Become a Great Communicator – No Excuses for Poor Communication</h1> <article> <h1>Become a Great Communicator – No Excuses for Poor Communication</h1> <p>David Grossman — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 14:47:00 GMT</p> <p>For leaders in today’s business world, effective communication is a differentiator. With so much information flying around from so many places, the ability to ensure you’re understood and employees are prepared to take action on your path forward is critical to your individual and organizational success.</p> <p>And yet time and time again I’ve heard the excuse, “Communicating effectively is too tough.”</p> <p>In a perfect world, communicating with other people would be as simple as saying what we mean. But in the real world, saying what we mean…just isn’t always very simple. And while some things are out of your control, when it comes to communication there’s a great deal you can control.</p> <p><b>Communication Basics</b></p> <p>Communication comes down to creating a conversation by expressing thoughts and emotions through the rather limited vehicle of language. Our preferred modes of communication—speech and writing—are limiting by their very nature, but even so, most of us don’t master them or use them to their fullest.</p> <p>It’s not as though we’re confined to hieroglyphics and smoke signals. We have a pretty sophisticated set of tools at our disposal—both in terms of delivery mechanisms and our abilities to shape messages creatively, convey a single idea in a number of different ways, tailor our approach to resonate with different audiences, listen carefully to feedback, and so on.</p> <p><b>The Simple Reasons Communicating Effectively Seems Difficult</b></p> <p>Communication is the sum of several different variables—some of which we can control, and many of which we can’t. The most effective leaders know having a message is only the beginning. In order to get that message across so that people hear it, absorb it, and understand how it affects them, you must also consider context, audience, delivery and more.</p> <p>My real goal is to isolate the factors we can control and recognize those we can’t, so that instead of making excuses, we can start making efforts to improve our ability to communicate in ways that influence and inspire others. That is, after all, what we’re trying to achieve through communication, isn’t it?</p> <p>Here are a few of the reasons communicating effectively is tough:</p> <ul> <li>The learning process is daily and ongoing, not something you can master by simply taking one class (although that’s a great start)</li> <li>Communication is personal and an approach that works with some people may fail with others</li> <li>Communication involves being able to anticipate the needs of your audience</li> <li>We’re communicating even when we’re not</li> <li>Everyone can learn to communicate well—someone might need to show you how, and its takes practice</li> </ul> <p><b>Become an Outstanding Communicator</b></p> <p>Appearances can be deceiving though, especially if you’re committed to improving your communications to achieve your business goals.</p> <p>Here’s what you can do today to elevate the level of your communications:</p> <ul> <li><b>Take responsibility for ensuring that communication happens</b>, and happens in the right way—communication begins and ends with you. Don’t expect others to do the heavy lifting. No one can translate information and help your employees make sense of it as well as you can.</li> <li><b>Recognize that communication is an instrument of strategy, and a strategy itself</b>. Effective communication helps you turn strategy into action, both for your goals and the goals of the organization.</li> <li><b>Take time to understand your audiences’ communication needs</b>. With attention to your audience and individual needs, you learn to shape your message in ways that resonate and break through the clutter.</li> <li><b>Plan communication and recognize communication doesn’t just happen</b>. You can “wing it” and take a chance on the results, or you can be planful and purposeful, and succeed. Effective leaders make their communication look seamless; that’s the result of planning and practice.</li> <li><b>Go</b> <b>beyond information sharing</b> to real conversation—communication is about dialogue. Think of a tennis match and how invigorating it is to watch a great exchange of shots.</li> <li><b>Use stories to create an emotional connection</b>. People follow leaders because of how leaders make them feel. Tap the feeling side of others with stories.</li> <li><b>Ensure your actions follow your words</b>. People watch what you do more than they listen to what you say.</li> </ul> <p>It takes skill and practice to ensure that the actions we inspire are the ones we want. With thought, attention, and practice, you too can become a great communicator.</p> <p><b><em>What steps will you take to ensure you become, or remain, an outstanding communicator?</em></b></p> <p>- <em>David Grossman</em></p> <p><em>_______</em></p> <p><strong>Don't get bogged down by poor communication. Take the steps you need to improve. For free tips, download our A-List Part 2: "Communicating Your Way to Great Leadership" ebook, today!</strong></p> <p><strong><span class="hs-cta-wrapper" id="hs-cta-wrapper-26ebfd28-15c6-47d3-b62c-a454207494ee"> <span class="hs-cta-node hs-cta-26ebfd28-15c6-47d3-b62c-a454207494ee" id="hs-cta-26ebfd28-15c6-47d3-b62c-a454207494ee"> <a href="http://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/83405/26ebfd28-15c6-47d3-b62c-a454207494ee" \=""></a> </span> <script type="text/javascript"> (function(){ var s='hubspotutk',r,c=((r=new RegExp('(^|; )'+s+'=([^;]*)').exec(document.cookie))?r[2]:''),w=window;w[s]=w[s]||c, hsjs=document.createElement("script"),el=document.getElementById("hs-cta-26ebfd28-15c6-47d3-b62c-a454207494ee"); hsjs.type = "text/javascript";hsjs.async = true; hsjs.src = "//cta-service-cms2.hubspot.com/cs/loader.js?pg=26ebfd28-15c6-47d3-b62c-a454207494ee&pid=83405&hsutk=" + encodeURIComponent(c); (document.getElementsByTagName("head")[0]||document.getElementsByTagName("body")[0]).appendChild(hsjs); try{el.style.visibility="hidden";}catch(err){} setTimeout(function() {try{el.style.visibility="visible";}catch(err){}}, 2500); })(); </script> </span><br></strong></p> </article> <article> <h1>In Case You Missed It: On Leadership Communication and Teamwork - Best Posts of the Week</h1> <p>David Grossman — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 15:21:00 GMT</p> <p></p> <p>Welcome to my weekly round-up of top leadership and communication blog posts. Each week I read and tweet several great articles and on Fridays pull some of the best together here on my blog. So in case you’ve missed them, here is this week’s round-up of top posts.