Words can clarify or confuse. A favorite pastime of mine is to watch politicians or corporate CEOs squirm when asked straightforward questions on sensitive issues. Accountability can be tough; the language of leadership is not for the faint-hearted. Here are some of the top code lines that contribute to the growing cynicism in today’s workplace: [...]
As a savvy presenter, you find out as much as possible about your audience members before you address them. What do they already know about the topic? What do they need to know? What do they want to know? Will they be receptive or reluctant to hear what you have to say? You plan accordingly. [...]
“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? [...]
What people do intuitively with their voice inflection often bewilders them in writing. The challenge is translating voice inflection to the page, post, or tweet. To be more dramatic about it: cut a comma and you may destroy someone’s career or see them in court. To repeat: A comma tells a reader to pause. The [...]
“So what if your boss is the person you don’t get along with? It’s like we just don’t click, and neither of us is talking about it. Should I be the one who brings it up? Wait until my boss does? Or just go look for another job?” These questions about communicating with the boss [...]
Many times I’ve felt the urge to give a salesperson a piece of my mind after some obnoxious communication habit, insensitive comment, or ineffective process. But then I need my mind—all of it—so I typically refrain. But the high performers stand out from the crowd because they’ve mastered “the little things” that the bottom-half on [...]
Whether you’re dashing off an informal email to coordinate a meeting, developing a proposal, or compiling a monthly status report to the executive team, your writing represents an investment of time. If you’re like most employees responding to our surveys in client organizations, you spend 20-90 percent of your workday writing. Your organization expects a [...]
Poor introductions prove painful—not only for the person introduced, but for the audience as well. Pity the poor person standing behind the curtain about to appear and work his or her way back from the handicap created by the opening comments. And no doubt, audience members have already begun to stress themselves, fearing what’s to [...]
The question “Do you think I should dumb it down for this group?” pops up all too often from those making technical presentations. When I hear it, I’m tempted to respond, “No, I recommend that you smarten up the speaker.” (Pardon the grammar and the sarcasm.) Why does this question sound so arrogant? It assumes [...]
