A couple years ago I was at an outdoor gathering with a large group of friends and acquaintances. I was standing alone near the door of a pavilion watching my children play in the distance when a friendly woman who I had met a few times walked up and said, “I know you don’t like small talk, but isn’t it a beautiful day?” It was a beautiful day, but I was struck most by what came before her question. She reminded me that I had once told her I struggle with small talk. I do str

Most meetings aren't memorable, but I recall attending one where an important topic was on the agenda, and I knew leaders within the organization attended with the intent to listen. However, when the dialogue headed in a direction that made one leader uncomfortable, he stopped listening and made a variety of statements I suspect he wishes he could take back. We’ve all been there. I’ve earned two degrees in communication, read books about listening, attended workshops on liste

Much attention is given to how to form relationships; however, have you ever learned how to end one? The Exit Voice Loyalty Neglect Model helps us think about our options when we are not satisfied with an existing relationship; but if we choose to exit, the model doesn’t provide much guidance on how to proceed. A better understanding of how to end a relationship can help when resigning from a job, parting ways with a personal or professional organization, or ending a friends

by Meg Wheatley There is no power greater than a community discovering what it cares about. Ask “What’s possible?” not “What’s wrong?”...

Chances are you have sent an email to a coworker, customer, or potential employer and then wondered why you didn’t get a response. You are not alone. With professionals receiving, on average, over 100 emails each day, many messages go unread and unanswered. So, what should you do if you don’t get a response to your email? Consider whether email is the best channel. Too often we choose email because it’s the communication channel that works best for us, but consider what might

Most employees prefer to receive fair and accurate constructive feedback from their managers, and employees who do receive regular feedback that is delivered appropriately perform better. However, most managers avoid giving constructive feedback and when they do give feedback they don’t do it well. Too many managers have not been trained to give performance feedback. In fact, if you have been trained, it’s likely you’ve received bad advice. For example, common advice is to us

A few semesters ago, a confident young man sat in the first row of my introductory management communication course. He was a valuable contributor to the class and, like most of my students, he was a motivated high-achiever. However, when it came time to deliver his first graded presentation, he froze. He appeared anxious from the start: the way he walked to the front of the room, his body language as he held index cards in his hands, and the uncertainty in his voice when he b

Two years ago I organized and facilitated a series of small focus groups in New York City with alumni from the Cornell SC Johnson College...

Annie Dillard in The Writing Life eloquently reminds us that our daily habits shape our lives. “How we spend our days is, of course, how...

A job interview is a bit like a first date. Prior to most first dates, you often have some communication. For example, if you met online, you’ve seen a photo of the person, read a little about them, and perhaps exchanged some information via text or email. Now, imagine two different first dates. Date A : This person makes a connection between something you shared in your profile and something relevant to your conversation. They ask you a question related to something they saw