Aug 20, 2019 | Communication, Managing, Persuasion
People eager to have their request approved often make the mistake of asking for too much at the start. Asking for less initially often leads to a better result. Let’s say you want management to approve a costly new training program. Rather than ask for the full...
Aug 12, 2019 | Communication, Persuasion
People often begin reading a message and suddenly pause, uncertain who is speaking. Is this written from the writer’s perspective, or someone else’s, perhaps the company’s? The issue is point of view, a literary term that applies to any type of...
Jul 30, 2019 | Communication, Effective Writing, Managing
Many people have heard the advice “write the way you talk” so as to sound conversational in a written message, but an important clarification is missing from that advice. Conversational speech is terribly inefficient, so be sure to edit carefully to make...
Jun 11, 2019 | Communication, Effective Writing, Managing, Persuasion
To persuade someone to comply with your request, use specific details, not vague statistics. Vivid description enables people to “see.” Your point is more compelling when you present the audience with information that has imagery, because people can...
Jun 6, 2019 | Communication, Managing
Feedback conversations are often stressful but don’t need to be. They can be instructive and motivational when managers come prepared. Supervisors often are filled with anxiety leading up to a feedback session, because they are uncertain about what to say, they...
Jun 3, 2019 | Communication, Effective Writing
Interviewing skills are not the domain only of reporters, police officers, or job recruiters. The ability to ask good questions is important for all business professionals, because the quality of the answers will depend on the questions. We ask questions every day...