While working at home recently, my internet connection went down. During the call to tech support to check out whether it was a coaxial cable problem or a router issue (how’s that for tech talk?), the technician asked me, “Can you tell me how many green lights are blinking on the router?” That I could [...]
So what’s the link between employee engagement, high performance, and training? Come find out at the ASTD 2010 International Conference & Exposition in Chicago, May 16-19, 2010! I’ll be autographing copies of The Voice of Authority and Booher’s Rules of Business Grammar in our booth (#1514) during these hours: Monday, May 17 from 9:30 [...]
Seeing and hearing media reports on this week’s health care summit hosted by President Obama reminds me of a key concept about productive meetings of any kind: Your outcome depends on those offering input. The concept is counter-intuitive. Leaders “large and in charge” of many endeavors—whether governments, schools, corporations, civic organizations, families—often make the mistake [...]
In nearly every business writing workshop we teach, we hear stories—some humorous, some deadly, and many costly—about mistakes caused by unclear communication. On Friday, engineering blogger Jon Ostrower posted “Page One of the Engineering to English Dictionary” proving that aerospace engineers share the general population’s tendency to convolute messages with buzzwords and industry-specific jargon. Here [...]
Santa can slide down that chimney any time he chooses, and he’ll typically receive a warm welcome no matter what’s happening at the moment. But when mere humans interrupt, it’s no laughing matter. In fact, it can be downright annoying. Here’s a recent email I received from Carole: Hello…. I always enjoy your newsletters and [...]
Many kids cut their teeth on the negatives at home and school—even when the intention is good: “Don’t forget your coat.” “Don’t leave your bike in the driveway. It’s going to get run over.” “Stop fooling around at the table and eat. You’re going to be late.” “Don’t forget your key. You’ll be locked out [...]
Last year researchers at Oxford University published a list of the most irritating words and phrases. (Read my blog post and the Oxford list here.) Executives have now come up with their own list of overused clichés in the workplace. “When business or industry terms become overused, people stop paying attention to them,” said Max [...]
For those who weren’t able to attend the 61st SHRM Annual Conference in New Orleans, check out this Fistful of Talent video interview for tips these audience members picked up from my session on communicating with confidence in the c-suite. SHRM09 – Dianna Booher from Fistful of Talent on Vimeo. Dianna Booher Dianna Booher works [...]
How much is too much? How little is too little? Information, that is. Leaders are struggling to know what to pass on to their employees and what to hold close to the vest, as the old saying goes. T&D Journal recently reported on a study conducted by AchieveGlobal titled “Leading in Tough Times” that [...]
Attention members of the training industry! Come visit me at the 2009 SHRM Annual Conference & Exposition – New Orleans, Louisiana, June 28 – July 1, 2009! I’ll be speaking on Monday, June 29 and Tuesday, June 30 (4:00-5:15 p.m. both days). I hope to see some of you in New Orleans! Dianna Booher Dianna Booher works with [...]