</p> <p>They’ll provide you with tips, strategies and thought-starters from many of the smart folks in my network. So whether you’re a new leader or an industry veteran there’ll be something here for you.</p> <ul> <li><a href="http://onforb.es/11pAqSi.">Open Up and Lead</a><em><a href="http://onforb.es/11pAqSi."><br></a></em><span style="font-size: 13px;">Meghan M Biro via Forbes<br></span><em style="font-size: 13px;">This week we found out that the federal government tracks every phone call we make. On the one hand, it’s unsettling. On the other, if it helps stop terrorist attacks, it may be worth it. In some ways what was most disturbing about the</em></li> </ul> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.openforum.com/articles/the-4-traits-you-need-to-be-a-great-leader/?intlink=us-open-forum-whattrend-1">4 Traits You Need to Be a Great Leader<br></a><span style="font-size: 13px;">Brian Moran via Open Forum Blog<br></span><em style="font-size: 13px;">John Quincy Adams once said, “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” His quote, along with tens of thousands of other great quotes on leadership, inspired me to find out more about what defines great leaders…</em></li> </ul> <ul> <li><a href="http://millennialceo.com/leadership/executives-communication-parttime/">Executives: Communication is Not Part-Time<br></a><span style="font-size: 13px;">Daniel Newman via Millennial CEO<br></span><em style="font-size: 13px;">Time for a memo again. Calling all employees, please see the attached memo that will communicate all good, bad and ugly for the past quarter. Now do what I say and no one will get hurt. Perhaps we will even sell something to someone. Ready – Break (Best NFL Huddle Impression) Once sent I return…</em></li> </ul> <ul> <li><a href="http://leadchangegroup.com/developing-conversational-leadership/">Developing Conversational Leadership<br></a><span style="font-size: 13px;">Tal Shnall via Lead Change Group Blog<br></span><em style="font-size: 13px;">For as long as we have lived in human community, great conversations have been the source of fresh ideas. Conversations engage us with the rest of the world and embrace relationships with others.<b> </b>Conversation is our human way of discovering new meaning that shape our future…</em></li> </ul> <ul> <li><a href="http://katenasser.com/teamwork-people-skills-leadership-when-to-intervene/#utm_source=feed">Teamwork: Leaders, When Do You Intervene in Team Issues?<br></a><span style="font-size: 13px;">Kate Nasser<br></span><em style="font-size: 13px;">Do you think your teams can work their issues out by themselves? Perhaps you think it’s wrong for you to intervene believing your involvement will undermine team accountability. I’ve often heard leaders claim: “They are adults. Let them work things out themselves…</em><em style="font-size: 13px;"> </em><em style="font-size: 13px;"> </em></li> </ul> <p><b>What were some of the top leadership articles you read this week? <br><br></b>- <em>David Grossman</em></p> <p>______</p> <p><strong>Want more tips on leadership? Download our Leadership Toolbox eBook, today!</strong></p> <p><span class="hs-cta-wrapper" id="hs-cta-wrapper-2da16629-c414-4f94-b0d5-78c623d93f71"> <span class="hs-cta-node hs-cta-2da16629-c414-4f94-b0d5-78c623d93f71" id="hs-cta-2da16629-c414-4f94-b0d5-78c623d93f71"> <a href="http://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/83405/2da16629-c414-4f94-b0d5-78c623d93f71" \=""></a> </span> <script type="text/javascript"> (function(){ var s='hubspotutk',r,c=((r=new RegExp('(^|; )'+s+'=([^;]*)').exec(document.cookie))?r[2]:''),w=window;w[s]=w[s]||c, hsjs=document.createElement("script"),el=document.getElementById("hs-cta-2da16629-c414-4f94-b0d5-78c623d93f71"); hsjs.type = "text/javascript";hsjs.async = true; hsjs.src = "//cta-service-cms2.hubspot.com/cs/loader.js?pg=2da16629-c414-4f94-b0d5-78c623d93f71&pid=83405&hsutk=" + encodeURIComponent(c); (document.getElementsByTagName("head")[0]||document.getElementsByTagName("body")[0]).appendChild(hsjs); try{el.style.visibility="hidden";}catch(err){} setTimeout(function() {try{el.style.visibility="visible";}catch(err){}}, 2500); })(); </script> </span></p> </article> <article> <h1>8 Tips for Leadership When Communicating During Tough Times</h1> <p>David Grossman — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 14:52:00 GMT</p> <p></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p>Whether we like it or not, we’re still in a time where many organizations are feeling under attack and protecting every asset. In some, the pressure is mounting for leaders to find the answers, and employees who need to stay focused and productive are often numb out of fear of losing their job, taking on more work, or focused on the unknown.</p> <p>Hidden in these <a href="http://www.yourthoughtpartner.com/blog/bid/55388/5-Ways-to-Ensure-Your-Messages-Get-Through-to-Employees">tough times</a>, is a defining moment to create real, meaningful connections to maintain – if not drive – productivity and minimize the disruptions that come with change. It’s a time to ensure communication is a top priority to minimize the downside of change and accelerate the upside.</p> <p><b>Now more than ever, we need leadership</b></p> <p>I used to work for a manager who said, ‘Lead, follow, or get out of the way.’ This is a litmus test for leadership, which means sharing with employees what we know and what we don’t know. This is a time for courageous conversations and straightforward communications.</p> <p>Specifically, this is the time to talk about how the organization is positioned for the future and/or how changes are being made to set the business up for future success. It’s also critical to clearly outline specific expectations for employees and what’s needed of them.