strategy
Set A Timer When Making A Tough Decision
We spend a lot of time and energy each day making choices — some minor, and some serious. But it’s possible to handle decisions of all kinds more efficiently. One strategy is to use a timer for the most difficult and unpredictable decisions. Some …
Focus on Your Breath to Sound More Persuasive
Breathing plays a big role in how you sound. The ability to harness your breath is critical when you’re speaking up in a meeting or giving a speech or presentation. To speak with more confidence and power, focus on your breath. Stand with your feet sho…
Developing Ideas Requires More than A Presentation
We often think a one-way presentation during meetings is the best way to share ideas. But presentations are really meant to inform or persuade an audience. If you’re looking to develop, build upon, and get consensus on an idea, you need to facili…
Motivate People By Changing One Word
If you’re trying to motivate someone make the decision to act, it’s important to show that you’re focused on their needs, not yours. Pronouns can help. They’re small, but potent, signals that communicate a speaker’s focus of attention. The key to helpi…
Learn Into Adversity
When times get tough, many people think the first thing they need to do is minimize the pain. It’s a reasonable idea. No one wants to suffer after all. If you minimize the pain it’s easier to get through the adversity. That may or may not b…
Don’t Brush Off Positive Feedback — Study It
Most of us remember critical feedback. Criticism is jarring and threatening, so it tends to stick in our brains. Most of us dismiss positive feedback, sometimes people think of it as people being nice and sometimes people assume that it’s sarcasm…
Don’t Brush Off Positive Feedback — Study It
Most of us remember critical feedback. Criticism is jarring and threatening, so it tends to stick in our brains. Most of us dismiss positive feedback, sometimes people think of it as people being nice and sometimes people assume that it’s sarcasm…
Losing Your Audience During a Presentation? Try This
You can tell when an audience has stopped listening to a presentation. Phones come out, people slouch in their seats, maybe someone dozes off. If you notice this happening during your talk, try a few techniques to grab people’s attention. Move around t…
Set “Time Boundaries” to Protect Your Schedule
Meetings that run long or unexpected requests from colleagues can prevent you from getting an important task done, make you leave work late, or even disrupt family time. How can you set and communicate boundaries so that you feel your time is respected…
Don’t Let Work Stress Keep You Up At Night
Work stress is inevitable, but it doesn’t have to get in the way of a good night’s sleep. Try these strategies during the day to avoid worrying about work at all hours of the night. Make a to-do list. The act of writing down uncompleted tasks allows yo…