Archive: Managing
Be Persuasive: Present Your Request as a Future Commitment
If you want to persuade someone to do you a favor, you’re more likely to succeed if you present it as something that is a few weeks or months away. People usually don’t think clearly about future obligations. The issue is psychological distance. People have a...
Being Persuasive: Asking for Less can Lead to More
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...
Should You Write the Way You Talk? To a Degree.
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...
Use Vivid Language to Persuade People to Accept Your Idea
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...
How Managers can Provide Effective Feedback
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...By Ken O’Quinn
Focus on Them
Perfect Phrases for Business Letters (McGraw-Hill)
TD at Work — Business Writing for Managers
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
Improve Your Writing through Candid Feedback
People take writing criticism personally, but being receptive to criticism is the way you grow as a writer. It keeps …