One of the most critical problems in all workplaces across the world is communication and interpersonal relationships. People just do not seem to get along
Communication skills are very important when coaching your employees. There are a few key things that you need to keep in mind… Coaching is meant
Discussing taboo topics is like opening a can of worms- once you discuss it, you can’t ignore it. Taboo topics, if left ignored, can start
Communication skills in the workplace are a crucial element in effectively fostering a good relationship between management and employees. Coaxing employees to speak up about
Building successful workplace relationships have both tangible and intangible benefits to the organization, and the cornerstone is communication. Communication affects everything that works or doesn’t
Telling white lies is one of the most common practices in the office, despite the fact that it’s a known problem in business communication skills.
Managing change continues to be at the top of the corporate leadership agenda and is often seen as a core leadership development issue. We all
There is so much going on at work and in our personal lives that employees are often on the verge of burnout and exhaustion. Stress
Employees are always at the verge of burnout, exhaustion, and stress. In highly stressful moments, it is the task of the manager to avert disasters.
As a good leader, you know that everyone in your office is different from you. They understand things differently and do things differently. This is
Good customer service is an important part of any business. A company’s most vital asset is its customers, and without them, no business can exist.
How many of you would say the true value of customer service is customer retention or future sales? How many of you would say that
No customer wants to hear a lame excuse about why you can’t solve a problem for them…would you? As a business owner or as the
We talk a lot about communication skills at work, how to communicate with your boss or employees. What we don’t often mention is how important
The last several months I have been conducting workshops on sales training and helping design sales training programs for several companies. It’s been wonderful as
Gone are the days when manufacturers and business owners could neglect their product’s branding and still get a good profit. Back then, buyers really didn’t
You can’t pick up a magazine or book, read something on the Internet and realize how important good communication skills are in business. In fact,
Communicating with a prospect is like communicating with anyone else in your life, if you don’t listen effectively you will never reach the conclusion you
Being a successful sales person takes a lot of practice. Talking to people and persuading them to make a decision towards your product is tough
In order to win sales, it is important to understand why you must be yourself and not who you think your customer or your boss
Terminating an employee can be awkward, unpleasant and sometimes, scandalous. No one enjoys this process, even if the employee has been a royal pain. Unfortunately,
In this video, Linda Finkle is asked by Dean Newland host of the Business of Intuition Podcast, what do you think is the role of
In this video, Linda Finkle is asked by Dean Newland host of the Business of Intuition Podcast, how do you help a CEO become better
In this video, Linda Finkle is asked by Dean Newland the host of the Business of Intuition Podcast, how do show my team that I
In this video, Linda Finkle is asked by Dean Newland host of the Business of Intuition Podcast – how do I retain my employees and
When I talk to leaders and mention the concept of mastering small talk, I usually get the same response. “I’m busy, Linda, and don’t have
Acquiring and being able to retain top talent is tough. Once they are on board you don’t want to lose them. And you want to
Employees look up to their leaders for guidance. As they say, actions speak louder than words, so what managers show their employees stay in their
The definition of employee motivation is defined as a high level of energy, dedication, and focus that employees bring to their jobs. Wouldn’t it be
In the third installment of this series, we’re going to focus on handling lack of accountability and what it takes to get everyone on board
Different Results Require Different Actions Can you build a corporate culture where management and employees go the extra distance and are willing to take some
One of the most challenging areas for any organization is building a culture where commitment and accountability are the norm, rather than the exception. A culture
Organizations spend so much time attending and sitting in meetings whether for reporting purposes, planning, meeting with suppliers, organizational meetings, brainstorming sessions, employee assessments… the
Effective Leadership through Commitment Tracking: How to Keep Your Team’s Trust and Loyalty Admit it, you make more promises than you can actually keep. You
Companies hate the hiring process. You wade through a sea of resumes, identify some that make the cut, spend countless hours interviewing, comparing notes with
Terminating employees is perhaps the most challenging part of any manager’s job. No one enjoys having the discussion and even thinking about it makes many
No one likes terminating employees. Even if they have been a poor performer, even if you have talked to them dozens of times and issued
Communication problems in the workplace are inevitable. As organizations grow, communication becomes harder. When there were only a handful of employees, staff meetings were done
Leaders are constantly dealing with problems inside and outside the company as well. When it comes to internal problems there are 5 critical problems that
One of the most difficult tasks for any leader is conducting employee performance reviews. When you have to share information that indicates their performance is
Having conversations with staff where you are discussing performance that is unsatisfactory isn’t fun. No one wants to engage in those conversations, expecting the worst,
Every leader knows that communicating during a crisis is critical. The question is though what do you communicate and how do you communicate the information?
