Writings from Dale
Blog
Ideas and Advice for Getting Unstuck in your Career
How to Use LinkedIn to Work a Town
A great example of using linkedin and video introductions to make key contacts fast.
Overcoming the Fear of Making Mistakes at Work
Do you have a fear of making mistakes at work? I was talking to a friend not long ago who happens to be a counselor. I was unloading to him about work issues - I forget the details - and he called me a perfectionist. Have you ever been told that you are a...
Grow into Your Career
Years ago my wife and I were considering the mission field. We had been working in the technical support of missions and Bible translation and were thinking we were being called full time. We decided to bring it up with our pastor to seek that wise counsel. He started...
Four Simple Ideas to Win Over Problem People
The biggest problems faced by the engineers and technology leaders are not about technology at all. People are the issue. And most technology workers (should I just say most people) are not prepared to deal with the challenges people bring. My mom - who worked for...
The Best Questions to Ask in a Job Interview
During almost any interview you will be asked: “Do you have any questions?” That sounds harmless. You might think - "OK the interview is over and now I get to ask questions.” Not quite. They will often learn more from you based on the questions you ask than they did...
The Dim Future of Higher Education
Headed to a university near you - Disruption. But not in the way you might expect. Most believe it will be the MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) that forever changes the landscape of higher education - but something much more close to all of us will be the demise....
How I Developed Clear Expectations with My PhD Students
I opened the email, dreading what I was about to read. I knew the writer of the email well, but I also knew he was about to suck the life out of me. What he wanted me to do was to serve as his Ph.D. committee chair. But, I knew it would mean a lot of time, a lot of...
Feeling Overwhelmed? A Quick Fix for Getting Back to Productivity
[featured-image single_newwindow="false"] I find myself feeling overwhelmed way too often. When I am feeling overwhelmed, I act like a deer in the headlights - I have no idea what to do or where to run. Instead of acting, I just stop. Sometimes I even find this is a...
Three Actions to Become a Leader with Help from Your Boss
So you want to become a leader? How? If you are like me, you sit back and try to think what actions you need to take. It becomes like some kind of secret mission - where you must uncover the hidden secrets about how to do it - without anyone knowing. Since my job was...
3 Ways to Start Leading Today
To become a leader, start leading today. Most people wanting to move into leadership are waiting to be anointed. They are hoping that one day that they will be asked to kneel and have the sword touch their shoulders dubbing them as a leader. Sorry - it does not happen...
5 Soft Skills Every Leader Needs
There are certain soft skills every leader needs - no matter their leadership style. What are soft skills? And why are they soft? I always thought of soft skills like a gruff sailor would look at soft hands - wimpy and weak and belonging to someone who never worked....
Do You Want to Be a Leader?
Do you want to be a leader? Almost everyone who starts in our Master in Engineering Management program wants a position in leadership. They are usually seeking leadership in their current company, but many are looking to other companies. Most are eyeing an...
Soft Skills are Key To Move from Engineer or Tech Expert to Leader
When I started to work after engineering school, I was confused. Why did my high-end technical skills not seem as important as all the other things? Why did the people making the decisions seem either low on tech skills or like they had moved past them? All that time...
Why Chasing Work-Life Balance Does Not Work
I hear a lot about work-life balance. Frankly, it makes me feel guilty. I feel like there is a project I have not done. I need to get on it. It makes me feel as if I am living life wrong. I read the articles about how to balance my work and my life, and I have no...
Be Thankful for the Gift
Today is a celebration for those living in the United States. A day of giving thanks and being thankful for the gift we have been given. As you go about today, be thankful for what you have been given. But as you are thankful, I would like to ask you search and find...
How to Fund Your Nonprofit
Thinking about starting a nonprofit? If so, this post outlines four questions you need to answer before you get started. I did a podcast about the nonprofit myth a while back. In that podcast, I outlined the idea of money flow as it relates to companies and...
Reverse Interview Questions | There Are Only Three
Without question, the reverse interview or informational interview is the most effective method for finding a job. Reverse interview questions have continually opened up doors for my clients to new jobs - often creating jobs. (See my post on Finding Hidden Jobs) One...
Productivity at Work | Quit Stealing From Your Employers
Are you stealing from your employer? To ask it another way, have you been given tools and a work environment that should help you be more productive? The other day I was on a conference call with my friend Marcin Kwiecinski (yes - his site is in Polish), a...