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Influence Through Story Telling: Make Your Message Stick

6/30/2025

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A great story is not just heard; it’s felt. Stories can persuade, convince, and convert. Here are 4 ways to move people to action through storytelling… 

Stories do more than entertain — they persuade. And many successful leaders and entrepreneurs use stories to turn words into impact. For some guidance when it comes to spinning a tale, Will Storrs, journalist and author of A Story is a Deal, shares four storytelling techniques to drive results. 

  1. Make Your Audience the Hero: Your audience must identify with the protagonist or the struggle if you want to persuade them. People engage when they see their own issues reflected. And, as a BBC Storyworks study confirmed, an emotional relationship to a story enhances the listener’s long-term memory.
  2. Keep it Simple: When crafting a story, keep it clear and concise. Avoid jargon and overly-long, abstract descriptions. Reality is complex, but it can be edited for clarity.
  3. Clarify Obstacles and Goals: In a business context the story should have a lesson that relates to a solution offered by your service or product. This encourages belief and prompts action.
  4. Be specific and Concrete: Specifics are memorable because they activate the brain’s visual imagination.

When is the last time you were motivated to action by a story? 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.

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When Should Leaders Be Positive? Timing is Everything.

6/23/2025

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A leader’s positivity at the start of a year or project can have an out-sized impact on team performance ...

It’s no secret that a leader’s positive or negative communication can have a deep impact on how a team performs. Now researchers have studied what effect the timing of positivity might have.

As a study published in Organizational Science showed, timing is everything.  “When leaders expressed a lot of early-term positivity, their employees performed better throughout the year, compared with all other timing (for example expressing more positivity at the mid-point, or end of year, or leaders who were primarily negative at the start).”

Here is the evidence-based advice:
  • Take advantage of early opportunities to be positive. Be enthusiastic about your prospects and ensure that everyone knows why you are glad to be working with them. 
  • The best time for negative feedback might be at the midpoint. The study also revealed that some mid-term correction might inspire your team to go the extra mile…as long as you clarify the steps. Keep in mind that any negative feedback must be fair and substantiated,
  • Some caveats: The findings speak strongly to the timing effects of leaders’ emotional expressions during long-term projects, but less strongly to the timing effects during a meeting or shorter project. Despite this, other research powerfully argues that timing matters when it comes to similar leadership competencies, like expressing gratitude.

Do you recall a leader or coach you worked with whose early positivity inspired you? 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.

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Want to Change a Mind? Ask This Question

6/4/2025

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The road to less arguing and better problem solving starts with asking one simple question…

Have you ever tried to change the mind of someone you disagree with? Good luck! And yet, psychologists say that remembering one simple question is the first step on the road to less hostility and more productive dialogue. 

Finding common ground may seem unlikely, especially in times like these. But it all begins with listening. Then, for the sake of initially engaging your partner, forget about facts. Regardless of their veracity, reciting a list of studies and statistics will likely just raise defensiveness. 

Beating people over the head with evidence that proves they’re wrong, only makes them more likely to insist they’re right. “People generally put their affiliation with their group and their sense of themselves as a competent and good person ahead of rationality,” writes Jessica Stillman in INC. Yelling doesn’t work either. Stridency might make you feel relief in the moment, but it almost always backfires and hardens other peoples’ beliefs.

So, what’s left? Asking the “magic question.” According to science writer David Robson, author of the 2024 book, The Laws of Connection, you need to convince people of your good intentions for the conversation. Ask them:  Can you tell me more about how you came to think that?” 

Is this enough to have someone do a 180-degree opinion turn? No. But, it is a start. You cannot change anyone’s mind if you don’t convince them you are open to understanding them.

Have you ever tried to change someone’s mind about a deeply held belief? How did that turn out? 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. 

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The One Word You Should Never Use

4/30/2025

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Framing things positively has enormous advantages… and there is one negative word you should consider banishing for good…

If you ask someone at Disney what time the park closes, they don’t exactly tell you. What they say is that “the park is open until 10 PM.” This is an example of what Debra Jasper, CEO of Mindset Digital, refers to as “positive priming.” And she thinks it should be applied to virtually every interaction.

“Start with what you can do, not what you can’t,” she advises. If a client asks if you can meet at 2 PM Tuesday, they do not care or want to hear that you are busy. Instead counter with when you can meet: “I can make Wednesday morning work.”  Or, instead of saying, “I can’t get that to you until Friday,” try, “I can get that to you on Friday.” 

Above all, Jasper says, there is a word you might want to banish from your vocabulary. That word is unfortunately. If you look up synonyms for “unfortunate” you get words like “grievous”, “dreadful”, and “disagreeable.” Is this really the tone you want to set?  

