Be a Leader Your Employees Trust

Closed doors. Rumors. Disappearance. Whispers in corners. Widespread panic. What was happening!?! It was 2001 and the company I worked for was laying off employees. People were given boxes for their belongings, then they were ushered out. Poof! They were gone. The worst magic act ever. This memory came to mind when I read leadership

Key Psychological Needs of Employee Motivation (2 of 3)

My Grandson is 2 ½ years old and his job, as with every 2 ½-year-old, is to learn and master skills.  Each week when I visit him, I see he has learned something new. Words with a lot of syllables in the same sentence. Catch a ball (sort of).  Read (memorize) a book. Run AND

Talk More – This Message is Not Just for Introverts

Last week I wrote about how to vocalize LESS often, and I had a lingering feeling that I needed to address the reverse: vocalizing MORE often.  WARNING–jumping to the conclusion that this lesson is only for people who need to speak up more (a.k.a. the introvert) is inaccurate. Even the frequently vocal persons out there

LEARNING FROM GIRAFFES: Be uniquely YOU (Part 1 of 5)

Giraffes are odd looking. They are disproportionate with their long necks and comparatively teeny heads. Their necks are too long to allow them to bend over to drink without splaying their legs. They tower over all other mammals at about 15-20 feet. And the list goes on. YET, as odd or awkward as they may

How to Deliver Bad News

I have bad news …. No, not really.  But let's talk about how to deliver bad news. https://youtu.be/ULWJ9bcnOgo Have you met a person yet who loves to be the bearer of bad news? If you have, they are an anomaly and dare I say – twisted?  The reality is, like it or not, bad

Don’t Assume When Communicating

The tip this week is DON’T ASSUME when you are communicating. Click here (Connecting with Communication: Don't Assume) to watch the video and then keep reading for more communicating practice. Now, we have probably all heard the adage “When you assume, it makes an A@@ out of U and ME.”  Let’s not take it that far. 

Conflict and Approval: Getting Along

Conflict and Approval: who needs it?  The answer to that question is ... a lot of people!  Some people, when feeling threatened, are going to try to get along at almost any cost because they really want to feel your approval.  They are wonderful people who really prefer it when things are peaceful in the