dr. thea lobell: organizational development consultant, speaker, & retreat leader

The new show Life on the Discovery Channel has an episode devoted to amphibians where Oprah Winfrey states that amphibian means “double life.” What an interesting concept that as a social scientist I had not contemplated in years. Counselors are always using the butterfly analogy. However, given children’s interest in frogs, I think this one [...]

This past Saturday, March 20th marked the beginning of spring with the Vernal Spring Equinox. Spring is the season associated with new beginnings and cleaning out the rummage of the past. People think of spring cleaning for their homes but neglect the area where they spend almost half of their waking hours, their offices. When [...]

You can’t give what you don’t have. It’s common sense. Leadership, counseling, and management skills can be represented by money in a checking account. You would not write a check for $10,000 on an account with a balance of $5,200. Yet, every day, many of us focus on helping others without thinking about our own [...]

This is the 3rd of 3 articles on making the most of conference experiences. Once the conference is over, it’s time for follow-through with the contacts and plans you’ve made. Post-Conference: 1.  Conduct a debriefing. The plane ride home is an ideal time.  This is time alone to review your notes, activities, and ideas from [...]

Conference attendance This is the 2nd of 3 articles on getting the most out of the conferences.  The 3 components of a successful conference experience are: networking, session attendance, and social networking. Networking: 1.  Never order room service. Sharing meals is great networking. Always find other people to eat with during the conference. 2.  Sit [...]