Category Archives: Communication

Important applications of interpersonal communication applied to key relationships and strategic interactions in the workplace.

4 Simple Phrases That Can Save Your Marriage

I had a recent conversation with an individual who was lamenting the challenges of dealing with his sometimes volatile “significant other.”  It sounded to me like a problem that is not uncommon in close relationships.  “I just don’t know what … Continue reading

Posted in Affirmation, Caring, Collaboration, Communication, Conflict, Consideration, Customer Service, Emotional Intelligence, Empathy, Encouragement, Humility, Influence, Mistakes, Morale, Neuroscience, Point of View, Problem-Solving, Relationships, Self-Awareness, Stress, Stress Management, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Do This One Simple Thing and You Will Empower, Engage, and Energize Your Team!

One of the most important concepts I have tried to impress upon the thousands of managers, supervisors, and team leaders I have trained and coached over the years is this one: You have WAY more power and influence than you … Continue reading

Posted in Authority, Caring, Coaching, Collaboration, Communication, Control, Employee Development, Employee Engagement, Employee Motivation, Employee Retention, Employee Satisfaction, Encouragement, Influence, Leadership, Management, Morale, Performance Management, Productivity, Success, Supervision, Support, Team Culture, Team Dynamics, Team Leadership, Teams, Uncategorized, Work | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Are You “Disagree-Able?”

Avoiding the Yes-Men Trap by Inviting Constructive Conflict There’s an old adage that says, “You can’t win an argument with your boss.”  Assuming that the boss is human and not perfect, doesn’t that imply that there are times when maybe … Continue reading

Posted in Arrogance, Authority, Collaboration, Communication, Competence, Conflict, Consideration, Decision-making, Emotional Intelligence, Empathy, Employee Engagement, Employee Motivation, Employee Retention, Failure, Feedback, Humility, Leadership, Learning, Management, Morale, Personal Growth, Persuasion, Point of View, Problem-Solving, Self-Awareness, Team Culture, Team Dynamics, Team Leadership, Teams, Uncategorized, Validation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Unique Leader Worthy of Consideration

The emotional impact of a leader is obviously subjective—it’s up to the individual “follower” to determine the value of a leader’s work.  By that token, a leader may have an immense emotional impact even in spite of loss or failure.  … Continue reading

Posted in Affirmation, Authority, Caring, Change, Character, Communication, Competence, Consideration, Consistency, Credibility, Emotional Intelligence, Employee Engagement, Employee Motivation, Employee Satisfaction, Encouragement, Failure, Honesty, Humility, Influence, Integrity, Leadership, Morale, Persuasion, Purpose, Success, Team Culture, Team Leadership, Teams, Trust, Uncategorized, Values, Vision | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Never Blindside Your Boss

“Managing up” –and doing it well—is essential to any success in organizational life.  In this article I want to add another important piece to this very important puzzle. In his excellent book, How to Become CEO, author Jeffrey Fox advises: … Continue reading

Posted in Advancement, Ambition, Authority, Career, Collaboration, Communication, Competence, Credibility, Failure, Honesty, Influence, Integrity, Leadership, Loyalty, Management, Mistakes, Organizational Politics, Personal Success, Promotion, Success, Support, Trust, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

How to Keep a Good Boss from Making a Bad Mistake

Author Jeffrey Fox dispenses a volume of practical career advice in his book, How to Become CEO—The Rules for Rising to the Top of Any Organization.  That’s where I first ran across this great word of wisdom: Never let a … Continue reading

Posted in Authority, Collaboration, Communication, Decision-making, Influence, Leadership, Management, Organizational Politics, Personal Success, Persuasion, Problem-Solving, Promotion, Success, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

How to Express Gratitude at Work

Thanksgiving Day is an annual reminder of the importance of gratitude—both as a mindset and a practice.  Is gratitude really that important????  Research enables us to answer that with a resounding yes!  Many studies have shown: Gratitude is good for … Continue reading

Posted in Affirmation, Caring, Celebration, Character, Collaboration, Communication, Consideration, Employee Engagement, Employee Motivation, Employee Retention, Employee Satisfaction, Encouragement, Feedback, Gratitude, Influence, Leadership, Management, Morale, Organizational Politics, Personal Success, Recognition, Success, Supervision, Team Culture, Team Dynamics, Team Leadership, Teams, Uncategorized, Work | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

DOER / MANAGER / LEADER – 3 Roles, 3 Levels, 3 STAGES – Part 3

The STAGES of anyone’s career can often be characterized as a journey of personal and professional development that is mirrored by these three roles. Successful advancement requires the strategic development of skills required at each level and for each role, … Continue reading

Posted in Ambition, Career, Change, Change Management, Character, Collaboration, Commitment, Communication, Competence, Decision-making, Emotional Intelligence, Influence, Integrity, Leadership, Learning, Management, Organizational Politics, Personal Growth, Personal Success, Problem-Solving, Professional Development, Promotion, Success, Uncategorized, Vision, Work | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

DOER / MANAGER / LEADER – 3 Roles, 3 LEVELS, 3 Stages – Part 2

In the last installment, we explored these three elements as roles and discovered that we are likely to function in any of them, depending on the circumstances and demands of the situation. The key is to be aware of what … Continue reading

Posted in Authority, Career, Change, Change Management, Collaboration, Communication, Competence, Conflict, Consensus, Control, Customer Service, Decision-making, Delegation, Influence, Innovation, Leadership, Management, Organizations, Performance Management, Power, Problem-Solving, Productivity, Risk, Supervision, Support, Team Dynamics, Team Leadership, Teams, Uncategorized, Work | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Mastering the Push and Pull of Effective Leadership – Part 2

In the last installment, I introduced a study done by Jack Zenger and Joseph Folkman that explored two key approaches to performance management—pulling and pushing.  Here’s how they introduced the concepts: When you see a task that needs to be … Continue reading

Posted in Authority, Coaching, Collaboration, Communication, Competence, Control, Decision-making, Delegation, Employee Development, Feedback, Leadership, Management, Performance Management, Problem-Solving, Productivity, Supervision, Support, Team Culture, Team Dynamics, Team Leadership, Teams, Trust, Uncategorized, Work | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment