receive

By Caroline M. Cole The first one appeared when I was 13 years old. Waking up on Christmas morning, I felt the envelope under my pillow. My younger sister, with whom I shared a room, also had one: an envelope … Continue reading

Carve Out Time to Be Consciously, Purposefully Grateful

By Caroline M. Cole Signs were evident in mid-August. Subtle in some stores and on full display in others, Christmas decorations were making their appearance among the costumes, ghostly embellishments, and bags of candy meant to welcome trick-or-treaters—one of many … Continue reading

Performance Reviews, Part II: How to Write Self-Evaluations that Generate Support and Respect

By Caroline M. Cole “Performance Reviews, Part I: How to Write Evaluations that Serve Employees and Organizations Alike” examines strategies for assessing others but, on occasion, we may need to evaluate ourselves. Self-evaluations, for example, are increasingly common in organizations … Continue reading

“To My Dearest Reader:” Salutations to Target and Engage the Unacquainted

By Caroline M. Cole In a digital world, letters are less common than they used to be, but when they do appear, they may incorporate outdated salutation references or presumptuous forms of address, both of which can start communication on … Continue reading

To Make the Greatest Impression on Others, Listen Up!

By Caroline M. Cole In 1968, American visual artist and leading pop art figure Andy Warhol observed that “in the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes,” and the decades since have exploded with venues to make that possible. Television talk … Continue reading

Bypass Slogans and Develop a Mission Statement to Build and Pitch Your Reputation

By Caroline M. Cole DeBeers claims a “diamond is forever,” Exxon wants to be “a tiger in your tank,” Timex “takes a licking and keeps on ticking,” Energizer “keeps going and going and going,” and “Like a good neighbor, State … Continue reading

The Power of Words, for Bad and Good

By Caroline M. Cole Last week it was Rebecca Ann Sedwick, age 12, but there have been others: Erin Gallagher, 13. Bart Palosz, 15. Katie Webb, 12. Amanda Cummings, 15. Ryan Patrick Halligan, 13. Audrie Pott, 15. Phoebe Prince, 15. … Continue reading

Early, Prompt, Fashionably Late, or Rude? Punctuality as a (Slippery) Virtue

By Caroline M. Cole Colleagues walking into a meeting mid-discussion. Classmates strolling into a lecture in progress. Patrons looking for a seat once the movie or performance has begun. Patients checking in after scheduled appointments. Guests showing up as others … Continue reading

The Art of Introduction

By Caroline M. Cole Poking others on Facebook and sending connect invites on LinkedIn, we have more opportunities to extend our social and professional networks. Yet while connections and interactions increasingly take place online, there are times we need to … Continue reading