In a previous post, I discussed how to Improve Your Listening in Six Easy Steps. However, sometimes the first step to improving your listening skills is to eliminate any bad habits you’ve developed.Here are some of the most common poor listening habits. I’ve been guilty of several. What about you? 1. Interrupting You’re basically telling […]
No matter where you work or what you do, possessing at least “good” communication skills can make or break your career. Just think about the job ads you see online and even your own job description; they all include some requirement related to communication skills. “Great oral and written communication skills a must.” “Excellent interpersonal […]
Would you fly on a plane knowing that the maintenance crew and pilots were “sort of” trained, didn’t use checklists, and were allowed to do things however they wanted? Would you want a surgeon operating on you who was “told” how to operate by someone a few years back but didn’t have a clear procedure […]
Imagine if you worked in an organization where staff members have no idea what other staff members are doing, management has no idea what staff is doing, standard operating procedures aren’t followed, important things often “fall through the cracks,” there’s a lot of redundancy of effort and communication, and any improvements implemented quickly go by […]
Imagine if you worked in an organization where staff members have no idea what other staff members are doing, management has no idea what staff is doing, standard operating procedures aren’t followed, important things often “fall through the cracks,” there’s a lot of redundancy of effort and communication, and any improvements implemented quickly go by […]
As someone who has trained leaders for more than 25 years, one of the biggest challenges I see leaders facing is making the transition from team member and subject matter expert to leader. This transition is further complicated when organizations make the mistake of selecting new leaders based on length of employment and/or technical skill. […]
Have you ever felt like you’re the odd one out at work? Do you struggle to fit in with your coworkers or wonder why they don’t seem to want to include you or listen to your ideas? If the thought has crossed your mind that some, if not all of your coworkers, may not appreciate […]
Tis the season for holiday events including those at work and in your professional organizations. The office party can be a great time to really get to know your coworkers and colleagues, a chance to network and make new connections, and overall, an opportunity to shine as bright as Rudolph’s nose. However, every year we […]
People often ask me what’s the first step to becoming a better listener. The answer? Get rid of your bad listening habits. As much as we don’t like to admit it, most of us aren’t the best of listeners and we’ve developed some bad habits over our lifetimes. As you review this list of bad […]
“Could you be doing something more productive with your time?” This is one of my favorite sayings. It is such a mantra around my house, that my daughter actually wrote one of her college application essays on possessing a “productivity gene” that wouldn’t allow idle hands or an idle mind. If I’m not asking it of […]
