“No news is good news.” You’ve heard the cliché for years, but I beg to differ. “No news is NOT good news where customers are concerned. It reflects lousy follow-up. Case in point: We had been waiting on end-of-year tax documents for various entities so that our CPA firm could file income tax returns. All [...]
Stop. Think. Three more people lost their lives on Monday and more than 170 others were maimed through another senseless act of violence. Those at the scene yesterday rushed to render aid—to apply tourniquets, to carry people to triage tents, to whisk them away to cover. So how do you communicate caring the day after? [...]
One of the best ways to improve workplace communication is to stop chronic complainers. Complainers suck the resources, time, energy, and joy out of work and life. According to our survey, seventy-seven percent of the respondents spend at least three to six hours a week dealing with complainers and energy draining situations. Seventy-three percent say [...]
Don’t get me wrong: I like to get greeting cards as much as the next person. But what’s better than a commercial card? A personal note that communicates your feelings. Or, maybe spend the $4.99 with Hallmark to buy the sentimental card—but at least write your own note inside. Guaranteed, you’ll get a better reaction. [...]
“If you’re a regular reader of the blog, you know I don’t often run guest columns. But the following guest blog by Jessica Sanders presents an argument for leaders communicating with specificity—with the numbers.” As a leader, it’s imperative that you are able to properly communicate with your team at all times. While annual employee [...]
With all the holiday parties in full swing at work, around the community, and with extended family, you may find yourself face to face with strangers quite often in the coming weeks. For those of you who always (or occasionally) feel a little awkward in such conversations, here are a few opening lines to get [...]
#10—A thank-you tweet this Thanksgiving season would be a change of pace from those tweets on politics, snowstorms, and leftover turkey. #9––A sentimental quote on gratitude will generate more Facebook “likes” or blog and YouTube comments than a complaint about your boss, the airlines, or your neighbors. #8––Thanking your in-laws for their encouragement through the [...]
A couple of weeks ago, I found myself standing on a mall parking lot holding an umbrella in drizzling rain, trying to respond to an ongoing text conversation from a relative: “So how is Granny-O this morning?” “Not much better. Still in hospital.” “Has doctor been by? When do U think she’ll [...]
Every debate has spurred its overriding story. The first debate caught Obama “napping,” as the president himself joked at the recent Alfred Smith gala. The walk-away story of the vice presidential debate was Joe Biden’s body language. The spin-off of the second presidential debate proved to be the contentious nature of both candidates as they [...]
Evidently, the President found some Gatorade after his first debate. The contrast proved startling between his first and second debates. Both candidates showed up sharp, sure, and solidly prepared. Result: A spirited debate with few blunders. This is the kind of debate that makes an executive communication coach like me have to pay close attention. [...]
