All in Communications
“It’s not fair.”
Each and every one of us can recount situations where things didn’t go our way, for reasons that, in our minds, were less than equitable.
Not getting that promotion when we had the experience and the achievements. Losing out on that business opportunity when we’d done what the client asked for. Not making that investment when we had the chance (Bitcoin, anyone?).
In business environments, surprises are not a good thing, because the main thing we want is predictability.
And the only way we can ensure predictability is for us to do the work necessary. This means both listening and communicating much more than we do, as I discuss in today's episode.
Whether we're selling a product or an idea, we're often faced with situations where our messages simply aren't getting through - that is, we're just not able to communicate effectively.
There are a number of tried and true approaches to improve our chances and today's episode dives into these practical tips and techniques.
Tribalism is an idea with which I have something of a love/hate relationship.
I mean, it certainly has plenty of value, delivering significant benefits if you happen to be a member. You’re with like-minded individuals who all have the same professed goal. You share a specific set of values. You speak the same language.
Email has become a necessity in today's business environment - and it's brought us plenty of value and efficiency in both our personal and professional lives.
But email can sometimes also be used as a way to avoid real conversations, to sidestep issues or frankly, to not make the effort. In the long run, this has real consequences, as I discuss in today's episode.
When we're communicating an idea or selling a product, we often think that if we just explain the benefits, people will buy.
When they don't, we lament that they just didn't get it. But maybe we're the ones who didn't get it - because it's not anyone's job to listen, it's our job to make them want to hear us, as I discuss in today's podcast.
In the last episode, I talked about how everyone has a platform and how that can be a good thing.
But having a platform isn't for everyone, as it comes with a set of responsibilities around what we say and how we say it. Today's show speaks to some of what I believe are the ground rules for establishing your own platform.
Many of us believe we have a message to share, in one domain or another, and many of us long to actually share it.
Today's episode speaks to the fact that we all now have a platform to say, write and otherwise communicate, anything we want. But wanting to and doing so are two different things, and the discussion today focuses on that inner dialogue.
Today's podcast focuses on the idea of owning our messages.
In any work we do, we're called upon to present our ideas and findings in front of an audience. Often, we feel compelled to "do what we're told" or to "follow a script". The reality is that we need to own what we present, no matter our level. In this podcast, I discuss how.
When I was in my teens and learning to play the guitar, there was a guy I knew who had been playing for a few years and was really quite good. He knew how to play all the cool songs I wanted to learn to play, knew all the cool riffs and could play by ear. But he wasn’t interested in sharing any of his knowledge.
I specifically remember him playing Stairway To Heaven, a song I was trying to learn.
Today's episode recounts a decision I made many years ago that, in the grand scheme of things, was relatively minor. It was my decision to get - and then remove - my earring before I went to Business School.
Not a huge decision in most contexts, but it was definitely one that taught me about why we make the choices we make - and WHY we should make the choices we make.
The idea of ‘secrets’ is a funny thing. I’m not talking about secrets in a personal sense but in a work related sense. Our tactics, our approaches, our tools and knowledge. Our so-called secret sauce that ‘helps’ us achieve our professional goals.
We tend to hold these secrets dearly, with the idea that they are indeed unique to how we operate and what we do. And then the idea that if they were to get out, then our ability to achieve is doomed.
I went for a walk with a client today.
We were supposed to meet in a conference room at his office building and talk through our plans for 2022. But as I waited at reception with my colleague, our client came down and asked if we wanted to sit in the office or perhaps go for a walk.
A common lament these days is that kids don’t read, or at least, they don’t read enough. Give them a spare moment and their first inclination is to pick up their phones and surf. Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram, etc. - the mode varies but the rabbit hole is the same.
And the way things are progressing - we’re only moving deeper into our virtual worlds, with more and more social media platforms emerging - we’re only going to be spending more time in front of our screens, not less.
Earlier this month, the neighborhood I live in, Andersonville, was voted “The Coolest Neighborhood in the US” and the second coolest neighborhood in the world in the 2021 Time Out Index survey which polled 27,000 voters across the world.
Andersonville beat out such luminaries as Chelsea (New York), Sai Kung (Hong Kong) and Gracia (Barcelona).
Sports allegiances are, for the most part, irrational.
When we root for a team, we do so for reasons that typically have no objective basis. And on that emotional basis, we become “supporters” - and, for those of us who take our support seriously, proceed to entrench ourselves in the traditions of the team.
Today's podcast speaks to the perception that many of us have that we need to be (or at least show we're) perfect in front of those we live and work with.
The problem with this approach is that it's founded in insecurity and the idea that our vulnerability is something we should hide, when in fact, it's actually our strength.
It’s generally difficult for us to hold two contrasting ideas in our heads.
We have a tendency to move towards a specific interpretation, whether it relates to events, places or people. Something is either good or bad, someone is either smart or stupid, people should or should not be trusted.
NOTE: There are no spoilers in this post, but if you’re someone who wants to know nothing about ‘Squid Game’ before you watch it, save this post for later...
In the blockbuster Netflix show, Squid Game, 456 contestants are pitted against each other (unwittingly, at first) in what is essentially a death match to see who will claim the $38 million grand prize.
Today's episode focuses on the myth of the all-rounder.
We're programmed to try and be good at everything, and when we don't hit the mark, we taught to judge ourselves negatively. But the fact is we all have spikes and, while general knowledge is a good thing, our spikes are what really matter.
