http://www.straight-talk.co.za/blog Straight Talk Blog - articles on talking and listening for anyone interested in learning straight talking skills Fri, 03 Feb 2012 11:31:46 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Learning how to say no is one of the best ways to reduce your stress level. Use it to protect your personal time and resources, and to avoid the resentment you feel when you allow yourself to be pushed into saying yes. Learn it and use it. Think how you feel ... http://www.straight-talk.co.za/blog/how-to-say-no/ We say yes when we really want to say no because we fear that others will criticise us for being selfish, uncaring or unhelpful. We say yes to hold onto the illusion that we can be there for everyone, the dependable fall-back in every crisis, the perfect employee, perfect friend ... http://www.straight-talk.co.za/blog/how-often-do-you-say-yes-when-you-mean-no/ The diverse, democratic societies of today require communication that is more thoughtful, tolerant of difference and open to negotiated solutions. Communications technology has got smarter, but our communication is less effective than ever. In Business Day, 25 January 2012, Bobby Godsell writes that successful societies in the 21st century need rapid ... http://www.straight-talk.co.za/blog/better-conversations-create-better-relationships/ This is the ninth of the blog posts based on the top ten most read Straight Talk Tips that go to my clients each month. The tips are free and you can sign up for them here How to manage change effectively Almost all organisations undergo extensive change at some time in their ... http://www.straight-talk.co.za/blog/how-to-manage-change-effectively/ This is the eighth of the blog posts based on the top ten most read Straight Talk Tips that go to my clients each month. The tips are free and you can sign up for them here How to use facts in conversations When you open a conversation by putting the facts on ... http://www.straight-talk.co.za/blog/how-to-use-facts-in-conversations/ This is the seventh of the blog posts based on the top ten most read Straight Talk Tips that go to my clients each month. The tips are free and you can sign up for them here How to start over over in a relationship Relationships can get stuck. Conversations end in argument; ... http://www.straight-talk.co.za/blog/how-to-start-over-in-a-relationship/ This is the sixth of the blog posts based on the top ten most read Straight Talk Tips that go to my clients each month. The tips are free and you can sign up for them here What makes a high performing team? There is a lot of talk about high performing teams: ... http://www.straight-talk.co.za/blog/what-makes-a-high-performing-team/ This is the fifth of the blog posts based on the top ten most read Straight Talk Tips that go to my clients each month. The tips are free and you can sign up for them here Essential characteristics of good leaders From ancient philosophers to modern scholars and consultants, we have been ... http://www.straight-talk.co.za/blog/essential-characteristics-of-good-leaders/ This is the fourth of the blog posts based on the top ten most read Straight Talk Tips that go to my clients each month. The tips are free and you can sign up for them here Importance of managing emotions in difficult conversations Conversations about performance or behaviour have many starting points ... http://www.straight-talk.co.za/blog/importance-of-managing-emotions-in-difficult-conversations/ This is the third of the blog posts based on the top ten most read Straight Talk Tips that go to my clients each month. The tips are free and you can sign up for them here Make a plan - speak up Re title: Tips for holding difficult conversations At one time ... http://www.straight-talk.co.za/blog/3-of-the-top-10-tips-make-a-plan-speak-up/