The high cost of poor listening isn’t evident when you visit Tenerife Island, the largest and most populous island in the Canary Island chain. More than five million tourists visit the island each year, enjoying its distinctly beautiful beaches, mountains, and many cultural festivals. However, these tourists probably don’t realize that Tenerife holds a more deadly distinction. […]
When my daughter Kelsey was about four years old, we were both sitting and looking at the new fish in our fish tank. Having just added the fish, I was watching them closely to ensure they were adjusting to the water, temperature, and other fish in the tank. While I was doing this, Kelsey was […]
As the new year approaches, if you’re like me, you’ve been thinking about the things you’d like to accomplish in 2017. Many of us make resolutions as the new year begins, but how many of us can honestly say, at the end of that year, that we accomplished all we resolved to do? Based on […]
Several years ago, I mentioned to a friend that I couldn’t stand receiving SOME holiday letters because of the things people write in them. Apparently she didn’t believe me when I told her I didn’t mean HER letters, because she didn’t send me her Christmas letter again for about 10 years. I promise I wasn’t […]
I’m a critic. There, I said it. I’m critical of myself and critical of others (although I don’t usually VOICE my criticism of others to their faces). I see the risks rather than the rewards, the flaws rather than the strong points, the mistakes rather than the things done right. As I was trying to […]
The holidays should be a time of joy, gratitude, and togetherness. However, for some, it’s a time of stress, family drama, and poor decisions. Rather than spreading out communication advice for “Coping with the Holidaze” over the entire month of December, I wanted to share a few of my past holiday-related blog posts all at […]
This week, I’m combining my regular “Monday Motivation for Performance Communicators,” with my blog because with Thanksgiving just a few days away, we’re officially starting the holiday season- including the stress of family gatherings. Family holiday gatherings should be a time to reconnect, enjoy great food and drinks, and most of all, to celebrate the “reason for the […]
For many of us, it’s the first word we learn, thus the popularity of baby T-shirts that read, “My name is No No” on the front. We learn to use “no” first, because it’s a powerful word synonymous with taking a stand, contradicting authority, being an individual. It was so easy to say as a […]
“Couldn’t 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 […]
NOT APPROACHABLE! It may as well be written on the person’s forehead. First, there’s the lack of acknowledgement when you approach. Then, when finally acknowledged, you’re “greeted” with a sour-looking face, slumped body language, and a mumbled, half-hearted greeting that is given only after you’re forced to prompt it because of the awkward silence while […]
