The other morning I was on the phone with a colleague and within about 90 seconds, I was reminded why I didn’t like him — It was his bad listening habit. Throughout our short conversation, I didn’t get to finish one sentence because he completed every one for me. Sometimes his “guess” about what I […]
I was with a group of healthcare leaders when one person posed the question, “How do you manage conflict?” Many of the responses I heard surprised me. There was a lot of advice to “wait and see what happens,” “let it go,” and “rise above.” The advice given seemed to directly contradict what healthcare leaders would […]
It’s so ironic that one of the shortest words in the English language, “no” – just two letters and one little syllable, can cause so many people so much trouble! That being said, I understand the simple act of flat out saying, “NO,” to another person carries with it a lot of emotional baggage both […]
Last week I gave readers the opportunity to take a communication style quiz that helped them identify whether their primary communication style was passive, passive aggressive, aggressive, or assertive. Many of those who took the assessment have sent me emails and messages lamenting their styles and asking how to “fix” them. First off, with the […]
Everyone has a communication style when interacting with others. It is their primary, “go to” approach to dealing with situations. It’s the main tool in their communication tool box that they reach for instinctively in a difficult situation. Some people are passive, letting others take the lead or win arguments. Some people are aggressive, viewing everything […]
Conversation Dominators. We all know at least one. It’s the woman at work who only asks how you’re doing so she can jump in and tell you how she’s doing. It’s that guy next door who has to let you know all about his son’s great accomplishments in sports, but never asks about even ONE […]
For those who don’t know it, when I’m not training on communication, customer service, and working relationships, I foster animals for my local animal control facility. Right now, I’m fostering a mother Chihuahua and her four puppies, who turned 6-weeks old this week. They’ve just gotten to the age where they’re really a lot of […]
I have a love/hate relationship with email. On one hand, I love the emails I receive that: Clearly communicate their purpose Are concise Are formatted strategically Have subject lines that are aligned with the email body (for subject line tips, check out this previous blog post on the subject) Use proper grammar and punctuation Are sent […]
The other day I was in my office finalizing a proposal I had to submit that day. I was tired, stressed, and had FINALLY gotten into the flow of writing, when my cell phone rang. I glanced down and recognized the name of the caller, but made the decision NOT to answer it, because I […]
Most people would agree that conveying a sense of confidence at work is integral to making a good impression, communicating assertively, and for leaders, to inspiring people to follow them. Unfortunately, many people don’t realize that instead of communicating confidence, they’re actually sending messages of weakness through their nonverbal communication. Emotional leakage is a term […]
