communications
Manage the Endless Stream of Email by Setting Boundaries
One of the reasons email is so hard to manage is that sending it is easy. We can fill up each other’s inboxes by just clicking a button — which is why it’s important to set boundaries around email. Harvard Business Review recommends trying three things…
No You Are Not ‘The Same’
In a recent conversation a sales manager told me that his product was the same as all his competitors. I was appalled. Having used his product and his competitors’ products I knew this was not true. If you are the same, you have a commodity and t…
How Much Time Are You Wasting ‘Communicating’?
Clear communications is important to your success. The more transparent you are and the more your various audiences understand, the better off everyone is. There is a point of diminishing returns. How much time are you wasting in your quest to be trans…
Staying Connected is Key to Your Startup’s Survival — Here’s How to Nail Internal Comms
When it comes to communications, founders are often laser-focused on the outward-facing victories, like securing a splashy podcast spot or landing the coveted cover story. But while earning external press helps to add a coat of polish to…
Listening Is Not Waiting To Speak
There’s an old saying that you should listen twice as much as you speak. This assumes you are really listening. Most people, when not talking, are thinking about what they will say next. This is not listening. To be an effective listener, try the…
Keep Things Fresh By Creating A “New” Day
We all have things that we have to do on a regular basis. We do them over and over and risk falling into a rut. It’s just as easy to fall into a comfort zone and stay there. Whether you’re in a rut or staying in your comfort zone, you need …
Has The “Extra Mile” Gotten Shorter?
When The Modern Observer Group launched a new newsletter a mistake was made. The e-mail system sent the newsletter template out while it was being set up. So a portion of our list received a half done newsletter two weeks before it was supposed to laun…
One Thing That Destroys Your Credibility
You’re making a pitch. You have prepared and practiced. You know your information backwards and forwards. As you speak, you do one thing and suddenly you have no credibility. What did you just say? “Uh.” That was it. You could have su…
Get Away From The Edges
When you walk into a room, one thing you should notice is where people are standing in a room. At the edges are people who are more tentative. They appear unsure of themselves. Seasoned networkers tend to be closer to the center of the room. The best n…