Communication

I am a member of a cult. The cult of positive thinking. I know it is mostly garbage. Yet, it makes me feel good. The job...

Do you want people to care about your cause, idea or product? A client of mine, we’ll call him Don, was struggling to get funding...

The hand blown bottle was labeled with the year 1787 and the word “Lafitte,” a top French vineyard, etched into the glass. The wine...

So, What Are These Things Called “Soft Skills”? Soft Skills’ is a catch-all term referring to various behaviors that help people work and socialize well...

Over the past week, I have had two clients tell me some pretty disturbing stories about experiences they have had with managers from two...

Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships. - Michael Jordan   John Adair defined “team” as “a group in which the individuals share a...

When was the last time you felt inspired? What made you feel that way? If you’re like most humans, inspiration requires an intense level of...

Setting yourself apart from the competition is definitely one of the top priorities of any store owner. In a world where customers can choose...

Over the past few months I have been shifting my attention to the Hi-Tech industry. I have this sense that there is a need...

Last week I wrote about how the Hi-Tech industry is feeling the pinch from workers lacking basic soft skills. A recent article published in...

Have you ever done an employee survey?  How honest were you? Did the questions even scratch the surface of the true feelings you have...

As a leader, it’s frustrating to hear whining.  In response, leaders often say, “Don’t come to me with a problem, come to me with...

Did you know that 92% of consumers have made a purchase after reading about a product on their favourite blog? A further 62% are...

In a recent coaching conversation, a client mentioned that he always feels like he is second guessing his actions. He wondered why he was...

Could you do me a favor?  It’s a common phrase, but it’s packed with meaning. Most of us like to do favors.  But we’re often...

Great business blogs have been known over time to have created value for potential and current customers of a business without compromising business growth. Often...

Becoming a freelancer is an interesting career choice, to say the least. Many people find freelance work to be appealing and uplifting as they...

 “Fluency in non-verbal communication can be as powerful a tool as masterful negotiating techniques or expert salesmanship” – Joe Navarro Have you ever experienced a...

I was supposed to give a presentation at the GuruFocus conference in Omaha, a day before Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting. I was more nervous...

Do you like cake? I love cake.  Give me a piece of cake, and I’m happy. A good job is kind of like cake.  One piece...

Sorry.  Not sorry.  We’re all familiar with the non-apology, people who toss off “I’m sorry” without meaning it or understanding how their actions affect...

Did you know that after the headline section LinkedIn is the second most widely-read section on your profile? Furthermore, studies show readers spend more...

Every business in this world is getting online. They are trying to do the best to keep their business up, which can be said...

Lots of call centers nowadays are totally focused upon how to perform various tasks in a competent as well as cost-effective manner.  These call...

WILL GOOGLE PENALISE YOU FOR DUPLICATING CONTENT? I was asked this question in my private members group earlier this week, and as a business marketing...

We all know turnover is costly.  But the costs extend far beyond having to rehire. When you factor in leadership time, loss of momentum,...

Have you ever experienced death by PowerPoint?  How about your boss asking you to read the endless business plan? We’ve all been there.  A well-intentioned...

Did you know that people will spend 3x longer watching a video which is LIVE compared to a video which is no longer live? At...

With numerous brands hitting the shores, many of the existing brands are finding it exceedingly difficult to retain their customers. Most of these brands...

The usage of IVR (Interactive Voice Response) system is not new to inbound customer service industry. Several call centers have already embraced this technology...

  Whilst content marketing costs 62% less than outbound marketing, it generates more than three times as many leads. What innovative and useful content marketing...

If you were on the job market during the great recession, I don't blame you if you're a little risk averse when it comes...

Starting your own business and becoming an entrepreneur is like entering a dark room you've never seen before and trying to navigate through it...

Neville Guant wrote a comment to my last blog post asking the question, “...all your readers and mine ... know it already. So what...

Many of my clients come to me because their startup endeavors didn’t pan out, and are hoping a return to Corporate America will provide...

One of the advantages of being an independent coach is that I get to connect with other coaches around the world, usually using either...

