It’s hard to speak and feel that your words are not received well. That happens to managers who are addressing their team with less than effective communication skills. On the flip side, it’s just as difficult to listen to someone who is speaking to you but saying nothing that you understand. In...

When it comes to communication, there are dos and don’ts. We have already discussed the dos. Effective communication depends as much on the speaker as it does the listener. But halves must be aligned in order for the exchange to be deemed successful. Now it’s time to discuss the don’ts. What can...

Have you ever been talking to someone and thought, “This person just doesn’t get what I’m saying?” It could be that, while you are discussing the same topic, they have a different viewpoint altogether. In the world of work, we call that communication style. Keep reading and find out about the...

Anyone who has ever been in charge of a group of people knows how hard it is to deal with performance issues. They’d rather be roasted on the spit instead of facing another employee face-to-face to discuss deficiencies with their performance within the company and/or team. To make the process a bit...

We don’t live or work in a vacuum. At some point, we will have to depend on others for what we need. How will you get others on board your team? Influence is the ability to convey your ideas effectively to others. It is about negotiation, not manipulation. Here are four steps that lead to effectively...

When you work as a manager to a group of team members, what is the most important goal? There may be a variety of answers, but the one that we place at the top of the list is building a solid relationship. When you know your team members as individuals with their own goals and attributes, managing them...

When planning an effective meeting agenda, your main action steps will be to: Choose a topic Set the goals of the meeting Determine the duration, time and location of the meeting Set the objectives of the meeting Determine the non-objectives of the meeting, so you do not go off-task Decide on the stakeholders...

Once you decide to host a meeting, you might decide to invite everyone you think needs to know about the information you are going to be sharing. This is not the best approach, however, if you wish to have a successful meeting in which valuable business goals will be accomplished. Your first steps are...

Not having a meeting agenda is a bit like driving on a road without a map. You know where you started from, but where are you going? What will be the best route to take in order to arrive at your chosen destination? Any meeting you plan should help you decide on these important factors. Once you have...

Performance problems are not easy to deal with. It helps, though, if you have a plan in place to get a handle on the issues that affect employees that you supervise. Here are six powerful tips that can help you do a better job of tackling this aspect of your job. The Objective The objective of addressing...