My Blog

In my kitchen are two small drawers designated as utensil drawers; they are a source of frustration for all who share the kitchen. They’re jam-packed with spatulas, scoops, tongs, whisks, and myriad other gadgets. How can two drawers so full never seem to have the...

Our recent loss of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg sparked much attention and publication focused on her legacy. While reading a New York Times article, I especially enjoyed hearing from former clerks about her approach to writing. As an attorney myself (and...

When I first entered the world of training, I taught overflow classes for a friend who was an veteran trainer. It was a perfect way to ease into the training field: The materials were already created, so I could focus on learning how to be a trainer and facilitator....

When asked on a form about my occupation, I often answer “trainer.” It’s simple and straightforward—and true. But is that really the best descriptor of what I do? In the world of professional development, the trainer is the subject matter expert who’s leading a class....

I became a mentor about six years into my current occupation of professional development consultant and trainer. It’s hard to remember the specifics of those first few discussions with my mentee because we’ve grown together and shared so many experiences since then....

Novelist Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch famously gave this editing advice: "Murder your darlings." It sounds harsh—but what’s his point? We must stop being emotionally attached to our content. If something about our online class isn’t working, we’ve got to change it or get...