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Author Archives: John Stepper
My blog moved!
Hello! As part of a blog makeover, I recently moved my blog to a self-hosted version of WordPress so I could have a bit more control of the features on it. Unfortunately, if you follow me via WordPress that means updates … Continue reading
Posted in Working out loud
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What 9 year olds do that’s worth billions to corporations
Work, even life, is a kind of Rubik’s cube. Allow me to explain. I’ve never solved a Rubik’s cube. I’ve tried, of course. I turned it this way and that till one side was the same color. Then, frustrated and … Continue reading
The prospect of premature death didn’t make me change so I tried this instead
“Take this pill, every day, for the rest of your life,” my doctor said. I sighed at this obvious sign of decline, envisioning the 7-day pillbox that all old people seem to have. “Already?” I asked. Approaching 40 years old, … Continue reading
The worst management training I ever had – and the best
How do people learn to be good managers? For most of my working life, I’ve received terrible advice about management. All of it came from bosses who felt that becoming an effective leader necessarily meant sacrificing part of your humanity. But … Continue reading
Accelerated intimacy at work (without a call from HR)
Even during some of the worst times in my life, I’ve responded to How are you? with Everything’s great! I thought by showing people that I didn’t need help, that I was always happy, I could somehow make them like me … Continue reading
Posted in Self awareness and improvement
Tagged dale carnegie, happiness, humanize, intimacy, networking, relationships, self-improvement
7 Comments
The best peer support group for your career?
I’ve got a problem and I’m hoping you can help me. I know that working out loud – working in an open, generous, connected way – increases your chances of finding meaning and fulfillment in your work and life. I … Continue reading
How to not suck at receiving feedback
I usually suck at receiving feedback. Even a constructive suggestion from my wife about loading the dishwasher feels like a personal attack, as if my very self-worth is tied to whether the dishes should face in or out. Yet in writing Working Out … Continue reading
The best gift my mother ever gave me
Growing up, my mother’s lack of education and limited worldview were infuriating and embarrassing. Though she raised me, she seemed so different from me. That led to a sense of detachment and indifference. There were times, when she had moved … Continue reading
Posted in Self awareness and improvement
Tagged appreciation, Family, happiness, mom, mother, Mother's Day, self-improvement
6 Comments
A letter from my future self
If you’ve ever wondered where you’re heading, or what your work and life is leading up to (if anything), then I have an exercise that might help you. This week, I suggested this exercise when several people I’m coaching … Continue reading
Posted in Self awareness and improvement
Tagged career, career planning, goals, happiness, keith ferrazzi, purpose, self-improvement, working out loud, Writing
8 Comments
The best meal in Florence
For many travelers, their best meal in Florence might be high on a hill with views of the Duomo. Or along the Arno river, overlooking the Ponte Vecchio. Or maybe in a piazza near the Uffizi museum. But … Continue reading
Posted in Self awareness and improvement
Tagged Connections, Family, Florence, Food, Italy, working out loud
19 Comments
John Stepper 