![]() Communication is the lifeblood of leadership. So why are millions of employees exasperated and thwarted because of unclear communication from their boss?... As more employees are working remotely or in hybrid work environments, the need for successful communication has never been greater. Yet, according to a recent report by FlexOS, employees gave their managers a mediocre 7 out of 10 — basically, a C — on managing hybrid and remote teams. Worse, 30 percent said they’re blocked and discouraged by unclear communication from their bosses. Writing in the Harvard Business Review, Gleb Tsipursky, CEO of the consultancy Disaster Avoidance Experts and author of seven bestselling books, says, “As a manager, it’s your job to make sure vital information is shared appropriately and clearly, leaving no room for misunderstandings…” His advice:
Is your manager organized and thorough in their communication? What might they improve? To join the conversation, click on "comments" below.
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![]() New Years resolutions have terrible staying power. Here are 3 steps to be more successful this year… According to Forbes, merely 8 percent of people keep their resolutions twelve months later. (You may have already noticed this happening, just 2 weeks into 2025.) The reasons for broken resolutions go beyond lack of will power. According to Elizabeth Grace Saunders, time management coach and author of How To Invest Your Time Like Money, many people fail to accomplish new goals because they don’t consciously eliminate old activities from their schedule to make room for the new. It’s like “trying to stuff more papers into a file drawer that’s already packed tight.” If your resolutions involve workplace goals and behaviors, consider the following:
What can you un- resolve for this coming year to make room for new priorities? To join the conversation, click on "comments" below. Learn more about creating a habit around masterful communication with our online learning programs. ![]() Has your son or daughter become more monosyllabic as the teenage years set in, and far more interested in their phone than you? Good news: You can still break through with these 4 actions. As Cara Natterson, a Los Angeles pediatrician and co-author of This Is So Awkward: Modern Puberty Explained told The New York Times, there are various ways to break through to teens:
When is the last time you had a good talk with your teenaged child, and how did you manage it? To join the conversation, click on "comments" below. We hope this blog can be helpful to you over the holidays! Learn more about creating a habit around masterful communication with our online learning courses awarded International Gold for Best Hybrid Learning of 2022. ![]() If your job interview felt more like a dud than a win, don’t panic until you try these 4 moves… Writing in Forbes, contributor Caroline Ceniza-Levine notes there are important criteria in deciding who moves on to callback interviews and the ultimate job offer. These include specific accomplishments that match the job description, your fit into the company culture, and your ideas about what you would bring to the role. Meanwhile, here’s what you can do while you wait:
Did you ever feel pessimistic after an interview only to get the job after all? To join the conversation, click on "comments" below. Learn more about creating a habit around masterful communication with our online learning courses awarded International Gold for Best Hybrid Learning of 2022. Gratitude has consistently been shown to lower stress, reduce pain, boost immunity, and improve blood pressure and heart function. Here’s how to spread gratitude not just on Thanksgiving…but always.
We recently released a micro learning video series on how to express gratitude so it sticks, and these tools are easy to learn. Neuroscientist Glen Fox has spent his entire adult life studying gratitude. “Grateful people tend to recover faster from trauma and injury, have better and closer personal relationships and may even just have improved health overall.” Fox did an experiment using brain-imaging scans to map which circuits in the brain become active when we feel grateful. “We saw that the participants’ ratings of gratitude correlated with activity in a set of brain regions associated with interpersonal bonding and with relief from stress,” he said. To up your conscious gratitude, Fox suggests keeping a gratitude journal. On a regular basis, write down what you are grateful for, even if those things seem mundane. The positive effect is cumulative so it’s a good idea to make this a habit. You can also write letters of gratitude to those who have helped you along your way. Says Fox, “I think that gratitude can be much more like a muscle, like a trained response or a skill that we can develop over time.” When was the last time you actively expressed gratitude, and how did you feel? To join the conversation, click on "comments" below. Create lifetime communication mastery online, with our virtual programs, awarded International Gold for Best Hybrid Learning of 2022. ![]() To get what you want, try saying nothing, or in the words of our book title, Be Quiet, Be Heard… “A well-deployed silence can radiate confidence and connection. The trouble is, so many of us are awful at it.” So writes Rachel Feintzeig in the Wall Street Journal, and we couldn't agree more. Most of us rush in to fill any void in a conversation, but remaining still can reap untold benefits. Strategic silence can help in negotiations and selling. Instead of countering every point, try embracing a pause and soon you may find your counterpart jumping in with valuable information that will help you understand their needs and close. Sometimes holding your tongue can feel like going against biology. Humans are social animals, says Robert N. Kraft, professor emeritus of cognitive psychology at Ohio’s Otterbein University. “Our method of connecting — and we crave it — is talking.” For years, Kraft assigned his students a day without words, and many students also found that when forced to stop talking, they bonded better with their peers. Without pauses, we’re generally worse speakers, going off on tangents, stumbling over sounds, offering TMI (too much information), and maybe saying things we later regret. We can also put undue stress on ourselves, as talking to excess can raise our blood pressure, adrenaline and cortisol. So, the next time you are unsure of what to say, try saying nothing at all. Can you recall an instance when staying quiet helped you get what you wanted? To join the conversation, click on "comments" below. Learn more about creating a habit around masterful communication with our online learning courses awarded International Gold for Best Hybrid Learning of 2022. ![]() From casual interactions to formal presentations, there is one, simple, 3-step hack to help you get through to people when it matters most. Writing in the Harvard Business Review, Matt Abrahams, who teaches organizational behavior at Stanford Graduate School of Business, offers a simple hack to achieve this... Structure your message to cover "What?", "So what?", and "Now what?"
