What you don’t know can, and ultimately does, hurt you and potentially others. Instead of keeping negative information hidden, what you want others to do is tell it like it is or at least let you know when they believe something is wrong. Communicating honestly, even when it raises tempers and/or hurts feelings, will ultimately […]

Communicating negative information or offering criticism to people of equal status is difficult but doable. They don’t have to listen to you and even if they do, they don’t have to agree with you or act upon what you say. Your chances of getting them to accept your point of view will greatly increase if […]

Failure can be a major impediment to a successful career. The hurt from it can last a lifetime. The fear of it can stifle your ambition and diminish your potential. So, you might ask, what’s the point of learning about a subject that’s known to cause such grief and suffering?  The answer is that by […]

Providing critical feedback to someone you don’t know or don’t trust is difficult to achieve without leaving behind hurt feelings. Those of the receiving end of your rejection are not likely to respond positively unless you are open, honest, and direct with them. Providing negative feedback is one-half of the relationship equation; receiving it is […]

Responding to the profile below will help you discover which of your behaviors align with those of a Doer and which will need further development as you work through the stages of learning. ___  Use expertise, information, and goodwill as your personal power base. ___  Create internal, cross-functional communication channels. ___  Volunteer to solve problems […]

Probing for the cause of rejection with the intent to shift the outcome in your favor is a lifelong endeavor that takes courage and persistence. Having the desire to change your behavior makes you a “doer”: someone who strives to do the right thing the right way for the right reason. Doers have something special […]

When managers respond to surveys asking them which duties they avoid or ignore, motivating underperformers tops the list. They further acknowledge having neither the confidence nor the competence to take on this unpopular task, choosing instead to reject those who show little initiative in the hope they’ll get the message and improve on their own. […]

Your mother was right about first impressions being important, but they’re not always the ones you want to rely upon when it comes to working with another person. This is particularly true if you think that person is an idiot. You really don’t get a clear sense of what a colleague has to offer until […]

We treat top level leaders like superstars by expecting them to perform perfectly and to be all knowing. If fact, they rarely do. But they can’t admit not knowing for fear of losing face. So when somebody in the back of the room at the new product launch asks, “What happens to my job if […]

Each time you accept that you don’t know something and want to learn about it, you’re signaling your willingness to examine old habits, think in new ways, and acquire additional skills. In this learning mode your needs and interests are called into question, opened for examination, and measured to determine whether anything is out of […]