Say It Skillfully®

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. In Episode 144, Molly is joined by Mark Parsells, who joins the show to share stories of success, failure, and going against the grain as a world-class business operator who played vital roles in the success of many companies, including CitiBank Online and American Express. Mark goes in depth on the dangers of corporate groupthink, and how it can cloud vision and can make a common sense answer seem impossible or like a terrible idea. Don’t miss stories of him working through massive pushback and groupthink at AmEx—where he redesigned the application for their first credit card—and at CitiBank, where he advocated for a “single sign-on” system. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Mark talks about “Emperor’s New Clothing Syndrome”, where people blindly agree with whatever decision the higher-up is making, without considering other options. He shares the importance of leaders being authentic and respectfully calling out when an idea is a bad one. Mark helps us with strategies for presenting ideas—showing how to use finesse and curiosity to let others naturally come to the solution using their expertise—rather than initially telling them what you think is right. Mark and Molly also talk about the importance of getting to know yourself and what’s right for you. He shares how he eventually came to understand that he didn’t do his best work as an employee. Mark shares a heartbreaking story of how a great employee and a personal favorite of his ended up leaving the company because they mistakenly thought Mark didn’t like them. He discusses how, moving forward, he avoided situations like this and created better relationships by building a culture of ultra transparency and support between peers. Mark lets us in on all of his current endeavors, including his company Montpelier Ventures, his work with small companies dealing with mergers and acquisitions, and working on many boards. He shares how he is passionate about coaching CEOs because he felt he was missing guidance in his years as one. Also, don’t miss the story of how Mark concluded that he will never retire! Mark inspires all to know no boundaries and to commit to taking action so that all can be safe, seen and heard, and our true and best selves.

Molly’s thought for the week from Mark’s grandmother, “Be real, be kind, and genuinely care about people.”

Please be part of the solution—give upfront and encouraging feedback! https://lnkd.in/gfc8DDD

Sign-up for Molly’s free mini-course and all my #sayitskillfully resources for you here: https://sayitskillfully.com

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. In Episode 143, Molly’s first caller, Natalie, shares a challenge that’s crept in thanks to higher turnover with Covid and lack of onboarding. In a culture typically “super nice and optimistic” she’s keen for ways to give needed feedback to new recruits in a way that inspires. Next Chris, a long-time TV network executive, shares a Hollywood “drama on the set” that required talking Jessica Simpson off a cliff. He shares how the easiest of solutions was what saved the day—just listen. Chris also shares what helped him deal with big egos over 2 decades in corporate settings (15:10). Then shifting from military service into business, Chris shares his current office struggle, skillfully asking a colleague (a great guy) to not “speaker phone” meetings that he has to listen in on. We can all relate to a “small thing” that we’ve just kept letting go. Chris and Molly have a lively chat on how he feels about this and on taking the steps to broach the topic in a way that feels right to him (31:00). Lastly, ever find yourself thinking, “if I can just get so and so to do such and such… “ (sigh—everything would be wonderful!). Molly closes by talking about tendencies at work, namely the bias for action “to get” someone to do something… She offers you an alternative to get to the root of the problem (psst…it has to do with awareness (47:30). Molly’s thought for the week: SAFE IDEAS ARE DEADLY—Thank you Ryan Berman, who notes it may take years to figure out they’re not going anywhere; he’ll take a bad idea over safe any day! Don’t miss these conversations and learn how to navigate work while being invaluable and true to yourself! Please be part of the solution—give upfront and encouraging feedback! https://lnkd.in/gfc8DDD Sign-up for Molly’s free mini-course and all her #sayitskillfully resources for you here: https://sayitskillfully.com

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. Episode 142 is the 27th monthly feature of “Our Voices,” intended to accelerate social change that levels the playing field—helping everyone live to their full potential. The aim is for you to see a bit of yourself in these journeys, and embrace—we’re more similar than not. Molly is joined by Professor William Hsiao, who shares his unlikely journey, growing up in the U.S. not knowing English well and struggling with no parents around; he eventually became a Harvard professor and one of the world's foremost experts on healthcare, economics and financing... regularly advising government and non governmental organizations. Shortly after moving to America from China at the age of 12, Hsiao lost his father to a medical accident, and his mother developed stage 3 tuberculosis—spending 8 years in a sanitarium while he grew up. He opens up about his struggles with no anchor in his household. He explains what it was like being a first-generation immigrant: the racial discrimination he faced and how it affected him. Don’t miss his empowering message to people who may not speak English well! Hsiao talks about his first job as an actuary, and tells the story of when he had to fill in as Acting Chief Actuary of the United States and testify before Congress. He goes in depth about how his surplus of technical knowledge but lack of interconnection led him to a true understanding of knowledge being limitless. Then, he talks about his transition to the academic world and becoming a professor. Hear about how his desire to learn led to overcoming his self doubts about his ability to succeed. An expert in healthcare, Hsiao was invited by nine countries and societies to redesign their healthcare systems. Get an inside look at healthcare systems, the healthcare industry, and the politics at play that often stop good ideas from flourishing. Hear Hsiao’s thoughts on America’s healthcare system and how he believes it’s broken. Hsiao passes down wisdom learned throughout his life, including: 1. Life is unpredictable. 2. With patience, you can make big changes during your lifetime. 3. The world is so interesting and complex, there is no end to our learning. Molly’s thought for the week from Professor Bill: There is no limit to learning new knowledge; discover the joy of learning. Please be part of the solution—encourage you to help all voices be heard: https://bit.ly/2QJFIPT. All Molly’s #sayitskillfully resources for you here: https://sayitskillfully.com

