Tag: communication
This Is How to Give Feedback and Not Make People Feel Stupid
“Oh, heavens,” I thought, “I’ve offended her!” I had wanted to be helpful and friendly, but instead I was confusing and possibly insulting -- I had given feedback as if the problem was with the... Continue reading
Please Stop Sending Me Annoying Emails Like These!
I’m used to receiving prospecting emails from companies that claim they’ll lift response rates, help me be more productive, and provide other kinds of help to a small business like mine. But sometimes I so... Continue reading
How to Find Agreement When You Come from Opposite Sides
I’m very lucky to experience much less disagreement or outright conflict on the job than most people. Although my clients’ views may differ from mine in many ways, it’s implicit in our relationship that we’re... Continue reading
Workplace Wisdom’s Most Popular Posts of 2016
One very practical way to move forward is to review past successes and expand on them. So I checked to see which Workplace Wisdom blog posts attracted the most attention in 2016 to learn which... Continue reading
Stuck in the Middle with Management
“Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right / Here I am, stuck in the middle with you.” The Stealers Wheels song wasn’t explicitly addressing middle management, but “stuck” is what it often... Continue reading
Do You Share This Bad Communication Habit?
I’ve got a bad habit in some of my interactions. It breaks my own rules about showing respect, recognizing that I don’t know everything, and giving people full control over their own choices. I was... Continue reading
Want to Be a Successful Leader? Guess What: It’s Not About You
Think about every boss you’ve had since you were a kid, including the parents of the kids you babysat, the owner of the greasy spoon where you waited tables, and the director of the camp... Continue reading
How Feedback Can Fail and What to Do Instead
I recently surprised a COO by giving him very different advice about a business problem from what he had heard from others. Here’s the situation: Through the grapevine, a bunch of junior R&D folks expressed... Continue reading