Last month I gave a presentation for the 11th Annual Washington State Government Lean Transformation Conference. I have attended and/or spoken at all of the conferences, and they are always a highlight of my professional development journey.
The team of conference organizers did a remarkable job getting 30+ presenters prepared for the event to run smoothly. They did this in spite of people like me, who was well prepared and still missed hitting the "show your screen" on...
Make gratitude the new normal in your life.
As we welcome fall, we begin the season leading up to the big day of gratitude – Thanksgiving – when we celebrate all of our blessings with friends and relatives.
I love fall for this very reason. Gratitude comes into the spotlight! Then, after Thanksgiving, comes the season of giving (Christmas/Hanukkah) and more gratitude and goodwill. Win-Win.
Then, sometime in January, we go back to the “real world” of uncertainty,...
Meetings only run well if they are facilitated well from start to finish. Knowing how to run good meetings is a skill that anyone that is ever in charge of ANY kind of meeting facilitation.
Ever Been in Meeting Hell?
Haven't we all? When I’m in poorly run meetings, I get distracted and find myself doing unproductive things like calculating the cost of the meeting (number of participants x approximate cost per staff hour x number of hours/minutes). And if I’m...
Becoming a more confident communicator is all about building good habits. Think about brushing your teeth. That’s a habit we learn at a very early age, and over time, it’s something we do without thinking every day. That’s the type of habit you want to develop as you become a more skilled and confident communicator.
Here are three of the habits you can start with. You will find that when you make these habits part of your daily routine, it will make a huge...
I have a confession to make when it comes to listening skills. I’m an interrupter. When I already know what someone is trying to say, or I have a point to make, I just cut right in. I know I shouldn’t do it. I know it’s rude. It drives me crazy when other people do it, so why do I?
Most of us aren’t very good listeners. Interrupting may not be your Achilles heel, but I’m guessing there is some bad habit you bring to the listening side of your communication.
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Do you want to learn to prevent communication conflicts before they happen? Well, who doesn’t?
Communication conflicts happen. Even with good intentions, misunderstandings occur, and we can find ourselves in the middle of difficult conversations – not always sure how we got there.
Sometimes we find ourselves getting stuck into communication cycle routines. Other times conflict begins when someone shares an unwanted opinion on sensitive topics as politics, religion or...
grat·i·tude:
the quality or feeling of being grateful or thankful: He expressed his gratitude to everyone on the staff.
An attitude of gratitude comes from showing appreciation and gratitude for others. It is one of the most powerful communication tools you can have.
When you show appreciation on a regular basis, it will open doors to a better conversation, a more positive exchange, and ultimately a better relationship. And the more you practice, the sooner it...
Communication works for those who work at it. ~ John Powell
How well do you communicate?
Every contact we make involves communications skills - speaking and listening, speech patterns, the words we use, the tone of our voice, our body language and even the silences all play a part in how successful our communications are.
Self-awareness can be one of the most effective ways to identify and improve your skills. Take this quick assessment to learn more about how well you currently...
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