9 Conversations You Should Never Start at Family Holiday Gatherings

9 Conversations You Should Never Start at Family Holiday Gatherings

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 […]

What’s Your Communication Style? Take This 11-Question Communication Quiz and Find Out!

What’s Your Communication Style? Take This 11-Question Communication Quiz and Find Out!

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 […]

Difficult Conversations: 7 Questions to Ask Before Opening Your Mouth

Difficult Conversations: 7 Questions to Ask Before Opening Your Mouth

Let’s face it. There are some conversations that nobody really wants to have– from  confronting an employee at work to talking to a parent about his or her unsafe driving, and everything in between. Although many of us try to avoid these difficult conversations, doing so can have a negative impact on ourselves, the other person, our teams, […]

Performance Improvement Feedback: Not Just a PC Term for Criticism

Over the years, I’ve seen an evolution in terms used for negative feedback. The first term I remember hearing is “constructive criticism.” The problem was, most of the criticism wasn’t constructive, so it was really just criticism. Then someone decided to soften the term and call it “constructive feedback.” However, once again, it wasn’t very constructive, so […]

Four Steps for Conducting Challenging Conversations

Last week, I posed some questions you should ask yourself before initiating a challenging conversation. Now that you’ve had some time to prepare yourself for the conversation, here is a four-step process that will help you navigate through the most difficult conversations to a successful conclusion. However, keep in mind, no conversation will be successful if both parties aren’t […]