One of the greatest challenges for leaders is ensuring the cooperation of its employees to change. Many people in companies are averse to change, some
Disclaimer: It is never pleasant to fire someone, regardless if you know that person well or not. However, if you have a poor performing employee
The president of an investment company hired me to come in and help him assess the leadership team and determine if he had the right
The president of a $100m company hired me to work with one of their key executives because he needed help working on his leadership skills.
Great teams are what make high-performing companies work like a well-oiled machine. An ideal team is able to merge individual talents and skills into one
Admit it, you make more promises than you can actually keep. You make promises to your spouse, your child, your team, your colleagues, your boss
Whether you like it or not, generation gaps exist in the workplace — there’s Gen X, Gen Y, and what they call Baby Boomers who
As more companies are moving to remote work forces, something has been left unaddressed. That is access and meaningful access to managers. It’s no longer
Case Study: Situation: Jennifer,an owner of a financial service firm came to me to help her run her business more successfully. Her long term goal
Did you know that your feelings and past experiences can get in the way of your communication? Next time you feel a strong emotion or
The president of a home improvement company hired me to come in and help him take the company to the next level. The company had
Recently I had a client ask me how to build relationships with prospects when you can’t sit across the table from them. He shared that
Whether you are in sales, customer service or leadership, building relationships with others is key to your success. This isn’t about making friends or having
Every company has the same challenge, finding the right talent for their organization who has the ‘right’ mix of technical and soft skills. In fact
Do you think that you have no choices and things happen to you? You didn’t get into the university of your choice and you had
People hate conference calls, most attendees think it’s a waste of time and even the host thinks it’s a chore to keep everyone engaged when
Communication affects everything that works or doesn’t in an organization. It’s true in all areas of a business, and is the cornerstone of successful workplace
Keeping to a schedule is challenging in the best of times. Unexpected situations come up that interfere, even for those of us who are primo
Customer service, or ‘the customer experience’ is aimed at customers having positive touch points with the company from whom they are purchasing goods or services.
Every year I attend an invitation only conference for seasoned coaches. This particular year it was in Orlando. The first night I woke up about
When an organization faces big challenges such as a huge loss of market share, a public image crisis at the senior leadership level, a shift
I frequently get asked how to master having difficult conversations. I hear the same comments “I’m not good at having these conversations” or “they always
Culture doesn’t just happen in a company. Ok I take that back, it does if you aren’t paying attention to it and don’t; focus on
Few people enjoy having difficult conversations of any type. For leaders reviewing performance of a team member that is performing sub par, this conversation can
How many articles have you read on what makes a great leader? Dozens I suspect. Do you remember how many conversations you have had with
We live in a digital world, and communicating seems easier when we can email or text rather than have a conversation face-to-face or via the
Do you feel like you are working all the time and yet always seem to be behind? Are your spouse, significant other, or kids complaining
There are tons of articles for leaders on delegating. Yet there isn’t much information on how to work with someone who doesn’t delegate, and really
Delegating is a science. No, delegating is an art. Wait, it’s both. Yes, you can learn the techniques of delegating…learning what to delegate, to whom
Reading books on leadership, going to leadership development seminars and catching up on the latest blogs related to becoming a better leader are important steps
Bad bosses are more than simply those that don’t lead well. They can be mildly or highly toxic. In fact many employees surveyed indicate that
It seems something is in the air the last few months. I keep getting calls from clients about challenges they are having with team members
Everyone in your company has to at some point have a difficult conversation with someone outside the company. From having a conversation with a client
Critical and difficult conversations may not be the same thing, though we often think of them the same. Critical conversations can be, and often are
There are many types of toxic people in the workplace and having a difficult conversation with one doesn’t have to something you dread. We all
There is no getting around having difficult conversations at work. It doesn’t matter whether you are in a leadership role or not, sooner or later
How often do you say no? No, I can’t attend the meeting. No, I can’t can’t be a volunteer or sit on the board. No,
