If we only took the time to communicate, how many problems could we solve? Lately we?ve seen and heard a lot of yelling, a lot of misunderstanding, a lot of quick action without apparent thought or any attempt at true communication. If we all (and I do mean ALL) stopped for a few minutes or […]
When we think too much about what we are going to say next, we are not able to listen to what is being said to us. Listening requires focused attention. While we may hear the noise of the words (think Charlie Brown and any adult), we don?t always listen to the words themselves. I have […]
The good news is we don?t have to think very much anymore. The bad news is we don?t have to think very much anymore. Computers, smart phones, tablets all think for us now. Scared yet? You should be. Autocorrect is an amazing tool. All you have to do is start typing a familiar word and […]
What does your body language say to others when you are head-down in your electronic device? Amy Cuddy, a social psychologist, author, and Harvard professor, inspired many of us with her TED talk on body language, especially with her demonstration of the power pose. Recently, when promoting her new book, Presence, in an NPR interview, […]
Imagine being surrounded by a calm sea, a gorgeous sky, a breathtaking sunset, and . . . people on their cell phones. Seriously? If you had a chance to be totally unplugged and away from the distractions of electronics, would you take advantage? On a recent vacation, a surprising number of my fellow cruise ship […]
Have you ever been talked at? You believe you?re involved in a conversation, but it is actually so one-sided that you?re convinced the other person has not truly listened to anything you?ve said. Have you encountered any of these people? Are you one of these people? Entrepreneurs who go to networking meetings, thinking only about […]
Don’t have time to proofread your work before you send it out? Do you have time to correct the mistakes — and fix your reputation — when someone else notices them later? Taking a few extra minutes to review your words, to make sure they are working, can save you from significant embarrassment and potential […]
Are your words working? Would you know if they weren?t? Words on the screen can help you with your career and your business ? or they can totally backfire on you. As a business person who posts on social media, written words are the way you reach out to potential new clients or a potential […]
What can?t be read can hurt your business. Social media posts, articles, marketing pieces, anything that reflects your business, must be written in a way that makes it readable. What does that mean? It means that the words should flow easily. It means there should be no typos or grammatical errors. Most importantly, it means […]
As a writer and trainer, I advise my clients to avoid clich?s (like the plague!) and to come up with more succinct and concrete wording for their communication pieces. My focus, after all, is on helping business people avoid miscommunication and clich?s can definitely be misinterpreted. Surprisingly, there are actually people in the world today […]