In our personal and professional lives, teamwork comes in many forms. From group assignments and project management at work to social and family planning at home, we often need to work together better. No matter what the context, all teamwork has something in common: the three types of behavior that people exhibit while working in a group. Generally, when working…
In the more than 20 years that I’ve spoken at companies and conferences about staying positive and working together better, I have received feedback from hundreds of employees. They have shared what regularly frustrates them. Often the things that annoy employees the most fall into four categories: Lack of accountability Lack of appreciation Lack of direction Lack of belonging…
Whether it’s at work or home, we can all benefit from becoming better at confrontation. How we handle conflict and stress is directly related to how successful and stable our relationships will be. Sometimes, the first question we ask when dealing with a tricky situation is whether we should confront or not confront. Should you confront the cranky coworker, annoying…
The word “no” may be easy to say, however figuring out how to say “no” can be difficult. Even when we know that saying “no” can help us draw healthy boundaries, it can still be challenging to do so. In my experience, I’ve found it helps to say “no” nicely by first acknowledging the other person’s request and then…
When we’re trying to handle criticism, it’s easy to feel defensive. We want to explain ourselves and defend our actions. However, while doing all that talking, we’re not listening. By being defensive, we can miss out on the opportunity to learn while we’re handling criticism. How to Handle Criticism: Grow From It We spend a lot of time and…
Have you found yourself in a situation that requires you to gain cooperation when you’re not officially in charge? Whether you’re communicating with a client, a boss, a colleague or even your family, figuring out how to pull rank when you have no rank to pull requires perspective, strategy and clear communication. The first step to gaining cooperation from…
“Please and Thank you, they’re called the magic words. If you want nice things to happen, they’re the words that should be heard.” These are lyrics from a song sung by Barney the Dinosaur and his sidekick kids in a children’s show my daughter and I watched faithfully when she was growing up. And, I think there’s a lesson in…
Do you have something fantastic to focus on and look forward to? Having a worthy goal is one way to rekindle your passion and stay positive…even amid negativity and challenges. I frequently ask the audience members in my keynote presentation “How to Stay Positive and Focused in Uncertain Times” to contemplate and complete the phrase “Someday I will…” to…
I watched with awe The Avengers, was wowed by Wonder Woman and emboldened by Black Panther. Yet, each of us has some cool characteristics in common with the superhero we love to admire. We too have superpowers that can be used for the greater good while eradicating evil. No cape or tights required! The 10 characteristics below were originally shared by…
It’s tough to have a conversation WITH POSITIVE WORDS when the WORDS in your mind ARE NEGATIVE. Imagine the voice in your head shouting: “He’s so arrogant!” or“She’s so indecisive!”, or other not-so-nice words even as you’re saying to a colleague “I’d love to collaborate with you”. In fact, one of the biggest challenges in communication is when…