In this video Linda shares that at the root of most problems leaders encounter are communication problems. She show you how to use good communication
Busyness feels good doesn’t it? We make long lists of to-do lists, run around like crazy people, constantly in motion and we feel good. Think
Time management is an oxymoron. Time is beyond our control, and the clock keeps ticking regardless of how we lead our lives. Priority management is
We all do it, we miss conversations we should have, but don’t think about having. I’m not referring to those conversations we all hate having
We live in a super fast-paced, digital world where others expect immediate response, and sometimes even instant results. I didn’t grow up professionally in the
Decisive leaders are valued. They make decisions and go with it, and seemingly never look back. How often have you heard from colleagues about
What is the most important leadership skill to have? Integrity! Dwight D. Eisenhower said “ The supreme quality for leadership is unquestionably integrity. Without it,
Of course, no business can exist without customers, that goes without saying. But how did we get the idea that customers are more important than
Listening is THE most important leadership skill you should master. Actually, everyone should learn to master listening as it at the core of all
Hundreds, probably thousands of articles have been written about projecting confidence in front of an audience when you are making a presentation or giving a
It’s not actually true that complaining accomplishes nothing…and I’ll get to that in a minute. First, let me share a story…last week I was at
Effective communication is more than just the words coming out of your mouth. We send messages to people in ways we may not even think
4 communication skills that will turn that frown upside down when handling customers. I’ve said it before and I will say it again, communication
One of the most challenging aspects of communication is having those ‘difficult conversations’. Examples of those difficult conversations might be: Critiquing a colleague’s work Talking
Communication is both the root of all problems and the solution. Improper communication leads to more issues than just about anything; while communicating effectively helps
It goes without saying that in order to rally the troops and get things done and get things done successfully and effectively that communication plays
Accountability…it’s a word that I hear from every leader in every organization. The question on their lips is how do I get people to be
The true test of your leadership skills is being able to lead your team while you’re away from the office. Ever gone on a conference
Hiring and retention are two sides of the same coin. You know that you need to invest time, money and effort to recruit new employees
Maybe you have already completed your budget and plan for next year. If so, congratulations! Less than 30% of all businesses, especially small businesses, actually
I truly believe that the single biggest asset any company has is not whatever product or service they provide, not physical equipment or buildings and
Words make a difference. Words have power. They shape how we see the world, and while you may think they mean the same thing to
When I talk about the topic of communication, most people roll their eyes and quit listening. They have heard it all before, believe they communicate
Conflict and difficult conversations at work are what everyone in the workplace dislikes the most and tries to avoid… You know…those uncomfortable conversations whether they
The #1 skill you as a leader need to focus on improving is your communication skills! Why do I say that when there are so
You should think of communication skills as a life skill, not simply a business skill. The problem is though that most of us aren’t
Is Employee Engagement Really a Good Thing? Pick up a business magazine, open the internet or attend a conference and the hot topic is employee
Employee engagement is a topic that we hear about all the time. Are You the Cause of Your Workforce Disengagement? What Can You Do
We’ve all been there. You’re having a discussion with a colleague and all the sudden the discussion turns from a discussion to an argument to
It can feel like it is difficult to prevent communication problems in the workplace…Every team goes through disagreements; you just can’t expect everyone to agree
Conflict is going to happen at work. It’s inevitable, even in those companies that are rated as the best places to work. When we are
Even day-to-day communication can be difficult and having those critical conversation require Herculean ability. They are thorny, complicated and often messy. Critical, difficult, frightening, challenging,
When there is conflict at work we always believe it’s the other guy’s fault; your passive-aggressive colleague, the boss who is incompetent, the peer who
I work with a lot of people and companies on improving their communication skills. Whether a company or individual hires me because there is a
Let me ask you…do you think you need to improve your communication skills? Whether you realize it or not, words you use in conversations make
Communication is more than just the words coming out of your mouth. We send messages to people in ways we may not even think about.