This framework is applicable to a vast number of situations. As Abrahams says, it organizes your thoughts, serves as a guidepost to those you are trying to influence, and renders information easy to follow and act on. It is equally useful in presentations, answering questions, and providing feedback. This structure supports your message, so that it is heard, internalized, and acted upon. Does this structure look like something you can use? We’d love to hear your results! To join the conversation, click on "comments" below. Learn more about creating a habit around masterful communication with our online learning courses awarded International Gold for Best Hybrid Learning of 2022. ![]() If your out-of-office email reply suggests that you will get back to everyone…as soon as you return…it may be time to make a big change. The number of emails sent daily has increased 34 percent since 2017. When you are on PTO, you might welcome relief from all these messages. But does your Out of Office reply make promises you shouldn’t have to keep—like, “I will get back to you as soon as I return”? Making good on this pledge might require superhuman powers, not to mention being a waste of your valuable post vacation time. Writing in the Wall Street Journal, reporter Elizabeth Bernstein found some great examples of a more creative approach:
If these replies serve their purpose, your time off may actually be your time. And returning to work, won’t be an exhausting struggle. What does your Out of Office Reply say, and do you feel inclined to change it? To join the conversation, click on "comments" below. Learn more about creating a habit around masterful communication with our online learning courses awarded International Gold for Best Hybrid Learning of 2022. ![]() Workplace bullying is real…and painful, too often leading to stress, burnout, and worse. Here are 5 actions to stop it. Research from the Workplace Bullying Institute indicates that 30 percent of employees experience workplace bullying at some point, and of those targeted, 67% are at risk of losing their job. Bullying goes beyond incivility, writes Professor Jason Walker, a contributor to Forbes. “It is calculated and deliberately aimed at causing harm.” Its targets are often highly valued, competent employees who prefer to avoid conflict. So, what can you do if you are a target? Walker advises the following actions. 5 Actions To Stop Workplace Bullying:
Have you experienced workplace bullying and how did you cope? To join the conversation, click on "comments" on below. Learn more about creating a habit around masterful communication with our online learning courses awarded International Gold for Best Hybrid Learning of 2022. ![]() At the heart of gossip is someone else’s pain. Here are 4 actions to take if that someone is you… Once a rumor takes hold in the workplace, it is hard to stop. Writing in Inc., Mary Wright, of California Employment Law Advice and Counsel, enumerates steps to take if you are the brunt of office gossip. 4 Actions To Take If You're The Subject of Gossip
Contrary to popular belief, most people feel guilty (some less than others) about spreading false or harmful stories about colleagues. Confrontation will usually get those people to stop talking – at least stop talking about you. Have you ever been the subject of hurtful gossip, and how did you deal with it? To join the conversation, click on "comments" below. Learn more about creating a habit around masterful communication with our online learning courses awarded International Gold for Best Hybrid Learning of 2022. ![]() Young Americans are more unhappy these days, and a big reason is their lack of close friendships… According to a Pew Research poll, only 32 percent of Americans ages 30 and younger say they have five or more close friends. According to psychologist Esther Perel, this factor is a prime cause behind the many emotional problems affecting today’s youth. Young people reported feelings of malaise and even hopelessness. They attributed these feelings to social media, climate change concerns, and social immobility. But loneliness cannot be discounted. “I think people are more lonely because they are less adept at being in relationships as that involves conflict, friction and differences,” Perel says. “An enormous amount of people are cutting off friends and family members like never before.” The benefits of friendship are numerous. We learn a great deal about ourselves through relating to and partnering with others. Moreover, friendships are investments. For older generations, exchanging favors over time contributed to the formation of a mutually beneficial, face-to-face social network. Today’s young people do not appear to be making these small investments. “Relationships demand obligation,” Perel says. “Communities demand obligation. Communities are not just there to serve our needs. Your community gives you belonging in return for your obligation to the wellbeing of others.” One key to maintaining friendships is having realistic expectations. Being a positive presence 100 percent of the time is not a realistic expectation to have of others or a prerequisite for you to engage with them. In fact, it can keep you from forming valuable connections. Would you say you have five or more close friends, and how does having friends affect your happiness and well being? To join the conversation, click on "comments" below. Learn more about creating a habit around masterful communication with our online learning courses awarded International Gold for Best Hybrid Learning of 2022. ![]() What’s the best way to respond when a co-worker makes a suggestion you didn’t ask for and don’t want? Try these 4 specific replies. Everybody has an opinion. But what if you don’t want to hear it? Maybe you are in the middle of a meeting or a presentation detailing a carefully crafted plan when a co-worker derails you. Maybe you want a specific piece of information from your boss, but they take the opportunity to turn a simple query into an impromptu coaching session. Writing in the Harvard Business Review, Melody Wilding, executive coach and author of Trust Yourself: Stop Overthinking and Channel Your Emotions for Success at Work, offers strategies for setting boundaries around unsolicited input with tact, respect, and a comfortable level of assertiveness.
