Part 1 I enjoy ads and commercials. The good ones stick with me. I’m impacted by their images, sounds and words. The best ones have a dramatic tagline or slogan – a succinct, repeatable core message about the product or service that conveys the essence of what the company wants you to believe and remember. […]

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What Motivates People If you’re a manager, you are called on regularly to motivate others. Being a successful leader relies on your ability to help others perform well.  Traditionally, we use the carrot and stick approach.  We bribe people with money or other incentives.  But, once the incentive goes away, so does the drive to […]

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Celebrating Women’s History Month: Tools and Tactics For Women At Work In her weekly blog, author and organizational development expert Dr. Anne Litwin sites study after study that conclude that women perform better than men in areas of leadership, management and decision-making. Yet women only make up 3 to 4 percent of CEO’s worldwide. For […]

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A 2015 Wall Street Journal article extolled the virtues of humble executives.  The article praised what humble execs are known for — listening well, admitting errors and their willingness to share the limelight. The article also reported on examples of leaders who were undone due to their lack of humility.  In particular, a self-promoting division […]

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Quick to Judge Science now confirms that you only get one chance to make a first impression and that judgment happens more quickly than you’d expect. Psychologist and neuroscientist Dr. Bastian Schiller and a team of researchers in Switzerland have discovered that subconsciously, we decide within milliseconds who or what we like or don’t like. […]

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Does teamwork and collaboration characterize your approach to managing and leading? Are you able to get your team members to contribute at levels you deem effective and desirable?  The best managers and leaders do.  Here are a few tips from their playbook: Set stretch goals – individual and team. Regularly, discuss progress, challenges and opportunities. […]

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Do you understand the importance of relationships in the workplace? Are you able to get things done in a way that doesn’t ruffle feathers?  If your answer is “Yes,” very likely you’re seen as a mover and shaker.  If “No” is your response, your effectiveness and reputation are suffering. If you work with people, in […]

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Using the Implicit Assumption Tests, IATs, as well as, visualization and the loving kindness meditation, a Buddhist practice known to engender feelings of happiness and kindness towards oneself and others, researchers have made an interesting discovery. They’ve found that just seven minutes of the loving-kindness meditation, with the meditator focused on a person of a […]

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In her book “Strategize To Win,” Carla Harris writes about performance currency and relationship currency. Performance currency comes from doing your job well, building a strong track record through stellar performance and delivering on time and above expectation. Performance currency is most important to build when you’re starting out. Early on in your career, it […]

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Resistance is data.  Don’t make it a problem.  Don’t push against it, get angry, or wonder, “What’s wrong with them?” When I say resistance, I’m referencing those moments when you feel others are working in opposition to you.  They’re saying, “No,” for no apparent reason, countering your good ideas, being confrontational and unhelpful, fighting against […]

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Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, author of Not In God’s Name, writes about the rise in religious extremism and violence committed in the name of God.  While being interviewed about his recent book, the show’s host asked him why he toned down some of his commentary from earlier writings on the subject. Rabbi Sacks replied, “I recognized […]

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To sell your ideas to others, and even over resistance, use these tips: First, be clear about what you’re selling and it’s value to all stakeholders. To clarify your message so nail it every time you discuss the idea, write out your talking points. Make your core message short, succinct and easy for others to […]

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I enjoy ads and commercials. The good ones stick with me. I’m impacted by their images, sounds and words. The best ones have a dramatic tagline or slogan – a succinct, repeatable core message about the product or service that conveys the essence of what the company wants you to believe and remember. They’re designed […]

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While facilitating a workshop, the participants, all senior leaders, began talking about how hard it is to get their people to buy-in to important changes. They described their workforce as resistant to change. I asked them to think about themselves and recall the day they received word of their promotion…to remember all they thought and […]

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Jeffery Davis of trackingwonder.com suggests that after a period of intense focus on a task, its helpful to change your rhythm by doing something different; interject something pleasurable and off task. He recommends taking a 5 to 20 minute relaxing, fun-filled break to clear your mind. Consider going for a walk, listening to music, dancing, […]

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  If you lead a company, a department or team, a career or a family, you need a strategic thought partner…someone who can help you dream possibilities, weigh opportunities, think through options, and confidently confront challenges. You need someone who sees you objectively, can help you identify ways to leverage your strengths and work on […]

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  Business Resource Groups, or BRGs, add a valuable dimension to every organization’s diversity and inclusion initiative. These voluntary, company-sponsored, employee-led groups, supported by top leadership, are a great way for employees to get to know one another and be a source of support to those who share a common demographic and/or are interested in […]

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  You know how critically important credibility and trustworthiness are in relationships. Interaction by interaction, your credibility and trustworthiness are established in the minds of others.   In the micro-movements and subtle energy of day-to-day exchanges, your reputation is built and reinforced. People hear what we say, but more importantly, they notice what we do. If […]

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    You know how critically important credibility and trustworthiness are in relationships. Interaction by interaction, your credibility and trustworthiness are established in the minds of others.   In the micro-movements and subtle energy of day-to-day exchanges, your reputation is built and reinforced. People hear what we say, but more importantly, they notice what we do. […]

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  A study published in the June 29, 2015 issue of the Journal of Applied Psychology, found that workplace impoliteness tends to spread – whether it’s dissing people in meetings or sending nasty emails or spreading rumors or making insensitive comments or engaging in shouting matches – and it negatively effects the environment and performance. […]

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