The next time you are tempted to begin a communication with “Unfortunately, I can’t…”, pause and rethink. How can you frame this communication positively?  Hint:  Start with the words, “I can.” 

How often do you find yourself using the word “unfortunately” and what could be your substitute? To join the conversation, click on "comments" below. We'd love to hear from you!

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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We Are All Writers…So Write Like a Pro

4/21/2025

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Regardless of whether the word “writer” is in your job title, we are all writers—creating email, cover letters, reports, speeches, blogs, newsletters.  Here are four tips to help you do it much better…

It’s easy to feel frustrated by the writing process, but it's also easy to boost your skills through some simple practices.  Mastering the art of writing will help you be persuasive and prompt others to view you as smarter and more insightful. 

Writing in the Harvard Business Review, Samantha Amber, author and host of the podcast How I Write, offers these tips:

  1. Read your work out loud. Hearing your words brings them to life and exposes flaws like clunky or overly-long phrasing.  If you have said too much or not enough, it will not sound right to the ear.  This is also the very best way to catch typos.
  2. Edit other people’s work. Reviewing the work of others critically and methodically is the best way to help you become more intentional in your own writing. 
  3. Ask: Am I adding value or saying something new? If you are creating content that is already out there and saying it in the same way, think about stopping until you can do more research or get input from someone with expertise in the subject, 
  4. Clear your metaphorical throat. Your first two paragraphs can probably be deleted, or seriously condensed, because most of us spend a lot of time warming up and getting into a groove.  Even if you love those paragraphs, be objective.  Sometimes you must “kill your darlings.” 

What do you have on deck to write next, and which of these tips might help you most?  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. 



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Did Your Job Interview Thud?

12/16/2024

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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:
  • Send a thank you note to the interviewer detailing your enthusiasm and fit for the job, and follow up with the recruiter. 
  • Continue to look for additional people within the company to advance your application or open doors to other opportunities.
  • Remember that multiple stakeholders typically contribute to the final hiring decision…not just the interviewer.
  • Prepare for future interviews by practicing eye contact (even virtually!) and rehearsing for frequently-asked interview questions like “Tell me about yourself.”

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. 



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Your Brain on Gratitude: Happy Thanksgiving!

11/25/2024

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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.

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Create lifetime communication mastery online, with our virtual programs, awarded International Gold for Best Hybrid Learning of 2022.
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Silence:  The Secret Weapon

11/18/2024

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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. 





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The Secret to Being Heard

11/11/2024

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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?"
  1. WHAT describes the specifics of the situation, position, or product.
  2. SO WHAT outlines the relevance and importance of the "what" to your audience.
  3. NOW WHAT tackles the next steps or "call to action."

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. 



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The Secret to Expressing Self-Confidence

8/19/2024

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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.






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How to Ask for Advice

8/5/2024

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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:

  1. Be specific about the type of advice you are seeking. Specifying the category of advice you want will ensure it is most useful.  Ask yourself, “What will really help me get better at solving this problem?” Then, instead of asking, “What do you think of my quarterly numbers?” you could say, “I’ve tried X and Y but I haven’t been able to meet my goal. How do you think I should approach this?”
  2. Show them the way. If you ask people to think about what could help you in the future, the advice you will receive will be more actionable. So, for example, after you give a presentation — even a good one — you could ask, “What changes could I make to improve next time?” 
  3. Give a little nudge.  If someone gives you vague feedback such as “You did great” or “You could do better,” prod further and extract the advice you need. You could say, “What specifically did I do well that I should repeat next time?” or “What is one thing I can do better next time?” 
  4. Ask the right person. You may think that the more points of view you receive, the better. But research shows that an excess of advice from many sources can be confusing. Think hard about the problem or topic you are seeking guidance on and consider who is best placed to give you advice on it.

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. 


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The Secret Sauce of Leading Change

7/1/2024

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If you are considering a significant change in your organization, it is crucial to first take the emotional temperature of your members. But new research suggests that few leaders know how to do this.

In her survey of over 200 leading company executives, Patti Sanchez, chief strategy officer at consulting firm Duarte, Inc., found that 69% of respondents said they were planning or currently conducting a change effort. Unfortunately, half of these same execs said they hadn’t fully considered their team’s sentiment about the change.

