There is an oft-quoted statistic published by a USC professor, Albert Mehrabian, which states that we communicate 55% of a message with our body language, 38% with our tone, pace, and pauses and only 8% with our actual word choice. As a student of communication, I find convincing evidence of this almost every day, but I believe it’s only relevant …
A Jar Full of Love
Pet peeves. We’ve all got ’em. I hate it when guys leave the toilet seat up and I fall right into it in the middle of the night. I hate it when someone takes the last of anything and doesn’t restock it or add it to the grocery list. I hate it when the express checkout lane of 15 items …
The Magic Confrontation Combo
Raise your hand if you love conflict or confrontation? I frequently ask that question in groups I speak to and teams I coach, and usually one or two people will raise their hand. These are typically people who love a challenge or, in some cases, love “the fight” as they see it. Nothing wrong with it, just not how most …
So That
Sometimes, people will do things because they have to even if they don’t really want to, often to avoid a negative outcome. Teenagers will put their seat belts on, not because they want to or because they feel it will keep them safe but so they won’t get a ticket. A team member adds one more thing to their daily …
Mining the Gold in Every Complaint
I truly believe I am a naturally positive person, but, even so, as hard as I try, it’s difficult not to complain from time to time about something. I found out just how hard it is a few years ago when I read the book The No-Complaining Rule by Jon Gordon. It was a good, short read about how much …
Legacy
Today would have been my mother’s 85th birthday. Sadly, she died unexpectedly 10 years ago. Her birthday always brings back a flood of memories which seem to accentuate how much I miss her. My mother left me with many lessons and moments of wisdom, but, as I celebrate her life and her impact on mine this week, a very specific …
The Core of Communication
All my clients want one thing: Results. That’s it. They want results. They want a team that performs at a high level. They want to achieve their goals. They want to enjoy their work. They want to build a respected, productive, and profitable business. They want to make a positive impact. At some level, they simply want a result. And …
Be Like Ron
The countdown has begun. Three days to lift off! For many of us, it could be the lift off of big emotions, big drama, and big triggers that holiday events with family and friends can bring. I mean, we all know that person—the one we know will likely bring the match to the fire. But this year, what if we …
Minding the Gap
Mind the gap. The first time I saw this famous phrase painted on a sidewalk in London, the metaphor for life was not lost on me. Of course, in London, it was a warning to pay close attention to the gap between you and the oncoming train or traffic (which comes from the opposite direction we expect for Americans since …
The Mousetrap Maze
One of the most interesting and provocative leadership training exercises I have facilitated over the years is one I call The Mousetrap Maze. You set it up pretty much exactly the way it sounds, loaded mousetraps are set randomly on the floor in a large defined space. On one side of the line are several pairs of teammates who will …
