Want fresh content delivered straight to your inbox?

Sign up here.

Search the Blog

RECENT POSTS

best way to communicate

If You Don’t Get Them on the Swings, Get Them on the Merry-Go-Round: The Platinum Rule of Communication

Gerald Rosen, a Contracts professor at Loyola Law School used to say “if you can’t get them on the swings, get them on the merry-go-round; if you can’t get them on the merry-go-round, get them on the slide; if you can get them on the slide, get them on the monkey bars.” Having heard those words lo these many years ago, I haven’t a clue as to…

Read more
woman giving feedback to a man at work

Tips for Successfully Communicating Performance Feedback

“How many supervisors like to give performance feedback?” When this question was posed to over 500 leaders in one of the nation’s largest municipal water and power companies, a scant few raised their hands. When asked to explain why, the answers boiled down to three responses: “Because I don’t want to hurt their feelings,” “She’s my friend; I don’t want her to feel bad,” and “I don’t want to  deal with the anger.”

Read more

MORE POSTS

Practicing the No-Surprises Rule

Unless it’s a birthday party, marriage proposal or a public display of gratitude by a boss, most of us don’t like to be surprised. Some don’t even like to be surprised with those three happy events! What about unhappy or negative events, situations or circumstances in the workplace? Many of us are shy about divulging…

Read more

The Use of Superlatives and Absolutes in Everyday Communication

Before becoming an organizational development and leadership consultant, and while in my corporate career, I relied upon others working in this important field for sage advice. One can liken these practitioners to “workplace psychologists,” offering must-have leadership tips, whether through one-on-one coaching or team building, all with the aim of improving workplace relationships, motivation and…

Read more

“Focus on the Issue, Situation or Behavior, Not the Person:” How One of Zenger Miller’s Basic Principles Informs Consequential Communication

While employed as the Human Resources Director at Times Mirror, a former holding company for a number of media groups – newspapers, television stations, radio stations, magazines, book companies and training companies – I had the good fortune of becoming a certified Zenger Miller facilitator, which company was considered the lead Times Mirror training organization…

Read more

EARLIER BLOGS