Articles

A 16-year-old high school junior – let’s call her Samantha – goes to a party where alcohol has somehow made its way into the home. Peer pressure being what it is, Sam has a few drinks. Later, she takes a few “selfies,” showing off her latest dance moves, drink in hand. Next day, she posts those photos on her Facebook page and sends a few pics to...

Sometimes, we’re aware of our weaknesses. Perhaps more often, we’re not. That may be because we’ve never received straightforward, accurate feedback – a factor that’s especially true for executives as they rise to positions where reports are less willing to critique them honestly. It may be because overlooking our flaws is easier than confronting...

"I'm at a loss," Hank said quietly to a room full of board members. His hands trembled a bit as he spoke, and he gazed out the window as if to avoid eye contact. "This is important. And I'm worried it's going to be a disaster." It was the beginning of a new year, and The Important Company was in a pretty tough spot.   It wasn't that The...

What to Do When It's Earnings Season and the News Is Bad February is earnings season for the fourth quarter and full year of 2017. It's when most publicly traded companies report their financial performance to shareholders and to the analysts who advise them. For many companies, Q4 and full-year 2017 earnings numbers are likely to be favorable....

Nobody wants to blow it. It’s an often-preached statistic: out of all the terrors and trepidations that intimidate the human psyche, the fear of public speaking is the most common. There’s a reason for that. Public speaking situations are uniquely laden with great potential. On the one hand, public speaking offers the potential to inspire,...

A new CEO means a whirlwind of change for any company. From top to bottom, internally and externally, the shifts are sweeping. Internally, a new CEO brings new policies, updated initiatives, and cultural shifts. And, both internally and externally, a new CEO means a change in communications. That’s especially true in the age of social media and...

We say it often: the principles of communication, once learned, work for anyone – in any situation and at any time. It makes sense, it sounds good, and, best of all, it’s true. But in spite of those things, it can be difficult to put that truth into practice, especially when the communication contexts you find yourself in change drastically. When...

Just about any discussion of the millennial generation (generally considered those born between 1982 and 1994) is likely to include something about their communication style. For example: Millennials don’t like talking on the phone. They grew up as email and texting were coming into vogue, and they readily embraced those technologies....

Top engineers are among the most valuable assets that a company can have. They’re logical, highly intelligent people. They’re technical experts. They’re efficient problem solvers who can be counted on to get things done. And, far more often than should be the case, they’re distrusted by clients. It’s a puzzling paradox for those who are involved...

Crises have become a predictable feature of everyday life in business. Recently, a shareholder revolt at Uber made it impossible for founder and CEO Travis Kalanick to stay on at the ride-hailing service company, which was found this year to have a workplace culture of sexual harassment and discrimination. Takata, the Japanese auto parts maker of...