This week will be the last week of radiation treatments for my Doberman Pinscher Jack. Every morning for the past three weeks, we’ve traveled together to downtown Houston to spend an hour or two at Gulf Coast Veterinary Specialists. He receives his treatments and I wait. Prior to Jack’s cancer diagnosis, I never would have thought […]
If you’re searching for a new job, the first hurdle you’ll have to cross is getting that job interview. In today’s competitive job market, employers often receive several hundred applicants for every available position. If you want to make it through the screening process, you have to do everything within your power to avoid resume […]
Not many people realize that silence is a very powerful communication tool—sometimes even more powerful than nonverbal communication or words. Doubt it? Try this. Look a person in the eye, ask him or her a question, and then wait for a response. Remain silent and simply maintain eye contact and provide your undivided attention. What […]
In a recent post, I advocated “Getting Rid of Dead Weight Once and For All.” However, for many people, it’s one thing to know you need to dump some dead weight from your life, it’s another thing to make it happen. Making the decision to end a friendship is never easy, even if it’s a bad or toxic friendship. […]
Last week, I discussed the evolution of criticism, constructive criticism, and constructive feedback. I also outlined the benefits of perceiving and presenting feedback as “performance improvement feedback” as opposed to constructive criticism. So how do you provide Performance Improvement Feedback in a way that will help ensure it is perceived as the gift you intend it to be? The […]
At this time of year, many parents are facing their only (or last) child’s high school graduation. In a few short months, their children will go off to college, leaving them alone in the empty nest. When my one and only child went to college for the first time, many friends and family members asked […]
A recent “Dealing with Difficult People” breakfast workshop reminded me that sometimes, when all else fails, it’s best to just get rid of the “non-value added” people in your life, rather than trying to deal with it. This is a post from 2011 on getting rid of the dead weight in your life. Enjoy! Relationships […]
Whether you categorize yourself as a “good” communicator or just “okay,” it’s important that your communication skills constantly evolve. You have to make a daily effort to improve your communication skills. It’s not enough to just be “okay” at it- you have to be great at it– your life depends on it. Although that may seem a bit […]
Last week I wrote about the importance of apologizing when you’ve wronged someone. However, there are times when an apology can actually make the situation worse, such as when the apology is insincere, sarcastic, or flippantly delivered. To ensure your apology is accepted in the spirit with which you intend it, be sure to follow […]
For the past two years, I’ve planted a vegetable garden. Last year, I really tended it. 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 worms demolished it. My cucumber plants turned gray and withered, and a mouse (and […]