A Love-Hate Relationship With Social Media

With all the hype that surrounds social media, I have found that there is a relatively large segment of the business professional population that is resistant to embracing this huge trend. The age of this group tends to be over the age of 40, but I am also meeting an increasing number of younger professionals…

Handle With Care

Have you ever heard the saying “It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it?”  Or how about “Your perception is your reality?”  Both really say the same thing but in a different way.  No matter what your intent is, how your message is “heard” or “viewed” is the actual reality.  It doesn’t matter…

Person To Person

No matter what the size of a company, it’s success depends on people.  Whether it has 500 employees or only one, or if we are talking about B2B or B2C industries, it still revolves around people.  People who make decisions, have opinions and needs, concerns, deadlines, and goals. People who embody the brand of a…

Two Clicks

I received an email recently from a business acquaintance looking for some information.  He was frustrated because he went to the organization’s website and was unable to locate the answer to his question.  He said, “I’m sure it is there somewhere online but if two clicks don’t get me there I tend to move on.”…

Temptation

“A desire to do something, especially something wrong or unwise.” The worst kind of temptation we can fall prey to is the most subtle kind.  The type that without even fully realizing it, you have made the wrong or unwise choice.  In our professional lives this is a common reality that can be avoided if…

Failure Is an Option

Raise your hand if you like to fail.  Probably not a single hand went up if I had to bet. Failure is not enjoyable nor desired, but it can always be an option.  While we know that to be true, what we may not believe is that failure can actually be a positive option if…

Desperate, But Not Serious

Have you ever been at a networking event and noticed the person who is trying just a bit too hard to make a connection (i.e. sale)?  They may do things like: promptly give you their business card right at the introduction talk, and talk, and talk about themselves and their business hover near you the…

Learning from the Best

If you were given the opportunity to learn from the best, without any cost to you, would you take it?  Whether it’s your profession, your hobby, or your sport of choice, chances are you would say “Absolutely!”  Who in their right mind, you might ask, would say “no thanks?” You obviously picked the profession you…

The Core

Whenever I hear someone say they are looking for the best price, I cringe.  That’s like shopping for a heart surgeon with the lowest price.  Or using the lowest price to purchase a car for your family.  Price alone does not warrant value or quality.  And if someone says to me “I’m looking for the…

Building Momentum

It’s amazing the power of appreciation.  The people who do it best are often times the most influential leaders.  At its core, appreciation recognizes the value in another.  When that recognition is achieved, a great power has been unleashed. I saw it first-hand at an annual employee Holiday party that was celebrating the successes of…