This article was originally published on December 26th, 2008. After writing Networking in the 21st Century, I find it even more relevant! In working with clients on developing their communication skills, I’ve found that there are a lot of people who are nervous about their ability to hold a good conversation. Many are scared enough to actually avoid talking to others in social situations. They may feel comfortable talking with good friends, but chatting with new acquaintances or starting new conversations is way out of their league. Debra Fine’s The Fine Art of Small Talk is a fantastic guide through the process of engaging others in … [Read more...]
How to Fix the 3 Delegation Leaks That are Costing You
Ask any plumber and they'll tell you: leaky pipes are bad news. They lead to decreased intensity, wasted resources, and slower delivery. And there's a good chance that if you are leading a team, there are a lot of leaks in your delegation "pipes". In my work with small business owners and entrepreneurs, I've found that one of their biggest hurdles comes when they have to start delegating tasks to their team. They've moved past the point where they can do all of the work themselves, and they need to spread activities around. Leaky Delegation Creates More Work But often, instead of taking responsibilities off of the leader's shoulders, … [Read more...]
Someone in my Network is Talking Smack about Me!
"Don't wrestle with a pig. You both get dirty and the pig enjoys it." - Mark Twain I was talking with my massage therapist the other day, and as often happens, our conversation turned toward business development. At one point (right when she was working on the knot in my right shoulder), she shares, "Someone in my networking is bad-mouthing me, and I don't know what to do!" This is a big problem for her, because as a solo practitioner, she gets all of her clients on her own. She has built up a robust business solely on relationships in our community - both through client referrals and from the recommendations of various centers of … [Read more...]
In Social Media, Attitude is Everything
When someone brings up social media, do you cringe or do you get excited? You don't have to tell me what you thought, but your answer to that question is the strongest indicator of your success in using social media to drive your career. In training thousands of professionals on how to effectively use sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to accomplish their goals, I've found one certainty: Attitude is everything Your Social Media Approach Matters How someone approaches social media is the biggest determinant on how effectively they integrate it into their business life Why? Because social media isn't about technology or about … [Read more...]
Rock n’ Roll Bands and the New Entrepreneurial World
I remember reading Daniel Pink's Free Agent Nation a few years ago back and thinking, "This guy is on to something." Its description of an economy driven by the short-term partnerships of solopreneurs and freelancers turned out to be prescient. It's hard to define and a quickly-moving target. But the number of professionals working for themselves is trending up in a significant way. (here are some statistics for you). For many professionals, this new arrangement for business is overwhelming and a little scary. There's a lot of coming together and breaking apart and reforming into something new. It's conceivable to work with someone … [Read more...]
Why Was That Brilliant?
Some of the most useful (and entertaining) professional development classes I’ve ever taken have been improv-comedy classes. Besides making me a little less unfunny at parties, I’ve learned some powerful and practical communication skills in these classes. One of them came from a brilliant teacher, Tim Whetham. (He was the teacher who pointed out on the first day of class that, “everyone is already good at improv, we do it 24 hours a day). In a class on performing an improvisational scene with a partner, Tim pointed out that your focus in the scene should be to validate the choices the other actor makes. In the heat of the moment it’s … [Read more...]