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...
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...
Fall Colors: What’s Hiding Behind All That Work? Fall is not my favorite season. I miss the longer daylight hours and warmer temperatures of summer. But the shorter, cooler days do produce something I absolutely love: gorgeous fall colors. As you might remember...
Can You Be Too Authentic? I am a huge proponent of authenticity: Know yourself. Present the truth about yourself to others. Allow the real you to be seen. In fact, earlier this week I posted these very sentiments on social media. But here’s the caveat: Not...
3 Ways to Fascinate Your Audience Awhile back, my family and I visited the middle-of-nowhere podunk town of Goldendale, WA and its observatory. The girls got to reposition the telescope, we looked at the sun (through filters, of course) and Sirius, and then...
Why Nice Guys (and Gals) Finish Last Over the years, I’ve written and spoken numerous times on how being nice can backfire. When you’re dealing with someone who is focused on the issue or hasn’t yet chosen a relationship with you, being “nice” can actually...
