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Meeting Agendas: 3 Key Elements

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: Quick Tips

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, […]

Apology Emails: 3 Tools to Help

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 […]

Finance Emails: Quick Tips for Clarity

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 […]

Getting to know what your employees want

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: 3 Solutions to Help

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 […]

Accounts Receivable: Improving Collection

If you work in accounts receivable, then you know how difficult it can be to call customers about overdue invoices. If you’re working in a second language, then the challenges start to multiply: the person might not understand you, they might be rude to you or they might get defensive when you ask for payment. […]

Change Management: 3 Tips on Dealing with Resistance

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 […]

Motivating People: Using Emails Within a Virtual Environment

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 […]

Writing Emails: Giving Bad News

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: 2 Simple Tips

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, […]

Open and Closed Questions: What’s the Difference?

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?” […]

Doing Business Internationally: What JFK Can Teach Us

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 […]

Remembering Names: Quick Tips

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 […]

The 9 Ground Rules for Effective Groups

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 […]

Giving Negative Feedback: Quick Tips

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 […]

Negotiation Tips: Preparation

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? […]

Teleconference Tips and Phrases

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