Blue Fjord Leaders Blog
The Voice for Insightful Leadership with Shelley Row, P.E.
You Shouldn’t Feel That Way – and Other Phrases to Eliminate
How to replace suppression phrases with validation to improve communication “You’re getting upset over nothing.” That’s what my boss told me after a particularly difficult project meeting where everything seemed to go wrong. I’m sure she meant well, but her words...
Curiosity: The Secret to High-Functioning Communication
How to be a curious, not judgmental leader Walt Whitman said, “Be curious; not judgmental.” The word, curiosity, evokes a sense of openness and flexibility. That’s a good way to approach interpersonal communication. In my courses, we define the goal of communication...
3 Components of Judgment: Are You Using All of Them?
Good Judgment Empowers Leadership Teams — Here's How to Use Information, Experience & Gut Feel when Making Decisions “You weren’t promoted for your technical skills. You were promoted for your judgment.” That’s what my boss told me shortly after my promotion into...
The Forgetting Curve: It’s Why Your Training Program Doesn’t Stick
Here's how you can train managers for employee retention & satisfaction You’re trying to do the right thing by investing in training for your staff. But is it sticking? If it’s not sticking, then it’s not making a difference for them, for you or the organization....
The Best Attributes of Engineers & How to Upskill to Be a Better Manager
Use these 3 tips for better management training It’s National Engineers Week! Let’s take a moment to celebrate engineers and the value they bring into the world. And let’s look at how to get more from that value. Think about it. Engineers design, build and...
The New Must-Have Skill for Managers: Empathy
Leadership after COVID demands a new approach — here's how to manage with empathy. Management & leadership is changing. Have you noticed? Check out this article from Fast Company on the “rare breed” of managers who are “original.” The article came to me from my...
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
How “Quiet Quitting” can be Solved by Leadership Training
In recent years, there has been a growing concern in the modern workplace about the phenomenon of “quiet quitting”. This trend is characterized by employees doing only the bare minimum required for their jobs, with no extra effort, enthusiasm, or engagement. According...
Why a Keynote Speaker is the Key Moment of Your Event: Understanding the Benefits and Importance
When it comes to events, the term “keynote” is often associated with a central and critical aspect of the program. This term has roots in the world of music where the keynote is the central or fundamental tone that sets the pitch for the other notes in a piece of...
Discover How To Navigate Difficult Discussions: A Do’s and Don’ts Guide for Engineers
As technical professionals, we often find ourselves in situations where we need to have difficult discussions with our colleagues, superiors, or subordinates. These types of conversations can be uncomfortable, but they are necessary for effective communication and...
It’s Time to be Grateful and Hopeful
Take stock of the past year and consider all you are grateful for and then plan out what you will hope for in 2023. If you want to grow leadership skills consider our upcoming 60 Day Leadership Challenge. Hopeful and Grateful This week is one of my favorite weeks of...
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