First impressions can mean a lot. In fact, in business, your "approachability" can mean everything. But being able to make that all-important first impression can be more difficult than we think. We might like to believe that we are approachable, open, friendly. But, in reality, how we want to be perceived by others may not always come […]
Influence can come in a variety of forms. From a viral campaign on social media, to a presidential election campaign, to the pleadings of your children for that much-dreamt-of holiday to Disney World. So what does influence mean to you? How do you influence people and, conversely, how do they influence you? I'm an emotional decision maker. […]
There's something mysterious about power. It can be an intangible aura around a person that we're barely aware of, or an enormous wave that lifts or flattens us. We might be impressed by it, afraid or suspicious of it, or wish we had more of it. But it's not, after all, magic and we can […]
Ever watch a professional football game on television? The head coach paces back and forth along the sidelines, delivering plays, processing information he receives through his headset from other coaches, and patting players on the back in recognition of their hard work. Through it all, the coach is at the center of a vigorous tornado […]
All Posts, Career Skills, Communication, Leadership, Team Management
I turn my back on the gray, drizzly high street and stand at the threshold of the store, blinking in the light of a thousand LED bulbs. The light bounces off the glossy white walls, and sparkles on the cases of a hundred smooth and futuristic-looking mobile phones. It also glints off the solid black […]
Don't! I've been fixated on this word for a couple months now. It started when I wrote a blog about the self-promotion that is so necessary in this age when so many of us are small-time entrepreneurs and contract workers. Typical of what I read was, "Don't brag! You'll look like a jerk!" and, "Don't […]
Have you heard the saying, "People don't leave jobs, they leave managers."? There are various forms of this saying, but we all know exactly what it means, don't we? At some point, most of us have either been tempted to leave or will actually have left a job because of our manager's style of leadership. […]
Today is "Thank Your Mentor Day," a day where we're encouraged to express our gratitude toward someone who's guided and inspired us, and made a positive and lasting impact on our lives. It's part of Harvard University's National Mentoring Month™, which celebrates the benefits of mentoring. According to NMM, there are various ways that you […]
If you want to explore different ways to develop your people's skills and improve their performance at work, you may consider coaching them. Whereas coaching is seen by some as a corrective tool for when things are "going wrong," with careful planning, it can be a positive technique that will help your coachees to focus […]
All Posts, Career Skills, Communication, Learning Skills, Team Management
Imagine you're at work, sitting with your two colleagues. It's mid-morning and the company coffee bar has opened. One colleague asks, "Fancy a coffee?" You might indeed fancy one, but experience has taught you that the invitation does not extend to you. As usual, the other agrees that a coffee would be a great idea […]
All Posts, Communication, Inclusion, Problem Solving, Stress, Team Management
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