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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…

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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.”

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virtual communication

Three Tips For Consequential Communication

In an age of great volatility — fake news, diverse audiences, technology at our fingertips, and change at the speed of light, clear, concise and intentional communication is vital to successful human interaction. Add to that, the stresses and strains of a pandemic, the financial insecurity it wrought, a contentious political season…

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Gaining engagement through persuasion

Persuasion Starts with Listening

As a child, I remember hearing the words “because I said so,” in response to questions asked of my parents. Of course, the questions were often why I had to do something I didn’t want to do. Rather than explain, the fallback was “because I said so.” I found that irksome and made a pledge that my children would never hear that phrase . . . and, they rarely did!

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words matter words have power

Words Matter: Make Communication Reflect Intentions

“Words matter,” have been on the lips and fingertips of many. My own response: “true that,” yet has the phrase been defined, let alone put into action? What does it mean anyway? For me, it means carefully selecting words and phrases that both reflect what is intended and will begin to heal the great divide in our country.

Having spent the better part of this nascent year reflecting on words, intentions and healing the divide, two examples of what not to communicate spring to mind.

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Communications 2021: A Return To Civility

Strolling – socially distanced and with my mask on – down a beach boardwalk this weekend, I saw a sign that read “first rule of 2021; don’t discuss 2020.” Although amusing, and many of us would wish that 2020 could go away. It won’t. We lived through it, and its after affects may live with…

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