There seems to be more stress, pressure and conflict in the workplace then ever before. As budgets tighten, layoffs happen, and higher productivity is expected, tempers inevitably flare. Show your leadership skills by mastering these tips to maintaining a calm presence in the face of conflict ... Views: 3039
You don't realize how important some things are until you stop doing them – take breathing for instance…. Breathing seems natural enough, we do it on 'auto-pilot' — thank goodness! Can you imagine what it would be like if you had to remind yourself to breathe in, breathe out?
Yet, is your ... Views: 1549
Good day! And a Terrific Tuesday to you!
Well, here we are again just a couple of days away from Thanksgiving. Thank you for being part of my world.
Have you ever noticed that this time of year can bring out the best and the worst in us? Often our time to be grateful feels more like our ... Views: 1742
Good day! And a Terrific Tuesday to you!
Well, here we are again just a couple of days away from Thanksgiving. Thank you for being part of my world.
Have you ever noticed that this time of year can bring out the best and the worst in us? Often our time to be grateful feels more like our ... Views: 2193
Are you sure you understand what's really happening?
The other day, I spent a lovely evening around the dinner table with two Yale alum and seven current students. After awhile, the conversation turned to what I do… always a conversation starter and stopper if you know what I mean…. Nothing ... Views: 1591
Are you sure you understand?
Are you sure you are being understood?
Let's get right to the heart of the overall problem. Too often time is wasted, mistakes made, and conflict arises because of misunderstandings.
I've found that most people know roughly what they want, but do not take ... Views: 1635
As a long-time owner of several marketing and communication businesses I’ve been around long enough to see major changes in the way women (and men) view work. My formative years were influenced by Helen Reddy lyrics “I am woman, hear me roar… In numbers too big to ignore…” and television jingles ... Views: 2963
Have you considered we all understand a different language, even when we speak the "same" language…?
Below I share some highlights of Janet Allison's (http://www.boysaliveevent.com/) conversation with Bev Martin, communications expert (http://www.bevmartin.com) on the Boys Alive! On-line ... Views: 1683
The other day in my blog, I asked are you sure you understand?
And are you sure you are being understood?
Up popped the question, that is great in person, what about email?
Same as in person when we write an email, it's important to get right to the heart of the message. Too often time ... Views: 1798
Ni Hao from Beijing…..
As many of you know, my passion is understanding communication of all types yet, I have to admit learning languages is not a strong suit of mine! Even after two years of university level Spanish all I remember is "Donde esta el bano por favor?" Granted, good to know, ... Views: 3708
Have you ever heard things like, “She’s nice, but not leadership material.” He’s just not confident enough for the job” but you know you are confident and leadership material. I know how frustrating that can be – to be judged before they even know you, maybe even before you’ve even opened your ... Views: 3154
The marketplace is more competitive than ever. As the economy continues to struggle, you know competition for jobs continues to be tight. Hitting a job interview out of the park takes a combination of things — a great resume, strong answers to questions and the right look. Sure, a good suit, ... Views: 3113
Is ANGER steering you or someone you care about off course? Maybe the ANGER is set on Autopilot!
Have you ever noticed there is really little one can control except how we choose to react?
While winging my way back from LA the other day I noticed mass anger, upset and frustration. There ... Views: 2611
Love the holidays, but hate those family gatherings? Do you find yourself praying for a “new” family member just so your family might be on best behavior that day? (You know it won’t last, but you can dream.) Are there family members that always seem to want to start a fight, or can’t let that ... Views: 2803
The unspoken secrets to direct sale success are understanding what messages our nonverbal communication is sending at our events. Nonverbal communication, which is often mis-referred to as body language, is the largest part of our communication. All of our nonverbal behaviors—the gestures we ... Views: 3684
You are well into another meeting and suddenly the solution strikes you. You’re ready. Now is your time to shine! You’ve just got a brilliant idea! Finally, a solution to the problem the team‚ has been struggling with.
You present your idea, but no one seems to pay much attention, they just ... Views: 2371
Imagine this scenario: You are up on stage, being introduced, it’s your time, your moment to shine. And in a fleeting moment of panic, you realize, now what do I do with my hands as I stand here listening to this amazing introduction about me?