</p> <p><b>Here are eight tips to use when communicating during tough times:</b></p> <ol start="1"> <li><b>Remember the shadow that’s cast by leaders and the company</b> – if in a situation where layoffs are happening, keep in mind that they may be tomorrow’s prospects, clients, boss, or future job candidates someday</li> <li><b>Be honest, human, </b><a href="http://www.yourthoughtpartner.com/blog/bid/58367/Leaders-Another-strategy-to-get-people-to-follow-you-Empathy"><b>empathetic</b></a><b> </b><b>and show you care</b> – delivering tough news is tough and it’s okay to let employees know it. Do what you can to make them feel comforted</li> <li><b>Hold a mirror to yourself</b> – as you prepare to share updates and/or tough news, consider how you would like to be communicated with if you were in the employees’ shoes</li> <li><b>Outline expectations clearly</b> – it’s the fastest way to find out if employees are on the same page as you and engaged, and if they’re not, it could be a safe way for people to gracefully opt out of their job</li> <li>If layoffs happen, <b>help the remaining employees “mourn the loss” </b>– don’t pretend that nothing happened or that the people left in the company or group aren’t affected</li> <li><b>Don’t wait to communicate until you have all the answers, </b>by then it will be too late – if you wait, someone is going to speak on your behalf and fill the information vacuum whether the information is right or wrong</li> <li><b>Provide context and relevance </b>so employees understand the meaning behind what’s being said and understand what it means to them; have a <a href="http://www.yourthoughtpartner.com/your-thought-partner-tools">message platform</a> of core messages and actions</li> <li><b>Consider creating online and real-world networks for alumni</b> – a place to keep in touch with others, network with each other, and keep a fond connection with the company so your organization is seen as a connector and you have ambassadors</li> </ol> <p>Remember, talking about the state of the business – whether good news or grim – it makes good business sense to avoid significant distractions at a time when a steady hand at the wheel is needed. </p> <p>Now more than ever, employees want to know where they stand and they need to stay focused. To do this, they need the right direction and information from their leaders and communicators.</p> <p><b>How can you use these tips to help relay tough messages to employees?</b></p> <p> - David Grossman</p> <p>______</p> <p><em><strong>Want more on leadership? Download our Leadership Toolbox eBook, today!</strong></em></p> <p><strong></strong><span class="hs-cta-wrapper" id="hs-cta-wrapper-2da16629-c414-4f94-b0d5-78c623d93f71"> <span class="hs-cta-node hs-cta-2da16629-c414-4f94-b0d5-78c623d93f71" id="hs-cta-2da16629-c414-4f94-b0d5-78c623d93f71"> <a href="http://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/83405/2da16629-c414-4f94-b0d5-78c623d93f71" \=""></a> </span> <script type="text/javascript"> (function(){ var s='hubspotutk',r,c=((r=new RegExp('(^|; )'+s+'=([^;]*)').exec(document.cookie))?r[2]:''),w=window;w[s]=w[s]||c, hsjs=document.createElement("script"),el=document.getElementById("hs-cta-2da16629-c414-4f94-b0d5-78c623d93f71"); hsjs.type = "text/javascript";hsjs.async = true; hsjs.src = "//cta-service-cms2.hubspot.com/cs/loader.js?pg=2da16629-c414-4f94-b0d5-78c623d93f71&pid=83405&hsutk=" + encodeURIComponent(c); (document.getElementsByTagName("head")[0]||document.getElementsByTagName("body")[0]).appendChild(hsjs); try{el.style.visibility="hidden";}catch(err){} setTimeout(function() {try{el.style.visibility="visible";}catch(err){}}, 2500); })(); </script> </span></p> </article> <article> <h1>In Case You Missed It: This Week's Top Articles on Change Management & Leadership</h1> <p>David Grossman — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 14:53:00 GMT</p> <p></p> <p>Welcome to my weekly round-up of top leadership and communication blog posts. Each week I read and tweet several great articles and on Fridays pull some of the best together here on my blog. So in case you’ve missed them, here is this week’s round-up of top posts.</p> <p>They’ll provide you with tips, strategies and thought-starters from many of the smart folks in my network. So whether you’re a new leader or an industry veteran there’ll be something here for you.</p> <ul> <li><a href="http://blog.lamarsh.com/blog/bid/291847/Make-Change-Management-Your-Competitive-Differentiator" style="font-size: 1em;">Make Change Management Your Competitive Differentiator<br></a><span style="font-size: 13px;">By: LaMarsh Global<br></span><em style="font-size: 13px;">Leaders in many organizations today recognize that change management is an important strategy and enabler of success.<b> </b>As that recognition becomes more widespread, the question becomes…<br> </em></li> <li><a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidkwilliams/2013/05/29/great-leaders-know-respect-is-the-keystone-of-a-successful-business/" style="font-size: 13px;">Great Leaders Know Respect Is The Keystone Of A Successful Business<br></a><span style="font-size: 13px;">By: David K Williams via Forbes<br></span><em>As you may be aware, the “keystone” is the central stone at the summit of an arch that locks the structure together. It is also the term to describe the central principle or part of a policy or system on which…</em><em style="font-size: 13px;"><br> </em></li> <li><a href="http://www.christopheravery.com/blog/leadership-skills-5-tips-to-make-yourself-invaluable-by-serving-multiple-teams/" style="font-size: 13px;">5 Tips to Make Yourself Invaluable by Serving Multiple Teams<br></a><span style="font-size: 13px;">By: Christopher Avery<br></span><em style="font-size: 13px;">In our hyper-connected world, rewards will go to those who happily align the goals and integrate the actions of multiple intersecting groups, thus moving all forward. Here are two examples where integrative skills…</em></li> </ul> <p><b>What were some of the top change and leadership articles you read this week? <br><br></b>- <em>David Grossman</em></p> <p>____________</p> <p><strong><em>Get more resources on leadership by signing up for our monthly newsletter, eThoughtStarters, today!</em></strong></p> <p><strong><em><span class="hs-cta-wrapper" id="hs-cta-wrapper-09404713-0014-4a18-bc0a-bcccb527e013"> <span class="hs-cta-node hs-cta-09404713-0014-4a18-bc0a-bcccb527e013" id="hs-cta-09404713-0014-4a18-bc0a-bcccb527e013"> <a href="http://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/83405/09404713-0014-4a18-bc0a-bcccb527e013" \=""></a> </span> <script type="text/javascript"> (function(){ var s='hubspotutk',r,c=((r=new RegExp('(^|; )'+s+'=([^;]*)').exec(document.cookie))?r[2]:''),w=window;w[s]=w[s]||c, hsjs=document.createElement("script"),el=document.getElementById("hs-cta-09404713-0014-4a18-bc0a-bcccb527e013"); hsjs.type = "text/javascript";hsjs.async = true; hsjs.src = "//cta-service-cms2.hubspot.com/cs/loader.js?pg=09404713-0014-4a18-bc0a-bcccb527e013&pid=83405&hsutk=" + encodeURIComponent(c); (document.getElementsByTagName("head")[0]||document.getElementsByTagName("body")[0]).appendChild(hsjs); try{el.style.visibility="hidden";}catch(err){} setTimeout(function() {try{el.style.visibility="visible";}catch(err){}}, 2500); })(); </script> </span><br></em></strong></p> </article> <article> <h1>Starting Thought: 7 Ways to Find More Time for Yourself In & Out of the Workplace</h1> <p>David Grossman — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 15:08:00 GMT</p> <p></p> <p>I’m not sure which comedian said: “Of all the things I’ve lost, I miss my mind the most!” While I wholeheartedly agree, I’m beginning to think that it’s time that I miss the most. Time is moving even faster than ever before, and it seems that I’m not alone – we all want some time back.