Don’t make the mistake of not discussing communication problems in the workplace that may be costing your company. You’re the boss, in most cases; your job
Effective communication skills in the workplace seem to not be a priority…Have you noticed how emails, texts, and group teleconferencing are slowly replacing face to
Effective communication in the workplace is a skill that a lot of leaders haven’t caught on to…yet. Why is it that the focus of leaders is
Nothing is more important in relationships, and for success in business than communication. Yet communication is a skill we don’t pay enough attention to developing.
Being a leader or manager isn’t easy. Besides the pressure of meeting deadlines, often with not enough resources, everyone looks to you for the answers.
Each of us wants to believe we are successful communicators. Truth be told, though, when things don’t work out as we expected we want to
Go on any of the job posting sites, pick up a job description or talk to any manager and they all have a common theme…that
Do you remember how you felt when you walked into your office yesterday? Did you feel an intangible but very persistent feeling that everyone is
Accountability in the workplace doesn’t just happen. You have to create it and consistently monitor and manage it. One of the most challenging areas for
Leadership is not a learned skill. Why do I say that? Because the essence of leadership is about caring about other human beings and their
You’re doing a presentation of the marketing plan for a large project in front of your boss and a bunch of other guys from different
Any of this sound familiar? Your boss is on a different time zone than you and assumes, maybe expects, you will be available around theirs.
One of the biggest challenges for everyone, especially leaders, is having powerful conversations. A powerful conversation can be: A difficult conversation A conversation about something
For the last several years YPO (Young President’s Organization) has held a “Raising Capital Conference” to teach entrepreneurs and CEOs who want to raise venture
Listening and hearing are not the same, but most people use the words interchangeably. I can’t tell you how often I will say to my
When you read the words, communicating about performance, does it make you want to run and hide? I have yet to meet a manager who
When I am working with new coaches they often request I provide information on the right questions to ask clients. Sales people I work with
A huge obstacle to successful communication is that our emotions get in the way. In fact, our emotions can and often do hold us hostage.
Communication is simple, right? We talk and someone else listens, or they talk and we listen. So if it’s so simple why is the outcome
Leaders are constantly dealing with problems both inside and outside the company. Communication challenges are often at the root of many problems, thus leaders who
All great leaders know that actions speak louder than words, but what are your actions saying? As a leader it is easy to focus on
Ask a hundred people about their communication skills and most, if not all, will tell you they believe they communicate well. They don’t distinguish between
Communication affects everything that works or doesn’t in an organization. In my book Finding the Fork in the Road, I use one of my favorite quotes.
Communicating effectively is a skill every single one of us could improve. It’s not so challenging to communicate when everything is hunky dory and we
I can’t begin to tell you how challenging 2016 was for me at many levels. Seemed like everything we wanted to do at Incedo got
Communication is one of the most complex topics of conversation, as it is a factor in almost every part of business. So, when we discuss
Everybody Wants Rock Stars I doubt there is a company around that wouldn’t want to hire the best talent possible (assuming you could afford it).