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. In Episode 141, Molly is joined by Marshall Goldsmith—her biggest inspiration for Say It Skillfully, a huge contributor to the fields of management, leadership, and coaching, and a man who helped create coaching as a discipline. He joins the show to help us live in the present and also shares what he’s been up to, including his new book! Usually always traveling, Marshall talks about adjusting his lifestyle during Covid times and how he made the most out of the situation. Hear about how reaching out and having conversations with people about their lives during the pandemic helped him learn a lot and fueled his book, The Earned Life. Don’t miss key themes from the book, including the importance of not overly focusing on outcomes. Always an outstanding coach to me and many others, Marshall passes on many lessons learned. He talks about separating achievement from personal peace and success. He shares the importance of “forgiving people for who they are.” Marshall describes how many successful people are unhappy, because finding happiness in achievement is very short term and can cause people to live in the past. Also, he shares what he learned by studying Buddhism, including being happy with what you have, and how his book applies Buddhist philosophy to everyday life. Don’t miss Marshall go in depth about aspirations, ambitions, and actions, and also share a related story about one of the biggest mistakes he made, which ended up in him breaking his neck! He shares his top takeaways, including three themes from interviewing old folks near death: 1. Be happy now. 2. Never get so busy climbing the ladder of success that you don’t make time for friends and family. 3. If you have a dream, just go for it. Marshall inspires all to know no boundaries and to commit to taking action so that all can be safe, seen and heard, and our true and best selves. Molly’s thought for the week (of course from Marshall): The pursuit of an earned life is not a goal for a distant time, but a way of living every moment. #sayitskillfully resources for you: https://sayitskillfully.com * How to ban the three words that kill conversation http://bit.ly/3h1FGeZ

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. In Episode 140, Molly is joined by Mike Rutstein, who shares his story, from an uncertain childhood to becoming an extraordinary creative writer and communicator; he ascended the corporate ladder to thrive in the world of advertising and helped to build some of the most famous and successful healthcare brands in the world. When Mike was 5, his parents divorced. He recalls feeling lost in a household full of uncertainty. He shares how he’d escape into his imagination, his love for commercials, and how his father was his greatest inspiration. Sports was also a guiding light for him. After graduating in a recession, Mike talks about his early career and (brutal) job hunt. Don’t miss a hilarious story of how lying about knowing how to type to get a job ended with him gaining a great mentor! Also, hear about a “make or break” moment when his mentor threw him—last minute—into the limelight of a big presentation (it ends well…). Mike sheds light on how he thrived in big companies and talks about adversity faced during his career, including getting into political firefights for taking strong positions on what he believed was best for the company. No longer willing to “play the game,” he opens up about how building his own business was at times extremely difficult. Mike shares his gratitude for an amazing business partner and lessons learned over the years, including the difference between hearing something and listening, and how supporting each other is key to break past mediocrity. As one who seized opportunity and never looked back, Mike inspires all to know no boundaries and to commit to taking action so that all can be safe, seen and heard, and our true and best selves. Molly’s thought for the week (thank you Mike!): The greatest meeting room in the world is around the dinner table. More about Mike and Strikeforce Communications: http://www.strikeforcenyc.com And Molly’s #sayitskillfully resources for you at https://sayitskillfully.com

