A few weeks ago, I learned that my book Answering Why: Unleashing Passion, Purpose, and Performance in Younger Generations had won Silver in the 2019 Independent Publisher (IPPY) Book Awards. I was, in a word, stunned. Yes, I poured my heart and soul into making this book the best it could be. I drew on… Read more »
Soft Skills…Are You Kidding Me?
Are soft skills important in the age of the technical skills gap? Yes, they are—more than ever. In 2016, The Wall Street Journal surveyed over 900 executives to discover the relative importance they placed on technical and soft skills. Fully 92% reported that soft skills like communication, curiosity, and critical thinking were equally important as… Read more »
Meet Our Newest TFS Team Member: Cindy May
I’m delighted to introduce the latest addition to the TFS team, Client Development Coordinator Cindy May! Because of the high standards set for every member of the TFS team, it can take some time to find the ideal candidate to fill a needed position. When I met Cindy, I knew she could be a perfect… Read more »
Founder’s Perspective: Motivating Young People with a “For-Now” Direction
“Career exploration can be done later. Now’s the time to enjoy your high school years.” This attitude is surprisingly prevalent in our culture, but there are two things wrong with it. First off, it sets the student up to fail in college with no clear direction, no driving purpose, and no real reason to be… Read more »
The Danger of Education for Education’s Sake
Education for education’s sake alone sounds noble, doesn’t it? No mercenary motivations here, just pure learning and the acquisition of knowledge. It may sound good, but unfortunately it doesn’t work so well in the real world. Education debt is at an all-time high in the U.S. today. The New York Federal Reserve Consumer Credit Panel… Read more »
Growth Mindset: Sure, Students Should Have It…What About You?
Growth mindset, a term coined by Dr. Carol Dweck, is a popular topic these days. I’ve written about it before and I’m revisiting it today because I have a fresh observation. To briefly define growth mindset, it’s the belief that a person’s intelligence, talents, and abilities are not innate but can be developed with effort…. Read more »
The Why Generation and Why You Should Care
The Why Generation is characterized by a single question: why? They’re forever asking, why do we do things this way? Why is this needed? Why can’t we make it better? This generation is asking a serious question. In general, their asking why is not an attempt to flout authority or show off. They are sincerely… Read more »
Building a Planning Culture with the Career Tree
Last year, we unveiled the new Root System Career Plan that helps your students create their personal, viable plans of study for life after graduation. Today, I want to look at the bigger picture surrounding the Root System Career Plan, and that is the concept of the planning culture. What’s a Planning Culture? A planning… Read more »
How to Fail Miserably and Wind Up on Top
Have you ever hit rock bottom? You know what they say about rock bottom—there’s no way to go but up. That’s a nice thought, but when you’re actually there, actually facing obstacles that seem insurmountable, it’s hard to take that abstract idea and turn it into practical action. But it can be done. I’ve proved… Read more »
TFS Founder’s Perspective: From Passive to Proactive in 2019
It’s January, and we’ve all made (or at least thought about making) New Year’s resolutions. There are always things we want to change, things that we could do better—whether they be in our personal or professional lives. I don’t want to give you another New Year’s resolution to take on, but rather a way to… Read more »
