How to Take Initiative in Uncertain Times
Deborah Grayson Riegel in Inc.
Deborah Grayson Riegel in Inc.
We're no longer "going remote" or "transitioning to online." It has already happened. If you're going to be leading online meetings, learning sessions, webinars, programs--whatever you call them--you need to develop special skills to keep people engaged. As someone who frequently facilitates webinars, virtual leadership programs, and online coaching (including presentation skills), I don't want to keep
As a leader, it's your job to help motivate, engage, and coach your people. And to do this, you need to have ongoing conversations with each member of your team to learn more about what makes them tick--and what ticks them off. This can be easy and rewarding when you're working with a direct report
Whether you're a startup, a new leader, or a seasoned professional taking on new responsibilities, you're trying to master every aspect of your business. But you can't have all the answers. No one does. Even so, the thought of getting bombarded with questions from clients or prospects that you can't answer quickly and intelligently probably keeps you
As a professional speaker and speaking coach, I rarely refer to notes while I'm actually speaking, and that's for three reasons: First, it's my job to know my content inside and out. Second, because my presentations are interactive, I have multiple opportunities to check my notes while my audience is doing an activity or having a discussion.
We've all worked with that person. Which person? The negative one who complains about everything, from looming deadlines and long commute times to the carb-heavy snacks and the slow elevator. The one who sighs when you ask her to do something even slightly outside of her job description. The one who names everyone else as the reason
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,