</p> <p>That was the topic of a recent discussion with some smart and savvy senior leaders who were bemoaning their loss of time, and committed to regaining their time-filled younger days. They knew they had to use time better, and came up with this list of strategies that work. Consider this their fountain of youth for time -- some great ways to take more control of time:</p> <ol> <li><b>Schedule time for specific tasks for your team and yourself</b>. If it’s important, chances are it should be scheduled. This could be regular one-on-ones, open door time, or time to walk the halls (literally or virtually). Every leader should have a communication cadence or rhythm that works for him or her.<br> </li> <li><b>Manage up</b> by providing status updates to your boss in the way that he or she most prefers. Is your boss a “no news is good news” person or a “no news is bad news” person? You need to know for sure and you might be surprised. Don’t assume; ask.<br> </li> <li><b>Prioritize your work and share your expectations</b> with others as to how they interact with you. We teach others how to interact with us. <br> </li> <li><b>Be okay to say “no.” </b>Most people can say “no” more than they give themselves permission to.<br> <b></b></li> <li><b>Reduce distractions and noise</b>, especially any drama in the workplace and time with <a href="http://www.yourthoughtpartner.com/email-research-and-resources/">email</a>.<br> </li> <li><b>Take time to focus on what matters most</b>. It’s easy to get distracted by the urgent but not important, or the fire drills that are someone else’s priority. Get what's important in front of you every day to help you stay focused. This could be a list of priorities, a strategy map, diagram or scorecard, for example.<br> </li> <li><b>Pick up the phone</b> to communicate – ask and answer questions, build relationships, and interact with others. Teach others when a phone call makes more sense than a string of emails.</li> </ol> <p><b>How do you plan to take back a minimum of 30 minutes next week? What other suggestions might you add to take back time, and use the time you have even more effectively?</b></p> <p><b><br></b></p> <p><em>- David Grossman </em> </p> <p>___________________</p> <p><strong>Do you find yourself in constant search of tips to help streamline and simplify your workdays? Subscribe to our blog and get those resources delivered right to your inbox!</strong></p> <p><span class="hs-cta-wrapper" id="hs-cta-wrapper-dc11b337-acb2-4bc1-9898-d6d396d79a87"> <span class="hs-cta-node hs-cta-dc11b337-acb2-4bc1-9898-d6d396d79a87" id="hs-cta-dc11b337-acb2-4bc1-9898-d6d396d79a87"> <a href="http://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/83405/dc11b337-acb2-4bc1-9898-d6d396d79a87" \=""></a> </span> <script type="text/javascript"> (function(){ var s='hubspotutk',r,c=((r=new RegExp('(^|; )'+s+'=([^;]*)').exec(document.cookie))?r[2]:''),w=window;w[s]=w[s]||c, hsjs=document.createElement("script"),el=document.getElementById("hs-cta-dc11b337-acb2-4bc1-9898-d6d396d79a87"); hsjs.type = "text/javascript";hsjs.async = true; hsjs.src = "//cta-service-cms2.hubspot.com/cs/loader.js?pg=dc11b337-acb2-4bc1-9898-d6d396d79a87&pid=83405&hsutk=" + encodeURIComponent(c); (document.getElementsByTagName("head")[0]||document.getElementsByTagName("body")[0]).appendChild(hsjs); try{el.style.visibility="hidden";}catch(err){} setTimeout(function() {try{el.style.visibility="visible";}catch(err){}}, 2500); })(); </script> </span></p> <p> </p> </article> <article> <h1>5 Truisms About Body Language & How to Manage the Signals You Send in the Workplace</h1> <p>David Grossman — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 15:23:00 GMT</p> <p></p> <p>Body language is something that some of us register and process without even being aware of it, and something that others consistently miss and are unaware of the valuable clues to emotions and feelings that body language provides. But no matter where you are on the spectrum of awareness, an enhanced understanding of body language can positively impact your business and interpersonal success.</p> <p>The basic fact is this: all nonverbal communication has meaning, and body language can be a rich source of information for any leader. Sometimes it's a cue that you aren't connecting, as body language contradicts what’s being said; other times, it signals when a message is getting through. In most cases, being sensitive to body language can help us support others and build stronger relationships. </p> <p><b>Here are the truisms:</b></p> <ol> <li>Your body language communicates all the emotions you feel.</li> <li>What your body communicates is more accurate than what you say, and it speaks before you do. People can often tell what you’re thinking or feeling before you speak. And your actions can speak so loudly they drown out your words.</li> <li>Employees search a <a href="http://www.yourthoughtpartner.com/blog/bid/57511/Strategies-that-work-to-listen-for-what-s-not-being-said">leader’s actions</a> for meaning and then act accordingly.</li> <li>Understanding body language can help leaders know when their message resonates and also when more clarification is needed.</li> <li>Different cultures, ages and genders can assign different meaning to body language, so it is important to consider your audience.</li> </ol> <p><b>The signals you send</b></p> <p>To gain greater awareness of how your body language could be interpreted, videotape and review a rehearsal session for your next big presentation. Evaluate how well your body reinforces your words and <a href="http://www.yourthoughtpartner.com/blog/bid/58545/Bosses-What-s-today-s-weather-forecast">consider the signals</a> you may be sending: </p> <ul> <li><b>Self-confidence</b> – Standing or sitting tall, with shoulders back and head up; making eye contact and smiling; clasping hands behind your back or placing them on your hips.</li> <li><b>Defensiveness</b> – Crossed, folded arms; crossed legs with ankles locked; fidgeting.