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
I learned to dance Salsa in a university class called Bailes Latinoamericanos. Having an analytical mind and a Lutheran heritage didn’t set me up as a natural success. But thankfully, I had a good instructor who helped me move my hips to the even beats with the characteristic pause on the fourth beat. While I
I have a confession: I’m fascinated with talk radio. (And apparently, I’m not the only one.) I’m particularly devoted to two shows: “The World Next Week,” by the Council on Foreign Relations, and “The John Williams Show” on our local CBS radio affiliate. They’re “appointment radio/podcasts” for me because they consistently inspire, energize and educate.
You have someone on your team who is sharp, knowledgeable and well-intended, but their communication style gets in their way. Good leaders step up to help their people overcome these kinds of barriers, ones that could ultimately interfere with their business successes and professional futures. Few skills, however, are more vulnerable and personal than how
Show me a transcript of all of your emails, meetings and conversations this week, and I’ll tell you what you really value. Emails, meetings, deskwork…much of what I do each week feels productive but really isolates me from others. These activities are usually more about getting things done than about connecting with other human beings.
“Given our communal attention deficit, the pressure has mounted…to be fast, funny and heartfelt as hell.” Rob Lazebnik, writer for “The Simpsons” When it comes to communication, the stakes just keep getting higher: You have to not only cut through the noise and capture attention to be heard, you have to be Liked, with a
Wouldn’t it be great if you could have more meetings? If you’re like most leaders today, your response to that question probably lies somewhere between “No” and “Absolutely not!” But hear me out… Recently, a company hired me because their people haven’t been engaged and their strategic plans haven’t been gaining traction. Year after year,
Ignoring is the new denial. Behind our virtual workspace, and walls named Caller ID and Email Overload, we hide from the flood of emails, texts, tweets, status updates, calls and drop-bys. Other people’s priorities become our distractions. So we ignore and we isolate. Last week, I made my final attempt. Since our meeting a month
We implicitly or explicitly expect a return on every bit of energy, money, time and loyalty. If we don’t get a commensurate material or psychological return, we stop giving. Just like financial analysts who assess risk versus return and results versus expectations, we weigh the expected return for every type of investment we make. Our
Concise messaging results in more relevant, collaborative and effective communication – especially in meetings. To help me with this, I wish I had a Twitter character-counter inside my brain. Last week, I sat quietly in a team meeting listening to perspectives while I formulated mine. When just enough confidence in my point of view intersected
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