Posts by Jo Ilfeld, PhD
System Failure or One-Time Error?
Sometimes things at work don’t go as planned, but the important question to ask is whether it’s a “system failure” or a one-off error. Recently, a client of mine rushed to prep a deck for a meeting, only to realize they hadn’t done enough preparation because they didn’t know who was attending. This prompted my…
Read MoreFeeling Stuck? 3 Steps to Move You Forward
This article originally appeared in Forbes. I was on a coaching call this week with someone who felt very “stuck.” Outside of my work, most people I chat with generally use the word ‘busy’ whenever I ask them how they’ve been, yet as an executive coach, the most common word clients use to describe themselves,…
Read MoreNo pain, no gain. Not always.
I’ll be honest here. I have a love/hate relationship with the phrase “No Pain, No Gain.” On the one hand, as a leader, you need to do hard things. That’s not only part of your leadership remit, it’s part of being human and learning, growing, and developing. It’s not easy work but you don’t get…
Read MoreTime to Reset Boundaries
At work, we often train people to treat us a certain way—by always being available, or by letting small requests slide. It’s easy to create these patterns without even realizing it. But here’s the truth: you have the power to reset boundaries whenever needed. Let’s say you expect an agenda before a meeting, but you’ve…
Read MoreAI is here. What Does It Mean for Your Team?
I just finished a webinar that was over an hour of AI tips and tricks, and I won’t lie – some of it blew my mind. In minutes, AI generated social media videos from LinkedIn posts; it built simple websites and then “made them even prettier.” And that was just the beginning. When I watched…
Read MoreWhen a Postmortem is the Right Move
When are postmortems the right approach for the team, and when are they no help? The other day, I was discussing the design of an offsite with a client and we talked about how much time to allocate to looking backward at what went wrong, and what didn’t go well versus thinking about a new…
Read MoreCurious Conversations: Your Key to Making Better Decisions
Picture this: I hop into my Lyft to the airport and my driver and I start a conversation about kids. We bond over parental pride and devotion – his two boys and my two boys and a girl. However, election time was nearing and my friendly driver threw into the conversation that he was supporting…
Read MoreCelebrate January Wins
It’s already 2025, and January is in full swing. If you’re like me, the holidays feel like a distant memory, and your team is likely feeling the same way. They’ve jumped right back into work, and the hustle is real. But here’s the thing: your team has already achieved January wins—don’t let them go unnoticed.…
Read MoreStart 2025 Strong
As the new year begins, it’s easy to carry over the stress of year-end chaos. But January presents a unique opportunity to pause, reset, and align your team for a successful year ahead. During a recent conversation with Angela MacArthur, we discussed how powerful it is to intentionally bring your team together at the start…
Read More3 Questions to Answer to Build Your 2025 Strategy
2025 is no longer a year in the future but right around the corner. Whether you make New Year’s resolutions or not, Dan Pink’s book, When shares that beginnings, like a new year, are a great time to attempt something new – whether that’s starting a new habit, committing to a new goal, or in the case…
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