April 1, 2013

3 Communication Techniques To Lead Effective Conversations

Steer the Conversation by Asking Better Questions

By Deb Calvert, President, People First Productivity Solutions In the workplace, there’s something about questions that makes people uncomfortable. As a result, we often fail to ask the questions that would elicit information we need in order to be effective.  There are three essential communication techniques you can use to break through these barriers and steer toward effective conversations.    1)     Share Your Intention 2)     Be...Continue reading

By Deb CalvertPosted in Communication Skills on April 1, 2013

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March 28, 2013

5 Big Reasons New Grads are Failing the Job Search

A Step-by-Step Guide to Getting a Real Job After Graduation

By Lea McLeod, M.A. , Founder & CEO, Degrees of Transition “I've been sending out my resume for months and not hearing anything back.” I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had a recent grad call with, literally, that exact same statement. It’s practically epidemic.  But it’s an important statement because its simplicity and honesty belies the vast complexity of situations that created it.    Although a poor resume is one reason new grads are...Continue reading

By Lea McLeodPosted in Career Change, Job Search on March 28, 2013

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March 26, 2013

Creating An Agile Culture: Top 3 Challenges Empowered Teams Face

Is your company culture aligned with rapidly changing business needs?

By Ron Montgomery, Management Consultant & Owner, OnPoint, LLC Agile organizations must overcome cultural challenges to enable teams to function, foster creativity and move quickly.  When Project Managers face organizational challenges they can slow down, or even worse, fail; it takes a companywide approach to succeed.  These challenges were recently published in a survey titled “The State of Agile Development,” where more than 4,000 respondents from various software...Continue reading

By Ron MontgomeryPosted in Project & Process Management on March 26, 2013

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March 24, 2013

Emotional Intelligence for the New Leader

Using Emotional Intelligence to Manage Criticism: 4 Actions You Can Take

By Emilie Shoop, Creator and Leader of Shoop Training & Consulting The concept of Emotional Intelligence was popularized in 1996 by author Daniel Goleman in his bestselling book entitled Emotional Intelligence.  Through both brain and behavioral research, Goleman makes the case that rather than IQ or technical skills, Emotional Intelligence is a better predictor for success especially in leadership.  What does that mean for you?  It means that how you approach life and handle...Continue reading

By Emilie ShoopPosted in Management on March 24, 2013

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March 21, 2013

The Essence of Effective Hiring: 4 Steps to Improve Business Results

A NEW 80/20 Rule for Human Resources & Management

By Joseph Skursky, President of Market Leader Solutions Have you ever felt like you’re paddling as hard as you can to go upstream but just can’t seem to make any progress? If you have, you’re not alone. I see this quite often both in HR and in leadership areas. Most often, the cause is the same.   People.   If they just did what they were supposed to do… If they cared even half as much as you do… If they weren't so difficult...Continue reading

By Joseph SkurskyPosted in Human Resources on March 21, 2013

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March 21, 2013

3 Tips To Understanding Cultural Differences Before You Act

When Communication Meets Culture

By Debbie Nicol, Managing Director, 'business en motion" Communication makes the world go around – or does it?  When a person enters a new work & country culture, communication challenges seem to top the list of ‘lessons learned’. Why is it that an international manager can get something so basic, so wrong?  The reasons can be seen contextualised in three everyday communication scenarios:  Meetings Individualised feedback Providing Instructions Following...Continue reading

By Debbie NicolPosted in International Management on March 21, 2013

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March 19, 2013

Three New Approaches to Making Effective Sales Calls

When Does Persisting become Pestering?

By Deb Calvert, President, People First Productivity Solutions Auto dialers and CRMs, along with Sales Managers everywhere, are being questioned by Sales Reps due to escalating expectations & monitoring systems requiring more aggressive prospect follow-up. Most Sales Reps remain skeptical, feeling that following up too soon or too often will look pushy.   Usually, it’s the sales reps who win on this one. They may, if pressed, make the call, but they will choose not to leave a...Continue reading

By Deb CalvertPosted in Sales & Business Development on March 19, 2013

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March 17, 2013

Curiosity: Asking the Right Questions to Motivate, Manage & Lead

If you have all the answers, new ideas & creative solutions may get lost.

By Claire Laughlin, Consultant & Trainer, Leadership 4 Design Don’t you love the feeling of being curious? I associate it with awe, wonder, interest and spark. Imagine a company culture where this feeling exists at all levels, what a great tool to motivate, manage & lead employees. Unfortunately, as we develop our expertise and take on greater levels of responsibility, we often lose the natural instinct or ‘desire to know and learn’. There are three steps you can practice to...Continue reading

By Claire LaughlinPosted in Communication Skills on March 17, 2013

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March 14, 2013

Reality Check: Overcoming Challenges JMO’s Face Entering the Private Sector

8 Insights & Tips to Help Make Your Transition a Successful One

By Dan Woods, VP & COO ManagingAmericans.com If you are reading this, chances are you recently made a transition from the Military or are thinking about making one in the near future.  Either way, thank you for your tremendous service.  It is my hope that this resource provides some insight that is helpful in your transition.   I wish I could reassure you that your transition will be easy, however, looking back on my own career, having made the very same transition, as well as...Continue reading

By Dan WoodsPosted in Military Officer Transition on March 14, 2013

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March 12, 2013

Learn to Use Delegation as a Tool to Develop & Engage Employees

8 Essential Steps to Develop Others Through Effective Delegation

By Deb Calvert, President, People First Productivity Solutions You’re good at what you do, but you may be doing too much by hanging on to work that you shouldn’t be doing. No matter what your job title is, there are people around you who could take on some of your tasks.  Delegating some of your work to them will benefit you, them, and your company.   This isn’t about offloading work that you don’t like or feel is too big a burden. Thinking of delegating in that...Continue reading

By Deb CalvertPosted in Communication Skills on March 12, 2013

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