Employee engagement is all the rage these days. It’s commonly touted as the key to transforming an organization from good to great. When a new organizational effectiveness ‘truth’ comes along there are two common responses.
DetailsAt a recent workshop I delivered and facilitated, we had a brainstroming session to answer some key questions about what constitutes excellent customer service. Here are the results of the brainstorming from the attendees. How can we make it easier for our customers to do business with us?
DetailsDuring a recent teambuilding and communication workshop I delivered one of my clients stated, “50% of all our obstacles to success center around team dynamics.” In other words you can have the best plans, strategies and initiatives, however if everyone is not team oriented, working well together and getting along, it will be difficult at…
DetailsThis question has been studied for decades and no direct relationship has been established. Despite what would seem to be a slam-dunk connection, happier workers don’t necessarily result in a bumped up bottom line. A recent study by researchers at Cornell, however, has mapped a path between the two. It is not a direct route.…
DetailsSince so many of you liked last month’s blog post (Connect In Before You Connect Out) about the importance of authenticity when connecting, I thought I would go a little deeper on the concept of connecting inward before you connect outward. There really is truth in the age-old wisdom of treating your body as the…
DetailsRate yourself on a scale of 1 to 5 on the statements below: 1-Never 2-Almost never 3-Sometimes 4-Almost always 5-Always
DetailsBack-stabbers also known as back-bitters or back attackers, might seem easy going, even complacent, with a “don’t worry” attitude but don’t let them deceive you. Their strategy is to be nice to your face and act like your best friend, lulling you into a false sense of security that tricks you into revealing information you…
DetailsThere is a debate raging as to whether all this talk about the different generations is evidence-based or mostly media-driven simplistic categorizing. A recent article in People & Strategy Journal reports on a thorough study done of the peer-reviewed literature on generational differences in two areas: Career Management and Organizational Loyalty Work-related Values and Attitudes
DetailsFiller words such as um, ah, like, basically, ok and others like them distract others from hearing the points you want to get across. These fillers are merely space holders for the silence that many of us are hesitant to embrace. There’s nothing wrong with being silent during a portion of your presentation as it…
DetailsAlways hope for the best, however, be prepared for the worst. This is good advice for preparing for any presentation. By being prepared for things that may go wrong, your presentation will go on without skipping a beat. Here are some common mishaps from the upcoming book “Deliver Every Presentation with Power, Punch and Pizzazz”…
DetailsOne of the things I love the most about traveling around and speaking at conferences and meetings about Perfecting Connecting ® is the conversations I have afterward with audience members. They often start with, “I really would like to be a better networker and connector but I’m so bad at it!” People have a very…
DetailsCity councils, boards of administrators and other governing systems demand a performance management framework that focuses on what outcomes employees will achieve, and how success is going to be measured. This tool reveals how to construct an integrated performance management framework that takes into account the many different functions which a city or a county…
DetailsIn the book Straight Talk: Turning Communication Upside Down for Strategic Results, Eric Douglas describes four different communication styles: the director, expresser, thinker and harmonizer. Each different style is based on a unique set of assumptions. Here’s a quick snapshot:
The foundation for building rapport is based on the exchange of a few basic communication signals. Here are 4 key ways to build instant rapport. This is based on the book, Get Along With Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere by Arnold Sanow and Sandra Strauss.
This tool is useful for visualizing the steps in a typical strategic planning process, from the initial environmental scan to the narrowing of strategies and developing of related performance targets. Managers and leaders can use this tool to communicate their planning process to other managers, employees, board members and other stakeholders. This tool is best used…
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