During my many years in business, I’ve learned something that may seem counterintuitive at first: structure is the key to freedom and creativity. When everything’s in order, it’s as if your mind can finally take a deep breath. You know that peaceful, clear feeling, right? But let’s face it, without structure, chaos can take over… View Article
In our recent leadership and management communication workshop, we discussed several critical distinctions that separate the good from the great. As we dove into the management section, I shared what the best question-to-statement ratio is when communicating with your team. Do you know how many questions you should be asking for every statement you make?… View Article
Have you ever had someone walk into your office or hop onto a Zoom meeting and say: “Hey, I’ve got a problem?” It’s fine if that person needs to vent or is asking for coaching, but when they want to leave the problem with you for you to solve, that’s another story. We’ve all been… View Article
If you’ve worked with me or attended one of our communication workshops, you’ve heard me say that the meaning of your communication is the response that you get. What does this mean? It means the outcome of what happens when you speak is your responsibility. While leading our Unlocking Effective Communication workshop last week, we… View Article
Q4 is here and officially in full swing. The year-end sprint filled with holidays, deadlines, and overcommitment has arrived. It’s easy to wonder where the time has gone – it seems like April was just yesterday. It’s also easy to get caught in the illusion that we have more time. We don’t. The unexpected always… View Article
The people are the work. After all, if we didn’t have a team, we’d have no way of doing business. That doesn’t mean it’s easy managing human energy. Whether it’s conflicting personalities, miscommunication, or accountability challenges, leading and managing people is the toughest job every leader has. How do we dedicate the time our people… View Article
When someone complains, what’s really happening? When we complain it’s because we had different expectations in mind. If you can pause to think, you’ll realize every complaint is a veiled request. When we’re unable to reframe our irritation into a request, we comment about what’s wrong, missing, or shouldn’t be happening the way it is… View Article
As I led our leadership and management communication workshop last week, I was reminded again of the Clarity Break’s power. Whether you call it a Clarity Break, thinking time, or time to work on your business, having space in your week to pause and reflect is critical if you want to be a great leader. … View Article
As we enter Q4 and gear up for a busy few months filled with year-end goals, deadlines, and of course the holiday season, I’m using gratitude to keep me present, end the year strong, and enjoy the ride. It’s easy to get consumed with our to-do lists, what’s not working, and what we’d intended to… View Article
We all know the value of hard data, how numbers and measurables help to keep emotions, opinions, and subjectivity in check as we consider all parts of our decisions. It isn’t, however, the only kind of data. Intuitive data, or gut instinct, is critical for leaders. Too often, we negate our “gut instinct” because we… View Article
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Communication Catalyzer Bundle: Winning Strategies for Stress-Free Communication