With all the chaos and loss in the world around us, it can be hard to feel satisfied with the job you currently have....

India has always been preferred by global organisations when it comes to outsourcing. There are various reasons because of which call centres in India...

Whether identifying companies to target or preparing for an interview, research is a critical component to any successful career strategy. Most career coaches and interviewing...

Indubitably, establishing a well-equipped call centre requires an extensive investment in upfront costs and ongoing maintenance. Putting an idea of running an internal call...

Vince Lombardi, the well known and loved US football coach, is known, among other things, for his famous speech, “What It Takes to Be...

  With content marketing costing 62% less than outbound marketing and generating more than three times as many leads, you must find a way to...

I attended a holiday party the other day. Delightful event. Chatted with a vivacious person named Melissa who I had not met before. There...

Like many people around the world I was surprised by the election of Donald Trump but I was not shocked at all. In my...

For the majority of every day workers. The usual working day involves staying stuck behind a desk for hours on end, 9-5. With a...

I am happy for you. Powerful words, right? And my two favorite variations: I am so pleased for you (a bit more cautious). I am thrilled for you (yes, over...

There’s context, and there’s CONTEXT. Granular HYPER-CONTEXT. Context creates expectation AND anticipation in any conversation. It invites complex inquiry. It inhibits a conversational shut-down. It hopefully normalizes...

As LinkedIn continues to grow and expand, it’s account offerings continue to evolve. As has always been the case, members still have free and...

I’m in the midst of getting my materials ready for the Leadership course I will be teaching this coming January at the University of...

The buck stops here. The famous sign on Harry Truman’s desk applies to all of us. At a certain point, we all have a buck...

Shock. And shock. More shock. A US president-elect who by most everyone’s moral compass engages in objectionable business practices, routinely resorts to offensive rhetoric, flaunts...

The path of becoming a thriving and successful entrepreneur is more than likely a process of trial an error, and here are some tips...

There is a certain quote uttered by one of the US presidential candidates that keeps coming back to me. Perhaps you can guess which...

Today, we’re bombarded with so much ‘noise’ in business, right? Everywhere we turn – LinkedIn, Facebook (especially sponsored adverts), Twitter, online blogs, emails from people...

It starts with the speeches. You know the little speech you rehearse in your head, getting ready for the big moment when you finally...

What if you gave a party and no one came? It’s almost worse than getting stood up for a date.  At least on a no-show...

I was reminded of a great secret yesterday. It came twice, both times unexpectedly. It started while I was making chocolate batter pancakes covered with Nutella...

There is a field of smile studies. Yes, there really is. This got my attention. Most of us believe that smiling is a good thing,...

Several weeks ago Simon Fraser University released a comprehensive study on the discriminatory recruiting practices in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver.  The research project was...

The holiday season is upon us and while pretty much every business owner or manager is thinking about how to entice as many customers...

Hi. How are you? A standard greeting. We utter it daily, many times over. A great social invitation, right? Well, it ought to be....

There are only two months left in 2016.  So Carpe Diem – seize the day – or actually…. Seize the next two months with...

I spent four days in Chicago last month, hosting a leadership program. I enjoyed my group immensely. The energy was good. That’s my language of...

It’s a bruising paradigm. We expect a leader to have answers. The level of your leadership pay is commensurate with the expectation that you execute...

Cool when science catches up with what we already know. That occurs to me as I flip through the latest article by Sue Shellenbarger, my...

I want to yell at the dental assistant. Mariana is taking an x-ray. My mouth is stretched open wide, a metal contraption wedged into...

No one looks for jobs in the paper anymore. Why use a resume designed for that era? A resume up-to-date in terms of career history...

Yep, can you believe it, 2017 is around the corner – only two months away.  Where has the year gone!? Are you on track to...

If your goal is to generate attention (particularly from recruiters), a stagnant LinkedIn profile or one merely up to date is not likely to...

THE TRUTH IS, WITHOUT HAVING THE SPEAKING PLATFORM THAT I DO, I WOULD NOT BE AS SUCCESSFUL AS I AM IN THE SOCIAL MEDIA...