All eyes are on you! Now, what?
Best to have ... Views: 3390
Location, Location, Location, Location
“Location, location, location" is a common phrase that’s used when referring to real estate. It’s repeated three times to emphasize how important location is to the resale value of a home.
The fact that we repeat it four times when talking about ... Views: 3271
So often the message your listener receives is not the message you sent…or meant to send. Why? Because we all have our own unique filters that delete, distort, and generalize what was said and heard. If the message you sent wasn’t received the way you intended, it’s time to take a look at your ... Views: 3562
Have you ever walked away from a person, event or situation and felt confused, and the experience made you feel uncomfortable and uncertain? You are not alone. Most likely, the subconscious cues—the nonverbals you saw—didn’t match what you heard. So what to believe, your eyes or your ears? ... Views: 3787
The voice is one of the most powerful tools you have to inspire and influence others. It is also one tool that often is unconsciously misuse. The voice has the ability to convey emotion, to give directions, to inspire and motivate others, to make things happen, to attract people and to ... Views: 11877
1. Have an effective web or blog site and exposure on social media. Today most people at least research online before buying, if not, buy online. You can do a site your self or hire a designer. Effective does not have to be expensive. Just spend a little time learning about the technologies and ... Views: 2174
I was completely distracted last week, my local broadband provider decided I had cancelled my account… I had not.
There are 2 ways to fix everything — my broadband service originally choose the first way, the immediate “fix.” To them, I had cancelled my service, and “there was nothing that ... Views: 1569
As strange as this question sounds, it is important to know—who you are and what you do for your customers, not what you think you do for them. Perception and impression is the secret ingredient in business success and a unique brand. Think about it:
• Starbucks sells coffee. It promises a ... Views: 1845
Friend, would you recognize a "good client" if you saw one?
A pulse and a checkbook should not be the only requirements.
Do you frequently accept a client you THOUGHT was going to be right for you…only to discover down the road that they’re costing you time, frustration and maybe even ... Views: 1647
We got an email from a client asking us about the price they were charging for a seminar they have been giving for years… their costs have been raising, the profit margin is shrinking… how do they determine if they should raise the price?
This is not a "time for money" question, it is a "value ... Views: 1796
Just like real estate’s saying: location, location, location… business is relationship, relationship, relationship. Actually, everything in life is based on relationships.
Relationships need to be built on a solid foundation of trust. People buy from people they like and trust. If you don’t ... Views: 1500
Last week, we talked about the look and feel of your company or brand. If the look and feel is the face of your company, then imagine that the management processes and systems is the skeleton, while the service, price, quality, availability, selection, functionality, etc. are the various ... Views: 1858
Banfield of Harvard University wrote a book entitled, The Unheavenly City. He described one of the most profound studies on success and priority setting ever conducted. Banfield’s goal was to find out how and why some people became financially independent during the course of their working ... Views: 1340
Most people think of a logo when they hear the word brand. Brands are not just logos. Brands are the intangibles that consumers believe about your company, product or service. When we see a logo, we usually think of a brand—the swoosh and Nike, the golden arches and McDonalds, but brands have ... Views: 2011
I am so tired of the hand-wringing and the "sky is falling" in the media—creating "brick walls" that are really only of thought and flesh… We can stand at that wall and give our time, our energy, and in turn, our power away in worry or we can look through it with open curiosity to discover ... Views: 1588
Have you ever checked caller-id and cringed? Remember, you are in control. Even in today’s economy, a checkbook and pulse do not a client make…. You do get to choose who you work with.
Ask to see the potential red flags
Develop a screening process. Ask open-ended questions. Open-ended ... Views: 1396
Every person in the world speaks a different language.
How often are we surprised when we don’t understand someone or someone doesn’t understand us? Consider for a moment, maybe you are not speaking the same language.
There’s an old saying: “It isn’t what you said that’s important, it’s ... Views: 1969
What are some of the first perceptions your clients have when they think of you, your company and what you offer?
Perception is defined as a state of awareness. How aware is your target market of you? Different people take in the world through different senses – seeing, hearing, or feeling it ... Views: 2109
As a business coach, these days I’m often asked; “I just got laid-off, should I go into business for myself?”
