People often ask me what’s the first step to becoming a better listener. The answer? Get rid of your bad listening habits. As much as we don’t like to admit it, most of us aren’t the best of listeners and we’ve developed some bad habits over our lifetimes. As you review this list of bad […]
I wrote this post in March 2020 thinking, like many of you, that “leading from home” would be a short-term thing. Despite the fact that many organizations had employees working from home for more than a year, these organizations continued to believe closed-down offices and employees working remotely would end “any day now,” and thus, […]
For this week’s blog post, I thought I’d share a chapter, Chapter 15 to be exact, from my book “Practical Communication: 25 Tips, Tools, and Techniques for Getting Along and Getting Things Done.” EXPLANATIONS, NOT EXCUSES There are times when things go wrong, or when we know we can’t undo what’s been done, but we […]
Marcel Schwantes posted a great story in INC., sharing some of Warren Buffet’s top leadership advice. One of the key points was: “Learn to delegate your authority” So, I thought I’d share some of my best delegation advice from more than 20 years of helping leaders and business owners avoid drowning in tasks and responsibilities […]
We all know that 2020 has been a dumpster fire. However, for my family, that dumpster fire turned into a shitstorm with multiple dumpster fires flying around in it starting around October 5. It’s not the first time my family has faced crisis, as I’m sure yours has as well, but it’s probably one of […]
When we want to communicate something to others, one of the most important decisions we have to make after deciding WHAT we want to communicate, is HOW. That’s where the communication “channel” comes in. In 1720, our options were pretty much limited to face-to-face communication or sending a written letter. In 2020, we have a […]
Whether it’s being stuck at home day in and day out with your family, or frustration over trying to keep remote connections with your coworkers, you may find that since COVID-19 began, you’re getting into more arguments and conflict situations with those around you. When faced with a conflict or potential conflict situation, everyone has […]
Data compiled in 2018 by the Radicati Group shows that there were about 124.5 billion business emails sent and received each day, while there are about 111.1 billion consumer emails sent and received each day. I can only imagine how much that number has gone up now, with so many people working remotely! As a result, […]
As you might imagine, the calendars of professional speakers and trainers around the country have basically “dried up” the past few months as conferences have been cancelled and classroom training has been postponed for the health and safety of everyone involved. Many of my colleagues are devastated not to have the opportunity to be on […]
Many businesses are in the position of having to replace employees who left during shut downs and aren’t coming back, while some whose businesses have grown during Covid-19 are adding staff to meet the needs of their customers. In the past few weeks, several new and existing clients have reached out to me asking for […]