It is an Incedoism that communication is both the root of all problems, and the solution. Poor communication leads to more issues than just about
Every team needs to work well together. Success for any organization depends on this and every manager would love for this to happen organically. Yet
How do we move employees from good to great or so-so to good? One method is through performance reviews, and conducting a review that is truly
Every leader wants accountable employees. You want to know that you can count on them to do what they say they are going to do,
According to a popular book on lies, by renowned Harvard Ph.D Bella DePaulo, on average, most people lie once a day. Based on that, how
Have you walked around the office and noticed that some people have an air of confidence to their walk, clarity to their conversation and a
We live in a world where doing business in other countries isn’t as complicated as it once was. Technology has allowed us to easily communicate
Globis, a provider of workplace mediation services in the UK, surveyed 200 managers and found that 80% of them know that having difficult conversations are
If you’re like most bosses, you approach hiring as a one-man process. And by one-man, I mean you and HR or the recruiter. You’re the
What’s a 360 degree assessment? It’s a tool for getting feedback from everyone around you: your boss, subordinates, clients or customers and your peers. Hence
Many companies promote managers based on merit or their professional achievements—not for their management skills. What’s most unfortunate is though these people want to do
I guess this is my month for rants. Gosh I hope I’m not coming across as a complainer as that’s not the message I want
Life’s lessons are all around us if we take the time to notice them. I tend to pay attention and thus I suspect I’m attuned
So many organizations have remote teams, multiple locations, or employees working virtually these days. I want to state right up front that I have limited
When you improve your communications skills, the impact to your organization is huge. Why do I say that? Here are some examples of how improving
A couple of months ago I wrote a blog post on why it’s necessary to improve your presentation skills. If you missed it, you can
Corporate team-building has moved away from hiring successfully, communicating skillfully, aligning expectations and holding people accountable, and veered into the realm of having fun. Don’t
Everybody’s doing it, talking about poor communication skills and wondering how to get people in their organizations to improve. You can’t pick up an employment
Most everyone I know thinks communicating is easy. In fact, most of them believe it’s the other person, not them, that is the problem. If
Organizations are often in continual change mode. Let’s face it…rapid change is the nature of business today. Managing change is one of the key business
Because I work mostly with executives and business owners, almost every day I hear the same lament, “If only these people would listen.” Somehow we
Last week we talked about how communication affects everything that works or doesn’t in an organization. This week I want to discuss how communication is
Mistakes are inevitable, no matter how well employees are trained or how stringent a company’s recruitment process is, they are going to make mistakes. It
Solving a problem together can work wonders, which is why there’s a cliché: two heads (or more) are better than one. This is why teams
Performance reviews help in the process of developing employees. It’s done regularly to ensure that managers are keeping track of employees as they grow with
It’s always a sad story when an employee leaves an organization. The hiring process entails investment in money, time, and effort but all these investments
Wouldn’t it be nice to get a preview of how a person thinks before you actually hire him to work for your company? Let’s face
Perhaps one of the most alarming issues a company may face, whether big or small, is a high rate of employee turnover. Just imagine if
Many companies have to learn it the hard way—hiring a superstar employee may cause your business more harm than good. Recruiting new employees isn’t just
Negotiation is a skill that you can learn, it’s not an elusive skill given only to those who were “chosen.” If you want to start
Have you ever wondered why it’s so hard to communicate with other people? Do you often feel that whomever you were talking to didn’t understand
As a manager, your job description often goes beyond professional guidance. There will be times when you’ll need to provide a helping hand, or even
Communication problems in the workplace are inevitable. As organizations grow, communication becomes harder. When there were only a handful of employees, staff meetings were done
We’ve heard it over and over, seminars and books talking about teamwork and business communication skills, but just like many other business strategies it’s easier
Would you believe me if I tell you that, the most important part of the hiring and retention process is employee orientation? This is the
Gone are the days where the most powerful and most influential corporations reside in the first world countries like US and UK. Businesses are booming
One of the best tools great leaders use to help their staff grow is questions. Yes, questions, not just trivial questions, but questions that matter.
So much more is expected from managers and leaders today. You are supposed to be skilled leading people to get results. One of the most
Hiring good people for your company may be the single most challenging part of building your business. This entails long hours of filtering through applications,
Creativity is one of the rarest yet an all important ability in the workplace. Many managers want to stimulate their employees’ creativity, yet have no
There is no doubt that a growing company would eventually experience problems concerning communication skills in the workplace. To communicate in a small company, all