I am passionate about connecting people, developing business strategies and leading people and organizations through change. My career began in the healthcare industry where I held several financial leadership roles. I now works as an Executive Consultant where I enjoy partnering with organizations to assist in their strategic planning, team building and executive coaching. With intellectual curiosity, humor and deep empathy, I nurture, inspire, and empower teams to rethink the way they do things so they can fulfill their greatest potential. I live in Portland and love hiking in Hood River, running away to wine country and enjoy discussing big ideas and current affairs.
How navigating difficult conversations and accepting feedback can help us see ourselves and others more fully. As we become increasingly adapted to a two-dimensional way of life it can be quite literally difficult to zoom out and see one another’s perspective. Research has shown that those who struggle to navigate difficult conversations suffer 3x more … More Love is a Better View…
I was pulling together notes on negativity bias and loss aversion for an upcoming training and suddenly thought, “Hello Michele.” Saying this year has been difficult for me would be an understatement. In the Universe there are no accidents and I needed to read these notes as a reminder that when we are making decisions … More The Problem with Positivity: How to Thrive in a Polarized World
With Earth Day upon us indulge me a little as I compare the importance of the strength of our social relationships to the intricate network that is part of a healthy forest. A healthy forest floor communicates through what is sometimes referred to as the wood wide web. When I learned about these well-networked relationships … More Importance of Social Networks and the Wood Wide Web
Are you a carrot, egg or coffee bean? As I read the last few chapters of Ikigai, The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life, I was reminded of a parable, about perspective, adversity and how you can shape or be shaped by the things that are happening around you. The parable goes roughly … More Antifragility, Resiliency, and 10 Rules to Live by…
It seems almost universal that we all have a favorite mug in our cabinet. A quick and fun team-building opportunity is to have your team members share pictures of their favorite mugs and the story behind them. All good mugs have a story to tell! You could even pick a day coming up next week … More Creating Connection – What’s your favorite mug?
Why write a letter to your future self? If you can’t visualize where you want to go at work and in your personal life it will be a real struggle to get there. I work with leaders on strategy and goal setting and yes often I have them write letters to themselves. Much has been … More Who Do You Want to Be? Writing a Letter to the Future You.
“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” -George Bernard Shaw Communication is such a minefield these days. Co-workers often complain about the misuse and abuse of communication while their smart phone sits inches within reach or even in the palm of their hand. Not too long ago I … More Building Highly Productive Relationships: Communication & Trust
It is not just workplaces that have been changing rapidly. Shankar Vedantan, host of Hidden Brain podcast takes a look at the history of marriage and explores what has contributed to the high expectations of a modern marriage. Why has marriage gone from the easy to thrive even when neglected Cabernet to the fickle and … More Modern Marriage as High Maintenance as Pinot Noir?
Diversity is possibly the biggest buzzword in corporations in 2017. However, few companies are succeeding in this area. I recently read about a company that underwent a tremendous overhaul to improve the diversity of their workforce. Increasing diversity within the organization had been a long term strategic goal. To achieve this important initiative, they brought in consulting teams to educate the staff on diversity, hired a Diversity Director, and changed their recruitment process to attract more diverse applicants. What they didn’t do? … More Avoid the Common Pitfalls: How to Create Successful Organizational Assessments
I am an avid reader and the books listed below represent a few that have made me think and expanded my view on problem solving, leadership and people management. … More Books
Clinton Street Consulting 