</li> <li><b>Disagreement or negative response</b> – Head shaking, head down in response to a speaker, crossed arms, clenched fists, interwoven clenched fingers, pinching of the bridge of the nose, sitting with legs crossed in a figure-4 position.</li> <li><b>Insecurity</b> – Standing in “scissor” pose with ankles crossed, sitting with legs intertwined, slouching posture, limited eye contact, keeping head down, gripping your own upper arms.</li> <li><b>Interest</b> – Strong eye contact, holding head forward and upright, leaning upper body forward, slow head nodding, leg pointing in the direction of the speaker, sounds of affirmation.</li> <li><b>Nervousness/Tension</b> – Touching your face, biting your lip, grinding teeth, chewing gum, arm-across-body moves including reaching across for a drink or to adjust clothing, holding an object in front of the body.</li> <li><b>Thoughtfulness/evaluation</b> – “Steepling” hands with fingers and thumbs on opposite hands touching, hands stroking chin, pinching or rubbing nose while listening, chin resting on hand with arm on elbow, head tilted to one side.</li> </ul> <p><b><em>What type of message does your body language send and how do you ensure it reflects what you say?</em></b></p> <p>- David Grossman</p> <p>____________________________________________________________</p> <p><strong>Feel like you're communicating but your employees don't always hear you? Download "Can You Hear Me Now? Make What You Say Matter And Increase Your Chance of Being Heard eBook", today!</strong></p> <p><strong></strong><span class="hs-cta-wrapper" id="hs-cta-wrapper-14c7c818-7d91-492c-8b87-ab04c269afe5"> <span class="hs-cta-node hs-cta-14c7c818-7d91-492c-8b87-ab04c269afe5" id="hs-cta-14c7c818-7d91-492c-8b87-ab04c269afe5"> <a href="http://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/83405/14c7c818-7d91-492c-8b87-ab04c269afe5" \=""></a> </span> <script type="text/javascript"> (function(){ var s='hubspotutk',r,c=((r=new RegExp('(^|; )'+s+'=([^;]*)').exec(document.cookie))?r[2]:''),w=window;w[s]=w[s]||c, hsjs=document.createElement("script"),el=document.getElementById("hs-cta-14c7c818-7d91-492c-8b87-ab04c269afe5"); hsjs.type = "text/javascript";hsjs.async = true; hsjs.src = "//cta-service-cms2.hubspot.com/cs/loader.js?pg=14c7c818-7d91-492c-8b87-ab04c269afe5&pid=83405&hsutk=" + encodeURIComponent(c); (document.getElementsByTagName("head")[0]||document.getElementsByTagName("body")[0]).appendChild(hsjs); try{el.style.visibility="hidden";}catch(err){} setTimeout(function() {try{el.style.visibility="visible";}catch(err){}}, 2500); })(); </script> </span></p> </article> <article> <h1>In Case You Missed It: From Workplace Communication to a Leader’s Influence – Best Posts of the Week</h1> <p>David Grossman — Fri, 31 May 2013 14:48:00 GMT</p> <p><br><br>Welcome to my weekly round-up of top leadership and communication blog posts. Each week I read and tweet several great articles and on Fridays pull some of the best together here on my blog. So in case you’ve missed them, here is this week’s round-up of top posts.</p> <p>They’ll provide you with tips, strategies and thought-starters from many of the smart folks in my network. So whether you’re a new leader or an industry veteran there’ll be something here for you.</p> <ul style="font-size: 1em;"> <li> <p><a href="http://justcoachit.com/blog/2013/05/20/the-thriving-organization-ten-power-steps-out-of-jurassic-park/?utm_source=buffer&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=Buffer&utm_content=bufferc630f">The Thriving Organization- Ten Power Steps Out Of Jurassic Park<br></a><span style="font-size: 1em;">By: Irene Becker via 3Q Leadership Blog<br></span><em style="font-size: 1em;"><span style="font-size: 1em;">Jurassic Park is alive and well. If you are not working in Jurassic Park, many of your colleagues and friends are. While there are minor exceptions, organizations by and large spend incredible dollars trying to help executives and managers play to their strengths. Good? Yes. Enough? No…</span></em></p> </li> </ul> <ul> <li><a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/markfidelman/2013/05/28/10-rules-for-influencers/" style="font-size: 1em;">10 Rules for Influencers<br></a><span style="font-size: 1em;">By: Mark Fidelman via Forbes <br></span><em><span style="font-size: 1em;">I know you, but you may not know me. You’re not a Hollywood celebrity, because frankly, you work harder and you’re worth more to society than that. You have ambition, you have opinions<span style="color: #008000;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 1em;">and you certainly know how to convince people to see things your way…</span></em></li> </ul> <ul> <li><a href="http://leadingwithtrust.com/2013/05/26/four-points-in-building-trust-with-millennials/" style="font-size: 1em;">Four Points in Building Trust with Millennials<br></a><span style="font-size: 1em;">By: Randy Conley via Leading With Trust<br></span><em><span style="font-size: 1em;">Judy Garland’s line from The Wizard Oz could appropriately capture the feeling of many leaders when it comes to managing Millennials in the workplace – it’s a whole new world! Millennials, or Gen Y (born 1982-1995), are rapidly becoming a greater share of the workforce and some </span><span style="font-size: 1em;">studies have…</span></em></li> </ul> <ul> <li><a href="http://switchandshift.com/bringing-the-virtue-of-honor-to-management" style="font-size: 1em;">Bringing the Virtue of Honor to Management<br></a><span style="font-size: 1em;">By: Shawn Murphy via Switch & Shift<br></span><em><span style="font-size: 1em;">Management has become a dirty word. It’s ubiquitous with bureaucracy. It’s an art becoming devoid of meaning. It’s been bandied about in ethics scandals and cloaked under the guise of “doing what’s right.” Yet while managers have done their fair share to mess up the effectiveness…</span></em></li> </ul> <ul> <li><a href="http://johnbossong.com/2013/05/27/the-4-key-elements-of-effective-leadership/" style="font-size: 1em;">The 4 Key Elements of Effective Intentional Leadership<br></a><span style="font-size: 1em;">By: John Bossong<br></span><em><span style="font-size: 1em;">lead·er·ship</span><span style="font-size: 13px;"> noun: the office or position of a leader, the capacity to lead, the act or instance of leading. Leadership is sometimes difficult to define. Difficult to box in. You know a good leader when you work for one. You can also clearly feel a bad leader when you work for one…</span></em></li> </ul> <p><b><em>What were some of the top leadership articles you read this week?