Management development
Tip #11–Use plain language when conveying technical information
Gobbledygook, jargon, geek-speak. Whatever you want to call it, it’s not language the everyday reader understands. Maybe the author’s intent is to try to impress the reader; perhaps the technical language is deemed necessary to convey the message; or maybe the writer just doesn’t understand that not everyone of us reads and speaks the same [...]
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Tip #10–Tell people what you like about them
People appreciate hearing what they do well and what we like about them. Building relationship with coworkers, subordinates, and supervisors is easy when we tell those individuals what we specifically appreciate about them. Giving honest, appropriate compliments to the people around us can help them feel noticed and appreciated. It can also help us begin [...]
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Tip #9–Give respect … always!
No matter what we may think of the other person, it’s always the right thing to show respect. We show respect by our tone of voice, the words we choose, and the body language we use. Keep you voice neutral, choose you words carefully, and watch those eyeballs! No rolling the eyes in response to [...]
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Tip #8–Avoid Gossip
Gossip is a credibility robber every singe time we participate. Even if the gossip is particularly tantalizing, making a personal commitment to avoid gossip will enhance our professional reputations. And eventually people will stop bringing us all those juicy items, thereby releasing us from even having to be involved.
I’m asked repeatedly whether gossip can ever [...]
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Tip #7–Breathe!
Seems simple enough. But if that’s the case, why do we so often forget to breathe … between sentences, between topics, before we speak. Check out Tip #7 for the consequences of not breathing and the benefits of taking time to take a breath:
Knee-jerk responses get us in trouble every time. To avoid giving those [...]
Tip #6–Speak in first person when telling stories about ourselves
Often people will slip into a type of conversation called “second person” when they are really talking about themselves. Unfortunately, using second person language (you, your) shifts the story from being about us to being about the person listening. Then we run the risk of them losing interest in the story–because they feel spoken at [...]
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Delivery Windows–I’ll be there when I get there
Who came up with the idea of delivery windows–those 3- or 4-hour blocks of time that service companies schedule? For example, I bought a new bed frame. The company just called and wants to schedule a time to deliver it. My options: 8 a.m. to noon, or 1 to 5 p.m. That’s it. So, I [...]
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Tip #5–Speak in “I” rather than “You”
When we want to let someone know that a behavior or attitude of theirs is causing problems for us, using “I” language can help us make our statements without provoking the other person’s defensiveness. Instead of saying “You make me mad,” say “I get mad when …” Instead of saying “You frustrate me when you [...]
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Has the use of email made your job harder?
Yesterday I asked you what makes email so great. Today, I want to go the opposite way: what do you hate about email and its use at work? Has using email at work made your job harder? Ponder these questions and send me your thoughts:
How has using email ruined your ability to get your job [...]
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )What makes email so great?
The use of email seems to cause so many problems at work–misunderstandings, cryptic messages, Reply Alls zipping around the office. Considering all of the problems email causes, what makes it such a great tool for business? Really, I want to know–what to you makes email so great?
Think of the various reasons why you use email [...]
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