Blog
Use a Dash for Emphasis, a Hyphen for Clarity
People often confuse dashes and hyphens. Dashes are used for three reasons, most commonly to mark off information that you want to stress. Hyphens commonly join two or three words that are used together to form one adjective, modifying an adjoining word.
read more
Use Vivid Language to Persuade People to Accept Your Idea
Asking an audience to do something or to agree with your viewpoint is more persuasive when you use vivid language and description that enables people to visualize the impact on them and others.
read more
How Managers can Provide Effective Feedback
Feedback might be a manager’s best tool for building stronger, more collaborative teams. Presenting specific, useful feedback in a way that is supportive and encouraging demonstrates caring and inspires trust.
read more
Gathering Quality Information Requires Good Questions
Business professionals need to gather information every day, and that requires that they ask many questions. They don’t think of it as interviewing, but careful consideration should be given to the questions, just as a journalist does. Good questions elicit the best information: clear, specific details.
read more
Keep Difficult Conversations in Balance
Uncomfortable conversations often get derailed because the core issue is lost in emotions: anger, embarrassment, resentment. Managers should not avoid having difficult conversations, because that can lead to further problems. But if both people try to understand each other’s perspective and if both agree on an outcome that helps each person, the discussion is less likely to become toxic.
read more
What Managers and Executives can Learn from Herb Kelleher
Authenticity is rooted in transparency and an ethical code. Those qualities are scarce in many corporate environments, but they are essential to a leader’s success, because employees are demanding candor. Here are a few ways to become more
read more
Does a meaningful job matter?
Managers and executives who want to motivate employees try various tactics: contests, free food, bonuses, and rousing speeches from a stage. But research shows that improving job performance can be as simple as explaining to them that their work has a meaningful...
read moreHandling Difficult Conversations
The ability to handle uncomfortable conversations is important to strengthening your credibility. Avoiding delicate discussions can lead to further problems. Make the points you need to, calmly and respectfully, listen to the opposing view, and take a collaborative approach to finding an answer you both can live with.
read moreBy Ken O’Quinn
As a contributing author in this book on leadership, Ken offers insights and tips for managing difficult conversations, providing effective feedback, and being authentic. Order here.
Perfect Phrases for Business Letters (McGraw-Hill)
Provides the right words and phrases for any situation - quickly. The book was reprinted in Japanese because of high-volume sales there.
TD at Work — Business Writing for Managers
The Association for Talent Development invited Ken to write this 22-page booklet for the TD at Work series.
Current Blog Post
Use a Dash for Emphasis, a Hyphen for Clarity
People often confuse dashes and hyphens. Dashes are used for three reasons, most commonly to mark off information that you …