“If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” If you are alive, someone has probably said this to you, and if you have kids or have worked with kids, it is probable that you have said this to one or more of them. As a parent of four kids, I … Read more
When I was a teacher, I learned certain responses annoyed students when they asked clarifying questions: No one likes to be talked down to. The best teachers answer the clarifying question without additional comment. If we’re honest with ourselves, the additional comments are not for the student anyway; they’re for the speaker as an outlet … Read more
About a year ago, I shared some best practices based on research and experience for long online, sessions. Now, a year later, we’ve discovered a few more best practices that don’t seem to be common practice yet. The video best practices. Keeping your video on is still a good idea. We need to see each … Read more
Last week I shared information on Stay Interviews, and DeAnne offered additional thoughts. Today, let’s talk about the traditional exit interview. I still think they can be valuable, but you have to be thoughtful. Two big concepts to keep in mind:1) Exiting employees might like to cite salary as a reason for departure. Dig past … Read more
At a recent HR conference, I heard former Disney Institute trainer Sherri Merbach share ideas on the value of replacing exit interviews with stay interviews. Merbach made the case that exit interviews are too late and employees aren’t honest during them. Therefore, exit interviews are close to a waste of time. While I disagree with … Read more
We talk a lot about communication on this blog, because communicating well is integral to the human experience. We cannot build or maintain relationships without good communication skills. The fallout of bad communication is all around us. Part of the problem, of course, is because we are all very different human beings, with different backgrounds … Read more
Picture this: A man nervously fumbles through his wallet. He’s about to buy a large coffee, which costs $3.19. “Oh, oh, oh,” he started nervously, looking around and shoving his hand into a deep pocket. “Looks like I don’t have enough money.” He laughs in an unusual way. What’s going on? We can all look … Read more
Servant leadership is about looking for opportunities to meet the needs presented to us. So, when we have simple tasks on our plate, it’s natural to ask someone: “Would you please do that for me?” The “for me” is such a common phase, we do not think much about it. In essence, we are asking … Read more
Note from Alan: One of my best friends, Matt Pries, is a wise man and a great writer. I’ve asked him to share some of his thoughts about leadership. Matt is Iowa’s 2021 Coach of the Year, and many of his writings have gone viral online. You’ll read more from him over the next couple … Read more
I’ve brought up this topic before, but the importance of being clear in your communication can not be over-emphasized. There’s a subtle vocal tick careful leaders avoid using–“honestly.” Often we use this word to get the listeners attention and emphasize our message. As a communicator, you lose agency when you begin conversations with phrases that … Read more