Communication, Conversation, Social Media |
Attention infidelity? What’s that? A researcher from the American Enterprise Institute has been studying relationships among young people. David Cox has a book coming out about the crisis of human connection, Generation Uncoupled. He’s focused on young men and women and the many challenges they have forming the kinds of partnerships that seemed more natural for their parents and grandparents. Cox coined “attention infidelity” to describe “when a partner’s digital life intrudes on an in-person connection.”
Communication, Conversation, Professional Presence, Speaking |
How to Tell Them Just Enough. You know I’m fascinated by words. I’m always happy to learn a new one. And this one particularly delighted me. Breviloquent. We can guess straight away what it means, can’t we? But just in case, Wordsmith tells us “breviloquent” is an adjective meaning: Using few words. It’s not just about keeping our talk short, however. The real issue isn’t clock time, it’s value.
Business Communication, Communication, Men and Women |
Yes, guys still talk like that… Maybe you’ve been focused on the news from Washington D.C. and the campaign trail. Maybe the war in Iraq has captured your attention. Or maybe you’ve been tuned out altogether and focused on your own life! It’s easy to miss what goes on in the rest of the world, and I almost did. Then a story in The Athletic caught my eye. And made me mad. It was another one of those did-this-really-happen moments. Yes, it did really happen.
Business Communication, Communication |
Wanna Play? The workshop had barely started, and already it struck fear in my heart. Improv requires two main skills, we heard. Listen. And Play. Yikes! Oh, listening? No problem. People tell me all the time what a good listener I am. And no wonder. I’ve worked for years to cultivate that—I know you’ve heard me talk about how important listening is in business (and life!) and how we can get better at it.
Play? That’s another story. I can’t do that!
Communication |
Really? How can this sort of thing still be happening? Five students from Lincoln-Way East High School, removed from a football game for “racist harassment” and offensive behavior directed toward Homewood-Flossmoor fans during a game at Homewood-Flossmoor.
The powers that be at H-F commended their staff for dealing with the ugliness swiftly and safely removing the offenders. And helping Homewood-Flossmoor students “remain in the bleachers and safe.” Lincoln-Way East said they “sincerely apologize to the HF community for the behavior displayed by these students. This behavior does not reflect the expectations and standards we have for Lincoln-Way students.”
Communication |
Ask for help. Many of us find it excruciatingly difficult to ask those others for that help. We grew up in a culture steeped in SELF-help, didn’t we? We’re supposed to be able to figure things out for ourselves, do the work by ourselves, and accomplish our goals by ourselves. And some of us are so averse to asking for help, we would rather give up the quest for success than look for a boost. If we can’t do it alone, we just don’t do it. That is a mistake.
Communication |
Becoming a Middler – Are you a middler? Do you want to be? I wasn’t enthusiastic about the name, myself. “Middler” sounds, well, average. Maybe even a little bit boring. The idea behind it intrigues me though. I came across “middler” in Priya Parker’s Substack. You might know of Parker from her book The Art of Gathering. “A great middler isn’t necessarily the funniest person at the table,” she explains, “or even the best storyteller. Instead of making sure that they’re interesting, they make the group interesting. Larry David describes a middler as a point guard distributing the ball.” I don’t know from basketball. I had to Google “point guard” to figure out what that person does on a team. I get the concept of making the group interesting, though. That’s a gift! Or maybe it’s a skill that any of us can develop.
Business Communication |
Your professional look – Are you smiling in your profile picture? Think about your LinkedIn page. Or your website. When we land there, do we see you with a warm, welcoming smile on your face? Here’s the TL;DR … we probably should. And that’s not just my opinion. There’s research behind it. Photofeeler analyzed millions of profile pictures across dating, social, and business tests. They compared open-mouth smiles, closed-mouth smiles, and non-smiling expressions, of the sort many people adopt for a business photo. The idea was to determine how each look affected a viewer’s impression of the person in the picture. How did that individual rate for attractiveness, trustworthiness, confidence, likability, and competence?
Business Communication, Communication, Conversation |
Keep the Ball Rolling – There I was in the fitness center at my new home, thinking about you. You might know I’ve just moved out of my Chicago bungalow after 42 years (!) and into an apartment in a beautiful suburban building. I’m eager to get to know my new neighbors. That’s why I was so happy to chat with one of those neighbors when I got on the elliptical machine next to his. I could tell you a lot about Harold—when he moved in, where he lived before, where each of his kids lives, which part of the year he’s here and when he leaves for a warmer spot, how old he is, and … well, you get the idea. What do you suppose Harold knows about me after our chat on the elliptical machines? That’s right. Nothing. Harold forgot about taking turns.
Business Communication, Networking, Remote Work, Speaking, Virtual Work |
Genuine Connection in a Digital World. “It’s as much about the energy you project as it is about the content of what you say,” said a wise woman. Oh wait, that wise woman was me! And I said it on Thought Leaders Talk Business, the podcast Debbie Fliehman hosts.
Debbie and I had a terrific conversation about a huge challenge for professional people, whether we labor for a multinational corporation, a small local business, or hang out a shingle on our own. How do we communicate with authenticity and impact in an increasingly virtual world?
