Be clear and consistent It can be very helpful to use acronyms and abbreviations on PowerPoint slides during a presentation. This helps save time and space. The key is to be clear as to what they represent, and then be consistent in using them. A manager I train recently asked me to give feedback on […]
When someone is always late Effective meetings can be tough to manage when everyone is on time. What about when someone is always late for meetings? Everyone in an organization knows that lateness can be a problem, but the topic of what to do if someone is consistently late for meetings is rarely discussed. Here, […]
Strong start, strong finish A good presentation conclusion is a very important part of any presentation, and often not given as much attention as it should. Many people focus on starting strong with a good introduction, and then delivering good content. There is nothing wrong with this as long as they finish with the same […]
What do you think? Evaluating an idea without causing offense can be challenging at times. Often it is a colleague, client or your boss who wants to know what you think of an idea. Sometimes you think it’s great, sometimes you don’t, and sometimes you’re going to need to know more before you can respond. […]
Avoid having small issues escalate into big ones Handling complaints quickly can help your company avoid having small issues escalate into big ones. This summer I had the pleasure of taking my five year old to a well-known fun park on a beautiful, but scorching hot August day. For those of you who haven’t been […]
Reacting to bad news Reacting to bad news in a prompt, well-written way can convey a powerful message: not only are you concerned about your business relationships, you also care about how your clients and colleagues are doing personally, too. If a client cancels a meeting because something unfortunate has happened in their lives, take […]
Meeting agendas are optional, right? Business meetings can be held for many reasons: to discuss a topic, find a plan of action or update team members on the status of a project. After you’ve established the purpose and need for your meeting, then the next step is to create an agenda. A meeting without a […]
Updating your CV You may not be looking for new opportunities at the moment, but at some time in your future career you will use it. CV writing in English can be a bit tricky when you don’t keep it up-to-date on a regular basis. Reflecting now on the last 12 months and your successes, […]
Common concerns in weekly virtual team teleconferences It’s Monday, and every Monday I take part in a virtual team teleconference. Part of me appreciates this regular contact but another part of me really doesn’t like these meetings as much as our face-to-face ones. Why? Roughly speaking, it’s because they are so different. I can’t see […]
A good apology email goes a long way when canceling an appointment. You ever get a message from someone declining a meeting in Outlook that had no apology or explanation in it? I’m sure you have and, like me at times, wondered why that person couldn’t make it. Did you think it was rude or […]
Writing clear finance emails can be a challenge at times Because the email was confusing, the wrong cost center was used; because the wrong cost center was used, the payment was late; because payment was late, penalties were charged; because penalties were charged, the contract went over budget; because the contract went over budget, the […]
Do you know what your employees want? Most employees are hopeful and positive when they start out in a new role. From the employer’s point of view it may have been hard work finding a suitable candidate to fill a specific post – you need to keep this newbie. Most companies have an induction process, […]
Writing request emails can be very tricky at times, especially depending on the person to whom you are writing. Many of us work in large, international companies and communicate with colleagues from all over the world. We all depend on others for information that we need to do our job effectively and on time. It […]
Change management is something we all have to deal with on a daily basis. It would be nice if all of our ideas were easily put into action without any people resisting the change. These “resisters” can fight change for many reasons: they are comfortable with how things are, they have different ideas, they don’t […]
In any language, apologising in business is one of the hardest things that anyone has to do. It’s not always easy admitting that we are wrong. If we are not careful, apologies can quickly turn into excuses, and eventually switch from “I’m sorry for what I did” to “I’m sorry you feel that way!” Reasons […]
Motivating people isn’t easy no matter what position you hold in the company. There is an old Japanese proverb which says ‘the bamboo that bends is stronger than the oak that resists.’ A common mistake I was reminded of this recently when working with a client who was responsible for communicating a company-wide change. He […]
Intercultural training seems to be more popular than ever. But there is more than one way to define intercultural training. From my perspective, there are two main areas of intercultural training. The one I see the most, and the one most people seem to ask for, is training about how to act and how not […]
When giving bad news in an email, it’s extremely important to communicate ideas clearly and respectfully. In the email below, Carl Lane has been forced to give his colleagues some very bad news. Mr Lane does some things well in this email, but there are also some things he can improve. Read the email, and […]
Time management does not come naturally to me. Managing my own time is something that I have had to work at. And, good time management is something that I find works best if you apply one or two systems. Here are my two tips for improving your time management: 1. Use a calendar Sounds simple, […]
A question is a question, right? There really isn’t a difference between open and closed questions, is there? Take a look at the brief conversation below: Bob: “Are you satisfied with the prototype?” John: “Not exactly.” Bob: “Could you suggest some changes?” John: “Hmm. Well. No, not really.” Bob: “Should we speak about this later?” […]
