Nope, Uh-uh, No Siree Bob

You’ve been there, right? You applied for a promotion—it went to someone else. Offered your services to the perfect client and heard, “No, thanks.” Interviewed for a job you didn’t get. I just ran into the rejection buzz saw. And it sent me back to look at what I’d learned from Jia Jang when he…

A Whole New Way Of Working

The world of work is changing … fast. “Contingent work force.” “Agile talent.” “Freelancing.” “On-demand talent.” “Contract workers.” And of course, “the gig economy.” Those are a few of the ways experts label the shift. My personal favorite comes from Accenture, where they talk about “the liquid workforce.” Whatever you call it, I’m part of…

Can We Talk?

It was a comedy of errors, trying to set dates for a series of workshops. A typo in my email kicked it off. Buried in a long list of available dates was “Wednesday, June 25.” Weeks later, the client replied with his choice of dates. Including Wednesday, June 25. Yes, you’re right, June 25 is…

Less Is So Much More

Whether you speak to an audience of hundreds at a conference … or a handful of colleagues around a conference table … discipline is your friend. Here’s what I mean by discipline. You can’t say everything you might like to say in the time you have available. You’ll need to choose what to leave in…

Three Little Words Make A Big Difference

You want people to listen to you? A good way to start is to listen to them. And to let them know you understand what they’re saying, you get them. There’s no need to go on and on encouraging them, or asking questions, or commiserating. All you need is three little words. As they finish…