Linda Dulye's workshop, Communication Essentials for Engaging Teams, earns accolades from American Society of Quality (ASQ) members. Here's what Ben Bonnell, Chair ASQ Berkshire Section, had to say: 

Finally. The weather has broken and I’m rowing again on the Berkshires' beautiful lakes. For me, rowing is more than physical challenge.

It also keeps me mentally agile. Moving in a direction that I’m not facing requires frequent head turns to scan for obstacles. No matter how well I know the lake and shoreline, there is a high degree of unpredictability in every row that comes from sharing the water with fishing boats, kayaks, SUPs, water skiers, buoys, swimmers, fog bursts and the occasional bald eagle. 

Here's a quick exercise that will enhance your summer vacation. Write down the names of your top 10 professional contacts. Now evaluate the diversity of your group by focusing on a few basics like job, industry and experience. Assess as well by age, gender and ethnicity.

What do you see? 

The much anticipated performance review. A workplace ritual. 

It’s one of my lingering memories from my days as a communications leader at General Electric. Back then (circa early 1990s), GE’s employee evaluation program was widely regarded as an industry gold standard for its depth, discipline, data and direct dialogues.

Surprise! Organizational structures are getting denser!

Managerial employment in the US workforce expanded by 90% between 1983 and 2014, according to research reported this month in the Harvard Business Review. Meanwhile, employment in other occupations increased less than 40% during that same period. 

This week, Jen Welter got a great new job.

She became the first female coach in the  National Football League—receiving an offer from the Arizona Cardinals.

Experience and knowledge of the game earned  Welter--who holds a PhD in psychology and multiple championship titles from 14  years of play in the Women’s Football Alliance--her career advancement. But as  a newcomer to the Cardinals’ organization, Welter faces the challenge of quickly  integrating.

Riding my bike this morning, I passed a bus stop where commuters were in cue, lined up single file and waiting. What instantly struck me was that all ten people were doing the exact same thing. Their heads were down, and their eyes and fingers were affixed to their cellphones. Complete silence. No one was talking with anyone inches away.