Today is Election Day in the U.S., and soon enough we will know who our next POTUS will be. We are all a little exhausted and burnt out from this nasty presidential campaign, but rest assured, this post isn’t about politics or who you should vote for. This post is for you as a leader. While you will likely never have your every move reported on TV, never have your tax … [Read more...]
Challenge Yourself to Share Your Gratitude This (and Every) Month
It's the beginning of the month in which gratitude is top of mind. A popular exercise this time of year is to write down or share one thing each day for which you are truly grateful. Perhaps you've seen the trend on Facebook or social media. Or maybe your family creates a "Thankful Tree" or "Thankful Jar" each year. Take a 30-day challenge While I suggest that you take … [Read more...]
The First Thing You Must Do During Emotional Conversations
You likely can relate to this scenario that often comes to my mind when I think about communication ... I was working through an issue with a coworker who was distressed over problems with a process that affected us both. I helped to create the process and had the authority to change it. Plus, I had enough knowledge of the process to troubleshoot and fix a fair number of … [Read more...]
Maintain Calm Leading Up to Election Day
It's been an incredibly ugly presidential campaign, and with two weeks left until Election Day, the worst may not be behind us. The conflict over the presidency has infiltrated the workplace, so much so, that a recent survey by the American Psychological Association indicates that one in four younger employees report they've been negatively affected by political talk on the … [Read more...]
Make This Your Top Priority When Communicating With Employees
The late great Jim Rohn, was more than just a great speaker, he was a modern day philosopher. One of my favorite quotes by him “The goal of effective communication should be for listeners to say, ‘Me, too!’ versus ‘So what?'” epitomizes what communication should be all about, especially in the workplace. As a leader, being able to communicate effectively is probably your … [Read more...]
When An Employee Says “I’m Too Busy”
New leaders in particular deal with more change resistance (and resistance in general) from their employees. Bitter coworkers who were overlooked for the promotion dig in their heels and make life hard for new managers. Some just want to take advantage of the new guy or gal. Others want to see how far they can push you. That sort of behavior, as juvenile as it is, can … [Read more...]
8 Keys to Successful Performance Conversations
It is likely you have had an experience like this in your past: You are 8 or 10 or 12 years old. You’ve done something wrong, but maybe you don't know what just yet. However, you certainly know you are in hot water after you have been told to “Stay after class,” “Go to the office” or “Wait until your father gets home.” Whatever the offense, the event goes about the same. … [Read more...]
It’s Not Always WHAT You Ask—It’s HOW You Ask It
Recently, I was speaking with participants in a training class about communication strategies to resolve conflicts. I shared with them that a genuine sense of curiosity about the other person’s perspective often goes a long way toward resolution, and that a sense of curiosity is often revealed when we ask the other person questions. As we discussed the value of possessing a … [Read more...]
Praise Matters: The Power of the 4 to 1 Rule
Some of my clients are already in leadership roles, they are tenured or new leaders who want to become better leaders or to improve their team environment. Some are not yet leaders, but they want to develop leadership skills in preparation for advancement. One of my more memorable encounters was with a person in the latter category. This person had recently had a bad … [Read more...]
The Comfort Zone is Your Biggest Obstacle to Change
In a recent post, Frank Granara and Lorraine Grubbs, co-authors of Beyond the Executive Comfort Zone: Outrageous Tactics to Ignite Individual Performance, offered insight on how to shake things up and push both yourself and your team out of your comfort zone. Today, I am going to expand on that. Take a minute and mentally put yourself in a place that you love. You love the … [Read more...]