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?” […]
June 26th marks the 50th anniversary of American President John F. Kennedy’s ‘Ich bin ein Berliner’ speech in West Berlin. Kennedy’s historically significant address came after the Soviet backed East Berlin had erected a wall to prevent ease of movement. Although delivered on a German platform the speech was intended for the world’s stage. So […]
When I was a kid I used to love Christmas and birthdays and all the presents that came with them. The part I hated was the thank you letters my parents made me write afterwards. Of course I didn’t appreciate how necessary they were at the time, after all I’d said thanks after tearing off […]
Do you often take part in meetings or workshops? Do you have trouble remembering the names of new people? In my job as a trainer, I often spend whole days running sessions with people who I have never met before. I make a point of remembering the names of all of the people. I am […]
In a recent conversation, one of my program participants mentioned the workplace value of the skills of moderation and facilitation. This conversation piqued my interest, so I searched the Net for the best books about facilitation and chose one that is considered a classic text on the topic of facilitation: The Skilled Facilitator: A Comprehensive […]
A stone makes a chip in your windscreen. If you leave it, it will spread and a small crack will become significantly larger, and likely more expensive to repair. Leave it too long and the chances of you having to replace the complete windscreen are pretty much guaranteed. Being unhappy with one of your team’s […]
The motto “be prepared” might normally be associated with the Girl Guides, Scouts, and campfires, but it could just as well be adopted as a motto for a successful negotiation. Whether or not we are born negotiators, preparing ourselves for a negotiation is essential. But how do we go about preparing as simply as possible? […]
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Could I ask you for some feedback? Seven words which can make both the person asking and the person being asked nervous. Asking for feedback can be awkward and challenging at times, but there are a few things to help make it easier. I recently asked a colleague of mine for some feedback following a […]
Do you ever have to talk to customers about your products or services? Do you focus on the features or benefits? I often see presentations or sales pitches where the speaker talks about the features of their product. This sounds fine until you think about what features really are. Features are what define your product. […]
During a recent holiday period, I saw a lot of English out of office replies from non-native speakers. What intrigues me is the fact that no two are the same. There is nothing wrong with this. After all, why should we all be identical? But really, how many ways of saying the same thing are […]
Have you ever had a dream job or a job you really wanted, but didn’t know how to get started in looking for it? An informational (or information) interview is when someone looking for a job meets with someone else in their target company or industry and asks for career or industry advice, but not […]
I know enough people at my company. I have enough friends. I’m not comfortable speaking and reaching out to people I don’t know. I’m not a salesperson. The list of excuses on why not to engage in professional networking can go on and on. As undesirable as it can seem, networking successfully can lead to […]
Target Talks is a series of interviews with key Target Training GmbH employees, designed to put them on the spot about a topic that really matters to all of us: the importance of training. This week, we talk to Sebastian Turnbull, Training Materials Specialist. Before we get down to talking about your views on the […]
How do you deal with translation now? Most of my participants have been in a situation in which they’ve prepared a document, presentation, blog post, email etc. in their own language, and then it needs translation into English. Does that sound familiar? Most would probably agree that this can take ages, and can be a […]
Target Talks is a series of interviews with key Target Training GmbH employees, designed to put them on the spot about some topics that really matter to all of us: staff, intercultural, and soft skill training. This week, we talk to Chris Slattery, one of the company’s directors. As the Managing Director of a training […]