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. In Episode 139, Molly is joined by master of media and creative genius, Rich Melcombe. He joins the show to share his story—growing up minutes away from Universal Studios, moving on to create 10 TV shows, produce 5 movies, over 2000 On Air TV promotion spots, and dozens of TV commercials and sales tapes. Growing up with a love for film and wanting to be a TV producer, Rich talks about his childhood and his journey to becoming comfortable in his own skin and gaining confidence. He tells us about his time in film school, including butting heads with a professor that he didn’t agree with. Rich talks about his first jobs out of film school and gives us an inside look at film industry politics. He describes an encounter which taught him that some people in the industry can’t be trusted. At one point broke after being fired from one of his first jobs, Rich came up with “Brownie Points” on a whim. Don’t miss the story of how this idea took off and led him to working with Ted Turner at Turner Broadcasting. Hear about Rich’s time at Turner, where he showed promise in marketing and paved many paths, including presenting a business plan that would form into the start of Home Shopping Network. Rich shares lessons learned from his time in the industry, including learning to listen, and not worrying about things he can’t control. He also talks about his family life and the importance of making time for his kids. Tune in to hear about his startup, Richie Knows, which is building a local social network and creating mental health solutions for gamers. Hear about what he learned when interviewing hundreds of gamers and his goal to improve mental health. Rich inspires all to know no boundaries and to commit to taking action so that all can be safe, seen and heard, and our true and best selves. Molly’s thought for the week: Follow your heart. Live in the present moment. More ways to help you #sayitskillfully! * This video explains metaskills—your ability to consciously decide what energy you project https://lnkd.in/gWaaQ8J * All Molly’s resources here! https://sayitskillfully.com

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. Episode 138 is the 26th monthly feature of “Our Voices,” intended to accelerate social change that levels the playing field—helping everyone live to their full potential. The aim is for you to see a bit of yourself in these journeys, and embrace—we’re more similar than not. Molly is joined by Carolyn Chun, Assistant Professor of Mathematics at the US Naval Academy, shares her journey from childhood “math geek” to researcher and educator and now advocate for social justice in higher education. Growing up with her twin sister and two younger brothers with a mix of privilege, potential and naivety, Carolyn recalls being ”sheltered within her own mind, not really understanding what was going on around me.” Half Caucasian, half Asian in a predominately white school, she describes her younger self as “unaware of her race”—not picking up on racial epithets from other kids—and open that to this day she’s still figuring out how she perceives herself and how others perceive her. Daughter to two professional mathematicians, Carolyn always found math easy. Despite her love for it, she wasn’t 100% set on graduate mathematics; Peace Corps and corporate jobs were on the table. Hear how she eventually followed her heart to LSU, studying under James Oxley, a world leader in his field. Carolyn sheds light on gender discrepancy within STEM fields. She first felt the “us against them” while studying at Rutgers, when ideas and solutions from her and other females often would come under scrutiny and be shot down, unlike for male peers. In this case, her naivety was a benefit—not being discouraged by extra barriers women in STEM face—and she stuck to “optimization mode”; earning numerous degrees: BS in physics; BS/MS/PhD in mathematics, and Masters of Fine Arts with distinction. Today, she has a reputation internationally as a leader in her field. Carolyn delves into teaching at USNA—the good and not so good—including an undervaluing of female contributions in the classroom and a “military bias” in which students tend to idolize military faculty members despite at times their underachieving in learning outcomes. Carolyn talks about the disconnect she sees: while being in the best interest of all parties to work together, leadership has created a culture of competition between the military and civilian faculty. Don’t miss Carolyn share what she’s proud of in life and her career, and some things she’d do differently! She inspires all to know no boundaries and to commit to taking action so that all can be safe, seen and heard, and our true and best selves. Molly’s thought for the week: The arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice.

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. In Episode 137, Molly talks with early-in-career professionals about their job searches! Molly’s first caller, a recent college graduate, is having a tough time getting her foot in the door in children's educational media. Aviva shares how she expected to face rejection, but sees “success in failure”. She realizes finding people to connect with at the companies she’s applying to is basically a full-time job itself. They discuss how taking a position that isn’t necessarily your “dream job” can be vital for learning skills, showing your value and getting to know yourself. Next, Michael returns to the show after calling in to share his inspiring recent few years in China and Taiwan, where he developed his ability to teach English to 5-year olds! Now back in the states, Michael is exploring different avenues for the next chapter. He shares his strengths that he discovered while overseas, as a leader and in solving problems with people who think very differently than he. Molly helps Michael with potential interview questions, including an example of how he would explain his strengths to make sure that it lands in the best way possible, and the importance of knowing how your strengths connect with the tasks and needs of the job at hand (14:10). Then Alex calls in to share her post-college career journey, working for a tech consulting company for 9 years where she mastered their proprietary software, as well as the struggles of switching to a job in which that software mastery didn’t quite translate. Along the way, she was diagnosed with ADHD! Alex explains how, due to her ADHD, she worked extremely well under pressure and dealing with big problems, but struggled to stay productive when things were calm. She goes into depth about her job transitioning process, and opens up about how tough it was working 10-11 hour days then taking online courses after work to beef up her resume and build up her skills. Alex then talks about what she learned about herself during this very worthwhile process. (31:55) Molly’s last caller, recent college grad Emma, is working two jobs while searching for a full time role. She calls in a day before an interview to discuss the best ways to present herself as a confident candidate. Emma and Molly role play some interview questions, including articulating her strengths, with examples of situations in which these strengths have come up at work. Molly then helps Emma with the best way to phrase her answer to the dreaded “What is your biggest weakness?” question (42:50). Don’t miss these conversations and learn how to navigate work while being invaluable and true to yourself. Molly’s thought for the week: ”When everything seems to be going against you, remember—the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.” —Henry Ford.