Writing in the Harvard Business Review, Sanchez offers strategies for ensuring your team is motivated and onboard:

  • Profile Your Audience: Evaluate wants and needs at the kick-off of a change initiative…then re-evaluate at every stage.
  • Tell People What to Expect:  While you may need to keep some facts private during a transition, the general rule is that the more informed your people are, the more they’ll be able to deal with discomfort. So, learn about your team’s specific fears and acknowledge them openly. 
  • Involve Individuals at All Levels: A true transformation won't succeed without broad involvement.  From the top down, give everyone the chance to express how change will impact them, their team, and their responsibilities. 

Do you know how the members of your organization feel about any changes you plan to implement? And if not, how might you find out? To join the conversation, click "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. 

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The World Doesn’t Care About Your GPA. So What Really Matters?

6/24/2024

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The “real world” doesn’t care about your college GPA, and success is really based on three essential qualities. 

In a commencement speech at Kean University this May, Neil deGrasse Tyson, esteemed scientist, author, and educator, argued that five years into the future no one would give a thought to college grades, and he exhorted graduates to focus instead on three essential qualities: 

  1. Solve problems: Why would an employer value someone who memorized information when he could have a person who thinks critically, adapts to new circumstances, and generates fresh solutions. The world is rapidly evolving, so cultivate a mindset that embraces challenges and change. 
  2. Do good work: The measure of success, according to N.D.T., lies in the quality and impact of a person’s efforts.  Employers want hard workers, of course, but that mean more than mere diligence. It means dedication to accomplishing work that is high quality and meaningful. Standing out requires exceeding expectations, while continually striving to improve. Focus on the substance of your contributions and your work will speak for itself,
  3. Be a good person: Moral integrity and ethical behavior are Tyson’s most important success criteria. In a world where moral lapses and scandals seem ubiquitous, morality involves more than mere rule- following:  It requires embodying values like empathy, honesty, and respect.  These qualities foster the trust and collaboration that make enterprises excel.

What qualities do you think really matter most in one’s life and career? To join the conversation, click "comments" below because we would really like to get your feedback!

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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Looking Good to Your Boss’s Boss

6/17/2024

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To get ahead, it’s good to be noticed by senior management, but how do you do it without antagonizing your own boss?

If your boss isn't being particularly useful in helping you advance your ideas or take advantage of opportunities, you may be tempted to go over their head. But, needless to say, this can present risks.

As recounted in the Harvard Business Review, Dave MacKeen, CEO of Eliassen Group, a strategic consulting and talent solutions provider, and Chuck Cohen, Managing Director of Benco Dental, the largest, privately-owned dental distributor in the U.S., offer suggestions for demonstrating your true potential without alienating your direct manager: 

  • Demonstrate your commitment to growth:  Learn knew skills that will help you contribute to the company.
  • Focus on your team’s success:  Senior leadership notices who works collaboratively.
  • Continually work on your communication skills:  Know your audience and craft messages that will resonate.
  • Build relationships throughout the company: Look for opportunities to connect and collaborate with other key players at all levels.
  • Be an expert in your area:  Whatever part of the business is your domain, know it chapter and verse.
  • Do what you say you will:  Commit and follow through.
  • Think Big Picture:  Don't just work “in” the business, work “on” the business. 
  • Challenge old ways and find new solutions:  If you have an innovative solution, share it openly.
  • Raise your hand:  Don’t be afraid to ask for opportunities to show your skills and talents. 

What have you done to raise your profile, and how did your boss react? To join the conversation, leave a reply below. We would love to hear from you!

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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Starting Fail-Proof Conversations

6/3/2024

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“Big things happen during small talk,” says Matt Abrahams, Stanford instructor and host of  the popular podcast, Think Fast, Talk Smart. He says "Small talk gets a bad rap", but it is actually an incredibly effective communications tool.  He often challenges people to think about how many of their close friendships started with small talk – and the answer is, generally, quite a few. 

“A lot of us put tremendous pressure on ourselves to be interesting," Abrahams explains. "We want to say exciting, valuable, relevant stuff, and it's the wrong mindset.” The trick, he maintains, is to lead with curiosity. He advises we think of an initial, casual conversation as akin to Hacky Sack. You serve to the other person and then they serve back to you. Good conversation is,  by definition, collaboration.

Some quick small talk tips:
  • Begin with questions
  • Observe things in context 
  • Bring up relevant information
  • Avoid the doom loop of,  “Hi, how are you?, “Fine, how are you?”

Of course, if you're at a professional gathering, there's a chance you have a specific agenda in mind when starting a conversation, for example, looking for customers, investments, new hires, or useful information. In such cases, Abrahams says, “find hooks and ways of bridging to the topic you want to discuss so that it could become a natural part of the conversation.”  

Can you recall a significant business or personal relationship that began with small talk? To join the conversation, click "comments" below.  We'd love to hear about your experiences!

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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