These are probably some of the most annoying phrases in business. You’ve seen them in email, you’ve heard them on the phone, and you’ve probably even used them yourself. I know I have. “I just wanted to check in.” “I thought I’d touch base.” “I’m following up.” I had the chance recently to watch a slightly comical, …
Having earned my bachelor of arts degree almost 25 years ago, I’ve been able to watch the degree go through many cycles of celebration and rejection. It seems that every five years or so a flurry of articles and opinions are published that either refute or validate the good old B.A. Well, it’s in favor …
Issues and problems pop up daily and there are a thousand ways to solve each one. Being stuck and being perfect are the enemies of progress and problem-solving, but how do you guard against those man-made traps? Gino Wickman is the designer of EOS®, the Entrepreneurial Operating System, which is a set of simple business-building …
Joseph Grenny is a four-time New York Times bestselling author and leading social scientist for business performance. One of his most popular books is “Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High.” So what’s a crucial conversation? Grenny defines it as a moment when opinions differ, the stakes are high, and emotions are strong. In his 25 years of studying …
What we can learn about better concentration — and problem-solving — from the quintessential unitasker and mindfulness master, Sherlock Holmes. Multitasking has become a badge of honor and esteem in our modern lives. Many of us pride ourselves on our multitasking prowess, and even strive for higher levels of frenzied activity. The remedy for our overloaded senses …
Asking for a job, a raise, a sale, or other big decisions can be intimidating. Here’s a proven way to ask for anything, and up your odds of receiving it. Do you ever have trouble asking for what you want? And when you don’t ask, isn’t it frustrating? “The ask” may be one of the …
Posing for two minutes in a powerful position — with the body expansive and the limbs stretched out — can have a profound effect on how you feel. Even though more than 20 million have already viewed the wildly successful TED talk by Amy Cuddy, I couldn’t help but share it here. Her findings on …
Everyone wants a piece of your day. Here’s how to determine if you should give it to them. It’s flattering to be invited to meetings of all kinds. We all like to be included and be asked our opinion. Many are rich and rewarding experiences, but others can be time suck disasters. In “18 Minutes: …
The best leaders do less judging and more helping. They succeed by staying grounded in reality and results. Here’s how you can, too. Have you ever had the sense you were spinning your wheels as a team member or leader? Ever attended lots of meetings and done lots of work with not much to show …
If you try to make more than three points, you probably won’t make any. We’ve all been bombarded with bullet points. In fact, it probably happens to most of us on a daily basis. Emails, presentations and speeches often have more points than we can count or comprehend. While we might think more is better, …
