How to Be Fascinating in 5 Easy Steps

If you watch ExchangeGain TV, you already know my favorite hobby: I collect fascinating people! I’ve been doing it my whole life, though since my first tweet in 2009… let’s just say, social has been like kerosene poured on the flame of this great hobby of mine.

Because I’ve gathered so many fascinating people by now, I’ve picked up a thing or two that makes many of these folks so worth knowing. Without further ado, here are five things that come quickly to mind about how anyone can become fascinating themselves…. Read More»

Using Social to Enhance the Customer Experience

My colleague, Eric Marterella, who is as passionate a fan of the Marriott brand as you will find anywhere, gave it to me and even got it signed. The book is great, in the sense that it is both simple and profound and from a man who built a global hotel empire that is, by virtue of its corporate-wide “spirit to serve,” truly social, at scale. As Bill writes, “My dad, J. Willard Marriott, deserves a lot of the credit for creating a culture that empowers our associates to gives 100 percent day in, day out, year in, year out.”

And that culture is still thriving…. Read More»

The Essential Communication Strategy: Are You Willing?

It’s difficult to understate the importance of interpersonal communication in almost every aspect of our lives. Communication builds relationships – and relationships form the basis of any successful collaboration, be it business or personal.

Why then, aren’t we better at it?

Like me, you’ve probably encountered many different teachings on the topic of effective communication over the course of your career. Most of these correctly identify listening as the process where most communication breaks down, and therefore focus on techniques designed to help us improve our ability to listen effectively. However, the following operating rule from the Improvisational Theater community more succinctly captures the essential element of true listening than anything I have ever come across in a traditional training:… Read More»

Why Your Change Needs a Word of Mouth Strategy

Remember when the ‘water cooler conversation’ used to mean sidebar conversations in the break room? The grapevine was the extracurricular that could surely be tamed with more frequent communication.

Today, the grapevine can no longer be “managed”. It grows based on word of mouth via technology or in person. You can influence and contribute to it, but it can’t be programmed or planned from the top down. Word of mouth grows based on the decisions and interest of individuals and their willingness to recommend and engage…. Read More»

3 Underused Tactics to Better Communicate

Have you tried having a conversation where you intentionally remove the underbrush while speaking with the intention of helping the other person? Have you intentionally structured the way you communicate to bring in the listener without dramatic flair? Imagine how much more commanding your presence would be. Upon analyzing Karé’s communication patterns, I realized that she has found a way to connect with people in a powerful way. That we could all learn from such purposeful communication patterns would be an understatement. Let me tease out three underused tactics I learned from my conversation with Karé…. Read More»

7 Steps to Communicate Your Way out of Conflict

Is conflict creating problems, nip conflict and communication problems in the bud so they do not bite you back. Here are are seven simple and powerful steps you can use to turn conflict and communication problems around before they erode the relationships you need to succeed!… Read More»

How to Reinvent Yourself at Work

We cannot rely on our past successes as a determination of future successes. We must be willing to volunteer and create opportunities to show off our talents. The art of reinventing ourselves is to remain relevant in the work place. But how do you reinvent yourself? For some of us it’s frightening to consider reinvention. […] Read more… Read More»

Communicating Trajectory: The Importance of Knowing Where We Are Going

And so it goes with organizations striving to progress from the “As Is” to the “To Be”. Struggling to align the goal with the motivation, the vision to the reality. Herein lies the true value of communication, ensuring each teammate shares the experience of knowing where they are going. In Leadership from A to Z, James O’Toole shared that you, as the leader, must “…communicate clearly and repeatedly the organization’s vision…all with the intent of helping every person involved understand what work needs to be done and why, and what part the individual plays in the overall effort.” As the leader, you hold the cue-card and are artist-in-charge of painting a vivid picture that both inspires and clarifies the destination. Here are some simple tips to ensure you keep the destination in clear view:… Read More»

The Prosperity Conversation

You may run into a few people of any age that will tell you they’re following their dreams and their passions, but the majority of the working population will tell you that they work for the paycheck. Money is the object.

Now ask the same people if they believe that they are paid fairly compared to their employers’ pay and profits. Here’s the problem with this question: in most companies, people don’t know what the C-level managers and the boss are paid. They don’t know or understand how profits are derived, or how their own pay is represented in the big picture. What they will tell you is that they believe their own pay is not a fair slice…. Read More»

Communicating Beyond Words

We’ve all agonized over just the right words for that oh-so-important communication. Spent hours crafting the perfect email, letter or speech notes.

What if I told you the words really didn’t matter? At least, not as much as you’ve been taught. Don’t panic, most of what we’ve all been taught about communication is true.

The problem is that what we’ve been taught covers less than 10% of how communication really works.
… Read More»