Very often, when we’re driving in the car together, my daughter will suddenly ask, “Who are you talking to?” She does this because she can tell I’m having a conversation in my head because I’m making hand gestures with my right hand as it’s resting on the gear shift. I talk to myself a lot, and […]
This week, I thought I’d share a short video with you on the power of positive phrasing. It’s based on a segment in my “Customer Service Survival Skills” workshop where I always say, “Don’t tell people what you CAN’T do for them, just tell them what you CAN. Don’t tell customers they CAN’T do, offer […]
Customer service is one of the most important aspects of any successful business and I write about it a lot. This week, I wanted to share with you this post by my friend and colleague Dave Lieber. Dave is a Certified Speaking Professional and newspaper columnist. Be sure to visit his website – DaveLieber.org – […]
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 […]
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 […]
I’ve done many blog posts on how to be a better leader and supervisor as well as some that help readers identify when they’re not being at their best. However, I hadn’t thought about turning the tables and looking at the issue from the employee’s perspective, that is, what you should do if you have […]
Over the past two years, many of my clients have come to me, wringing their hands, saying, “We’ve got an experience gap. Our top leaders and managers will be retiring in the next 3-5 years and the next generation is just not prepared to take over.” There are many aspects to preparing the next generation […]
I hate networking. There, I said it. When I hear the word “networking” or someone mentions a “networking event” I have visions of vultures circling a dead carcass on the side of the road. I don’t like feeling like I’m being “sold to,” nor have I ever liked, probably to my detriment, “selling myself.” Rather, […]
How many times have you sat through meetings where discussions got off track, tempers flared, and the meeting ran longer than scheduled? These are just some of the frustrations meeting participants feel about a poorly run meeting. That’s why the second reason your meetings suck the life out of everyone is poor facilitation. Last week […]
