Last week our family fished in the mazes of mangroves in Southwest Florida with perhaps the best guide in the area. The operation is nothing fancy—just a small boat and a lot (30 years) of experience. He’s never had a website, doesn’t use social media and is only reachable by cell phone. If you get
Sometimes I’ll play with the GPS navigation display in my car, even when I’m not looking for directions. I have this small dial that zooms in or out on my location with each turn: street, block, neighborhood, city, county, state, region, country, continent and world. While I’m stopped at a light, I like to zoom
Last week my two 8-year old boys hit the streets to sell pizzas. They agreed that the money should be raised to pay for their involvement in hockey, and they seemed to understand that it was good to learn to sell. Most of all, they were excited about the $1 commission they’d get on each
I recently purchased a new sport coat. As the store owner packed the coat into a protective bag, she slid a stack of her business cards into the pocket of the coat. “You’ll want these cards when people ask you where you got this amazing coat,” she said casually. That statement reminded me of the
Three guys walked into a bar: a partner from a well-respected accounting firm, the general manager of a local retail store, and me. When the partner complained to the general manager, “It seems like your store never has my size,” the general manager responded to the criticism. And it was fascinating to see how that
To help bring about an outcome by providing indirect or unobtrusive assistance and guidance. I was thinking about my favorite skill of a leader, and I came across this definition in Webster’s dictionary. Do you know the skill? Maybe this story will help: I didn’t expect to get much out of a recent meeting I attended. I
What comes to mind when you think about consultants? It’s a word I used in my last post, and I realize the image we have of consultants isn’t always a positive one. We often think of them sitting across the table, giving us condescending advice or asking us judgmental questions. Who wants to set a
Recently, I coached an accomplished CEO as he was preparing to deliver a university commencement speech. He had fascinating stories to share that revealed profound truths about life, work and meaning. He spoke with confidence and warmth. And yet somehow still, listening to him, I felt bored and detached. I stopped him and asked what
Last week I reviewed a proposal with a potential client. It had several elements, which would take me at least five minutes to explain, and like a proud author wanting the reader to reserve judgment until they’ve read the entire book, I wanted to cover it all before getting a reaction. But a voice whispered
Your adrenaline is pumping. You hide your eyes and scream out in terror, clutching the arm of the person next to you. Even though you know you’re safe and what you’re seeing is just make believe, a particularly scary horror movie can elicit some pretty strong reactions. So it’s ironic that, from an early age,
Matt Norman is president of Norman & Associates, which offers Dale Carnegie Training in the North Central US. Dale Carnegie Training is a global organization ...READ MORE