Sending a thank-you note expresses gratitude for a person's time and effort. Source: AXIOS, October 30, 2022. Link. Thank you notes are appropriate for many business occasions and should not be limited to just interviews.” INSIGHTS: While email thanks are okay, a handwritten note will help you stand out. … [Read more...]
Managing negative responses
No matter how skillful you are, in today’s environment you are likely to encounter negative reactions. Source: Vet-Advantage, October 2022. Link. Switching pronouns from you to it, that or this may seem like a small thing now, but in a leadership conversation this simple act is extremely powerful in helping your customers separate themselves from the problem at … [Read more...]
Consider it a commitment
Committing too early is one of the first pitfalls we fall into when managing our word and reputation. We all want to make the people that we know and love happy. As a result, we may get in the habit of saying “yes” too soon. Source: LinkedIn Pulse, September 30, 2022. Link. You’ll begin to see your time and energy as precious, and people will start to respect you at greater … [Read more...]
The hard conversation
All of us have had to, or will, deal with a frustrating work situation at some point in our careers. SOURCE: CNBC, September 18, 2022. Link. Being curious and asking questions can help defuse negative emotion and keep tensions from rising. INSIGHT: The person is never the problem. Their behavior, their performance etc. may be. Separate that from the person and focus on the … [Read more...]
Short, not shallow
It is self-indulgent to force us to sort through hundreds of words to figure out what you are trying to tell us. Source: AXIOS.com, September 29, 2022. Link. The first sentence of anything you write should include the most essential info, using as few words as possible. INSIGHTS: Think about your audience, not yourself. Editor’s note: This post and others like it should … [Read more...]
The big picture
Specialists are valuable but, in the future, it is likely they will be led by a generalist who can see around the corners and connect the dots. Source: CNBC, June 15, 2020. Link. Breadth of perspective and the ability to connect the proverbial dots is likely to be as important as depth of expertise and the ability to generate dots.” - Vikram Mansharamani, PhD INSIGHT: In … [Read more...]
The elevator pitch
Earlier this month I shared the importance of opening a conversation effectively <Link>. Once that is accomplished, you have less than a minute to engage your audience and Carmine Gallo has excellent tips to help you to do just that. Source: Harvard Business Review, October 3, 2018. Link. What is your idea? If you can answer in one compelling sentence, you can hook … [Read more...]
Need to vent?
With the right balance and a few self-checks, you can maintain the right to complain (occasionally)—but you can also do it in a way that doesn’t disrupt the rest of your team. Source: The Muse, June 19, 2020. Link. You can vent all you want, but nothing is going to get better unless you also come up with solutions. INSIGHT: As with many challenges, an outside sounding … [Read more...]
YOU define your self-worth
Your job is one of the first aspects you share when introducing yourself. This ties our identities to what we do for a living. Source: LinkedIn Pulse, August 4, 2022. Link. Make sure you have a life outside of your job. INSIGHTS: Most people have multiple dimensions, and their career is just one of them. … [Read more...]
Get to the point
And by the way, the point is the benefit that is important to your customer, not you.” Source: Vet Advantage, August 2022. Link. Avoid a data dump instead of an invitation to look at data is important to this practice. This behavior hopes something will resonate because the rep has no idea what is important in this practice INSIGHTS: In addition to reps, this applies to the … [Read more...]
The road to fulfilment can be curvy (podcast)
The road to leadership often is murky instead of straight. Often open and light instead of intense and full of hustle. However, it is always focused on meaningful relationships instead of the next rung on the ladder. Source: Linked In, August 12, 2022. Link. You’ve got to figure out your recipe for fulfillment. It’s not the same as anyone else’s. So, it’s your job to … [Read more...]
Mandatory vacations may be in order
Despite their elevated stress levels, more than 50 percent of American workers end up leaving paid vacation days unused. Source: BBC, July 31, 2022. Link. The goal of mandatory time off is to foster a working culture that encourages rest, removing barriers – both perceived and overt – that prevent workers from leaving the office. In this way, companies hope they can … [Read more...]
Confronting your biases (video)
No one wants to believe they have biases, but we all do, even if we don’t realize it. Source: LinkedIn, July 18, 2022. Link. . . . learn about unconscious biases, plus how to recognize and disrupt them. INSIGHTS: Separate your biases from your helpful experiences. … [Read more...]
Dealing with despair
Despair comes quietly in our heads, hearts and bodies, but if we don’t handle it well, it can have negative impacts on our entire organization. Source: Forbes, July 12, 2022. Link. It is the leader's job to acknowledge differences and enable others to hold them, if those views do not conflict with the organization's vision, mission, and values. INSIGHTS: The pandemic, … [Read more...]
Communication gap between frontline employees and employers is real
Frontline employees are ambitious and eager to climb the career ladder. Among communication barriers is a stark disconnect between what frontline employees want and what employers think they want. Source: McKinsey, July 21, 2022. Link. Voices of frontline employees are largely missing from the discourse on career advancement, which tends to focus on other segments of the … [Read more...]
