OK, so let it be know: I love dark chocolate. Not milk chocolate. Dark. The darker the better. I must admit, when I walked into my sleeping room at the Grand America in Salt Lake City—so weary from traveling and speaking in so many different cities—chocolate was NOT on my mind. Surprise! There on the table beside the sofa, perched in miniature splendor, was a baby grand chocolate piano complete with three more tiny chocolate. So delicate. So perfect. And for once—I resisted eating the confection. Some things just bring joy in their cunning appearance. I carefully put it in my extra plastic bag to carry it home and show my food and beverage husband.

Seventy-five percent of newly hired executives report having trouble with interpersonal skills, according to a new study released by the Institute for Executive Development and Alexcel. In short, while strong technical expertise and prior management experience might have gotten them the job, after two years in the position, they were underperforming and 27 percent of the hires had left the organization. What a waste! Think of the expense to hire, the loss of time and productivity, not to mention the reduction of employee goodwill and morale. I can hear the rank and file muttering about the idiots who are making hiring decisions. To support successful executive transitions for both both external hires and internal transfers, consider a robust onboarding process, mentoring from key executives, and executive coaching from external or internal consultants. In my practice, we’ve found that candid feedback (backed by 360 assessments) coupled with a specific development plan and strong support from senior management makes a tremendous difference. Interesting, isn’t it: we stumble at our most human skill: communication.

The end of this month, I’ll be heading to the Beverly Hilton and a walk down a red ca rpet. Yes, paparazzi and all.  But it is not for me! I am merely an invited guest of NPR’s Cindy Carpien, producer of The Original Fly Girls - the story of female WWII pilots. NPR’s coverage of the Congressional Gold Medal Award given to the Women Air Service Pilots WWII (WASP) has earned it a coveted GRACIE AWARD. Named after Gracie Allen, this award started 60 years through the Alliance for Women in Media (formerly AWRT). The Alliance has served as the voice and resource for women in the media. And for more than three decades, the Foundation has been a leader in celebrating and honoring programming created for women, by women and about women, as well as individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the industry. The Gracies strive to encourage the realistic and faceted portrayal of women in entertainment, commercials, news, features and other programs. As many of my readers know, my Mom (Mary Reineberg Burchard) was one of these pilots. Together with my sister, Susan Mullins and Pat Thomas, also the daughter of a WASP, we helped Cindy research the show and subsequent web site coverage. The result: on March 9, 2010, my sister, brother and I stood in our hotel room in DC and listened as Susan Stamberg opened up NPR’s Morning Edition with the story of these women.  Her full eight minutes beautifully summarized why we would journey to Capitol Hill to represent our mother in the ceremony.  Heidi Glenn, National Producer of Digital News produced an incredible web-story that included essays written by 20 of us about our WASP relatives.

Anne Mulcahy - former President and CEO responsible for the dramatic turnaround of Xerox Corporation - took the stage at Boston's World Trade Center to kick off Simmons Leadership Conference. Her humility and authenticity shone through a tale of just how the company surprised everyone on Wall Street.  Here are some of her thoughts which resonated to my leadership mindset: Don't mistake optimism for satisfaction. Keep at it. Crisis is a motivator. You can't get out of it - you move through it. Timeliness trumps perfection. Just do itTake the long view. Really listen. Great leaders pay close attention to employees at ALL levels and to customers. People need hope. Create a picture of five years' down the line and write the story in present tense. Give it to everyone to read. She now fills her days in towns and villages through the world but not in a glamorous gown and hotel suite. Au contraire. This buy-my-shoes-at-Banana Republic executive chairs the efforts of Save the Children. From Ethiopia to the Appalachian hamlets, Save the Children works for a vision of a world in which every child attains the right to survival, protection, development and participation.

Urban Zen is not a far-out sushi bar but rather a non-profit foundation created by fashion designer, Donna Karan. I had the wonderful opportunity of talking with Donna when we were both speakers at Simmons Leadership Conference. Little did I suspect that the soul of this black-draped woman resonated with passion for creating integrative healthcare among children, caregivers and communities. She has used her considerable resources to distribute tents as shelter for displaced Haitians. Urban Zen has produced a year-long series of nutritional workshops that focus on whole foods. Karan's foundation has hosted mission-driven events with the Dalai Lama, collaborated on art projects to preserve the indigenous artists of Australia, and joined with Beth Israel Medical Center to develop a program that uses integrative therapies in the care of cancer patients. DKNY will never look the same to me again!

