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Watch your tone, Missy!

“Watch your tone, Missy!” I heard that a few times growing up from my parents and I knew exactly what it meant and still cringe today thinking abo...

Increase your influence by perfecting your pitch

If they'd only ask what you thought. You have twelve ideas percolating in your head about ways to improve the business processes, but will anyone ...

Free the business strategy and mobilize people power

As a leader in an organization, you are likely to be perceived as the one with the answers. You can expect team members to look to you for direction a...

Cascading communication is key to success

What would it mean to you and your organization if your employees were well informed, clear on strategy and focused on the right things? I know we ca...

The nine components of happiness

Bhutan is an idyllic Buddhist kingdom known for its gentle way of life. Bhutan is located in Southeast Asia at the eastern end of the Himalayas. The ...

Fresh perspective from Panera CEO

Advice from Ron Shaich, Founder and co-CEO, Panera: 1) Look beyond shareholder value as its a narrow definition of success and is actually dysfun...

Stuff Authentic People Say

Jack and Suzy Welch's recent opinion piece in FORTUNE (April 9, 2012) shares three guidelines for how any leader can tap into and communicate their au...

Good advice for the Class of 2012

I found this commencement speech by Charles Wheelan to be refreshing and very practical! 10½ Things No Commencement Speaker Has Ever Said," by Cha...

What we can learn from viral videos

How do you get heard? How do you make sure that what you say has staying power and gets cascaded though out your circle or organization? I recentl...

A New Year’s Resolution: Write Now

After reading Diane Keaton's memoir, Then Again, I was reminded of the power of keeping a journal. Diane's mother wrote about her life and those she ...

Putting things in context

One of the biggest stumbling blocks to good communication is the absence of context. Context is defined as a set of facts or circumstances that surro...

Coach and Be Coached – opportunities abound

I picked up the latest issue, 10/3/11, of the New Yorker today and read Atul Gawande's article, Personal Best. He wrote about the reality that ...

A Field Guide to Successful Panel Moderation

Moderating a panel can be a great opportunity to enhance your own visibility while managing a dynamic conversation between experts in the field. The ...

The power of story and passion – did Obama forget?

OPINION What Happened to Obama? By DREW WESTEN Published: August 6, 2011 RECOMMEND TWITTER COMMENTS (365) E-MAIL PRINT ...

Dan, Dilbert and the words we use

Last evening I ran into my neighbor, Dan, after we had both parked our cars in our respective garages and were making our way through our backyards to...

Building a Personal Board: ideas from Bernick & Carpenter

I have always been a believer in the concept that each of us needs our own personal board of directors - a group of people we can pull together four t...

Media Interviews: Be Bold, Bundle, Bridge and Bounce

Sitting down for an interview with the media assumes a few things: You are prepared, you've done your homework, you know about the reporter and the p...

Customers: Wired and Dangerous

How many of your customers have over 5000 followers on Linked-in, Facebook or Tweeter? So, instead of telling five people about their service hiccup ...

Seeking Advice: Networking Protocol that Builds Bridges

It has happened to all of us. We are introduced to a professional colleague who piques our interest. Maybe they are pursuing a line of business that...

Communicate with Inspirational Stories: Daytona 500 Surprise Win

As a speech coach, I talk to my clients about the value of incorporating stories and real life examples into their presentations. I encourage them to...

Following up on Customer Feedback

I wonder what has happened to all the customer feedback surveys I have filled out in my time on the planet? I believe in providing feedback to comp...

Hoop Dreams – Revisiting the essence of teamwork, one basket at at time

I hadn’t spoken to Loretta in what felt like ten years. I hadn’t played basketball with her…well let’s just say, in a very, very long time. So...

Reach your goals and live the lessons

Sustaining the effort is key to reaching your goals. My newsletter this month features many ideas on how to "live the lessons" to ensure success both...

Working with the Waves that come your Way…

Earlier this month on vacation, I found myself in Huntington Beach, CA. (better known in some circles as "Surf City"). My visit just happened to coin...

What Wooden’s words communicate

Former UCLA Basketball Coach John Wooden died at age 99 on June 4, 2010. His legacy as a coach will live on and even in retirement - through speeches...

