We all face conflict in every aspect of our lives. We might have family feuds at home and war waging in the workplace. We have conflict (or potential conflict) over parking spaces and spots in line. When it comes to conflict, you have a choice to make. Do you want to be the water or […]
Many people can relate to the frustration of receiving a voicemail message that is unclear, incomplete, or so long-winded that even the sender wouldn’t want to hear it again. That’s probably the reason so many of us only listen long enough to find out who called and then delete the message and call the other […]
I was presenting a customer service program last week when a participant asked how to handle customers who exhibited “bad cell phone behavior”, i.e., continued to talk on their cell phones while she tried to help them. “Isn’t that rude?” she asked. She was obviously a nicer person than I am, since she had to […]
Relationships with people are similar to our relationships with our cars. Just go with me on this analogy for a minute. You have a reciprocal relationship with your car. If you care for it properly and give it what it needs- gas, maintenance, tires, cleaning, etc., it will “reciprocate” by being reliable, efficient, and safe […]
Please. A simple word that shouldn’t require a reminder. Our mothers demanded it when we were children. “What’s the magic word?” “What do we say when we want someone to pass the broccoli?” “No thanks,” perhaps. As we get older, move out on our own, and no longer rely on our mothers to keep us […]
In my consulting work with organizations, I’m often asked to work with leaders who are having “issues” with their relationships with their employees. In many instances, these leaders aren’t doing anything overtly wrong in WHAT they’re communicating with their employees, rather it’s the way they’re communicating and the impact that their poor relationships with their […]
The best leaders know that dealing with problem employee behavior is just one of those things that comes with the job. However, most people who find themselves in leadership positions don’t receive the training needed to make their discipline efforts effective. Learning on-the-job works, but only if you have great leadership examples to follow. Here […]
I’ve always wanted to plant a garden, so several years ago I did. Since I wanted it to be successful, I really gave my garden a lot of attention. I watered every day, fertilized, fussed, and worried over it. My reward? A whole lot of nothing. I harvested one zucchini from my zucchini plant before […]
Today has not been a good day. It started off badly when the GPS on my phone and the one in my car contradicted each other with the fastest route to get to my workshop and I didn’t know which one to follow. Then, when I got to my destination, the payment machine for the […]
You bet business etiquette does matter! In fact, it matters now more than ever. That’s why, instead of a regular blog post today, I thought I’d try something I never have in the 8 years I’ve been writing this blog- and that’s a webinar on the subject instead. As a loyal reader, I’m offering you […]
