One of the best things a supervisor can do to build trust is to openly listen to an employee’s feedback—and give an honest reply about what will happen to their suggestion. Then act on it! In my first book If You Can’t Say Something Nice What DO You Say, I share the following sample replies: “Thanks for your input. Although…
“We already tried that.” “That won’t work.” “That will never happen here.” Nothing will ever work according to these common comments made by the Naysayer. Or how about Sarcasm, the Naysayer’s witty cousin, who says: “Yeah right.” “Dream on.” “Good luck with that.” These roles and similar ones can hinder a group’s process by diverting the attention away from achieving…
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…