Asking good questions may be the most important, yet least developed, skill for personal and professional success. One popular belief holds that we win friends and new business by being clever and quick on our feet, and that our brilliance—saying just the right thing—is what attracts others. But … [Read more...] about Add Meaning to Conversations with Power Questions
Communications
Let Me Tell You a Story
Let Me Tell You a Story... Do you know people who can masterfully tell the right story at the right time? Quite often, the best storytellers become our managers and leaders. Even if you have no designs on becoming a CEO or leading a division, you undoubtedly crave more control over your work, … [Read more...] about Let Me Tell You a Story
6 Presentation Secrets from TED Talks
If you’re a fan of TED.com, you probably remember the first time you viewed one of the company’s free 18-minute online presentations. TED Talks are truly inspiring. If you’re not yet familiar with them, you’ll find that their speakers provide jaw-dropping stories you’ll be talking about for … [Read more...] about 6 Presentation Secrets from TED Talks
Sales and Communications:
16 Bad Habits You Can Change
Leaders seem to forget that their human assets make or break a customer’s ownership experience.
“Interpersonal interaction, though sometimes not the top reason for making a purchase, is almost always the reason for not repurchasing.” ~ Marshall Goldsmith, Don Brown and Bill Hawkins, What Got You … [Read more...] about Sales and Communications:
16 Bad Habits You Can Change
Power Listening: 4 Steps to Conversation Success
I only wish I could find an institute that teaches people how to listen. Business people need to listen at least as much as they need to talk. Too many people fail to realize that real communication goes in both directions. ~ Lee Iacocca, former CEO Ford Motor Co. Listening may be the most … [Read more...] about Power Listening: 4 Steps to Conversation Success
Coaching Conversations:
Teaching People to Think
One cannot teach a man anything. One can only enable him to learn from within himself. ~ Galileo Galilei
With so many employees being paid to think, leaders and managers should find ways to cultivate their staffs’ cerebral capabilities to boost workplace performance.
But most leaders wouldn’t know … [Read more...] about Coaching Conversations:
Teaching People to Think
The New Groupthink:
The Problem with Teams
Teamwork demands shared responsibility, but it also demands individual contributions. It fails if team members shelter behind the consensus. ~ Robert Heller, Founding Editor, Management Today
A recent survey found that 91 percent of high-level managers believe teams are the key to success. But the … [Read more...] about The New Groupthink:
The Problem with Teams
The Art of Giving Feedback
“Getting people to welcome feedback was the hardest thing I ever had to do as an educator.” ― Professor Randy Pausch, The Last Lecture Everything is connected today. We need to collaborate with others to succeed in our relationships, life and work. For that, we need to develop the art of giving … [Read more...] about The Art of Giving Feedback
Be A Better Listener
Why do we admire celebrities like Oprah Winfrey, Katie Couric, Diane Sawyer and Bill Clinton? They make you feel like you’re the most important person in the room. They excel at listening—a skill that separates great personalities from the near-great. (photo courtesy Michal Marcol / … [Read more...] about Be A Better Listener
The Business Case for Positivity
What good are positive emotions in the workplace? As scientists study the brain and learn more about how we achieve optimal functioning, the term positivity has finally captured business leaders’ interests. One study of CEOs showed that training to be more positive could boost their productivity … [Read more...] about The Business Case for Positivity