BLOG ARTICLES BY AMY
3 Ways to Tell a Coworker to Stop Sharing Personal Business at Work
In the almost 30 years I’ve been in the adult working world, I’ve found that people vary greatly in their ability to keep from sharing personal business at work. There are some people who have all types of personal problems or issues going on in their lives and no one at work ever hears about […]
There’s a big difference between an explanation and an excuse
If you look up the words explanation and excuse in the dictionary, at first, they appear similar. However, if you look closer, there’s a significant difference: Explanation: clarification, reason, details, an account of … Excuse: justification, defense, to try to remove blame from … When most people offer an explanation, they usually do so as fact—as […]
The #1 Key to Customer Service: Give Them The Chocolate Cake
About a week ago, I was shopping in a retail client’s place of business doing some “recon” before preparing a customer communication program for their customer care employees. As I watched customers come and go with their various products they wished to return, I noticed a trend. The customers who were calm and politely requested […]
It’s time to stop your negative self-talk
Self-talk is the act of communicating to oneself, either aloud or in your head. Self-talk can be positive, such as when we pump ourselves up for a job interview, “This is the job of my dreams and I’m going to get it,” or negative, “I’m never going to get the job. I don’t have enough experience.” […]
5 Signs That Complacency May Be Killing Your Career
Let’s face it, we all like being comfortable. I love my comfortable jeans, my most cushy pair of shoes, and the amazing new mattress on my bed. I love the comfort that I have being a self-employed person, of being able to work from home when I want, set my own hours, and choose how […]
It’s Time to Start Seeking Feedback
We all know the importance of giving feedback to others, especially employees, but what about seeking feedback? When was the last the time you asked your boss, employees, customers, and even your family members, “How am I doing? What could I be doing better?” Never assume that people will let you know if there’s something […]
Six Tips for Harnessing the Power of Praise
A few years ago, I was asked by a client to speak to a group of senior managers about coaching employees. During the program, I discussed the power and importance of praise for a job well done. When it came time for Q&A, one high-level leader asked, “Why should I praise my employees for doing their […]
It’s not about you.
Although not many of us want to admit it, we’re all pretty self-centered. Someone drives too slowly in front of us and we get mad because they’re messing up our schedule. Our child gets in trouble in school and we’re embarrassed because it reflects poorly on us. A coworker gets credit for something we did […]
So, you want to uh, get rid of like, um vocalized pauses when you talk? Here’s how.
I remember when I first realized how annoying vocalized pauses can be. I was sitting in a college course listening to student presentations, when I began counting the number of times each speaker said “um,” “uh,” or “you know.” These fillers were so distracting, that by the time each speech was over, I couldn’t tell […]