Tag Archives: Interpersonal Communication

Help … I Suck at Communicating

By Phil Stella | Published: August 7, 2023

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.

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Communicate Corporate Culture Clearly

By Phil Stella | Published: July 5, 2023

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. Read More »

Embrace the Platinum Rule

By Phil Stella | Published: June 10, 2022

Many business professionals diligently attempt to practice the ‘Golden Rule’ at work that we all learned as youngsters. A workplace communication version of that philosophy would be ‘Communicate with other people the way you want them to communicate with you.’  While a nice warm and fuzzy concept, a quick reality check indicates two serious flaws in the logic: the ‘Golden Rule’ assumes ‘everyone is the same and that ‘everyone is the same as you.’

While the ‘Golden Rule’ doesn’t work at a certain level of specific application, the ‘Platinum Rule’ does. Rather than communicating with other people the way you want them to communicate with you, it stresses communicating with other people they way they want you to communicate with them. I first learned about this strategy from Dr. Tony Alessandra in the 90s. It is 10 times harder to do well, but 100 times better than the ‘Golden Rule’. So, you do the math and see how much value you see using it. Read More »

Why does my company stink at communicating?

By Phil Stella | Published: November 1, 2021

Reaction to the last two pieces has been great. Looks like you enjoyed poking fun at both bosses and colleagues who were poor communicators. We concluded that many of them were hired or promoted in spite of their communication skills, rather than because of them.

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Why I Hate ‘No Problem’

By Phil Stella | Published: August 5, 2021

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 would usually be a problem, but not this time. Or maybe a problem with other people, but not me. Read More »

‘Platinum Rule’ Communicators Rule! (6/19)

By Phil Stella | Published: May 2, 2021

Many business professionals diligently attempt to practice the ‘Golden Rule’ at work that we all learned as youngsters. A workplace communication version of that philosophy would be ‘Communicate with other people the way you want them to communicate with you.’ Read More »

Avoid Workplace Communication Blunders

By Phil Stella | Published: April 1, 2017

No matter what you do at work, you spend a lot of time communicating – writing, reading, talking, listening. So, in addition to your job title and responsibilities, you are a Workplace Communicator as well. Major blunders in that process are usually the opposite or absence of these Best Practices: Read More »

Make the Most of Meetings

By Phil Stella | Published: September 22, 2016

Treat Workplace Meetings as valuable resources that come with a huge cost. So, as with any resource, make sure you use them effectively and efficiently:

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Make Listening Work

By Phil Stella | Published: June 1, 2016

Listening? What does that have to do with your job as a business professional? Well … a lot, when you view your role as a workplace communicator and problem-solver for your internal and/or external customers. Read More »

Harness PhonePower

By Phil Stella | Published: January 2, 2015

We all spend a lot of time on the phone, talking with customers, colleagues and vendors. Here are some simple strategies to help you harness the Power of your Phone. And we’re not talking about the high tech features of the device – just how you use it as a communication tool. Read More »