Every day I’m meeting people who are stressed and frustrated because they are unable to speak up to their managers with their ideas, opinions, and also their frustrations.
So here are some pointers.
 When your power base is low and the stakes are high, proceed with care. These conversations can be career limiting. Plan exactly what [...]

Everyone talks about the importance of relationships; in teams, with customers, with your boss, with your staff; in families, with spouses and partners. But mostly what I hear are people holding the kind of conversations that do little to build relationships and are often virtually guaranteed to damage them!
I hear emotional outbursts, accusations and blame. [...]

We know that when you don’t have rapport with an audience, you have no effective communication. I was recently reminded, and very forcefully, how true that is.
I was in a presentation where the first speaker was skilful, relaxed, upbeat and enthusiastic, had no need of notes and was known and respected by many people in [...]

You will have seen on the web site that my first book on Straight Talk was published recently. As I went to buy the Sunday newspaper in which a review of the book had been published, I reflected on feedback and how a review of a book is actually performance feedback.
I felt excited, and a [...]

Coaching, counselling, mentoring, one-on-ones; performance management, appraisal, review…I see managers spend enormous amounts of time talking to employees in an effort to help them improve their performance.
But with what results?
The logic starts with the assumption that there is an effective selection process in place that ensures people are placed in positions where they have the [...]