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: but talk is cheap. Building [...]

This is the second 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

Challenges and choices Re-title : How to plan better conversations
Every conversation that we hold presents challenges and choices.
The biggest [...]

There are three types of verbal behaviour that you can use in a meeting. You can put forward new ideas; you can ensure that what is said is clear and understood by everyone; and you can give support to, or disagree with, things that are said. The balance of these three behaviours determines how effective [...]

Everything you say in a meeting can be categorised into one of three types of behaviour. You can put forward new ideas; you can give support to, or disagree with, what has been said; and you can make sure that the information in the meeting is managed so it is clear and understood by everyone. [...]

When you plan a meeting you must first be clear on its purpose and the items that are to be discussed. Then you can attend to the details of who should attend; where and when it should be held, and how it should be organised.
In deciding who should attend a meeting there is one rule. [...]

The majority of organizations today claim they have a performance appraisal system in place.  The procedures and documentation are carefully designed and circulated every quarter or half year. Managers line up interviews with their staff. Sometimes people are asked to complete self assessments before their appraisal interviews.
Afterwards, the data is collected and analysed to identify [...]

There’s some really good news this week. I’ve had the proposal for my second Straight Talk book accepted for publication by my publisher, Random House Struik!
And there’s some really bad news! They want the manuscript by the end of January for July 2011 publication. So whatever other plans I had for the December holidays, they [...]

I am still receiving replies to my invitation for people to tell me about conversations that they find scary.
Here is a sample of the suggestions I have received.
At work many of the conversations involve speaking up about decisions you feel are unfair, or about someone’s less than tolerable management style, even when you have been [...]

Are you stuck?
Can’t get your budget approved? Don’t have a clear answer on your next career step? Still waiting for project approval? Key client holding back on the contract decision? Scared you might be on the retrenchment list?
It’s always hard to get the year up and running but this year seems to be one of [...]

The pace of life gets faster and faster. There’s more and more we have to do: there’s more and more we want to do. How much more of this can we take?
Have you stopped recently to remind yourself that being stressed is a choice? (Although when you are up to your neck in crocodiles, it’s [...]