Five Tips for Having Difficult Conversations
The difficult conversations in our work and personal lives are challenging. Sometimes it is easier to veil the truth of what you want to say in generalizations to soften the blow and sometimes people outright avoid a conversation altogether. Being…
Five Negotiation Tips Learned the Hard Way in Thailand
Last month I had the good fortune of travelling through Thailand. It was a fascinating experience that got me thinking about how different cultures negotiate. In Thailand, there aren’t many fixed prices when negotiating with the locals, especially when it…
Three Tips for Engaging Elevator Conversations
Engaging Elevator Conversations Conversations in elevators can be some of the most uncomfortable and awkward examples of human communication. This article will provide you with three tips for engaging elevator conversations. Three months ago I joined the legions of human…
How to Give an Awesome Compliment
People often tell me that I’m generous with praise. Hey, you’re doing an absolutely fantastic job of reading this blog post, by the way. See, I know how to give an awesome compliment! People’s assessment of my complimenting nature is…
Six Tips for Thriving at Networking Events
Ever found yourself wandering about aimlessly at a networking event? Everyone but you seems to have paired off and you’re on your own like a wallflower, wine glass in hand and concerned look on your face. We’ve all been there…
Kick it Old School with Phone Calls, Not Email
We live in a world of emails and text messages. And frequently our electronic correspondence can ignite conflict due to misunderstanding or misinterpretation of linguistic and non-verbal signs that have evolved in cultures over thousands of years. It’s an issue…
How to Make Awesome Introductions
Being introduced to people is one of the best ways to become part of a community. As a career practitioner, I’m in the business of making hundreds of human connections every year and this article will explore how to make…
How to Write Emails that Inspire Action
Email is the preferred communication tool in the world of work. Emails provides a digital footprint – a threaded record – of ideas, requests, stories, and all the rest of it. Unfortunately, most of us really, really suck at writing…
How to Communicate: Stories, Focus and Listening
The Potentiality’s Cartoonist in Residence, Phil Skipper, has an interesting take on communication. Here is how Phil captured our personal and collective definitions of communication: “Communicating means speaking and writing with simplicity, clarity and influence. This is the most sought-after…
Communicate with Success on Camera
Here are three tips for new spokespeople looking to communicate their message through the media Whether you’re an Executive Director telling the story of your non-profit’s fundraising campaign, a neighbourhood association spokesperson who is promoting an upcoming event, or a…