After college, there were two classrooms that changed the trajectory of my life. I could hardly drive to the first course, I was so anxious about taking a public speaking course. But I pored over the material and thought about it between each class. My reaction to the other life-changing class was more like respectful
With the subject line, “Worth Reading,” I dropped everything to read the email my wife sent me last week. She had linked to an article that spoke to the challenges parents have in balancing work and raising kids. My first thought after reading the article: “I’ve really grown in how I appreciate and collaborate with
A year and a half ago, three people presented our team with individual business opportunities. The first was to expand geographically. The second, to develop a new line of business. And the third was to target a new customer segment. Each opportunity, and the person presenting it, seemed like the right bet at the right
Do you want to be more productive this year even in the midst of competing demands on your time and attention? Your inbox might be one of your biggest barriers to achieving that goal. Here’s why. First, the typical email inbox is an unprioritized to-do list apart from any other planning tools you use. Emails
Have you ever been thoroughly excited about your ideas, only to see them shot down without any serious consideration at all? I still vividly remember the experience of presenting my exciting new idea to the senior leaders in our company years ago. Expecting enthusiasm, interest or at least alternative solutions, instead my carefully prepared plan was
Dale Carnegie recently surveyed 500 business leaders from 12 countries about where their organizations are focusing their innovation efforts. Among the top six areas of focus across all respondents was innovation related to the organization’s “culture of learning.” In many ways, this doesn’t come as a surprise. Given the rapid pace of global change, organizations
It’s not easy to stretch outside your comfort zone. After all, it’s called a comfort zone for a reason. Outside your comfort zone is pain. And you’re built to avoid pain. It’s only natural to resist the things that don’t line up with your personality and preferences. You could call this one of the default
It’s a knowledge economy, and ideas are the birthplace of innovation. Finding opportunities to expand your knowledge will increase your self-awareness, creativity and perspective. As I’ve written before, podcasts are a great place to tap into knowledge. In this post, I’ve curated some of my top sources for respectful, relevant and really good podcasts. Push your
“Invest in as much of yourself as you can. You are your own biggest asset by far.” Renowned business magnate and investor Warren Buffet has said that the best investment he ever made was in himself. (He often points to the Dale Carnegie Training course he took to improve his public speaking and relationship skills.)
This week, I wasn’t feeling particularly creative as I wrote this post. My instinct was to just fall back on the routine, to fill in the tried-and-true template. It’s efficient. It’s productive. The box is checked. When you have trouble pushing the boundaries, it’s easy to succumb to the pull of efficiency. Just look at
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