Provoke Better

08/19/2026

Most strategic plans gather dust because they aren't built to guide daily decisions.

Learn how to transform your big-picture vision into concrete annual goals, quarterly priorities, and daily tasks your team can execute with confidence.

Learn the process in this live, one-day workshop in Frederick, Md on August 25. You'll leave feeling prepared to guide this process in your own organization.

Offered by techfrederick and supported by the Maryland EARN grant, you get the workshop, lunch, and all materials for just $75.

Details and registration: https://techfrederick.org/event/stratplan/

08/06/2026

Learn to clarify your business's long-term direction without complexity. Translate that vision into achievable annual goals and quarterly priorities. Connect metrics to your team's current work, all through a hands-on fictional case study.

Frederick, MD on August 25, 2026 - Get ready to lead strategic planning effectively. Details: https://techfrederick.org/event/stratplan/

03/30/2026

If you use ChatGPT, even paid plans, check your settings today. New updates by default enabled personalized ads and model improvement using your chats.

Turn these off in Settings > General Ad Controls and Data Controls to maintain privacy.

01/14/2026

Would you "trade" 15 minutes for 90 minutes? Smart teams do this every day!

Many people cringe at the idea of one more meeting. That's typically because meetings are not well-organized and driven by purpose, process, and payoffs.

Yet research shows that a proper Daily Huddle of 15 minutes or less saves EVERYONE in that meeting 90 minutes a day with...

- Less wasted effort
- Better coordination and handoffs
- Fewer interruptions for status checks
- Reduced rework due to errors

Use these three simple questions each day with your team and let me know the results.

01/06/2026

Dear Fairy Godmother, please make this the year that meetings are not a waste of time.

I am not asking for world peace. I am asking that 12 people stop blocking 60 minutes so three can talk.

This carousel shares four secrets to productive meetings. None are revolutionary. All are ignored.

Swipe.
Cringe a little.
Fix one thing.

✨ Fairy Godmother, you can rest now.

10/22/2025

Raise your hand if you got promoted to a leadership role because you were good at doing a thing, but were NEVER taught how to manage others to be good at doing the thing. ✋

Yep, that's what I thought. It happens far too often.

This training series bridges the gap between what made you successful as a technician and what WILL make you successful as a manager.

Each session will build upon the previous one, with short prep work before each session and "homework" to practice between them.

You'll not only learn the theory, you'll apply these techniques in real-world scenarios coming over your desk every day.

Thanks to Maryland grant funding, this series is offered for the mindblowingly low price of only $40! 🤯

Get details and register today at

Leadership Momentum: How to Motivate, Communicate, and Manage Up Dates: November 5 & 19, December 3 & 17, 2025Time: 9:00 – 10:30 AMLocation: Venture X, 7100 Guilford Dr, Suite 200, Frederick, MD 21704 Learn how to lead with confidence and ease, even in challenging moments. The Leadership Momentum ...

09/18/2025

"I think it's broken." That's what our CEO Whitney Hahn said about the way *most* exit interviews are conducted today, and she stands by that.

Honestly, what comments have you made on your way out the door that you think a former employer has actually taken to heart?

And if you are the company rep, what bombshells are you finding out that you didn't know before? 💣

Seriously - we'd like to know.

Read the full article in the newly released fall edition of Frederick Business Quarterly, along with additional perspectives from Gretchen Pisano, MCC, MAPP and pro Barbara Mason.

READ it here: https://issuu.com/pulsepublishing/docs/frederick_business_quarterly_-_fall_2025?fr=sNTE4ZTgzNzQyODY

09/15/2025

Feeling overwhelmed by too many priorities as the year winds down? Use a priority matrix to measure impact, effort, and confidence.

Focus on high-impact, low-effort, high-confidence tasks and give them your full attention.

As TV character Ron Swanson would say, "Don't half-ass two things; whole-ass one thing."

Have you felt this?

08/27/2025

The talent search is broken. Why? And what should you be doing instead to recruit top talent?

Janice Litvin and I will explore this live! Find out what's working today to attract high-performers.

September 3 at 11a PT/ 2p ET right here!