</em> </b></p> <p>- <em>David Grossman</em></p> </article> <article> <h1>Improve Two-Way Communication In Just 9 Steps</h1> <p>David Grossman — Wed, 29 May 2013 15:11:00 GMT</p> <p></p> <p>The ability to engage in strong two-way communication with employees is a must-have skill for leaders – especially those looking for ways to increase employee engagement. And oddly, I’ve found that this is an area many leaders and managers overlook. All too often, they don’t even realize they are having communication issues that if addressed, would lead to immediate returns on their time invested.</p> <p>So, if you’re looking to improve your two-way communication, you can begin to make changes that will have an impact, and the truth is, the changes aren’t as hard as you might think. We frequently work with our clients on essential must-do strategies for <a href="http://www.yourthoughtpartner.com/blog/bid/44390/Leading-in-Person-6-Reasons-to-Communicate-Face-to-Face">enhancing two-way dialogue</a>, and they are often surprised that these fixes are not as challenging as they first imagined. Now, that's not to say that change happens overnight, but it does mean that with a little attention and self-awareness, everyone has the power to improve their two-way communication.</p> <p><b>To improve communication, managers need to: </b></p> <ol> <li>Understand their role and the expectations leadership has of them (that means leadership needs to have and articulate expectations)</li> <li>Be self-aware so their own issues, challenges and filters don’t get in the way</li> <li>Be trained on how to drive two-way communication</li> <li>Let their staff know there’s an issue and, seek input from them on how to improve two-way communication (what’s working well/what could be better), and then act on their suggestions</li> <li>Have a communication plan for their team, which ensures a regular cadence of opportunities to have dialogue about the state of the business, results, how the team is doing, the impact of decisions on the team, and so on</li> <li>Be held accountable for those expectations and behaviors</li> <li>Share their expectations of employees when it comes to communication</li> <li>Regularly ask their teams how communication is flowing (what’s working well/what could be better), and then act on those suggestions</li> <li>Measure the state of communication regularly (a survey once a year isn’t enough)</li> </ol> <p><b><em>Which two or three steps, if addressed over the next few weeks, would have the biggest impact on your effectiveness?</em></b></p> <p>- David Grossman</p> <p>___________________________________________________________________</p> <p><strong>Feel like you're communicating but your employees don't always hear you? Download "Can You Hear Me Now? Make What You Say Matter And Increase Your Chance of Being Heard" eBook, today!</strong></p> <p><strong><span class="hs-cta-wrapper" id="hs-cta-wrapper-14c7c818-7d91-492c-8b87-ab04c269afe5"> <span class="hs-cta-node hs-cta-14c7c818-7d91-492c-8b87-ab04c269afe5" id="hs-cta-14c7c818-7d91-492c-8b87-ab04c269afe5"> <a href="http://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/83405/14c7c818-7d91-492c-8b87-ab04c269afe5" \=""></a> </span> <script type="text/javascript"> (function(){ var s='hubspotutk',r,c=((r=new RegExp('(^|; )'+s+'=([^;]*)').exec(document.cookie))?r[2]:''),w=window;w[s]=w[s]||c, hsjs=document.createElement("script"),el=document.getElementById("hs-cta-14c7c818-7d91-492c-8b87-ab04c269afe5"); hsjs.type = "text/javascript";hsjs.async = true; hsjs.src = "//cta-service-cms2.hubspot.com/cs/loader.js?pg=14c7c818-7d91-492c-8b87-ab04c269afe5&pid=83405&hsutk=" + encodeURIComponent(c); (document.getElementsByTagName("head")[0]||document.getElementsByTagName("body")[0]).appendChild(hsjs); try{el.style.visibility="hidden";}catch(err){} setTimeout(function() {try{el.style.visibility="visible";}catch(err){}}, 2500); })(); </script> </span><br></strong></p> </article> <article> <h1>In Case You Missed It: Best Leadership Posts of the Week</h1> <p>David Grossman — Fri, 24 May 2013 15:24:00 GMT</p> <p></p> <p>Welcome to my weekly round-up of top leadership and communication blog posts. Each week I read and tweet several great articles and on Fridays pull some of the best together here on my blog. So in case you’ve missed them, here is this week’s round-up of top posts.</p> <p>They’ll provide you with tips, strategies and thought-starters from many of the smart folks in my network. So whether you’re a new leader or an industry veteran there’ll be something here for you.</p> <ul> <li><span style="font-size: 13px;"><a href="https://www.openforum.com/articles/9-tips-for-mentoring-next-generation-leaders/"><span style="color: #0000ff;"><strong>9 Tips for Mentoring Next-Generation Leaders</strong></span><br></a></span><span style="font-size: 13px;">By: Bruna Martinuzzi via Open Forum Blog<br></span><em style="font-size: 13px;">A study of next-generation leaders shows that managers have several concerns about the young people they employ. One of these concerns is that young people aren't getting the coaching and mentoring they need to equip them to lead in complex environments.</em></li> </ul> <ul> <li><a href="http://johnbossong.com/2013/05/21/6-leadership-tips-and-8-leadership-questions-that-get-results/" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: #0000ff;"><strong>6 Leadership Tips and 8 Leadership Questions That Get Results</strong></span><br></a><span style="font-size: 13px;">By: John Bossong<br></span><em style="font-size: 13px;">It’s time for Tuesday’s tips. Below are 6 leadership tips you can put to use immediately. Discuss these with your staff. Have one person describe how your organization can use each tip. How can it make you better? Where are you weak or strong?...</em></li> <li><a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/meghanbiro/2013/05/19/employee-engagement-every-leaders-imperative/" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: #0000ff;"><strong>Employee Engagement: Every Leader’s Imperative</strong></span><br></a><span style="font-size: 13px;">By: Meghan Biro via Forbes<br></span><em style="font-size: 13px;">I had to call my technical support contact last month about a simple billing question. When I finally got a live person, after enduring five minutes of Yanni’s greatest hits, her boredom just radiated through the phone. I guess I caught her mid-yawn. When I told her about my issue…</em></li> </ul> <p><b><em>What were some of the top leadership articles you read this week?