As holiday vacations approach, it’s time for friends, family, feasts, and…out of office auto replies. Is there a good way to say, “Hey, I’m trying to unplug; so don’t expect a prompt reply?” (Tweet it!)
 
Writing for The New York Times “Smarter Living” column , Tom Herrera asked readers to suggest ways of saying ”Sorry, I’m outta here.” Of course there is the generic, “I’ll be back next week, meanwhile call so-and-so”, or the no-frills “Back on Tuesday, January 1,” but consider these:

Tembi Secrist, who works in exporting, writes, “Thank you for your email! I am on vacation. Vacations are not for checking email, so I won’t be doing that. Fortunately, we rarely encounter life and death situations in the world of exporting, and aren’t we all glad for that?”

Stephanie Grace, who Herrera says “wins for cutest auto-reply” brought a smile to all with the irresistible…“I’m out of office enjoying a weeklong backpacking trip in the Wallowas with the best adventure pup in the world, Lucy: https://www.instagram.com/luseatosky/”

What's your favorite out of office auto reply? To join the conversation, click "comments" above.

Sweaty palms, rapid heartbeat, flushed cheeks, and trembling extremities. Anxiety can be a showstopper. Or it can be something else entirely. For many years we’ve been teaching our clients to reframe their relationship with anxiety—thinking of it as the “juice”-- extra energy that can power public speaking, job interviews, and other high-pressure situations. Recent research, cited in The New York Times  by psychologist Alicia Clark, author of Hack Your Anxiety, continues to show how “anxiety can be a pathway to our best selves.”
 
It is actually our fear of anxiety that makes it so powerful. The more we try to suppress it, the more it debilitates us. A large-scale study from the University of Wisconsin (https://bit.ly/2zHjFge) demonstrated that how we think about anxiety and stress can change the way those feelings affect us. Regardless of actual stress levels, the less detrimental we believe the feeling is, the less so it will be. (Tweet it!) So, Clark advises:
 

• Label the feeling – and then re-label it: Re-appraise it as something that can be helpful. Instead of calling it anxiety, stress, nervousness or fear switch to excitement, exhilaration, energy, juice.
• Aim for the sweet spot:  While an overload of anxiety can be harmful, it’s also problematic to have none. Anxiety about giving a presentation, for example, can power the focus and energy we need to be our best.

 
How do you cope with anxiety, especially in a performance situation? To join the conversation, click "comments" above.
 
If you would like to learn more about creating a habit around masterful communication, check out our online learning programs. 

Ad Vingerhoets, author of Why Humans Weep: Unravelling the Mysteries of Tears, says that crying is a product of evolution, serving to alert parents to their offspring’s location and discomfort. But of course adults cry too. And according to Dr. Vingerhoets, speaking to The New York Times, the two major consistent triggers for adult crying are “helplessness and powerlessness,” and “separation and loss.” (https://nyti.ms/2RHDZoY)
 
Although crying is natural, we might find ourselves in certain situations where we don't want to cry in public—perhaps in a difficult meeting or during an emotionally fraught conversation. If so, psychologists and body language specialists suggest these techniques:
 

• Cry before you face conflict. If you allow yourself to cry it out beforehand, you’ll be more likely to keep your composure.
• Rehearse how to handle the worst-case scenario. The worst might not happen, but that way you’re prepared to face anything. (Tweet it!)
• Practice keeping the conversation on track. Avoid escalating the emotional stakes. Think about what you are going to say and how you are going to say it.

If you start to cry, and want to stop, there are some physical tricks you can try: relax your facial muscles, breathe deeply, give yourself a pinch.  Or, as  Janine Driver, chief executive of the Body Language Institute in Washington, advises, “Simply push your tongue to the roof of your mouth and you will instantly stop crying.”

Have you ever attempted to avert tears?  Were you successful, and how did you do it? To join the conversation, click "comments" above.
 
If you would like to learn more about creating a habit around masterful communication, check out our online learning programs. 

The hardest part about delegating a task is trusting that someone will do it as well as you can, and so many managers are reluctant to turn over key responsibilities. But, says Dr. Art Markman, Professor of Psychology and Marketing at the University of Texas at Austin, “The problem with this style of delegation is that it sets your employees up for failure. A coach wouldn’t let an athlete go into a big game without practicing extensively beforehand. Managers should share this same mentality.” (https://bit.ly/2NPnlRN)
 
Markman maintains that when you assign someone a task for the first time just because you’re unavailable, their chances of success are low – if you haven’t been teaching and preparing them. And the risk of damaging morale is high. “As a manager, a central part of your job is to train and develop people…take on the mindset of a trainer — instead of a manager delegating work.”
 
Effective training, of course, takes thought and effort, stresses Markman. (Tweet it!) Here are his recommendations:

• To start, assess who on your team genuinely wants to move up, and identify their main areas of interest.
• Create a development plan for them and include the skills they will need in order to reach their goals.
• Focus on giving them assignments that require those skills, and teaching them what they need to know to succeed.
• Structure the experience so that your employees are able to work their way up to more challenging tasks.  

Do you consider yourself eager or reluctant to delegate, and why? What's your strategy for teaching skills to those to whom you delegate? To join the conversation, click "comments" on our Community of Practice Forum
 
If you would like to learn more about creating a habit around masterful communication, check out our online learning programs.