Be Careful With These Two Words Depending on who you’re talking to, these two words can be either encouraging or demoralizing. The two words? “At least.” Sometimes “at least” means “at a minimum.” I’m not talking about that usage. I’m talking about the times...
Make One Small Change This Year The new year is upon us, with all its hopes and dreams and resolutions. It reminds me of a pop song that came out last year, called “Have It All” by Jason Mraz. My kids love it, so I’ve heard it a few hundred thousand times. It’s...
The Clothes Make the Man …Or Do They? I took my two daughters to Oregon Ballet Theater’s performance of The Nutcracker earlier this month. We dressed up in fancy clothes, had brunch at an upscale restaurant, then headed to the auditorium for their first ever...
Don’t Let Mismatched Nonverbals Make a Bad Situation Worse You know the feeling. You’re about to be the bearer of bad news. It could be at work—maybe you have to deliver a negative performance review, let your team know about budget cuts, or tell a client their...
Tips for Phone Conversations Did you know that your body language affects your tone of voice? Things like posture, movement, and breathing can all impact how you sound over the phone. When you have an important message to convey or want to increase your...
Lessons Learned from 3 Big Mistakes I’ve Made I’ve had a lot of training and practice in communication. But my best teachers have often been my mistakes. I’ve screwed up many, many times… and those screw-ups have caused me pain. But they have also led to learning some...