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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.
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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
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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 moreReference Resources For All Writers
Little, Brown Handbook, a simplified, comprehensive book on all aspects of writing. The Grammar Bible: Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Grammar but Didn't Know Whom to Ask, by Michael Strumpf. The Write Way: The S/P.E.L.L. Guide to Real-LIfe Writing, by...
read moreRecommended Resources For Business Writers
An essential way to become a stronger writer is to be conscientious when you write, to think about principles and techniques of good writing that apply to the type of communication you are composing. That knowledge comes in part from good resources: books, articles,...
read moreRecommended Resources For Corporate Communications Pros
News Writing and Reporting: The Complete Guide for Today's Journalist, by Christopher Scanlan. Why Business People Speak Like Idiots: A Bullfighter's Guide, by B. Fugere & C. Hardaway. Filled with wisdom about clarity and the importance of avoiding buzzwords. A...
read moreClarity Motivates People to Read Your Message
Encapsulating key points of a message in the opening paragraph helps not only with clarity but also with persuasiveness. When important highlights are stated clearly and succinctly at the start of a message, it can increase your chance of persuading the reader...
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