It’s an interesting question because it involves more than being good at what you do. Technical skills do not a business make…I love the analogy a friend that owns a restaurant uses, ... Views: 2226
I was at the city permit department Tuesday, not where you expect to find excellent customer service, but I did. So, I took a moment to get the name of his supervisor and send his supervisor a note expressing my appreciation for his employee’s excellent service. Not only do people like others ... Views: 1714
I don’t know about you, but I can’t listen to any news broadcast these days that isn’t full of doom and gloom. Perhaps you are feeling it in one way or another too, maybe the pocketbook…
As a child, my beloved Aunt Myrtle used to say “You are about as wealthy as you make up your mind to be.” ... Views: 1373
Now, this is cool…last week, my little blurb to you was about the idea of being mindful of what we say. I got this wonderful “comment” from Hannes in Belgium.
Hi Sharon,
I’d like to add that we as listeners have also a huge power over words. I find this often underestimated and ... Views: 1537
"The measure of success is not whether you have a tough problem to deal with, but whether it is the same problem as last year. " ~John Foster Dulles~
Not getting the results you want?
Ask yourself: “Is this something I really want to be doing or was it someone else’s idea?”
Is it ... Views: 1271
Let’s be honest, are you really doing everything you need to be successful each and every day? I know, I’m not… so how can I complain… I can’t. A favorite quote of mine is from the character Yoda, “Do or do not, there is no try.” To be in integrity with myself, I have to take an honest look at ... Views: 1677
A passing comment by my friend, Stephen, made me stop and think… It was a brilliant insight.
"What’s here that doesn’t need to be here? What’s not here, that needs to be here?"
We were talking about how we would train wait-staff about clutter on a restaurant table, but imagine the ... Views: 1462
I just read an article by Joel Spolsky on multi-tasking and computers. He really opened my eyes to the downside of the law of exponential growth.
For years, yes years, I thought I was getting more done by doing multiple things at once. Seems efficient, right. WRONG! It really does take more ... Views: 1604
Unless you’ve had your head in the sand lately, I’m sure you’ve notice the people everywhere are shaken by uncertainty. Another definition for uncertainty is lack of trust.
What is trust?
The two parts to trust are:
1. an emotion or feeling of confidence or sureness that is not rooted ... Views: 1465
“…If thought corrupts language, language can also corrupt thought…”
~George Orwell
At times, things just come out of my mouth… and it’s not until it falls out of my mouth that I’m aware it has an assumption (or two.) Last week, I was trying to express myself to my friend Sparks; it just ... Views: 1517
Most of us might remember the three Rs as reading, ‘riting, and ‘rithmetic—in business, I like to say it’s, relationships, relationships, relationships… I have spent the last few days writing a grant proposal involving a large request for funds. As I wrote the request for my client, I became ... Views: 1950
How can I make you smile today?
I called a local company the other day to make an appointment… The woman that answered had a smile on her face… even over the phone, I could just tell. She made me smile by not only her friendly pattern, but what she said, “Thanks for calling ‘X’. This is ... Views: 1712
The other day, I caught myself saying; “If I can do it, anybody can do it.” That may or may not be true… but that isn’t really the point… the point is, that all too often we become so familiar with our talents and skills that we overlook the true value we and our skills and talents have.
In ... Views: 4985
I shouldn’t watch the news anymore… I was watching the hearing on what will be done to fix the current state of sad affairs and I couldn’t believe what I was hearing… to paraphrase, because I don’t write word for word notes while livid…
“We’ve done a lot of thinking about it and that seems ... Views: 1957
Course correction may be required...
Have you ever noticed there is really little one can control except how we choose to react…. I wrote this while winging my way back from Philly the other day. It really was an uneventful flight, yet after watching 100+ people board the plane; I can only ... Views: 1762
I’m sitting here serving jury duty and can’t do my regular routine. (I’m not opposed to doing my civic duty, it’s just the timing.) Sitting here is leaving me feeling swamped with my To Do List and sucked-under… lots to do, plus it’s finally summer here in Oregon (we get so little summer, it is ... Views: 2060