Preventing burnout
All it takes is a little self-reflection on how burnout has manifested for you before. Then set new boundaries with coworkers and yourself. Source: Fast Company, July 6, 2022. Link. Once you set those on and off hours, it’s time to hold yourself to them—especially if you’re working from home. Try creating a ritual that signals you’re done working for the day, like closing your … [Read more...]
Your future self?
When we think of our future selves, our brain lights up the same as it would when we think of Natalie Portman or Matt Damon who are strangers with whom we are somewhat familiar. According to our brains, us in the future is not us.” Source: LinkedIn Pulse, June 28, 2022. Link. Start by thinking of 10 things right now that you don’t want to repeat, 10 things in your past that … [Read more...]
Motivation – beyond the poster
It is Monday: Eight more hours and four more days until the week is over. Can you change the way you feel and find fulfillment? Source: LinkedIn, June 16, 2022. Link. It’s important to take a step back to be able to dive back into your work, feeling motivated again, because you can't pour from an empty cup.” INSIGHTS: Both the employer and the employee have … [Read more...]
The complaint department
Gas prices are above $5 and diesel is even higher. You thought pharmaceutical prices were bad, have you been to the grocery store lately? There certainly is enough to complain about ,including having to listen to other people’s complaints. These three simple tools may help you get through the day. Source: JonGordon.com, June 2018. Link. Focus on the “get to” instead of the … [Read more...]
Integrity is forever
We live in a world where integrity isn’t talked about nearly enough. We live in a world where “the end justifies the means” has become an acceptable school of thought for far too many. Source: Forbes, November 28, 2012. Link. Success will come and go, but integrity is forever.” INSIGHTS: Although it’s 10 years old, this article couldn’t be better timed. … [Read more...]
Resignation: the next phase
First it was the Great Employee Resignation brought on by poor management and a tight labor market. Many organizations successfully made changes to improve their employee retention. Some did not and are now facing the possibility of the Great Customer Resignation. Source: Gallup, May 20, 2022. Link. To avoid the Great Customer Resignation, leaders need to take three … [Read more...]
Reducing meetings
Whether those meetings were face-to-face or virtual, every employee and leader has felt the pain of pointless, aimless, unfocused, and generally inefficient ones. Source: Forbes, May 31, 2022. Link. A meeting without a clear objective is going to be painful for all involved. And the data would suggest that the pain of unproductive meetings could seriously damage employees' … [Read more...]
Learning to say NO
Saying no doesn't always feel good, and sometimes it costs us emotionally. But to successfully reach the top, we must learn how to say no without nagging regret or hurting relationships. Source: LinkedIn Pulse, May 10, 2022. Link. Sometimes, the cost of saying no will be accepting that we will inevitably disappoint others—often those whose approval matters to … [Read more...]
Counter cyclical leadership
Leading counter-cyclically in tough times means knowing when to stop pushing, knowing when to lead with empathy and make things lighter, not heavier. Source: Medium, May 3, 2022. Link. The best way to communicate difficult news is to be straightforward. INSIGHT: You don’t have to wait a lifetime to leave people better than you found them.” … [Read more...]
Pandemic lessons for all
Your attitude determines how you approach opportunities and ongoing success. Source: Vet Advantage, April 2022. Link. The key to capitalizing on the current situation is in your attitude, the value you bring, and your talent. INSIGHT: Business history is replete with organizations and individuals that have grown and prospered in challenging times. … [Read more...]
Grow yourself
Career success is not just a matter of hard work – it’s an amalgam that also includes good timing, help from our network and knowing when to play by the rules and when to rewrite the rules. Source: Forbes, April 22, 2022. Link. I don’t deny my own skills or talent, but I do believe sometimes our lack of being able to separate ourselves from a situation or from an experience or … [Read more...]
Managing pressure
Most of us can reflect on a few moments when we choked under pressure. Maybe you lost your voice or your ability to think straight when speaking with an important client, manager or audience. No one is immune. Source: Harvard Business Review, April 7, 2022. Link. Rehearsal is important, whether you’re alone in your office or in front of a camera or crowd. You can raise the … [Read more...]
No quit
Emotionally intelligent people also understand that “not losing” doesn’t necessarily mean the same thing as “winning.” Instead, it means that you haven’t lost yet. The game isn’t over, even if some people think it is. The outcome isn’t set in stone. Source: Inc., April 3, 2022. Link. And it’s planting the seed in the other person’s mind, too – so that they might compare … [Read more...]
Your customers buy benefits
Consumers do not buy features or functions – they buy benefits, or, what they will have because of their buying decisions. Source: Vet-Advantage, April 2020. Link. Today’s fast-paced environment in your hospitals and clinics require that you get to the point as quickly as possible. Your competition requires that you create a sustainable competitive advantage that sets you … [Read more...]
Change and consequences
Experts often conclude people are resistant to change, which is not true. We are resistant to one of the two consequences of change: success, or failure. I do not believe folks fear success. So, the resistance to change is rooted in the fear of failure. Source: Veterinary Advantage, April 2017. Link. Conversely, the lack of consequences, negative or positive, will only … [Read more...]