Self awareness

How to Give Feedback Using the SBI Approach

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Last month, I took a leadership training session called Feedback that Works, created by the Center for Creative Leadership. At first, I figured it would be a nice refresher for my skills, but to my surprise, I learned a lot more than I expected. The session introduced me to a new, simple yet powerful framework for giving feedback—the SBI approach: Situation, Behavior, Impact. It completely changed the way I approach feedback, making it both more effective and less stressful. ...  read more

Epic Fail or Epic Day – Perspective Matters to Your Career Success

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In life, the same set of events can happen to two different people, and their interpretations of those events can be completely different. This difference in perception can turn what could be seen as a failure into a triumph—or vice versa. It all comes down to how we choose to see the situation. This story, drawn from a recent real-life experience, illustrates the power of perspective and how choosing a more positive interpretation can inspire and energize us. ...  read more

Tip of the Week – Give Yourself Permission to Do it Imperfectly

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I grew up believing “If I cannot do it well, I shouldn’t do it at all.”  Perhaps this is a typical Asian upbringing and teaching.   I am not even sure my parents actually said that to me.   However after receiving many “talks” from my dad about how I could have gotten a better grade on a test (e.g, 100 points vs 93), I think I told myself the above as I don’t want to “disappoint” my dad or get an extra long lecture. ...  read more

How to Create New Year “Goals” That Inspire You All Year

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I don’t know about you, but I no longer like coming up with S.M.A.R.T goals for my new year resolutions.   This is mainly because goals like “I want to lose 6 pounds in six months” or “I want to launch a product manager bootcamp by x date.” are both rigid and demotivating as the year goes on.   It also doesn’t get at the heart of WHY I want these goals. ...  read more

It is Time to Splurge a Little – Here is Why

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I just paid $699 for an upgrade to a business class seat from SFO to Newark.   It’s the first time I ever paid so much for an upgrade “I don’t need.”  I had a “perfectly practical” economy class window seat near the front of the cabin.    Splurging a little on myself was actually a difficult action to take for me.  I have been frugal and practical all my life. ...  read more

There are Only Two Important Things In Life – Do You Know What They Are?

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The Unwanted Visitor – Health Issues

For over four weeks now, an unwelcome guest has lodged itself into my life – health issues. It wasn’t a cold, nor was it Covid. Figuring out what it is has been the real problem.

It all started with an incident that seemed like food poisoning. My husband and I shared a lovely meal at our favorite restaurant, and not long after, I found myself hunched over, losing my dinner. My initial guess was the cheese on the burger; after all, we both had some and felt a bit off. However, while he bounced back, I didn’t. ...  read more