| I spent the month of January in South Africa, where 11 official languages are spoken.
Something I have tried to do each time I get into an Uber or pay for an item is ask how you say thank you in the language of the person I am interacting with. The look of sheer delight on the person’s face is always worth the effort, even if I butcher the pronunciation. |
There’s no question that all of our lives have been disrupted in a myriad of ways. The question is how are we all coping? What do we need to be doing to ensure that we are as well prepared as possible to deal with the situation we find ourselves in? In other words, how given the challenges are we resuming our work and lives to deal with the new normal?
Have you ever had something really difficult and disappointing happen? Were you retrenched, or passed over for the promotion you had been promised. Did someone else get the job you really, really wanted?
I know you can relate because life is imperfect and disappointment is part of all of our realities.
When you look back at that situation with hindsight, while you may still feel a twinge,
We all live in dread of “dead air” – those awkward moments when you find yourself face-to-face with the need to have a conversation with someone you have just met. What follows are some tried and true conversation tips to keep in mind:
“Everyone you meet knows something you don’t”
Approach every conversation with the wonderful sense of having something to learn. As Bill Nye, the science guy says,
Do you ever feel so tired that you literally can’t move?
Do you ever wonder if you are experiencing a level of “burnout?”
Do you ever wish the weekend was just one more day and you still had just one more hour of sleep before you had to wake up?
A couple of months ago, I was so overwhelmed with fatigue that I decided to consult a physician.
I wanted to share the following blog with you that I wrote with Lori Milner about the importance of googling yourself, and understanding the digital brand you’re projecting.
Forget what people say about ‘vanity searching’ or ‘ego surfing’, to google yourself is neither about vanity nor ego. If you’re serious about your professional presence, about owning your space in the virtual world as much as you are about owning it in the physical world,
When giving a presentation, one of the most important factors of success is the ability to make your audience feel like you’re genuinely connecting with them and interested in their needs. If they don’t feel like the information you’re giving them has been personalized – if it feels like a memorized speech – you’re likely to lose their interest. Instead, try to make them feel like you genuinely want your presentation to connect with them.
For the next 24 hours I am going to ask you to become very aware of your voice.
What is the tone of your voice when you answer the phone?
How do you sound when you are frustrated or upset?
What does your voice sound like when you are in a meeting and offer your opinion?
When you are giving a presentation, do you sound confident and comfortable or does your voice sound shaky and uncertain?
