Monthly Archives: October 2011

Leaders Wanted!

Succession planning, a topic of much discussion over the last several years.  Important and some would say vital to the continuation of the organization.  Not only critical for the CEO, but also for all leadership positions in the organization.

Here are some advice and tips for you.

1. No one can do it like you!  You’ve been on the job a long time.  You’ve learned so much.  You have a style of your own.  You make decisions and run the organization your way.  You’ll never find someone who is as great as you – the faster you can accept… Continue reading

Walking on egg shells?

Have you ever worked with someone who is really defensive?  

Supervised someone who gets angry when you give them feedback?

Challenged you every time you say something about being late?  “You don’t understand!  You’re picking on me!

Or one of my personal favorites – the blame-shift reaction:  “The problem is that we are understaffed!

There is a great approach when people have reactions to whatever is said to them.  You can use this approach for all kinds of reactions.

You begin to discuss the issue at hand.  Concentrate on the behavior or results,… Continue reading

You don’t have to say a word!

When you want to get a message across sometimes you don’t have to say a word.  Body language makes up 55% of communication, 38% is your tone of voice and only 7% is words.

Think about the last time you prepared for a difficult conversation.  How much time did you spend on crafting just the right words to say and how much time did you spend thinking about how you wanted to deliver the conversation?  If you’re like me, I spent more time on the words – which I didn’t use anyway.

Here are some simple tips to come… Continue reading

Can’t we just all get along?

I recently had a client ask me the following:  “How do you manage when you have two people who don’t like each other and you need to have a meeting with them?  They are two peers and I’m running the meeting and have been told by their bosses to include them in the meetings and one says to me – keep me out of it as much as I can.
 
I’ve encountered this situation before.  Realize you are not here to make two people like each other.  Nothing you could do or say could make that… Continue reading