The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn't said. - Peter Drucker In a discussion with a client late last year we spoke of the difference between having power and having influence. His role did not command a large staff or a large budget, but he did lead a technical team that …
Continue Reading about Empathy in Business: Overcoming the Distance Between You and “Others” →
You make a living by what you get; you make a life by what you give. - Winston Churchill Just two weeks ago it was Thanksgiving. I always thought of Thanksgiving as the official beginning of the holiday season and it begins with us giving thanks for the bounty that we have in our lives. Much of …
Continue Reading about Tis the Giving Season – 3 Steps to Giving as a Leader →
I got a note today from a friend who I had done quite a bit of work with on Habitat for Humanity projects over the years. She and her team were looking for ways to get a fresh look at how to present their value proposition to a long-standing client that had decided to put the work out for bid. This …
Continue Reading about Focus on Impact, Not Activity – A Model for Improved Customer Satisfaction →
Have you ever been a little stumped when someone asked how you would describe your work relationship with a coworker? Developing and maintaining strong relationships is a key part of organizational success. You have to be able to network internally within your company to exert influence and make …
Continue Reading about Allies vs. Adversaries: A Framework for Discussing Relationships →
A client asked me this question recently when I discussed with them how perhaps they needed to be more consistently assertive in their interactions in the workplace. There was obvious confusion about what the term passive-aggressive meant when we had a good dialogue about that. In this post I’d like …
Continue Reading about What’s Wrong with Being Passive Aggressive? →
I attended a family wedding recently and got to speak with quite a few young people who have three things in common: They are gainfully employed college graduates; Most are off their parent’s payrolls; They are all somewhat disengaged and disappointed in their current work situations, and …
Continue Reading about 3 “Trust Busters” and How to Improve Employee Engagement →
When trying to encourage a member of our team to step up to a challenge or task, their level of motivation to undertake that task can vary. One quick way of looking at it is based upon whether they are ABLE – they have the skills and experience to perform the task, or if they are WILLING – they …
Continue Reading about How to Motivate Someone – The Expectancy Theory of Motivation →
Transactional Analysis was created by psychotherapist Dr. Eric Berne (1910 – 1970) from studies he conducted in the 1950s. It made complex interpersonal transactions understandable when he recognized that people can interact from one of three "ego-states": 1. Parent, 2. Adult, 3. Child. Each one of …
Continue Reading about Transactional Analysis – A Model for Effective Communications →
