The blog for all things Apochromatik.
Farther, Faster…
One Life Changing Day
After the waking nightmare that was 2020, I wanted to enter 2021 focused and ready to reclaim some feeling of control in my life. If I learned anything from Covid-19 and months of quarantine, it is to be grateful for each day that I wake up in good health with the power to determine my own destiny. I graduated college and law school, but as I haven't won a Nobel Prize or a MacArthur Genius Grant (yet), I reckoned there was more I could learn about goal setting - so I decided to check out Achievement 21: Goalapalooza on January 2, 2021.
ApochroMinute 63: Rewards
You’ve probably heard that rewards are an important part of goal achievement. If you’ve struggled with rewards, this week’s ApochroMinute will help.
The Power of Grit in Your Search for Fulfillment
According to psychologist Angela Duckworth, if you want to succeed, you are going to need grit. Her book, Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, details the results of her research into the factors that predict achievement. The book is packed with thought-provoking material for those hoping to take their career to the next level. Here are my top three takeaways:
ApochroMinute 62: Burnout
Burned out? You’re in good company; a majority of American workers report feeling burned out right now. This week’s ApochroMinute includes 2 strategies to help you overcome burnout and exhaustion.
What if you're in a cocoon? Career lessons from butterflies.
“Are you sure she’s ready?”
“Open the lid, Amy.”
“But what if she’s not ready?”
“She’s ready. Open. The. Lid.”
A few months ago, I found myself having this exchange at a butterfly park. As family members stood waiting, the tour guide kept nudging me to open the lid of what appeared to be a takeout soup container. Inside the container, a rare butterfly had emerged from the cocoon she had made on the underside of the lid. As she sat there, I kept wondering – what if she isn’t ready? And what I would see if I had a microscope? To my untrained and unenhanced eyes, this butterfly looked less like a runner at starting blocks, ready to launch, and more like a creature clutching the remnants of her old life.
ApochroMinute 61: Butterflies
What do butterflies have to do with your career? We’ll share the answer Thursday. But for now, this week’s ApochroMinute brings you a moment of calm to take a breath and maybe even reflect.
Shift Your Mindset
For today’s post, we wanted to dig a bit deeper into ways you can look forward rather than feeling as though you’re stuck where you are.
ApochroMinute 60: Dare Greatly
Teddy Roosevelt gave his “man in the arena“ speech 111 years ago this week. What can job seekers learn from it? Find out in this week’s ApochroMinute.
Managing Top Performers
Apochromatik’s Keith R. Sbiral’s management expertise was recently featured by the Harvard Business Review.
In the article, “Managing a Top Performer Who Alienates Their Colleagues” by Rebecca Knight, Keith shared a case study of a high performer he managed who had issues engaging with others.
Recently Published: Why engagement should top your to-do list in 2021
Apochromatik’s Amy M. Gardner and Keith R. Sbiral recently authored an article for The Bottom Line, the newsletter of the Illinois State Bar Association’s Standing Committee on Law Office Management and Economics.
In the article, "Goals Only Go So Far: Why Engagement Should Top Your To-Do List in 2021,” they discussed strategies to engage employees and the benefits for morale, productivity, and the bottom line.
ApochroMinute 59: $20,000
In a recent ApochroMinute, we advised job applicants to delay giving a salary range. In this week’s ApochroMinute: what happened when a viewer followed our advice.
Getting Stuff Done in Quarter 2
Want to Get Stuff Done?
"Urgent things shout, important things whisper. Listen to the whispers." -- Ken Groen
How a Mastermind Can Change Your Career
*OK, so maybe I’ve never had a direct conversation with TV character Leslie Knope of “Parks and Recreation." Or with Amy Poehler. But I’m pretty sure if I could, they’d both be in favor of masterminds. And, as we know, waffles.
ApochroMinute 55: Reflect
As we mark a bittersweet milestone, this week’s ApochroMinute invites you to reflect on the last year.
6 tips to a successful salary negotiation
Negotiating your compensation package with a new job can be complicated, which is why we shy away from avoiding one-size-fits-all advice on this topic. Instead, due to requests, we offer one-on-one negotiation coaching, and a popular negotiation presentation delivered as a live program or online webinar well-suited to professional organizations.
ApochroMinute 54: Negotiation
If you are negotiating a salary…this ApochroMinute is a must see.
ApochroMinute 53: Networking
For this week’s ApochroMinute, we’re sharing a question you can use to deepen your relationships with people in your network.
And if you’re an attorney who missed our Legal Career Clarity Roundtable, it’s not too late to schedule a complimentary Legal Career Clarity Call. Go to www.futureinfocus2021.com.
Amy M. Gardner appears on The 1958 Lawyer
Apochromatik’s Amy M. Gardner appeared on The 1958 Lawyer podcast recently. Check out her episode entitled, “Law Firm Partner Turned Law Practice Development Expert.”
You are More than a Worm
Have you ever heard the Howard Moskowitz quote, “to a worm in horseradish, the world is horseradish”?
If you haven’t, it may take a minute to process. (My first reaction was “why would a worm be in horseradish? Is it like having a worm in tequila?”) Another way to think about it is that when you’re in the thick of a situation—whether temporary or long-term—it can be impossible to see more than what is immediately in front of you. That can be a reasonable perspective; if a bear is charging you, it’s a huge asset to be able to focus on getting out of the way without being distracted by thoughts of a long-term crisis. But putting your head down and focusing on the things right around you it is not a good long-term strategy.