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. In Episode 136, Molly is joined by 30 year high-ranking U.S. Army veteran Vince Buggs shares his journey to a career of service— building on decades of military experience to help people fulfill their aspirations and live meaningful lives. Vince admits he was never quite the academic scholar, but from a young age he excelled in situational awareness and always paid attention to the wisdom from his mother (who ended generations of being broke, and even got her PhD at age 73!). She made sure he understood things such as laws, rights, and what was happening in the world around him. This instilled within him a work ethic to always try to be the best at whatever his job was. Vince shares lessons learned from his parents and grandmother, who was a little girl during slavery, including the power and necessity of teaching others and serving the community. Vince was born in Louisiana in a time when remnants of segregation were still present. While he was young, his parents took a military assignment and moved to Germany to escape racism, civil rights issues and lack of good education in the south. He talks about how growing up outside of the U.S. allowed him to be a “normal kid” without biases. Vince shares his first experience with racism when moving back to the U.S. for college in 1985, and how he remained calm by embracing his grandfather's way of “hitting things with a pillow instead of a hammer”. Vince talks about military life: what it’s like to live on a military base, and how being “stuck” in the reserves for 5 years working civilian jobs helped him learn more about people and contributed greatly to his success in becoming a leader later in his career. He speaks about the challenges on his first active duty tour, and often being the only African-American in the room. Vince opens up about how being on a tour in the Army changed the way he looks at everything, and how it helped him focus on “the good”. Always staying busy, Vince talks about his post-military life including teaching history, starting his company—Embrace The Power—and being a father of 5 girls. Don’t miss Vince and Molly discuss what to do in situations in which you feel left out of the inner circle and your ideas are constantly shot down. Also, he talks about seeing things that don’t go your way in a positive light. Vince inspires us to help all be safe, seen and heard, and be our true and best selves. Molly’s thoughts for the week: “Care.” (Thank you Vince). Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth. —Muhammad Ali. More ways to help you #sayitskillfully! https://sayitskillfully.com

Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. In Episode 135, Molly is joined by U.S. Coast Guard Admiral Sandy Stosz, who shares 40 years of navigating more than her fair share of firsts. In times of crisis and complexity she puts action to the words “leading with integrity.” (And for those dealing with a “bad boss,” don’t miss how to handle this!) “Shy and unconfident” is how Sandy started. Parents who instilled “you are your core values” and her tomboy youth with 3 younger brothers prepared her well to hold her own and work with men. Her disarming honesty is in abundance as she’s forthright about continually being “rendered humble” by not being the smartest, fastest or best looking... “very average!” Athletics and coaches were gamechangers in Sandy’s limitless hard work and perseverance. “No silver platters… it was always, always hard.” She talks of not realizing she was even “breaking glass”— Title IX was just starting to support women in sport, as she was in the 3rd USGG class to have women (60% attrition). In the Coast Guard, role changes were every 2-3 years, never letting one find their stride for long: adapt, adjust, be agile were the only options. As the first woman to command an icebreaker on the Great Lakes and lead a US armed forces service academy, she shares numerous “aha” (some painful) learnings with men who didn’t believe she belonged (and how women weren’t exactly super supportive of one another). Resignation letter in hand, she came sooo close to giving it all up. A must hear for those who need to amp up their “competence—confidence” in the eyes of others… Sandy’s mantra: “always swing the bat.” And all the “poor leadership” taught her: #1) Somehow get along w/ that leader – humble yourself to understand this boss #2) Learn what you don’t want to do… This fueled her quest to be the very best leader she could be. Numerous leadership and life lessons abound in this open-hearted account of how Sandy persevered to take the burden of being the first and turn it into an opportunity of a lifetime. And don’t miss 40 decades of leadership gems in Sandy’s book, “Breaking Ice & Breaking Glass”—inspiring us to help all be safe, seen and heard, and be our true and best selves. Molly’s thought for the week (anonymous): What consumes your mind controls your life. More on Sandy here: https://sandrastosz.com More ways to help you #sayitskillfully!