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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Keen observers of self and others have a competitive edge. But, too often, our willingness to pay attention is dialed down too low. Much that we should see, and could capitalize on, passes us by. We’re blinded by the habit of inattention. We’re no longer fully present, noticing what’s going on within us and around […]

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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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With summer essentially behind us, and fourth quarter well underway, now is a good time to review your 2015 goals. Begin by noting progress to date, and then determine what’s required to achieve success by year-end. Be brutally honest with yourself as you conduct your review. Assess your current degree of commitment to achieving the […]

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When it comes to making things happen, talking, complaining, blaming, finger pointing, won’t move the needle in the right direction. In your workplace and personal life you can enhance your impact and make more of a difference, for yourself and others, by using a strategy that guarantees success – be more personally accountable: Suggest solutions […]

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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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Crying can be an indicator of pain, a call for attention, comfort or support, an expression of intense emotion. Crying can also be a way of relieving pressure, letting go of held emotions. Traditionally, crying in the workplace has been taboo, largely due to the long-held belief that tears make you appear weak, vulnerable, emotional, […]

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Where are you right now? Are you driving while your mind is back in your last conversation or thinking about the one you plan to have later? Are you typing an email while your attention is focused on the conversation in the next cubicle? Are you working on a report while imagining how heavy traffic […]

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  Call me old-fashioned, but I like receiving a response when I communicate, unless I say, “No need to reply.” And, from a number of recent conversations, I know I’m not the only one with a preference for closing the communication loop. So, if I call you, please call me back. If I text you, […]

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  One of my coaching clients complained about the quality of participation in his staff meetings. “What’s the meeting’s purpose,” I asked. “To update everyone on changes and other items that affect all the groups, and to problem solve,” he replied. “What’s the role of team members in the meeting,” I asked. He lifted his […]

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BRGs, or Business Resource Groups, are also called affinity groups, Employee Resource Groups, or ERGs, and business network groups. If your company sponsors them, be an active participant…or start one. Here are just some of the benefits of being a member of BRGs: You get to interact with people who have a sense of shared […]

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  The earliest kind of BRGs, Business Resource Groups, were professional organizations like the American Bankers Association, the American Medical Association, the American Chemical Society, and so on. Members had shared cultural characteristics and experiences. They came together seeking support, to talk about their careers and lives – their ambitions and challenges – to keep […]

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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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  Every day opportunity knocks. Do you recognize it, allow it in and leverage the moment? Or, do you let the door close and, later, walk away thinking, “I wish I had said or done something.” Take advantage of the breaks that come your way. Pry open those windows that are slightly ajar. For example, […]

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    If you’re trying to learn new information, or teach it to others, find what in it is familiar and build the teaching around those recognizable chunks. According to new research completed by Carnegie Mellon University psychologists, it’s actually easier to learn new facts if they also contain familiar components. In the workplace, these […]

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    I tweeted a quote @SpiritOfPurpose that got attention. People re-tweeted it and saved it as a favorite. The tweet was a Chinese proverb that says, “Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are.” I don’t know what about the quote appealed to those who retweeted it or tagged […]

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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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  More and more, it seems I’m hearing people talk about relationships that are vexing to impossible.. Whether workplace or personal, the relationship is described as being beyond repair. Tensions are present – sometimes steady and stable, but sometimes escalating. According to the storyteller, there is nothing that can be done to rectify the situation […]

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