Blue Fjord Leaders Blog
The Voice for Insightful Leadership with Shelley Row, P.E.
Three Reasons that “What Matters” Motivates
How many cathedrals are enough? After traveling over Europe I had enough of soaring cathedrals with vast interiors filled with church art and relics. But, my husband, born and raised a Catholic, has a cathedral fetish. And so it was that we walked around the outside...
Tune Your Brain for Optimal Performance
We didn't know where to go so we followed the throng of people. We jostled through the streets of Monaco under a blazing blue sky. We were traveling in southern France, and to our surprise we learned about the qualifying time trials that were taking place for the...
Effective Persuasion: Ten Things to Know and Five Things to Do
Have you ever tried to persuade someone and it did not go well? You have all the facts and data; you have a compelling case and the answer seems obvious – at least to you. Yet, they are not convinced and their arguments seem counterintuitive. This situation plays out...
Four Brain-Savvy Tips for Changing Attitudes
Whoo-hoo! I was promoted to mid-management (GS-13 in government lingo). I was going to Headquarters! I made it! ...not so fast. My first assignment was to write policy on the use of motorcycles in HOV lanes. If you think that doesn't sound very exciting, you're right....
Three Ways to Make SMART Goals Smarter
The 1996 Summer Olympics were approaching fast. Atlanta hummed with construction. I was part of a team that designed and built the Transportation Management Center or TMC. The work engulfed the city, all of the surrounding counties, the state department of...
How to Not Waste Time on Performance Reviews
It is likely that your performance review process is a colossal waste of time - for you and your employee. Can your business tolerate a process that is a colossal waste of time? If your answer is no, then here are some tips that with a bit of thought, will improve the...
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
Tips from a Tea Kettle: How to Reframe an Over-Reaction into a Considered Response
There it is – a tea kettle. Shiny and copper. It sits quietly until the heat is on. Suddenly, unexpectedly, it erupts, “Eeeeeeeeee!” There you are. Sitting quietly at home or at work doing what you’re doing. Something happens – a cross word, a sideways glance, an...
Are Your Decision-Making Habits Feeding Your Organization?
I’m intrigued but not surprised. The a-ha moment happened as I discussed the pitfalls of over-thinking with a group of 70 transportation leaders. It could have been any group of leaders. Perhaps it is evident: Leaders develop good and bad decision-making habits and so...
Three Steps to Just Getting It Done
It was a beautiful Texas afternoon and I decided to take a short walk along the street where my mother lives. Walking, I passed a short, old woman slowly ambling along out for her afternoon walk and carrying her cane. We smiled and acknowledged each other as our...
Four Ways Leaders Use Intuition
Think, think, think. We live in a culture that values thinking. We have big thinkers, deep thinkers, creative thinkers, out-of-the-box thinkers. There are think tanks and a sculpture called, The Thinker. We think out loud; we think to ourselves and then we think...
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