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Karman Hotchkiss

2 min read

Being a Doer Didn’t Get Me Where I Wanted to Go

Looking back, I sometimes wonder if my reputation as “the one who gets shit done” was a disservice to my corporate career. When I was climbing the corporate ladder, it seemed that my professional brand relied on people seeing that I made things...

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1 min read

Do You Trust Your Gut?

Back when I worked in publishing, one of my most important tasks was working on magazine covers. The right (or wrong) cover image and blurbs could...

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1 min read

Trust and the Lesson of Keeping It Simple

The KISS method. You know the one: Keep It Simple, Stupid. I first learned about this philosophy in college, from an instructor whose first name was...

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feedback

1 min read

That Time When PI Helped Me Understand 20-Year-Old Feedback

About 20 years ago, my then-boss retired. As the department’s #2 (who had basically been keeping things running for quite a while), I seemed like a...

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2 min read

Can Tension Build a Better Team?

Today one of my coaching clients taught me about a new-to-me psychological phenomenon: The Ben Franklin Effect. The idea behind this concept is that...

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1 min read

When Growth Requires a Little Discomfort

My husband and I met on a blind date. It was a long time ago, but I still remember awkwardly walking around with him at an art show on the...

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1 min read

The Two Most Powerful Feedback Words

Feedback is tough. Not very many of us are great at giving or getting it. Even after years of managing a creative team—where I gave feedback just...

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Lots of questions

1 min read

Why You Don’t Actually Want To Be the One With the Answers (and it’s not why you think)

Yes, I was that student. The one who REALLY liked to have all the answers. And when I’m not careful, I let that mindset dominate my management style...

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coaching conversation

2 min read

Learning that Questions, Not Answers, Make Me More Effective

Early in my career, I had the chance to attend an out-of-town workshop about how to be a better publications editor. Since my job at the time was...

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stir-fry in a dish

2 min read

Are You Treating Your Team Like They’re Crockpot Employees—When They’re Really a Stir-Fry?

Last week I was chatting with my friend Dorothy about work things. Coworkers and bosses and getting stuff done. “My boss told me one day that I’m a...

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