_____________________________________ There are many variables that impact workplace cultures, but the number one thing that has the most...

How often do we take the time to really think about the words we choose to express ourselves? In most instances, we use the first word or...

As some of you may remember, I wrote a post awhile back about the 8 Reasons Organizations Need Standard Operating Procedures. Although I...

This weekend I saw a news piece about a video that’s gone viral on YouTube. “Every Opportunity,” published by the Atlanta Speech School,...

Tinkerbell was a quiet, shy, but very friendly little dog. She loved to sit in my lap and be held for hours on end. She only weighed 5...

The 25/5 rule is simple. It has two parts: 1. Don’t say something in 25 words when 5 will do. 2. Don’t use a 25-cent word when a 5-cent...

Whether an actual letter, a card, or even a short sentiment written on a piece of scrap paper, there’s something very personal and...

I’ve written many articles and blog posts about when and how to say, “no.” I even have a chapter in my book, Practical Communication, on...

I wrote my first blog post on May 31, 2011. The title of the post was “What Everyone Ought to Know About Communicating Successfully.” In...

When it comes to communicating a message, we have a lot of channels to choose from: Face-to-face Phone Text messaging Email...

Imagine if you worked in an organization where staff members have no idea what other staff members are doing, management has no idea what...

Since today is Independence Day in the U.S., I’ve been thinking a lot about the things that hold us back in life and keep us from being...

In the almost 30 years I’ve been in the adult working world, I’ve found that people vary greatly in their ability to keep from sharing...

About a week ago, I was shopping in a retail client’s place of business doing some “recon” before preparing a customer communication...

Self-talk is the act of communicating to oneself, either aloud or in your head. Self-talk can be positive, such as when we pump ourselves...

Let’s face it, we all like being comfortable. I love my comfortable jeans, my most cushy pair of shoes, and the amazing new mattress on...

I remember when I first realized how annoying vocalized pauses can be. I was sitting in a college course listening to student...

Conflict is an inevitable consequence of human interaction. However, most of us don’t like to confront conflict at all, let alone by...

The other day, I sat through a presentation by a “subject matter expert” that was so boring, I began daydreaming about standing up and...

One day an old man was casually walking along a country lane with his dog and his mule. Suddenly a speeding truck careened around the...