Defining Success – The Courage to Choose Work you Love

How do you measure success? If you live on the north shore of Chicago chances are that things like a good education, a prestigious career where you c...

Go Undercover for the Customer

Many of you have seen the popular new CBS series titled, Undercover Boss. Each episode follows a senior executive of a major corporation who is worki...

Seven Communication Practices for Personal Success in 2010

The arrival of Spring signals an opportunity to refresh skills and try on new techniques to improve your personal communication. In a down economy i...

Cardio Kick Boxing or Corporate Interview: Make first impressions count

On Saturday I went to take a cardio kick-boxing class I attend on a regular basis. It is normally taught by an energetic and very fit young woman nam...

Can smiles predict marriage success?

I loved Clara's thought-provoking article about the power of the smile and what it can predict about the future success of relationships Let me know ...

Communication that Complements Engagement

To foster a culture where employee engagement thrives it is important to have a common understanding of what engagement really looks like, sounds like...

Be a little brighter and lighter in the New Year

As 2009 winds down and the requisite ritual of New Year's resolutions lies ahead I am reminded of the practice I value most at this time of year. It...

Make the Holidays Magical: Communicate you Care

I am as guilty as everyone else. As much as I tell myself I will be conservative this year when it comes to holiday spending - I spend more than I s...

Leverage Holiday Shopping to improve your Customer Experience

One of my favorite customer service gurus is Dennis Snow and in his blog today (http://dennissnowblog.com/) he talks about how to leverage the holida...

Fast, Intimate, Team Feedback

As a leader, you are always looking for new ways to engage and enlist your team. The following is an opportunity to consider. With a mature and se...

Adventures in Communication

I am excited to announce a new collaboration with filmmaker and videographer, Steve Zagata, called Adventures in Communication. Our video blog invite...

Are you a Morale Booster or Morale Buster?

When communicating with your team here are quick tips on what engages and what enrages:...

Substitute Men – inventive opportunity in South Korea

Listening to a story yesterday on PRI, Jason Strother tells us about a service for the stressed-out in South Korea. It’s called “Substitute Men”...

What do leaders need from their leader?

Ideally, individuals are assigned to a leadership position within an organization because they are trusted, highly competent, great with customers and...

Watch what you say – everyone is listening.

Recently I attended an event where colleagues gathered. Time was spent catching up, swapping stories – all good. At a certain point, however, the ...

Michael Jackson – connects the dots

The passing of Michael Jackson has produced an outpouring of reflections, commentary and tributes. I will add mine. Michael Jackson was a phenomenal...

Geoff Colvin on The upside of the downturn

I was reading with great interest an article called "The upside of the downturn" by Geoff Colvin (in FORTUNE, June 8, 2009) and the article highlighte...

The communication adventure – examples abound

The great news for folks who want to improve their communication is that we have coaches, tutors and guides all around us providing examples of big an...

Many ways to get to the finish line first…

Horse Racing today is justifiably fraught with controversy and scrutiny due to the recent deaths of high profile horses and the on-going risks that jo...

Hallway Hellos: What happens on the way to your next meeting speaks volumes

The first time I ever visited Africa I had a life-altering experience. It had nothing to do with the incredible wildlife or beautiful landscapes I sa...

Great Communicators are curious, kind, clear and colorful

When I think of leaders and influencers who I admire, I always take note of the way they communicate. Over time I have found that there are four qual...

Looking at your WorkPlace through the Customer’s Lens

Working with the Chief Customer Officer at Northeast Utilities, Johnny D. Magwood, has been a great experience. We had a stimulating conversation las...

Destination: Employer of Choice

Attracting and retaining talent is at the top of the priority list for most successful businesses, particularly so in the current economic climate. ...

Rose, Bud, Thorn

Sometimes you want a fresh approach to generating conversation with family, friends and colleagues. My daughter shared with me an idea they used at h...

After the sales have gone…

Remember the old Earth, Wind and Fire song whose lyrics contained the memorable lines, "After the love is gone....what used to be right is wrong...can...

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