Unfortunately, no matter how much we practice improving our communication skills, we will still have occasions which require us to provide feedback or course correction to employees, team members or children. If done properly, the feedback will not only improve the situation, but will be truly appreciated by the person receiving it. Providing feedback in…
Do you often find yourself wondering how something that you thought was so clear, wasn’t? Listening transcends every part of our lives and is a skill we must continually work to improve. Whether in a conflict situation of the course of your daily conversations, active listening is a strong tool towards better understanding. With active…
If we’ll admit it, most of us struggle with communicating clearly, setting expectations, holding people accountable, giving course correction, and in general being misunderstood. This pervasive and problematic issue thwarts productivity, leads to costly miscommunications and missed opportunities, creates tremendous stress and can sometimes lead to “divorce” from otherwise good employees. This article will focus…
As I was reading an article recently regarding finding balance in life, the realization came to me that as our work lives get busier there is also a need to find balance within our jobs. I often hear the complaint that there just isn’t enough time in the day to get all of the items…
When Abraham Lincoln spoke this now famous statement 150 years ago, was he intending it to be great business advice? “I do the very best I know how – the very best I can; and I mean to keep doing so until the end. If the end brings me out all right, what is said…
Last week I relayed two of Barbara Corcoran’s lessons regarding perceptions and creating the reality you want. This week I want to focus on two others that she spoke of that were particularly intriguing to me. 1. There are two different kinds of people: Containers & Expanders. Barbara’s philosophy is that “Containers” are people who…
Recently I had the pleasure of hearing Barbara Corcoran (of Shark Tank) speak. The topic was the life lessons she’s learned along the way to becoming a self-made success. The first thing I found fascinating was that she has learned something from every step or misstep she’s made in her life. Of the seven great…
It’s no secret that giving exemplary customer service is vital if you want to grow your business. But do you realize that all of us have customers and it’s therefore vital to your career as well? Your customers may be internal (the person or department that relies on your work product), or external (the person…
We all spend a lot of time in our cars. Yesterday as I was driving to a meeting I got to thinking about how people drive and it occurred to me that I drive a lot like my personality (I won’t tell you which of these is me). Upon reflection I realized that’s the case…
Do you look up, your day is gone, you’ve been really busy, but you still haven’t touched those important projects? Here are some suggestions to increase your productivity – many of which you’ve heard before – but they will work if you do them. 1) Fighting fires – When you let fires rule your day,…
