Eric Jacobson On Management And Leadership

  Here are the 12 golden rules of effective communication from  Paul Falcone , as highlighted in his book,  2600 Phrases for Setting Effective Performance Goals . Always remember to: Recognize achievements and accomplishments often. Celebrate success. Deliver bad news quickly, constructively, and in a spirit of professional development. Praise in public, censure in private. Assume responsibility for problems when things go wrong, and provide immediate praise and recognition to others when things go right. Create a work environment based on inclusiveness, welcoming others' suggestions and points of view. Listen actively, making sure that your people feel heard and understood and have a voice in terms of offering positive suggestions in the office or on the shop floor. Share information openly (to the extent possible) so that staff members understand the  Why  behind your reasoning and can ask appropriate questions as they continue along in their own path of care...

  “What you hear depends on whom you listen to. Leaders who are strapped to their desks and surrounded by staff people who echo their ideas can easily fall into this trap of not listening to a wide enough universe of ideas,” explains Chris Zook and James Allen , authors of the book, The Founder’s Mentality .  Instead, the authors recommend that the best practice for leaders is to make sure you have access to voices from your front line . Those front-line team members are your best defense against self-deception. Fresh intelligence and dissenting ideas arise at the front line.  

According to a Microsoft study a few years ago, the average attention span for us ever-scattered humans is now shorter that a goldfish's;  eight seconds . So, how do you stand out? How do you communicate effectively? How do you not waste time? Paul Hellman  answers these questions and gives you 100 fast and actionable tactics to make your eights seconds meaningful. It's all in his book,  You've Got 00:00:08 Seconds . He teaches you three key ingredients: Focus : How to say less with more meaning. Variety : How to stand out as  slightly  different. Presence . How to be notable and boost your reputation. Paul Hellman His tactics will serve you well in all these types of situations : Making presentations Interviewing Emailing Networking Storytelling Leaving voice mail Here are some of my favorite takeaways from Hellman's book: In one-to-one conversations , talk less than the other person. Ask at least one thought-provoking question per conversation. In meetings , s...

Here are the 12 golden rules of effective communication from  Paul Falcone , as highlighted in his book,  2600 Phrases for Setting Effective Performance Goals . Always remember to: Recognize achievements and accomplishments often. Celebrate success. Deliver bad news quickly, constructively, and in a spirit of professional development. Praise in public, censure in private. Assume responsibility for problems when things go wrong, and provide immediate praise and recognition to others when things go right. Create a work environment based on inclusiveness, welcoming others' suggestions and points of view. Listen actively, making sure that your people feel heard and understood and have a voice in terms of offering positive suggestions in the office or on the shop floor. Share information openly (to the extent possible) so that staff members understand the  Why  behind your reasoning and can ask appropriate questions as they continue along in their own path of career devel...

Soft skills, all too often deemed the less important skills for a leader, are needed now more than ever. Soft skills are interpersonal skills that demonstrate a person's ability to communicate effectively and build relationships with others in one-on-one interactions as well as in groups and teams. According to  Maxine Kamin , author of the book,  Soft Skills Revolution , "The practice of soft skills aids in communication and promotes problem solving, negotiation, conflict resolutions, and team building." Each of the book's nine chapters, listed below, provide dialogue, questions, tips and recommended activities: What Are Soft Skills? The Hidden Side of Communication The Power of Positive Intentions Tack and Diplomacy The Challenge of Problem Solving Soft Skills and Teams The Personality Factor Taking the Sting Out of Feedback Conflict and Cooperation One of my favorite parts of the book is where Kamin explains the common expectations of staff members when it comes to...

The new book,  Say What You Mean , by  Oren Jay Sofer , couldn’t have come at a better time. Because 2018 was a year filled with communication challenges for so many people.   Often, those conversations were ineffective and unhealthy, causing frustration, conflict and distress. Published toward the end of 2018, Sofer’s book teaches you  how to find your voice, speak your truth and listen deeply . Most important, via the book, Sofer provides us the skill necessary to transform communication into a vehicle for greater intimacy, honesty, and compassion to bring us to greater equity and peace. And, that’s why,  Say What You Mean ,  is my pick for B est New Leadership Book for 2018 . The overarching framework for the book is taking  three steps to create effective conversation : Lead with presence  – show up and be fully in the moment. Come from curiosity and care  – rooted in the foundation of our intention. Focus on what matters  – honing o...

To find the best business, communications and leadership books to add to my "to read" list for 2017, I reached out to some of the best experts in the field. Individuals I admire and respect. Here is what they read this year and recommend adding to your 2017 "to read" list: Paul Smith Organizational Storytelling Speaker, Trainer/Coach, Author The Elegant Pitch: Create a Compelling Recommendation, Build BroadSupport, and Get It Approved , by Mike Figliuolo . "As a storytelling trainer and consultant, I’m constantly asked by companies to help their managers 'tell a better story.' When I dig in to find out what the issues and needs are, about half the time I conclude that it’s not actually storytelling that they need. What they need is the ability to craft a simpler, more logical, and more compelling argument that they can deliver in a presentation or in a memo. The Elegant Pitch teaches that and does it well," says Paul. Web...