I can’t wait for the Olympic Games to begin tonight. There’s nothing like real life to encourage, inspire and teach us lessons far beyond what we can learn in any classroom. The athlete’s stories of triumph and defeat will be unfolding before us over the next two weeks.

But, the Olympic news has started already. Women are making significant strides in the Olympics this year. For the first time women are the majority on the U.S. Olympic team and for the first time every country is sending at least one female contender according to a recent Forbes article.

As always there will be a variety of sports on the schedule. Everything from the ever popular gymnastics to the probably less watched archery will be there. As a newbie runner I’m particularly interested in watching the track and field events this year. But, one of my favorites remains the equestrian where men and women compete against each other.

But, the most exciting thing is seeing athletes from different countries and cultures coming together to participate in the games. I’m impressed by their dedication to their specific sport. And touched by how proud they are to represent their respective countries. But, what amazes me the most is the respect they have for each other that transcends cultural differences. It always gives me hope for the future.

Is it possible for leaders with similar backgrounds, specifically white men, to become instruments of inclusion? Somewhat surprisingly the answer is yes.

A group of managers, comprised of mostly white men, who participated in a leadership development program designed to help foster inclusion in the workplace, did experience a change in both mindset and behavior according to a recent study by Catalyst. The program was conducted by White Men as Full Diversity Partners, which that helps organizations leverage diversity by challenging leaders to understand both their own cultural perspectives and the perspective of others.

After only four months in this program the participants “not only became significantly more accepting of the notion of white male privilege” but also showed improvement in other areas as well says Catalyst. The changes included:

• Critical thinking about social groups
• Taking more responsibility for being inclusive
• Inquiring across cultural differences
• Listening empathically to others
• Addressing difficult issues related to differences

An added bonus, colleagues began to notice an overall decrease in workplace incivility. Specifically noted was a decline in negative gossip.

One of the most surprising things was the participants' acknowledgement of “white male privilege” in the workplace. Considering that this group comprises the leadership of most companies in corporate America, this program sounds like a step in the right direction.

I’m one of the lucky ones. I get to work with my dogs every day. They are much easier to get along with than many of my former office mates.

The other day I was watching Bethenny’s summer talk show and during one segment her dog Cookie was on the set. While talking about how loyal and loving Cookie is she said “She would follow me into a jail cell.” All Cookie wants is to be with her wherever that may be.

That got me thinking about our dogs. And I realized they’re like that too. They would be happy living in jail as long as they could be with us. That’s the most important thing to them. Well, that and a little food every day.

I don’t know one, single person like that.

Now the “jail cell” scenario may be carrying things to the extreme when it comes to the workplace. I don’t know that I’ve ever had a boss that I was that loyal to – and I’ve had a few great ones. But there is certainly a lot we can learn from dogs that would make life in the workplace more enjoyable and probably more productive too.

1. Dogs give everyone a chance. I often make snap decisions. That’s a personal flaw of mine. But I’m not the only one. Dogs are not like that. They give everyone a chance. They greet new people with a big wag of their tail expecting good things to happen. Often times even after they’ve been abused by their previous owners.

2. Dogs don’t growl at you because they’re having a bad day. How many times do we snap at people for no reason other than we got stuck in traffic on the way to the office or a project is not going particularly well? Dogs may whine if they don’t get a cookie. But they don’t growl at you because they didn’t get to go to the dog park today.

3. Dogs are determined. Dogs are not easily distracted when they want something. They will sit there and stare until you open the door to let them outside. They will nudge you for an hour if they want to play with the ball. They’re not easily discouraged when they don’t get what they want. They keep working at it until they do. Imagine what we could accomplish with that much tenacity.

These are just three ways our canine friends are smarter than we are. Surely, adopting these behaviors would help create a more civil and productive workplace for humans as well. You’ve heard the saying “I wish I was as good as my dog thinks I am. “ Well, maybe if we embrace a few of their actions we can be.

By now everyone knows, or should know, that you need to be careful about what you share online. Candidates aren’t even considered for jobs because a potential employer is put off by their social media presence. Tasteless remarks can even get you fired.

Yet, just yesterday I read about a photo of a Burger King employee with his feet in the restaurant’s lettuce bins which was posted online with the caption “This is the lettuce you eat at Burger King.” To add stupidity to injury the employees left the “geo-location tags” on the post which allowed people who saw the picture to identify the Burger King location where the photo was taken. People started calling the restaurant, the local newspapers were alerted and, after an investigation, the three employees involved were fired. By the time I saw the story the article was being featured on MSNBC.com

Now these former Burger King employees may think the prank was worth it. Maybe they hated working there and were happy to be let go. But they may care when it comes to looking for their next job. What will future employers think? Fair or not, they’ll probably not think much of a candidate who was fired from Burger King. If they find out why the employee was fired, they’ll think even less of them. Either way they probably won’t get the job.

