Blue Fjord Leaders Blog
The Voice for Insightful Leadership with Shelley Row, P.E.
Skip the bread-baking & garage organizing; look inward to make real change
Is learning something new the best way to combat "pandemic fatigue?" I don’t know about you, but since mid-March I’ve now seen, heard and read at least a gazillion advice columns and podcasts from “experts” all telling us ways in which we could be improving and...
How to improve the lowest employee engagement rate in years
According to a June Gallup poll, 54% of workers surveyed said they are currently not engaged, meaning they are "psychologically unattached to their work and company." Another 14% said they are actively disengaged, meaning they "have miserable work experiences and...
Staying engaged with virtual teams
In times of uncertainty, be certain of what your team needs from you As a leadership trainer and coach for over a decade, I can’t help but consider how significantly this ongoing pandemic has pulled back the curtain to reveal some of the most effective and glaringly...
Three Reasons Do-It-Yourself Leadership Development is a Bad Business Decision
It seems like a good idea to use your existing senior staff to develop and conduct leadership training for mid and up-and-coming engineer managers. After all, you're already paying them and they have proven leadership skills. Why not use them to train others? They may...
Exhausted After a Day of Zoom Calls? Four Tips to Manage Your Energy in a Virtual Environment
https://youtu.be/dDPJ82KKvKo Exhausted after a Day of Zoom Calls? Four Tips to Manage Your Energy in a Virtual Environment Meeting after meeting after virtual meeting. It's exhausting. Have you noticed that meeting online all day is more exhausting than if you were...
Public Agency Managers: Now’s Not the Time to Cut Professional Development! Here’s How to Make the Case.
Use This Checklist to Evaluate Your Program! (agency) Trust is the currency of public agencies. You need trust to work effectively with elected leaders, to successfully argue for your agency’s funding, and to build relationships with citizens who pass judgment on your...
Blue Fjord Leaders Newsletter with Shelley Row, PE, CSP
Your place for short, easy-to-read articles on management, leadership, decision-making, and personal & professional development.
Featured Blog Posts
Emotionless Leadership Hinders Effectiveness … Do This Instead
In leadership positions it’s inevitable that situations arise and provoke emotional reactions. Some emotions are low grade but others are like five-alarm fires. We are taught to suppress our emotions in the workplace in order to be seen as credible, strong and...
Kindness at Work Pays Off: Now’s the Time
Improve your team with these tips for thoughtful management Kindness is natural but it isn't always easy. Use these management techniques for kindness to improve your team's morale and performance. Every day it was the same. As the postal carrier approached Rose...
Life Hack: Steal these 7 Habits of Visionary Leaders
What’s your leadership philosophy? On paper, it seems easy to say you’re committed to fairness, profitability and something to do with sustainability. The workday, however, can feel like an unending battle between long-range vision and a stacked to-do list. When we...
Who Are You — Without Your To-Do List?
Anxious? Rebalance your day with mindfulness and meaningful work instead of checking off a to-do list. Here's how I changed my perspective and realigned my vision for Blue Fjord Leaders. Understanding My To-Do List Anxiety It was the first morning of my...
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