The woman in the royal blue jacket sitting in the front row gasped when she heard my next request. “One at a time, please walk to the front of the room, plant your feet, smile, and say both your name and where you work.” Easy, right? Simply stating your name and employer information doesn’t require…
Loneliness is detrimental, destructive, and sometimes deadly. Loneliness has the same impact on mortality as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, more than even obesity. Different than depression or feelings of solitude, loneliness is more about the quality of a person’s social relationships. The workplace is not immune, and everyone pays the price when loneliness strikes.…
Mistakes happen even under the best of circumstances. In today’s digitally-distracted, demanding world where many businesses are understaffed, mistakes happen even more frequently. A recent client shared with me that presentation binders [prepared in hopes of inking a major deal], showed up onsite an hour prior to the meeting… with a competing institution’s name on…
Connection is the glue that keeps relationships, projects, and organizations together, which is why leaders and teams often look for opportunities to strengthen bonds in the form of internal events and outside activities. Research supports that teams who play together have a better chance of staying together. Experiencing the person behind the position leads to…
Leaders encourage new team members to ask clarifying questions surrounding a project, protocol or procedure. Connected leaders take it one step further and reassure individuals to reach out for support or help when needed. Yet, too many individuals still hesitate asking for what they need to succeed demanding that leaders change their approach. According to…
Effective leaders know deliberate learning is not optional, but a requirement of growth and success. Consistent learning demands an investment of time, money, and energy, but the price paid pales in comparison to the abundant returns in awareness, understanding, and the development of richer connections to people, places, and ideas. Which begs me to…
Lack of personal connection and the absence of human support is a struggle in most businesses today. Although companies can address this issue simply through understanding and better communication, many remain so singularly focused on profits, they are unaware of the insidious internal damage caused by poor morale. Here are a few things to consider…
“Every human being, of whatever origin, of whatever station, deserves respect. We must each respect others even as we respect ourselves.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson Without respect, relationships falter. Everyone wants and needs to feel respected, and yet, research from a worldwide poll of over 20,000 employees shows that 54% of people report they don’t…
As a professional speaker, I’m always stressing the value of mindful, genuine communication in building effective business relationships. So, it’s no wonder I get excited when I hear of companies ready to step outside their comfort zone to put this into practice. That’s especially true when corporate leaders show they’re willing to break out of…