How to Change Employee Behavior
It doesn’t take long in management before you find yourself trying to change someone’s behavior. If you’re lucky, it’s a small skill change. Often, though, you’re trying to encourage a larger, personality driven change. Good managers try all kinds of ways to encourage others to change, usually through support and challenge, as I wrote about…
Four Ways to Challenge Someone to Reach Their Potential
Jack Welch, the former CEO of General Electric, famously said, “Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others.” Challenging your employees correctly to grow toward their potential is far easier said than done. We want to correct their deficits, but not…
The Do-Over: How To Correct A Bad First Impression
Awhile ago, I wrote about the nature of first impressions. We’re continually told of the importance of making positive first impressions, especially given how quickly we determine them. Some research suggests that first impressions can be so powerful that they’re weighed more heavily than fact. We know that making a good first impression is critical…
Seven Types Of Stories Every Leader Should Tell
Good leaders tell stories. It’s been well established through a plethora of research that stories shape cultures, enhance information retention, build connection, and set direction. As I wrote about previously, there are simple techniques to use to tell compelling stories. We overcomplicate what is a relatively natural act of communication. The harder part is often…
Four Ways To Be A Better Listener
When we consider the most important communication skills for leaders, we generally focus on the transmitting side of communication. Leaders work to develop their skills for speaking to diverse audiences, selling a message or vision, and managing performance. The other side of communications, receiving, is often overlooked. Yet, if leaders want to be effective, they must…
How To Avoid Death By PowerPoint
In modern business, if there’s a presentation, there’s a PowerPoint with it. (Or, one of the programs that resemble it.) It’s almost as if we’ve forgotten how to present without one. Unfortunately, this has led to a lot of dull, rote presentations – as well as felony-level PowerPoint abuse. As David Ogilvy famously quipped, “most…
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