When was the last time you received unsolicited advice at work and how did you respond? To join the conversation, click "comments" below. Learn more about creating a habit around masterful communication with our online learning courses awarded International Gold for Best Hybrid Learning of 2022. ![]() Do we reward, promote and respect ultra-confident people, or doubt and distrust them? The answer: It depends on how they express it! One way people express confidence is with words of faith in their own abilities. Another way is nonverbally, using body language and tone of voice. Writing in the Harvard Business Review, Elizabeth R. Tenney, assistant professor at the Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah, reports that In a series of studies, researchers found that overconfidence can damage your reputation — but only if you express that confidence verbally. When you express confidence nonverbally, those negative consequences fade away. Talking about your likelihood of success by making bold predictions can backfire when results don't meet your projections. When this happens, your reputation can suffer. But communicating confidence nonverbally, can be seen as powerful and compelling: Confident people tend to speak in a louder vs soft voice, offering their own opinions, and generally conveying a larger presence. So how should you communicate confidence in a way that garners positive attention and influence in groups? According to this new research, when you express confidence verbally, your credibility may suffer. However, your expression of confidence nonverbally can be a significant advantage. The reason: nonverbal behavior is not so clearly tied to a specific, falsifiable claim as are verbal expressions. How do you evaluate whether someone seems confident, and what is your response if their results are not what you expected? To join the conversation, click "comments" below. Learn more about creating a habit around masterful communication with our online learning courses awarded International Gold for Best Hybrid Learning of 2022. ![]() Have you ever received "feedback" that’s useless and annoying? Instead of asking for feedback, try asking for advice. Feedback is backward looking. It is anchored in past behavior. Writing in the Harvard Business Review, Dr. Amantha Imber, author of Time Wise and host of the podcast How To Work, suggests asking for advice instead. Advice-giving is a form of guidance that leads to thinking about future actions. Imber offers 4 steps to getting advice that will really help you improve:
When was the last time you asked for advice, and how did you do it? To join the conversation, click "comments" below. Learn more about creating a habit around masterful communication with our online learning courses awarded International Gold for Best Hybrid Learning of 2022. ![]() Do you find unplanned phone calls delightful surprises or bothersome intrusions? Is it fine to call someone spontaneously, or is it impolite to call without texting first? Phone call etiquette has never been more complicated, and it is dividing friends, families and co-workers! According to The Wall Street Journal, the debate is raging. The more entrenched texting becomes, the more people find a phone call without warning, unacceptable. Yet others find the phone-call-phobic to be rigid and even ridiculous, claiming that phone calls are never “unannounced” — the ringing is the announcement, aided by caller ID. Although exceptions exist, attitudes toward phone calls tend to cluster generationally. Those who grew up with landlines tend to see no problems with spontaneous calls. But those who have been texting since high school, or earlier, feel differently. Preference for text messaging is highest among those 18 to 24, followed by those 25 to 34, according to a December survey from YouGov. Among 2,000 white-collar professionals surveyed by recruiting firm Robert Walters in March, a mere 16% of those who are Gen Z (born between 1997-2012) thought the phone was a productive form of professional communication. They use Zoom, Slack, email or text with ease, but they’re far less likely to make or answer a phone call. So, what should you do? If you have the urge to call, consider factors such as the relationship you have with the person and whether they have expressed a preference about how to communicate. And you might want to react differently to an unannounced phone call from a salesperson than a relative. Do you prefer to be texted before someone calls you, and do you do the same for others? To join the conversation, click "comments" below. Learn more about creating a habit around masterful communication with our online learning courses awarded International Gold for Best Hybrid Learning of 2022. |
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