We knew it would happen eventually. Oprah’s favorite medical guy, Dr. Mehmet Oz, is leaving his regular guest spot on her show for a syndicated show of his own. His program will be called “The Dr. Oz. Show” and will debut its first episode on September 14th.

Personally, I love this move. There’s just something about him that is so down-to-earth you can’t help but to listen to what he says. He isn’t one of those physicians that seems to “talk down” to you (at least, not when he’s on TV) and that makes him more genuine. If Dr. Oz getting a program of his own helps contribute to better health for people, I’m all for it!

What about you? Will you watch the new Dr. Oz show?

Image: Bauer-Griffin

While wandering around the great ocean of blogs known as My Blog Log, I stumbled upon a small business site on which resided an article by the Gallup Management Journal.

Here is the headline text that so harshly welcomed me to 2007:

Yikes!
Here is a portion of the excerpt that had me examining my strengths and weaknesses for days: (Marcus Buckingham and Donald O. Clifton)

• You may be reluctant to investigate your strengths quite simply because you don’t believe that your true self is much to write home about. Whatever the label — a feeling of inadequacy or “imposter syndrome” or plain old insecurity — the symptoms are familiar. Despite your achievements, you wonder whether you are as talented as everyone thinks you are. You suspect that luck and circumstance, not your strengths, might explain much of your success. The anxious little voice in your ear whispers, “When will you be found out?” and, against your better judgment, you listen.
• In part this explains why, when asked to describe their strengths, people rarely refer to their natural talents. Instead, they talk about external things that they have gathered during their life, such as certificates and diplomas, experiences and awards. Here is the “proof” that they have improved themselves, that they have acquired something valuable to offer.

I am so guilty of this self-sabotaging behavior (to borrow a worn out phrase)…when asked what my strengths are, I just sit there and stare into space.

On the other hand, I know I must have strengths, otherwise, how could The Pet Set have been conceived and executed?

For some reason, at least for me, I am quite nimble at rattling off my weaknesses…otherwise I’d have been on the Oprah show by now and the Pet Set would have been selected as one of her favorites!

I’ve read many self-help/coaching books throughout my adult life…I think this book may actually help guide me toward identifying and leveraging my strengths.

I know what my next career move is going to be…if The Pet Set — god forbid — doesn’t work out, I want to be a radio talk-show host. “Kim’s Why You Shouldn’t Wear, Say or Do That” Show.

It seems that everytime I turn around, someone who you would not expect to is starting his or her own “unique” talk show: Martha Stewart, Bob Dylan, Whoopi Goldberg, Gloria Steinem and now, Ophrah and her best friend Gayle. (I mean come on).

I wish everyone success, but when did radio blather become the new blog blather. Or should I say rant forum — because you know these shows will all start out under the guise “community outreach”…but then each will morph in to partisan uppitiness and rage.

My question is, why can’t we all just shut up and stop talking? Why must every single platform for communication be occupied?

How about this? 2 days per month…no talking, no opinions, no “truth”…nothing…just quiet.

Be honest, if you are not a parent, when someone in your office says they have to leave early to attend their child’s birthday party, or worse that crucial meeting occurs on a Tuesday, which is your colleague’s work from home day, your eyes roll a little, come on you know you do.

But if you are an employee who has children or you are the care-taker of an elderly parent — Flex time can be a life-saver.

In many companies, “Flex Time” is a benefit given to employees who need a certain amount of balance between their personal and professional lives. It’s a incalculable benefit if you are an employee, but if you are the boss, the rules change significantly. In the May issue of O Magazine, writer Suzy Welsh provides advice to on how flex time needs to be both administered and observed.

Did you know for instance:

• Technically, flextime is full-time work, or close to it, but with an elastic, negotiated schedule. Still, some employees persist in seeing flextime as if it were a part-time deal in terms of hours or, worse, from a boss’s point of view, as a defined benefit, like the company dental plan.

Or this:

• Your boss sees flextime as an old-fashioned chit system in which the more you deliver, the more freedom you earn. To be blunt—no matter what the official company policy, bosses see flextime as a reward for outstanding performance. They don’t particularly like giving it to average players, and they loathe giving it to the barely-hanging-in-theres.

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