Erin’s Blog
When Everyone Knows But Them
“Can you pause the recording?” OFC, I replied. We were mid Coaching Clinic — implementation sessions held after workshops where participants get real one-on-one feedback — when the request came in. Turns out the requester knew where the conversation was about to...
100th Edition! Lessons Learned
A year into your Peace Corps service as a volunteer is a milestone of sorts. It’s when you feel more like a native of the host country than an American. For me, it meant I felt Panamanian. Your work projects are finally starting to take hold, and you’re building...
Whoa… What Just Happened There?
Scenario one during the Coaching Clinic: dealing with the patient who went 0-60. Context: Coaching Clinics are post-workshop-follow-ups so participants can go and practice what they learn in the OG workshop and then come back and report out how it went, what...
Maybe Give Yourself Feedback?
Years ago, I was on a project with Mazda North America. We focused on the client experience, and if you have ever bought a car, I need not say more as to why. They instituted a new policy: no more asking for 10s on surveys. Beyond that, they were no longer asking...
The Danger of the Free Phenomenon
We chose the chef’s table, aka sitting at the expo table up close and personal with the chefs/cooks/dishwashers. Our obsession with The Bear drove our decision. Jill and I both ordered the tri-tip steak option for our mains, and requested it medium rare. Our temp...
When Rules Make you Look Like Fools
This year's Olympics brought us lots of Snoop Dogg, Flavor Flav, and oh, incredible athleticism. As with any situation involving governing bodies, rules committees, and subjective judging, it also brought complete chaos to gymnast Jordan Chiles last week. You can...
Owning It: A Little Goes a Long Way
Sometimes, I am astounded by the tiny amount of effort that can go such a long way toward building trust, putting a smile on someone’s face, and showing that you care. Take, for example, last week when I pulled up to exit the National Rental Car parking lot at the...
Taking it Personally
It’s always a fine line. When we’re talking about difficult conversations, how to work through them, how to navigate them. Workshop participants share their stories, open up, get real about what’s getting them going. The fine line starts to get sketched out. I get...
What we Want, What they Want: The Gap in Between
Yo! What’s up! Think about that greeting, and imagine the places you might hear it. The local coffee shop? A party? Catching up with a buddy? Your first time at a doctor’s office, meeting the nurse practitioner that is going to help you with your physical? While...
The Sick Of List: A New Annual Tradition. Join Me?
We’re back! If you’re one of the fun ones who recently joined this Thursday party, I’ve returned from a June break. The first part of June was a series of break-a-leg type events, which were A-W-E-S-O-M-E if I were to do a cheer about them. The second part of June...
