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I’ve had several conversations in the past few days that make me cautiously optimistic:

• An attorney in Phoenix is busy and billing. On top of that, his firm is collecting receivables.
• A mortgage broker in New York is seeing continuously increasing activity.
• An executive in a catering company reports that they have a lot more business in the pipeline.

Take a look around you and pay attention to what you see and hear. Hopefully your observations will support what I’m hearing.

An acquaintance is entering new territory. As CEO of a company that is being sold, he finds himself at what could be conflicting personal and professional crossroads. Although he’s a little foggy about the future, I was struck by how excited he is about exploring new opportunities.

He has been researching new businesses, where he can leverage what he did with his prior organization. He’s looked into auditing classes. He’s sort of thinking about taking a vacation, but doesn’t seem too excited about that.

The point is, he’s taking action. He’s not wallowing in the uncertainty of the transition.

If you feel like you’re wallowing right now, take some action. It will help you move forward.

Read about how to clarify your focus in this week’s issue of our e-zine, Executive Insight Tip of the Week.

Charles, one of my long-time mentors, posed a great question: “What is it that you’re doing over two weeks that you can’t do tomorrow?”

I had to think about this for a minute before realizing that this is a wonderful way to approach situations that are important, but not urgent. We often neglect those activities (“I’m too busy; I’ll do it next week”), and suffer because next week becomes the following week, then the next, etc.

Even though something important may not be deadline driven, create a sense of urgency around it so that you don’t procrastinate indefinitely.

I met with a friend who is struggling about whether to stay with his firm or start looking for another job. His fear is that his company is going to go out of business (a very reasonable thing to be afraid of!). On the other hand, his industry is tight-knit, and he doesn’t feel comfortable about a discreet job search staying confidential.

The situation is more complex because he is a key rainmaker, and has contributed substantially to the growth of the firm. Although he has no ownership in the company, he has pride in what he has accomplished and is loyal to the owners.

Ultimately, he knows that he needs to do what’s best for the future of his family. No one can advise him what to do; he needs to carefully weigh the pros and cons and make a decision.

What I did recommend, however, was that he make a decision – and stop second-guessing himself. If you’re in a situation like this, make the decision, and periodically reevaluate. Obsessing over indecisiveness is what causes the pain.

I finished an executive coaching engagement with a client today. He is new in his position, and our work focused on the transition into his new leadership role, in particular his managerial effectiveness.

As we wrapped up today, I asked him if there was anything more he wanted to discuss. He responded that all he wanted was leadership support, open communication and feedback from his senior leaders.

Given the workload and demands placed on everyone today, we expect our new leaders to “get it quickly” and step into their roles with the managerial savvy that comes with seasoning. Experienced leaders sometimes need a not-so-gentle reminder of the importance of mentoring new leaders.

Read about how to stay on track with your goals for 2009 in this week’s issue of our e-zine, Executive Insight Tip of the Week.

I was speaking with the managing partner of a law firm about managing expenses during this recession, and I was impressed by his rare combination of business acumen and sensitivity to people issues.

The specific issue was that his CFO is on a slash and burn tear, wanting to cut expenses without regard to context.

In particular, it was clear that the CFO was in the dark about the “back story” behind the human capital that he recommended cutting, while the MP was aware of all of the nuances.

Of course it’s important to manage expenses during this environment – frankly, we should manage expenses in the good times as well – but you can’t make cuts without truly understanding what you’re cutting and what the implications are.

I know firms that have cut reactively so close to the bone, that when the recovery comes, they will pay a price to catch up.

It’s not just about the numbers – it’s what’s behind the numbers.

I had a routine check up with a doctor today and upon walking into the office, learned he had retired. I knew that he was retiring eventually because he had brought a younger man into the practice last year. What I didn’t know was that the transition had actually happened.

Apparently, letters had been sent to patients several months ago, including an invitation to a farewell gathering.

Clearly, the intent wasn’t to ignore me – I’m sure my letter got lost in the mail – but I felt like something big had happened and I was the last to know. After a 25 year relationship, I arrived at the office to find out that someone else was my doctor.

I’m sure that the new doctor is competent and high skilled, but that isn’t the point.

• Why didn’t the he send a letter welcoming me to his new practice and say that he was looking forward a relationship?
• Why didn’t the receptionist say something when I called to make the appointment?
• Why didn’t the nurse say something when she took my vitals?

We know that one touch isn’t enough. It takes time and effort to acquire new clients, and when succession occurs, the cost of making the transition work well is much less than the cost of losing prior clients due to careless oversight.

I flew back to New York tonight, and a woman sitting in front of me chewed out three different flight attendants because there wasn’t room for her carryon suitcase. All of the overhead storage was filled and she still hadn’t stowed her bag.

The purser finally came over and swiftly and efficiently told the passenger that her choices were to check the bag or to leave the plane. No rudeness, no condescension, no attitude – simply cool and effective delivery.

Of course, the passenger checked the bag.

I wondered if she was going to act out for the rest of the flight, yet I didn’t hear a peep from her the entire way across the country. What happened?

Well, the purser really did her job well. Even though the passenger had been seriously rude to the other flight attendants, the purser didn’t let that affect how she communicated. She delivered her message with emotional intelligence. She was respectful to the passenger, yet crystal clear that she would not tolerate any nonsense.

Communicating with emotional intelligence makes life easier for everyone in the workplace. If you’d like to see how you score, email me and I’ll send you a link to take a complimentary assessment to measure your emotional intelligence (through April 30th).