parties, small talk, holidays, communication

12 Tips on Small Talk for the Holidays

Many professionals dread holiday parties on the horizon. It’s not that they don’t enjoy seeing old friends and family members; it’s the...

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emotional conversation, conversation skills, discussion skills, emotional discussions, hot to handle emotional discussions

The Best Kept Secret in Handling Emotional Conversations Well

Have you ever awakened at 3:00 a.m., rehashing a conversation from earlier in the day? Why didn’t I think to say X? Or if I had just commented that...

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The Secret Sauce in Appealing to Someone’s Best Self

My husband will be the first to tell you that he’s not a fixer-up kind of guy. He can change a lightbulb, but if anything else goes wrong around...

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eyes, eye-contact, communication

Do Your Eyes Build Rapport or Destroy Credibility?

The “ayes” have it in meetings. The “eyes” have it in most all other encounters. Eye contact is so powerful in our culture that we summon...

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disagreement, conflict, conflict resolution

How to Settle a Conflict When You’re Wrong

In a past organization, I routinely interacted with an employee who just couldn’t bring himself to admit being wrong about anything. No matter if...

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listening, analytical listening, personal bias, propaganda

How to Listen Analytically to Persuasive Appeals—And NOT Be Tricked!

Often these days, while listening to pundits and politicians, I feel the urge to flash a warning label across the TV screen: —Opinion, Not...

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