Phil Stella I’m really getting tired of ranting about this issue, but it looks like my work here is far from over! Why do so many people respond to ‘Thank you.’ with ‘No Problem.’ today? I doubt that many of them felt that the act I just thanked them for was, in fact, a problem. Maybe it … Read more
Does this ever happen to you? Your in a hurry entering your password on your phone or tablet with your finger but you make a mistake and the site blows you off. You try again and still mess up. Then, the site locks you out for a period of time due to too many ‘suspicious’ … Read more
As business leaders, we spend a lot of time each day writing and talking. We should all add the title ‘Workplace Communicator’ to our business cards. And we often write or say more than we need. Those extra – and unnecessary – words can even get in the way of our focused and clear messages.
What follows is a quick review of techniques to KISS Wordy Goodbye – for making every word count and counting every word. And, to help you ‘Keep It Short & Simple!’
(Based on what I still see and hear in the workplace, it’s time for me to rant again about vague words and phrases. So here’s your ‘Stellar Idea’ tor October – Specific Beats Vague … every time.)
One habit we should challenge … and change … is our preference for vagueness. Whether the choice is conscious or not, ‘specific’ beats ‘vague’ every time.
A prospect recently reached out looking for help. He said he sucked at communicating at work and desperately wanted to change that. So, here’s a summary of our conversation and Action Plan strategy that might help if you think you also suck at workplace communication.
As hard to do is it is to say three times real fast. So, let’s simplify the process for entrepreneurs who need to communicate the culture of their organization to prospective employees. Break it down into smaller chunks.
This deep dive discusses how to handle audience questions. What you do … and don’t do … with them has a critical impact on your results, often more than the overall message content itself. Here are some ‘Do & Don’t’ Best Practices to help you Survive and Thrive during the Audience Q&A.
They might if you ignore the reality that every note you send a customer, colleague or manager can project your image of professionalism, competency and courtesy — or detract from it. So, if you don’t want your emails to suck, just avoid these worst practices:
Elevator Speeches … 30 Second Commercials … Shameless Self-Promotions. They’re our typical response to the often asked ‘What do you do?’ We all use them at networking meetings and other professional group events. But, most of us don’t do them with enough focus, flexibility and finesse. As these events increase with warmer weather, it’s time for your annual Elevator Speech Upgrade. So, enjoy these simple and easy strategies to Elevate Your Elevator Speech (ES).
When was the last time you held a team brainstorming session to identify a name for a new product, solve some problem or even a come up with a location for the next staff volunteer day… and you got nothing? You asked for input, but only a few spoke up and others criticized or made fun of those ideas. Most people just sat there silently starring at their blank sheets of paper … or, phones. One person had enough courage to tell you that you’re the boss and you’ll do whatever you want anyway, so why bother with this waste of time?
Hmmm … doesn’t sound like a very empowered or dynamic team, now does it? But, not to worry. These five simple Brainstorming Brilliance strategies can improve your results the next time you need creative input from your team.