</em> <br> </b><b><em></em></b></p> <p>- <em>David Grossman</em></p> <p><em>____________________</em></p> <p><strong>For more on leadership, download our Se7en Deadly Sins of Leadership ebook, today!</strong></p> <p><em><span class="hs-cta-wrapper" id="hs-cta-wrapper-30292aae-2d23-4fd1-b75d-b74881a7a6c7"> <span class="hs-cta-node hs-cta-30292aae-2d23-4fd1-b75d-b74881a7a6c7" id="hs-cta-30292aae-2d23-4fd1-b75d-b74881a7a6c7"> <a href="http://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/83405/30292aae-2d23-4fd1-b75d-b74881a7a6c7" \=""></a> </span> <script type="text/javascript"> (function(){ var s='hubspotutk',r,c=((r=new RegExp('(^|; )'+s+'=([^;]*)').exec(document.cookie))?r[2]:''),w=window;w[s]=w[s]||c, hsjs=document.createElement("script"),el=document.getElementById("hs-cta-30292aae-2d23-4fd1-b75d-b74881a7a6c7"); hsjs.type = "text/javascript";hsjs.async = true; hsjs.src = "//cta-service-cms2.hubspot.com/cs/loader.js?pg=30292aae-2d23-4fd1-b75d-b74881a7a6c7&pid=83405&hsutk=" + encodeURIComponent(c); (document.getElementsByTagName("head")[0]||document.getElementsByTagName("body")[0]).appendChild(hsjs); try{el.style.visibility="hidden";}catch(err){} setTimeout(function() {try{el.style.visibility="visible";}catch(err){}}, 2500); })(); </script> </span><br></em></p> </article> <article> <h1>21st Century Communication – Everyone is a Leader</h1> <p>David Grossman — Thu, 23 May 2013 15:08:00 GMT</p> <p></p> <p>“Who’s in charge here?”</p> <p>It’s a phrase many of us have heard in any number of situations and scenarios throughout life – in movies, at work, at home (those with kids know this question might even be posed internally).</p> <p>In successful organizations, being a leader isn’t just about people who manage others. Leadership is something in which everyone participates.</p> <p>Growing up in Wisconsin, and living in Chicago for most of my life, I’m always drawn to the annual scene of <a href="http://www.wbu.com/chipperwoods/photos/geese.htm">geese flying south for the winter</a> (even if it does mean freezing temperatures and mountains of snow are in store).</p> <p>It’s then, when the geese are in search of a warmer climate, that we see the flying-V formation overhead.</p> <p>What’s particularly interesting about this is the goose at the apex of the V might be considered the leader. They set the course, lead the way and deal with the most wind in their face. That is, only for a time.</p> <p>When they tire, the lead goose makes its way back to the end of the line and a new goose becomes the leader – setting the course, leading the way and dealing with the most wind in their face.</p> <p>In business today, organizations need everyone to lead irrespective of whether they manage people or not, what their role is, where they sit around the world or what they do. And wouldn’t it be great if at times, some of the leaders we work with sit back and allow others to lead?</p> <p>Now that’s a thought that’s definitely not for the birds!</p> <p><b><em>How can you help each of your employees lead better?</em></b></p> <p><em>- David Grossman</em></p> <p><em>____________</em></p> <p><em><strong>Want more tips on leadership? Sign up for eThoughtStarters - our monthly eNewsletter - today!</strong></em></p> <p><em><strong></strong><span class="hs-cta-wrapper" id="hs-cta-wrapper-8e66fbf3-4670-48a8-bd31-1fa53516f16d"> <span class="hs-cta-node hs-cta-8e66fbf3-4670-48a8-bd31-1fa53516f16d" id="hs-cta-8e66fbf3-4670-48a8-bd31-1fa53516f16d"> <a href="http://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/83405/8e66fbf3-4670-48a8-bd31-1fa53516f16d" \=""></a> </span> <script type="text/javascript"> (function(){ var s='hubspotutk',r,c=((r=new RegExp('(^|; )'+s+'=([^;]*)').exec(document.cookie))?r[2]:''),w=window;w[s]=w[s]||c, hsjs=document.createElement("script"),el=document.getElementById("hs-cta-8e66fbf3-4670-48a8-bd31-1fa53516f16d"); hsjs.type = "text/javascript";hsjs.async = true; hsjs.src = "//cta-service-cms2.hubspot.com/cs/loader.js?pg=8e66fbf3-4670-48a8-bd31-1fa53516f16d&pid=83405&hsutk=" + encodeURIComponent(c); (document.getElementsByTagName("head")[0]||document.getElementsByTagName("body")[0]).appendChild(hsjs); try{el.style.visibility="hidden";}catch(err){} setTimeout(function() {try{el.style.visibility="visible";}catch(err){}}, 2500); })(); </script> </span><br></em></p> </article> <article> <h1>The Jury’s In - Put an End to Email “Reply-All”</h1> <p>David Grossman — Tue, 21 May 2013 14:47:00 GMT</p> <p></p> <p>It’s no secret; reply-all is one of the most infamous and often detested e-mail developments to come out of the computer age. It has triggered embarrassment, confusion, annoyance, and now for one company, a lawsuit. </p> <p>When I read this story I couldn’t help but think, <em>are we not learning anything?</em> Reply all’s day in court is long overdue. Especially since its trail of infamy has been inked (or typed) across headlines for years. </p> <p>In <a href="http://www.thestar.com/business/personal_finance/spending_saving/2013/05/07/how_a_reply_all_email_led_to_a_lawsuit.html">this latest story</a>, an HR Director at a Canadian healthcare company accidently hit reply-all on an email to the company’s legal team outlining the pending – yet unannounced – termination of an employee. To the Director’s chagrin – and the employee’s likely distress – she realized the soon-to-be ousted employee was actually included on that distribution list! </p> <p>That employee is now suing for wrongful dismissal. </p> <p>Beyond embarrassment or frustration (or legal fees) – reply-all clogs up in-boxes, can <a href="http://www.yourthoughtpartner.com/email-perception-study">waste time</a> and can obviously lead to unanticipated consequences. (Remember the NYU student who <a href="http://www.yourthoughtpartner.com/blog/bid/56679/Doomsday-Probably-not-Email-Replyallcalypse-Unfortunately-yes">replied all to his fellow 40,000 classmates</a>, when really, the email was intended for his mom?)</p> <p>It is a wolf in sheep’s clothing - so seemingly innocuous, yet can really have a negative impact on how we work and communicate. Enough is enough. Let’s learn from others’ all too frequent mistakes and <a href="http://www.yourthoughtpartner.com/blog/bid/37323/Best-Use-of-Email-Resolution-Stop-Email-Reply-All">let’s put an end to reply all</a>. </p> <p><em><b>What tough lessons have you learned from others (or yourself!) about email reply-all and how do manage it now?</b></em></p> <p><em>- David Grossman </em></p> <p><em>____________</em></p> <p><strong>In need of more resources on email etiquette and how to manage it in your organization? Visit our Email Research and Resources page, today!