Communication Tip of the Day: People never outgrow their need to be persuasive. Salespeople have to persuade customers to buy. Customers have to persuade salespeople that the time they are investing in servicing their accounts will pay off over the years. The entry-level employee hopes to persuade the manager to approve a raise. The manager [...]
We are at our best when we are being kind, generous, and gracious to strangers—innocent strangers, kind strangers. But one of the most difficult places to demonstrate kindness and communicate respect is at home around family members. The reasons vary: We take them for granted and think they’ll love us anyway. We think they’re not [...]
“What do you do to force your boss to give you feedback? I’m getting this sick feeling in the pit of my stomach that I’m not doing well and he’s not just not telling me. How can I make him talk to me? Like at this tradeshow. There are three of us. He invited the [...]
The executive vice president of a large oil company called the director of HR with this request: “We’re opening up a new call center this year, and we’re going to need you to help get it staffed. But I’ve already got the person in mind for the director’s job.” “Okay. Great. Who’s that?” “Donna [...]
In case they haven’t told you face to face, your colleagues have these common complaints about meetings you and they attend: “People digress. They talk all around an idea, and I often miss their point.” “Some people don’t pay attention to where we are in the process. It’s like they’re ten minutes behind in the [...]
“It’s not polite to sing at the table.” Although my mom taught me that rule of etiquette as a child, it never made much sense to me. Actually, if the truth be known, I’m betting that many a mom sang as she flew “airplanes” disguised as spoons into her petulant preschooler’s mouth. On the other [...]
#10—An expression of gratitude would give you something to tweet about this Thanksgiving season rather than delayed flights, leftover turkey, or your loud-mouthed Uncle Harvey. #9––A poem, song, quote, or rap of gratitude will generate more feedback as a blog, Facebook post, or YouTube video than a complaint about your workload or ingrown toenail. #8––Thanking [...]
Forget trying to fake your face. You can’t do it. Not according to Dr. Paul Ekman, who has been studying facial expressions for more than 40 years among cultures all over the world. (You may have seen the TV series Lie to Me, which is based on his work.) Facial expressions are created with [...]
Someone has said, “The measure of your ability to communicate is the results you see.” While that’s a provocative statement, I don’t agree. Certainly it’s true that if you don’t get your message across to the listener, you haven’t really communicated. But unless you as speaker are the only one who cares, the process of [...]
Personal presence has much to do with perception. Those perceptions created with a few keystrokes online may last for a decade or a lifetime. Never take your online personae lightly. Give Information, Plus Insight Whether you’re blogging or tweeting, think tour guide. Consider past situations when you’ve been fortunate enough to have an experienced tour [...]
