This is a guest post by Phil Gerbyshack, a trainer and speaker. If you’re a boss, one of the most important parts of your job is giving directions. Whether you’re training, coaching, or assigning work, it’s critical to do the job right. If you think about what you do when you share travel directions, you’ll do a better job with supervisory directions. Here are some tips to … [Read more...]
The Valentine’s Gift to Give to Your Team
Elementary school and Valentine’s Day. It's probably a day you remember well. Everyone arrives with a bag filled with Valentine’s Cards, signed and sealed with names on the outside of the envelope. Secretly, or not so secretly, this is a day many have long been awaiting. Will I get a card from Bobby or Andrew or Betty or Ashleigh? And if I do (or if the “rules” state that … [Read more...]
A Smart Approach to Reduce Change Resistance and Gain Buy-In
If you lead others, you're in the change business, and that means you will face your fair share of resistance. People will reject your ideas, fight the direction you want to go, disregard your expectations for new behaviors and more. Dealing with resistance is a normal part of leadership. When you initiate change that involves other people, they will inevitably ask: “What’s … [Read more...]
New Leaders: Adopt a Cinematic Approach to Drastically Improve Presentations
This is a guest post by Ted Frank, author of Get to the Heart. I’ve seen people, specifically new leaders, struggle with presentations. As they try to explain complicated diagrams and metaphors, their confidence and credibility drain as they show stock-photo slides to a bored audience. The problem? Their storytelling. But there’s a storytelling method that works for real … [Read more...]
Effectively Manage Your Bully Employee
We've all heard of bully bosses, and hopefully, you strive not to be one. But what should you do when you have an employee who bullies coworkers and even you. The person might lose his or her temper, make hateful or hurtful jokes, or use aggressive tactics to force others do as he or she says. Don't let it go unchecked or you could damage team morale and productivity. … [Read more...]
Communicating When Stressed
When I was asked recently how leaders should communicate when they are stressed, I had three very specific answers to this common question. I'm sharing them in today's video. https://youtu.be/1I6SDT8E7BE?rel=0&controls=0&showinfo=0 Tweet it out: If you are stressed, now might not be the time to communicate. Can you wait? via @KevinEikenberry … [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...]
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...]
[Infographic]: Put Together a Killer Presentation
Are you dreading an upcoming presentation to your new team, your boss or a customer? Don't. Whether you are presenting to one person or a room full of people, with this advice from The London Speaker Bureau, you can create a presentation that will wow your listeners and build your credibility as a new leader. … [Read more...]