It doesn’t seem like much of a secret—except that few hotels even do this so perhaps it is hidden behind the corporate veil I had come to Boston to speak at the 35th annual Simmons Leadership Conference. The Seaport at Boston Harbor, across from the World Trade Center, served as the conference hotel. Unlike other high-end hotels, Seaport doesn’t nickel and dime the guest for services like Internet and the health club. In fact, you don’t even need a password to log on and the health club is state-of-the-art. But wait!  There’s more: No tipping is permitted. Period. Does it impact an employee’s performance? Not on your life. In fact, in the Boston Business Journal’s 2010 list of "Best Places to Work" the hotel was there for the fourth year, taking second place in the large company category. But wait! There’s more: Attention to detail abounds. A single black washcloth is embroidered with the word “makeup”. A Keurig coffee maker brews a perfect cup of java from a selection of coffees lined up in the bathroom. Gilchrist & Soames hair care products are dispensed from a stainless steel container in the shower. No more little bottles to waste and recycle. A discreet trash bin encourages you to recycle paper on one side and glass and plastic on the other. But wait! There’s more: A large-sized umbrella hangs in the closet for the guest’s use on rainy days. The TV remote control is by far the most simple device I have ever handled. AND—not be outdone by electrical gadgets, a tent card invites the guest to call for the Seaport Pillow Library. Yes—a library of nine different kinds of pillows to make a good night’s sleep assured.  (I didn’t even know there were nine kinds of pillows ranging from Swedish memory to buckwheat and water-filled. I wanted to stay for nine nights so I could sample the difference.) But wait! There’s more: You don’t have to mortgage your first born for food or a good glass of wine. You find employees eager to help and ready with a smile.  And with Logan Airport just a quick ten minutes away, you have access to the world as well as the bounty of a marvelous historic city. I can’t wait to go back!

Dateline: Alaska, Kupreanof Island. In nearby Kake, Alaska, unemployment stands at 80%.   In an attempt to help the battered timber industry, the U.S. Forest Service has been planning to open up several large stands of old-growth trees which would require building 25 miles of roads at a cost of $6 million. For the three tiny sawmills in Kake, bidding on such an enormous operation is out of the question. However, the local Forest Service ranger did something unheard of:  he asked some 500 Kake residents what they wanted to happen in the remaining uncut forests around their village. Yes. They wanted jobs—just enough timber sales to keep the mills going. But here’s the surprise. They wanted no roads going into the virgin forests! They want to protect their way of life: hunting the black tailed deer. The result is a new plan that will reduce the number of board feet of timber and require only 1.8 mile of new roads. According to Lincoln Beach of the Native Tlingit tribal council, “We want to protect what’s left…we want to see a sustainable logging operation…We need to protect our hunting lands and our watersheds.” Since I speak on resiliency and finding multiple solutions for an issue—it seems that listening to the people at ground zero in the Alaska timber industry makes darn good sense.

My friend Jesse Lyn Stoner and Ken Blanchard have revised and expanded their popular book Full Steam Ahead! Through a beautifully written, engaging story about two people who are struggling to create visions—both for the company where they work and for their own lives—Blanchard and Stoner detail the essential elements of creating a successful vision. In Full Steam Ahead! you’ll learn: How to use the power of vision to get focused, get energized and get great results How to create a vision that touches the hearts and spirits of everyone in your organization How to create a vision for your own life that provides meaning and directionThis new edition is thoroughly revised, with a new chapter on sustaining your vision, updated examples, more information on creating vision for teams, and a new section that includes a vision assessment and a game plan for creating a shared vision. "This story provides a wonderful road map through the very important territory of vision that can move into action.  I found myself recalling many details of the journey well after I put the book down--it stayed vividly in my memory.  A powerful, simple guide for a journey we all need to take." —Margaret J. Wheatley, author of Leadership and the New Science and Walk Out Walk On “For those who … extract the lessons from this wonderfully powerful and simple book and put it into practice, the rewards will be extraordinary.” —from the introduction by Patrick Lencioni, President of The Table Group and author of The Five Dysfunctions of a Team You can purchase the book at Berrett-Koehler.

For the best few days, as I  made my early morning run along the beach and across the headlands that overlook Dana Point Harbor, I have kept a sharp lookout on the ocean. The ocean has been flat, pacified, and still: perfect for finding the spouts of the California gray whales as they make their annual migration. This weekend and next is the annual Dana Point Festival of the Whales. Alas. No whales! To be sure, they are somewhere in that vast blue sea but it appears that a strong current onshore might be pushing their huge bodies further away from the coast. Guess these mammals didn't get the memo that this was a command performance and thousands would be on hand to cheer their journey.  Reminds me of the swallows that are supposed to come back to Capistrano every March.  Nope.They don't show up either. The swallows now prefer to nest in the overhanging eves at Mission Viejo Mall.  Perhaps Nordsrom is a bigger draw than the Mission of San Juan. No matter. The humans will continue to gather. I rather like the notion that we can't command nature to appear at our beck and call. Whether a whale or a swallow - it puts us in our place to realize that the natural world responds to its own urgings. Humility is good for the soul. And so are the gatherings of art, music, and parades that accompany festivals. Happy Sunday.

