After you email an expensive proposal to your price-sensitive client, or leave a message for your boss request for vacation time during the busy season, or ask for a raise or promotion (or both) after your last performance review, you have to wait patiently to hear back. And if you're anything like I am, waiting for information
When it comes to gravitas, many of us think that you either have it, or you don't. We tend to look at people who exude confidence under stress, act decisively, speak their minds, bounce back from stress, and are regarded by others as being important, with wonder and awe: Were they just born that way? Maybe, but the
We all feel challenged at one time or another by colleagues, managers, clients, or customers. When we don't take into account differences in expectations, communication styles, and priorities, we can set our relationships up to be plagued by hurt feelings and chronic frustration. In her book, Make Difficult People Disappear: How to Deal with Stressful Behavior and Eliminate
Nobody likes giving negative feedback or delivering potentially disappointing news to a direct report. And while many individual contributors know that they actually need negative feedback to get better at their jobs, they typically don't relish the idea of finding out that they're falling short of expectations. Nevertheless, negative feedback-- when delivered carefully and thoughtfully-- can help individuals and teams course correct,
You've spent hours, days, and weeks making sure that you have all of the data, facts and statistics exactly right for your big presentation to the boss, and two minutes into your remarks, she says, "Let's skip to the end. What's the bottom line here?" You're in a meeting where your colleague is animatedly sharing his bold new approach
"I can't believe I'm feeling anxious for my team meeting, and for no good reason!" "My heart is pounding thinking about this sales call. When will I get a grip?" "I always freak out during presentations. I'm such a wimp!" Do any of these sound familiar? If you struggle with anxiety at work, chances are, you're
For many people, making presentations is fraught with a fear of being judged (which, let's face it, you are), concerns about being caught unprepared, and the risk of ruining your reputation. As British judge Sir George Jessel once remarked, "The human brain starts working the moment you are born and never stops...until you stand up to
For many leaders and teams, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are a core indicator of success. KPIs serve as the foundation for performance evaluations, compensation, promotions, and can even point to the health (or lack thereof) of the company overall. At their best, KPIs can facilitate clear, relevant, timely communication for you and your teams about what outcomes matter most,
Giving and receiving developmental feedback from anyone is challenging. And for middle managers, this can be especially tricky. Why? First of all, many middle managers wrestle with the transition from peer to supervisor. They worry that their former colleagues may not see them as having earned their new authority, or that these colleagues resent them for having been promoted (especially
Every time I teach workshops for managers, I hear one question over and over: "How can I motivate my employees?" It's an important question. Motivated employees are more likely to think creatively, go above and beyond, hold themselves and others accountable for results, work autonomously, want to learn and grow, feel personally connected to the company, and ultimately
