Nobody decides to be a poor communicator. They become ineffective through neglect. Instead of mindful, intentional communication, they adopt clichés and … Read more
Start With a Joke — or Maybe Not!
The standard line among professional speakers about the importance of humor, even in serious business or technical presentations, goes like this: Question: … Read more
Say What You Have to Say, Don’t Read Your Script
We’ve just come through a political season where we heard (or saw?) speakers reading their scripts — during the conventions, during Supreme Court … Read more
5 Leadership Communication Habits That Destroy Unity
Cyberbullying has received increased attention during the last few years, focusing primarily on children and teens. But adults can be bullying victims as … Read more
Getting a Grip on Common Grammar Errors
HR often plays the parental role within an organization, particularly in sensitive or crisis situations like mergers, natural disasters, layoffs, or … Read more
Do You Have Executive Presence?
At a SHRM mega-session years ago while speaking on the topic of executive presence, I included an audience demonstration about the body language aspect of … Read more
Handling Hecklers in the Cheap Seats — Virtual and Otherwise
You have 60 seconds to name all the movies that include a scene like the following: The heroine (or hero) is standing in front of a gathering of … Read more
Secrets Savvy Presenters Use to Keep a Q&A Helpful
A boss’s offhand comment, “Be sure to leave time for Q&A,” often causes great concern among presenters. Maybe they have flashbacks of presidential … Read more
5 Steps to Think Clearly When You Write
An employee at a large oil company submitted a suggestion that netted him $18,000 from his company’s incentive-awards program. Although I can’t share the … Read more
How to Turn Down Applicants Tactfully — and Truthfully
Eggs and rejections should be done over-easy. Turning down applicants with class pays off in your long-term recruiting efforts and reputation as a great … Read more
How COVID-19 Has Changed Communication for the Better — and the Worst
When you have yet another email hitting your inbox with an invitation to an online meeting, how do you react? Eager to take part or irritated at the … Read more
3 Ways to Unload a Loaded Question
Let’s assume an angry reporter doesn’t confront you every day to ask why your organization has committed some scam or why you’re improperly handling … Read more
How to Stop People From Rambling
You run into ramblers everywhere: On a Zoom webinar. In the boardroom. In your training class. The reasons vary: They have extensive experience. They want … Read more
Feeling Trapped by Forced-Option Questions From Leadership?
The old “Have you stopped beating your spouse?” dilemma captures this problem well: “Yes or no?” Either way you answer, you’re in trouble. During a … Read more
How to Keep Hypotheticals From Burying You
Suppose you’re in a staff meeting or rolling out a new policy in an all-hands meeting, and Rani, an employee, poses this question to you: “You say that … Read more
Capture Mentoring Moments for Career Growth
Early in my writing career, an executive assistant to the CEO of a large oil-tool company astounded me with her business acumen — and how she got it. More … Read more
How to Guarantee Employees Understand You
Envision the last time you presented new information to a group of employees in an extended session of one to three hours: Rolling out new software and how … Read more
The One Question You Have to Answer Correctly Every Time
As an HR leader, you get questions every day; some serious, some trivial. “What else is the company going to do to protect us from COVID?” “What did you … Read more
Why Not Publish a Book to Promote Your Career or Organization?
You’ve probably heard of Basecamp, the popular project-management tool for team collaboration. The company, 37Signals, that produced this software hit the … Read more
Great HR Leaders Master These Three Skills Early
When you think of great leaders, what image comes to mind? You might envision a well-known CEO granting a TV interview or a politician taking tough … Read more