Meeting with my coaching clients over the last week involved a number of conversations about the recent presidential election. “I don’t talk to anyone at work about it,” “I’m avoiding people in the hallway,” and “I only talk to people who voted the way I did,” are some of the statements my clients voiced in…
You want that job – there’s a lot of competition – you’re qualified and experienced – how do you make sure the hiring manager knows that? There aren’t any tricks, and preparation is the name of the game, but once the interview has started, there are certain communication tools to bring with you, along with…
In an age of digital distraction and information overload, two questions should be front of mind if our goal is to get our message across. 1. Where does communication break down? 2. How can we communicate more effectively? Researchers Ray and Myers from Stanford wrote that “in practice, communication is the most complex of all…
Many of us want to cultivate change and growth, but think the process is too lengthy and arduous. Not necessarily. I’d like to introduce you to an effective tool I’ve been using with professionals in coaching sessions and with teams in strategy meetings. If you want to change your individual and/or organizational behavior — not…
Changing dynamics at work add to already challenging situations. It’s not uncommon that individuals get promoted, and overnight go from being their co-workers’ peer to supervising them. When roles and goals change, the management and leadership style must follow; but tensions and triggers show up that accompany the change and often lead to confusion and…
Mostly everyone I know wrestles with fear and doubt on their personal and professional paths. In fact, it seems that the higher we climb on the career ladder, the higher the stakes become and the shakier our confidence gets. Instead of attaining greater calm and comfort, we have more people to please, more judgment to…
Sureness (noun) : A state of mind in which one is free from doubt. Synonyms: certainty, confidence, conviction, positiveness, satisfaction Related words: decisiveness, determination, firmness, purposefulness, resoluteness On a recent trip to Hawaii, I walked by a statue of a Burmese standing Buddha. The resort I stayed at was filled with spiritual sculptures and ancient artifacts, but this…
A couple weeks ago I posted an article about the power of listening-–http://bit.ly/1TMLKYt — and stated that the second most significant skill on my communication cheat sheet is the power of nonverbal communication. Of all the intentional tools to master, how we convey our emotions with the use of our voice, facial expression and body language, will…
I was interviewed by an organizational development consultant last week who asked me to boil down all of my communication expertise and advice into what I’d include on a cheat sheet. Great question. And to my surprise, the answer occurred to me immediately: Improve your listening and nonverbal communication skills. With every team I train…