What’s your goal right now? I know you probably have a bunch of them, but pick one. Now tell someone. Better yet tell a lot of people

Now you’re accountable. People will know if you don’t follow through. And this will help you move forward. That’s one of the reasons people stay on track when they hire a coach or a trainer. It’s also one of the best reasons to have a workout buddy when you’re trying to maintain an exercise program.

Right now, I’m training for my first 5K. I’m a newbie runner so my goal is just to finish without looking too bad. Translation: walking too much. To help me stay motivated I signed up for a race and posted it to Facebook. I’ve been recording some of my training on Facebook too. My friends have encouraged me. One of them event told me about a training app for my phone which has been really helpful. Looking back I can see the steady progress I’m making.

What about you? Do you have something you’ve been keeping on the back burner? Now is the time to get started. Develop a plan. Tell your friends and family. Then go for it.

Good luck! See you at the finish line!

Well, it seems that working long hours affects more than work/life balance, it also can make you fat. Recently, I’ve read a lot about how sitting down all day is bad for your health. In fact logging in all that time in front of the computer and TV can kill you.

Because of these studies many companies are offering their employees the opportunity to use stand-up desks. Some have found other creative ways to keep employees on their feet. Some people, including one of my favorite bloggers Career Diva, have created their own stand-up options. If that’s too much of a commitment even sitting on an inflatable exercise ball while you work can be beneficial.

Today, I read that if you’re a woman working long hours will probably make you fat. According to a recent study, middle-aged women who work more than 35 hours a week are likely to put on extra pounds. For some it was only a few pounds, for others it was more extreme. This weight gain was attributed to women spending less time maintaining their health and fitness levels. Besides missing out on sleep and exercise, more time at work meant less time available to prepare healthy meals. Not surprisingly, grabbing take-out on the way home every night isn’t part of a healthy lifestyle.

So I guess even if you’re working at a standing-desk you shouldn’t stand there too long. Unless you have someone else home preparing healthy meals.

What’s your theme song? The one that invigorates you and makes you feel like you can conquer the world?

Studies have shown that music affects our mood. It can help relive depression and reduce stress. But, even without the studies you probably already know that.

I’ve read quite a bit about music and exercise. Athletes of all levels use music to help motivate them when they’re pushing themselves. It can also help distract during repetitive exercise like running and classes at the gym.

But, if you have a particular song that you can listen to before you tackle something difficult better yet. I’ve had a few theme songs over the last few years. However, one of my favorites remains Suddenly I See by KT Tunstall. (You’ll recognize it when you hear it.)

I don’t know if it’s partly because it reminds me of The Devil Wears Prada (a movie I love) or just because it never fails to lighten my mood. Whatever it is, it works for me. What’s your theme song?

It always amazes me when somebody tells me they don’t want to be online. That usually comes up during the Q&A after a presentation where we’ve just talked about researching companies on LinkedIn. What’s their reason? Generally, it’s something really intelligent like “I don’t know, I just don’t want to.”

The dilemma for most of us is how to expand our network.

One of the easiest ways to meet people online is through LinkedIn groups. Fellow alumni and those who share the same interests are generally open to connecting with you. If you want to meet social media peeps or human resources professionals you’ll find them in LinkedIn groups. Once you’re in read the posts and comments to find out more about the members.

But, don’t stop there.

Late last year, I noticed an acquaintance of mine tweeting about a conversation with someone I wanted to meet. We both were writers, working in the career field and living in Connecticut. So I asked my acquaintance to make an introduction via LinkedIn. No response. Maybe she didn’t get the request, I know she’s busy. Or maybe she didn’t feel comfortable connecting us. I can respect that.

Trouble is I still wanted to make the connection. So eventually I did.

I sent out a request to connect noting that I didn’t know her. I also briefly explained who I was and why I wanted to make the connection. A few hours later I got a response. My new connection was thanking me for contacting her, wondering why we hadn’t met earlier. How nice is that? While I was planning and producing the Career Strategies Conference my new friend helped me in immeasurable ways. I’m certainly glad I sent that initial email.

Of course it doesn’t always work out that way. Many of the people I’ve connected with I don't know very well. Still, every once in a while you get lucky and strike gold.