Imagine a chain of hotels that decides to take on special causes and create one-of-a-kind music that support each cause! In their own words: The Choice Hotels Music Initiative brings together the emotional power of music with great causes to raise awareness and funds like never before. Using the leading marketing and distribution channels of Choice Hotels, artists are given a chance to introduce their original music to millions of listeners, while supporting signature nonprofit causes through song downloads. The non profits feed the hungry, rebuild communities devastated by Katrina, provide home for the developmentally disabled, preserve natural environments, and support after-school programs for kids. And Choice Hotels has just started. Find an artist, find a cause that resonates with this amazing company- and the next music track becomes a reality. They look for a match in four key areas: room to GIVE, room to REBUILD, room to be GREEN, and a room for EVERYONE. Go listen. Better still: download. And for every download, the hotel will donate $1 for every download up to $10,000. In an era where business smacks of self-service and greed, your spirits will soar. Come see for yourself.

My twin brother, a professor in the School of Theology at Boston College, just sent me a powerful reading for the Feast of St. Francis. When I tried to locate the original document to give you all just a link, I was unsuccessful. So, with apologies to National Catholic Reporter, here is the article in its original form. If I screwed up, I'll just claim the Jesuit "rule"-- do what you think is right and beg forgiveness later. Some Things Never Go Away Some things never go away. The best ones, in fact, come back to us in whole new ways. Saints are like that. For instance, October 4 is the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, il poverello, the poor one, whose voice in the newly emerging mercantile class of the 13th century warned of the greed and corruption and destitution that would come when the world was run more on profit for the rich than it was on a prophetic commitment to the poor. And he was right. But Francis was known for more than protests. Francis loved animals, too. He was a walking apostle for ecology and the protection of woodlands, which, having been destroyed for parking lots and housing estates, leave animals who once lived in caves and forests to spill over into our largest cities. He talked to the animals. He understood them. He knew their place in creation. No doubt about it. In a world where species after species is disappearing under the rubric of "progress," where animals are being used for research on materials and cosmetics, where the boundaries between forests and cities are fast disappearing, where bears show up in shopping districts of major cities and crocodiles show up on people's front lawns, we need St. Francis now. It is also becoming clear that Francis knew what we are only now discovering. In our time, the science that separated us from nature is now declaring that animals, too, have intelligence, have emotions, have needs like ours. Research by Dr. Filippo Aureli, professor of animal behavior and co-director of the Research Centre in Evolutionary Anthropology and Palaeoecology in Liverpool, England, indicates that the study of animal emotions, particularly in birds and primates is providing new insight and information on the emotions of humans, as well as the feelings of animals. Well, I am an animal lover, too. And I have been threatening for years now that my last book would be Two Dogs and a Parrot: The Spiritual Lessons I Have Learned From My Pets. The parrot, named "Bennie" for obvious Benedictine reasons, is the most obvious educator of them all. From Bennie I am learning persistence and emotional sensitivity. Both of which are needed in this world of invisible women and neglected children. Persistence is a very good thing for a woman to know in a man's church. If Bennie needs something, she simply refuses to give up trying to get it. She will knock at her hopper until it gets filled, until the door gets opened, until you put her on your shoulder and make her a real part of the community. Emotional sensitivity, the awareness of the needs of needy others, is her forte. She stretches herself out on the top of her cage, thin as a pencil, rigid as a piece of steel and stares at you until you stop work and give her the loving she seeks, for her sake and yours. She teaches us to be very aware of very small signals in life. No wonder that churches to this day bless animals on October 4, the Feast of St. Francis. St. Francis would find it all very normal, very necessary. From where I stand, we need to take another look at what animals have to teach us today, yes, but we have to take another look at what the saints have to say to us today, too. Somehow or other, the models we have put in their stead have not, as a class, managed to fill the gaps. — originally appeared at NCRonline.org.

Most of us have worked for more than one employer who didn't communicate well or at all with employees.  We all know the consequences of such an oversight but what happens if communication becomes constant and overwhelming?  When you add technology into the mix, the methods of communicating with employees far exceed face-to-face communications.  We have e-zines, e-mail blasts, streaming video, instant messaging, text messaging, telephones, teleconferences, webinars and live meetings.  How do you make sure that employees are seeing and absorbing important information without suffering from information overload? 1.  Pick a communication channel or two and stick to it.  Don't try to use every trendy method of communication out there. 2.  Be clear and concise.  Less is more when you want to avoid employee overwhelm. 3.  Don't dilly-dally.  Get important information out to employees now.  Don't wait for the rumor mill to distort your message. 4.  Talk face to face when you can.  There isn't anything that replaces face-to-face conversation especially on critical and sensitive topics.