VantageShift Insights

Getting the information you need without putting people on the defensive Asking questions is a great way to learn. If you’re leading a team, you’ll want to ask and listen more than talk. But are you asking questions in a way that is making your team members clam up? Having worked in Silicon Valley for most of my career, I can attest to how much people here value open communication. Many books have been written about it, people are praised for it, some have built careers o

Setting Clear Expectations Are you sure you’re on the same page as your manager? Part of managing up is ensuring expectations are clear. How can you accomplish this? Here are a few strategies that you can employ: Communicate proactively. Schedule regular check-ins and ask your manager clarifying questions such as, “What does success looks like for you this quarter/year?” or “How will you measure my performance?” Also ask questions that surface the ‘why’ behind any direction

Do you feel like your manager has unrealistic expectations for you? Most managers don’t receive much training, if any. The lack of training could lead to difficulty articulating clear expectations or to a lack of awareness of how their expectations are received and even whether they’re realistic. Your manager also must manage up and may be struggling with outsized expectations and pressures themselves. Many people in that situation will pass on pressure rather than try to

Is the thought of transforming your career a little scary? Career transformation is all about having the courage to step into the unknown, to get a little uncomfortable, to challenge yourself. Building the courage to make your desired career change starts with being open to the possibilities. The chance to make a change occasionally lands in your lap unexpectedly. If you’re open to the possibilities, then you will recognize it and perhaps even be ready to take that leap. But

Overcoming New Task Paralysis How great would it be if all of life's challenges came with a roadmap or task list for meeting them? You...

As I sit in my backyard contemplating the beauty and wonder of a sky filled with colorful storm clouds, I realize that this was a year of...

Whether You Realize It or Not I read an intriguing column about what researchers call "quantification fixation." We make decisions based...

I recently took my first real vacation in over two years. When I say real, I mean going away, not a staycation, to someplace unfamiliar...

Community can mean something different for each of us. For some, it's a place where you belong. For others, it's a feeling of...

Cultivating a Key Value for Growth Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it well and serenely Ralph Waldo Emerson The Beginning Before I...

Every day, I awaken to my playful pup gently performing her self-appointed alarm clock duties. As I scratch behind her ears and smile at...

The Revelation It's been several years since my refrigerator was new. I had carefully researched my options before making the purchase...

The Tentative Start When our Rottie first came to live with us, she was quite apprehensive about residing in suburbia. We don’t know much...

I've long noted that most people do not look up. Their attention is focused down or forward with an occasional backwards look. They are...

For most of us, decisions involving money are based on affordability and short-term value. If we're hungry, for example, we think about...

If you've spent considerable time and energy on must do's, hunkered down in your little boat of obligations, it's time to take a plunge...

As regular readers of my articles on Medium know, I am the proud dog parent of an adorable Rottie. She's a loving companion, intelligent...

Giving thanks for all the wonderful things we have in our lives The United States observed the Thanksgiving holiday last week and my day...

It's the Way That You Do It I was listening to some perfect-for-Sunday-morning jazz vocals and heard "Tain't What You Do (It's the Way...

Striving for Both I heard a fitness expert talk about how we can become efficient at certain movements even when the movements are not...