Don’t pass up the opportunity to expand your network and build your personal brand
The holiday office party is a wonderful time to mingle with colleagues in a less pressured setting. Which makes it a great time for networking. Never thought of an office party as a networking event? Then you are missing a key opportunity to develop or deepen relationships with co-workers, to personally thank those who have…
Respecting another person's space can help you build rapport with your colleagues and close sales with your clients
As a consultant and professional speaker, I often travel by myself and frequently dine alone. This affords me the opportunity to combine two of my favourite pastimes: eating great food and watching people. One night at dinner in an ocean-side resort, I noticed a man and a woman seated across the room. It was a…
10 tips to insure that you make a great impression while you mix and mingle at the office party
Are you planning to attend your office holiday party? I hope so. This is a great occasion to relax and have a good time – and can be a highly anticipated, positive antidote to year-end stress. But anytime you combine fun with professionalism, it can also be a challenge. Here are 10 tips to insure…
When asked what they most want from their employers, four categories are always at the top of a young workers' list
Kendra is majoring in Finance in of one of the top universities in the United States. With one semester of schooling to complete, Kendra spent the summer as an intern in one of the leading high-tech companies in Silicon Valley. That company just made her an offer for full-time employment after graduation, which Kendra will…
Studies show it takes the brain just 200 milliseconds to gather most of the information it needs to determine a person's emotional state
It was a job interview, an important client meeting or even a sales call. You were dressed for success, rehearsed and ready to wow them. So what went wrong? Chances are you got off to a bad start – and that less-than-positive impression began before you said a word. Here are three small mistakes that…
The leader's job is to encourage people to excel by using the soft skills needed to create an atmosphere of caring, trust and inclusion
At a claim office of about 125 employees, the head of Human Resources spent the day observing the local manager. Not only had the office ranked high on productivity, but this particular manager had received fantastic feedback on her company's Leadership Measurement survey. So the HR executive was curious to watch her interact with employees…
Follow our tips and you'll be surprised at how well you can 'read the room'
Here is a tip that will quickly gain you the nonverbal advantage in any negotiation or important business meeting. Want to know what the biggest 'secret' to body language experts' success? They take the time to determine how a person acts under relaxed or generally stress-free conditions so that they can more accurately spot meaningful…
It is time for a new social contract between employers and employees
It's time for a new social contract between employers and employees. Chances are, if your organization is like many others described in numerous studies, half of your workers are doing just enough to get by, 25 per cent are totally turned off and only one quarter are usefully engaged in building your organization and helping…
As long as you know what they're saying
A study from the University of Chicago a few years ago found that the more gestures babies used at 14 months (shaking a head "no," raising arms to be picked up, pointing at an object of interest, etc.), the more words they had in their vocabulary at three years old. Which is no surprise to…
We know that men have a different workplace communication style than women, but does "different" mean better?
We know that men have a different workplace communication style than women – but does "different" mean better? Well, yes. And no. There are obvious strengths and weaknesses in the communication styles of both genders. Based on research project in which I collected responses from 387 employees and managers in the United States, Canada and…