Think again. No one makes decisions based on pure logic
I once asked the CEO of a technology company how his employees were dealing with a proposed change. “We’ve presented all the facts,” he replied. “But it would be much easier if people weren’t so emotional!” In the business world, we are taught to approach organizational challenges objectively and logically. We quantify everything we can…
You have only seven seconds to make a first impression, so make the most of them
You've spent hours crafting the perfect resume. The format is eye-catching and the wording is practically perfect. But you'll need much more than a well-crafted resume if you want to land your first job! You have only seven seconds to make a first impression, and once the interviewer has labelled you as submissive or confident, credible…
If a woman wants to be perceived as powerful, credible, and confident, she has to be aware of the nonverbal signals she's sending
There are two sets of body language cues that followers look for in leaders: warmth (empathy, likeability, caring) and authority (power, credibility, status). Although I know several leaders of both sexes who do not fit the stereotypes, I've also observed that gender differences in body language most often do align with these two groupings. Women…
I've seen how ghosts can haunt organizations around the world. It wouldn't surprise me if your company was also haunted
I not only believe in ghosts, I've seen how they haunt organizations around the world. It wouldn't surprise me if your company were haunted. In fact, I'd be surprised if it weren't! I even wrote a (almost true) story about a young woman chasing a ghost through a parallel universe located in the ventilation system…
From email to phone calls to video conferencing, how to manage what you project to make the best leadership impression
Being perceived as a leader is the essence of leadership presence. While most of my coaching focuses on helping leaders enhance their presence in face-to-face encounters, I also realize that a different set of skills is required for projecting leadership presence when communicating virtually. Communication mediums run a spectrum from lean to rich. A lean…
Any leader can be perceived as more charismatic if he or she practices and improves a few basic skills
Let's face it, in business dealings, charisma counts. A lot. And charisma is as much about body language and impression management as it is about issues and substance. I've seen many qualified people get passed over for promotion (or lose a sale or fail an interview) simply because they couldn’t project a sense of professional…
Values must be integrated into processes, policies and organizational behaviour before they become tangible
A sales manager read an article about his company’s refusal to deal with any country where under-the-table money was part of the negotiation process. He circled the article and wrote the words “Right on!” in the column, and mailed it to his CEO. The attached note said: “I’m proud to work in a company whose…
Seven reasons why it is still hard to know when you are being lied to
"You're next in line for a promotion." "Let's have lunch sometime." "I'd love to read your report." "No, those pants don't make you look fat." We get lied to all the time. People are dishonest out of politeness, to avoid punishment, to protect others, or to deliberately mislead for personal gain. Some years back, Tim…
Leadership presence is far from mysterious. At its core is a set of practical skills that you can learn, employ, and improve
I was once asked to coach a senior-level manager from a technology firm in Silicon Valley. I learned that this man’s work was of the highest calibre and that his advancement had (up to this point) been fast-tracked. But now his career was stalled. When I asked why this high performing manager needed coaching, here’s…
There are plenty of factors at play, but it’s clear that Santa understands human response and has more than a little science on his side
Have you ever wondered how Santa Claus determined whether to leave you a present or a lump of coal on Christmas? How he knew if you’ve been naughty or nice? I don’t have any hard evidence to back me up, but I’m pretty sure that he must be a first-class lie detector. If so, here…
Incorporating the human touch in communications is what will give businesses the competitive edge in the digital marketplace
Most of us use our cellphones and computers to inform, make requests of and collaborate with co-workers, clients and customers. The digital age has connected people across the world, making e-commerce and global networking a reality. But does this reliance on technology also mean we’re losing the ability to effectively communicate in person? Ulrich Kellerer…
Change managers need to ask difficult questions of themselves before they set out to "shake things up"
A few years ago I read a news story about an executive who had been hired to turn around the fortunes of a business that was on the rocks. The product was bad. Morale was awful. Management appeared to be confused about what to do. And customers were staying away in droves. Clearly, this fellow…
While not foolproof, these tips are strong indicators of possible deception
Here are my tips to help in spotting liars at work. 1. Begin with a baseline Spotting liars begins with observing a person’s baseline behaviour under relaxed or generally stress-free conditions so that you can detect meaningful deviations. One of the strategies that experienced interviewers use is to ask a series of simple questions while…
7 body language tips for making a positive first impression
Two seconds – thirty seconds, tops – that’s all the time it takes to assess your confidence, competence, status, likeability, warmth, and trustworthiness. That’s how much time you have to make a first impression. In fact, it’s impossible for us not to make these snap judgments about one another. Human beings are wired that way.…
Science helps explain our negative reaction to change and also offers insights for helping people deal with it
I've been studying change leadership for over 25 years, but only recently have researchers been able to use technology like functional magnetic resonance imagery (fMRI) to look at the brain and see what actually happens when we're facing a major organizational change. For example: Most of our daily activities including many of our work habits…