Are You Missing Out?
Listening … it is the most used communication skill but is the least taught. We often assume that we are good at listening. But, are we? Have you ever been on a conference call and realized that everyone was waiting for your response to a question you didn’t hear?...
Political Candidates Are Not the Only Ones That Need to Build TRUST
The Republican convention is now a memory and the Democratic convention is upon us. Numerous polls have shown that trust is a big issue in this election. Depending on who sponsors the poll, Hillary or Donald has more or less trustworthiness. Speakers on the convention...
The Influence of RNC Speakers
The Republican National Convention offered a chance to examine our ability to influence others in the workplace. Every single speaker on that stage in Cleveland wanted to influence us. They wanted us to take a clear and decisive action: Vote Trump/Pence. Their...
Microsoft Lesson: What to Do When Tech Fails
In 1995, Bill Gates, Microsoft’s co-founder & former CEO, was delivering a pre-launch presentation of Windows 98 live on national TV. As a colleague plugged in a scanner, the computer suddenly crashed and showed the dire “Blue Screen” message... With cameras still...
The Buck Stops Here: A Lesson in Professional Accountability
At a conference last month, I sat next to a professionally dressed and extremely articulate young man who’d recently been hired as COO of a medical services company. “What are your biggest challenges?” I asked him. He went on to explain that his board of directors was...
5 Tips to Influence & Lead Others — Even Without Authority
A recent participant in a BRODY training program contacted me last week via e-mail. “I’ve been put in charge of a large project and was told to choose my own team from any departments in the organization,” she wrote. “If successful, it will be the beginning of a whole...
5 Small Talk Strategies to Build Business Relationships
At a recent business conference, I had the good fortune to meet many speakers whom I’d admired for a long time. There was one woman in particular that I was eager to chat with -- I’d read two of her books, followed her blog and was fascinated by her career and...
Social Media Can Influence Your Hiring Decisions
Social media can be a useful tool for managers when hiring, promoting or even assigning new projects. Your job candidates or high potentials look great on paper, and present well in person, but does their professionalism extend to their online presence? Consider...
The Importance of Discretion: A Cautionary Tale
Sometimes the things I see and hear while traveling on business seem too surreal to be true. Unfortunately, that’s not the case with this story from my travels… This really happened. I had just delivered a business etiquette training program for new hires at a major...
3 Strategies to Avoid Career-Killing Behaviors & Mistakes
Often, it’s the new hires who need the most help navigating corporate politics and office dynamics – but not always. Even seasoned employees can have career-hurting missteps. Here’s a story of the former… A colleague’s college-senior son – let’s call him James – had a...