</strong></p> <p><strong><em><span class="hs-cta-wrapper" id="hs-cta-wrapper-9147cc22-a175-46fc-a900-df5c08cbca30"> <span class="hs-cta-node hs-cta-9147cc22-a175-46fc-a900-df5c08cbca30" id="hs-cta-9147cc22-a175-46fc-a900-df5c08cbca30"> <a href="http://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/83405/9147cc22-a175-46fc-a900-df5c08cbca30" \=""></a> </span> <script type="text/javascript"> (function(){ var s='hubspotutk',r,c=((r=new RegExp('(^|; )'+s+'=([^;]*)').exec(document.cookie))?r[2]:''),w=window;w[s]=w[s]||c, hsjs=document.createElement("script"),el=document.getElementById("hs-cta-9147cc22-a175-46fc-a900-df5c08cbca30"); hsjs.type = "text/javascript";hsjs.async = true; hsjs.src = "//cta-service-cms2.hubspot.com/cs/loader.js?pg=9147cc22-a175-46fc-a900-df5c08cbca30&pid=83405&hsutk=" + encodeURIComponent(c); (document.getElementsByTagName("head")[0]||document.getElementsByTagName("body")[0]).appendChild(hsjs); try{el.style.visibility="hidden";}catch(err){} setTimeout(function() {try{el.style.visibility="visible";}catch(err){}}, 2500); })(); </script> </span><br></em></strong></p> </article> <article> <h1>In Case You Missed It: On Leadership and Must Dos for Workplace Success, Best Posts of the Week</h1> <p>David Grossman — Fri, 17 May 2013 15:17:00 GMT</p> <p></p> <p>Welcome to my weekly round-up of top leadership and communication blog posts. Each week I read and tweet several great articles and on Fridays pull some of the best together here on my blog. So in case you’ve missed them, here is this week’s round-up of top posts.</p> <p>They’ll provide you with tips, strategies and thought-starters from many of the smart folks in my network. So whether you’re a new leader or an industry veteran there’ll be something here for you.</p> <ul style="font-size: 1em;"> <li><span style="font-size: 13px;"><a href="http://www.openforum.com/videos/5-things-you-must-do-to-reach-your-full-potential/" title="5 Things You Must Do to Reach Your Full Potential" target="_self">5 Things You Must Do to Reach Your Full Potential</a><br>By: JJ Ramberg via Open Forum Blog, MSNBC<br></span><em style="font-size: 13px;">We probably all have different ideas of what success might look like for our companies and our lives. But in order to reach your vision of success, you need to define and plot out your path to that success. In this week’s </em><span style="font-size: 13px;">Business War…<br> </span></li> <li><a href="http://www.clarionenterprises.com/blog/?p=1285" style="font-size: 13px;">10 Surefire Ways To Avoid Burnout<br></a><span style="font-size: 13px;">By: Bruna Martinuzzi, Clarion Enterprises Blog<br></span><em style="font-size: 13px;">This article first appeared in my business column at </em><em style="font-size: 13px;">AMEX</em><em style="font-size: 13px;">. A </em><em style="font-size: 13px;">survey</em><em style="font-size: 13px;"> </em><em style="font-size: 13px;">by the American Psychological Association reveals that approximately seven in 10 Americans experience physical or non-physical symptoms of stress. These include irritability or anger, fatigue, feeling overwhelmed…</em><span style="font-size: 13px;"> <br></span><span style="font-size: 13px;"> </span></li> <li><a href="http://www.worklifenation.com/2013/05/work-stress-on-your-personal-fix-list/" style="font-size: 13px;">Is Work Stress on Your Personal “Fix It” List?<br></a><span style="font-size: 13px;">By: Judy Martin, WorkLifeNation<br></span><em style="font-size: 13px;">I search “work stress” on Google News every day. Well over a hundred thousand results greet me and the daunting task of separating the wheat from the chaff begins. I tend to look for new information and trends from the credible companies that track this stuff…<br> </em></li> <li><a href="http://martinamcgowan.com/2013/05/leaders-lifetime-learners/" style="font-size: 13px;">Leaders are Lifetime Learners<br></a><span style="font-size: 13px;">By: Martina McGowan, M.D.<br></span><em style="font-size: 13px;">Leaders, do not possess mindsets that adapt to failure, easily, if at all. Things go wrong, of course, but leaders do not call these things or themselves “failures.”… They may refer to them as glitches, mistakes, bungles, setbacks, or even lessons; but rarely failing…<br> </em></li> <li><a href="http://themojocompany.com/2013/05/5-leadership-lies/" style="font-size: 13px;">5 Leadership Lies<br></a><span style="font-size: 13px;">By: Matt Monge, Workplace MOJO<br></span><em style="font-size: 13px;">Recently I was speaking with a </em><em style="font-size: 13px;">Gen Y</em><em style="font-size: 13px;"> </em><em style="font-size: 13px;">professional on the phone during a sort of coaching conversation when the following took place. “I want to be a leader, but I keep tripping myself up,” he said, sounding frustrated. That’s not a verbatim quote, but it was something…<br></em></li> </ul> <p><b>What were some of the top leadership articles you read this week? <br><br></b>- <em>David Grossman</em></p> <p><em>___________________</em></p> <p><strong><em>In search of more communication tips? Check out my newest eBook - The Courageous Communicator Quest. Download for free today!</em></strong></p> <p><span class="hs-cta-wrapper" id="hs-cta-wrapper-547afb89-f792-44c4-86be-02bb8d689b4c"> <span class="hs-cta-node hs-cta-547afb89-f792-44c4-86be-02bb8d689b4c" id="hs-cta-547afb89-f792-44c4-86be-02bb8d689b4c"> <a href="http://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/83405/547afb89-f792-44c4-86be-02bb8d689b4c" \=""></a> </span> <script type="text/javascript"> (function(){ var s='hubspotutk',r,c=((r=new RegExp('(^|; )'+s+'=([^;]*)').exec(document.cookie))?r[2]:''),w=window;w[s]=w[s]||c, hsjs=document.createElement("script"),el=document.getElementById("hs-cta-547afb89-f792-44c4-86be-02bb8d689b4c"); hsjs.type = "text/javascript";hsjs.async = true; hsjs.src = "//cta-service-cms2.hubspot.com/cs/loader.js?pg=547afb89-f792-44c4-86be-02bb8d689b4c&pid=83405&hsutk=" + encodeURIComponent(c); (document.getElementsByTagName("head")[0]||document.getElementsByTagName("body")[0]).appendChild(hsjs); try{el.style.visibility="hidden";}catch(err){} setTimeout(function() {try{el.style.visibility="visible";}catch(err){}}, 2500); })(); </script> </span></p> </article> <article> <h1>Starting thought - Define the Outcome to Communicate Effectively</h1> <p>David Grossman — Wed, 15 May 2013 15:21:00 GMT</p> <p></p> <p>We spend a fair amount of time talking with our clients and the leaders we work with about “desired outcomes” -- the first step in planning any kind of communication.</p> <p>When we ask, “What’s the outcome you seek?” we often get a communications goal (that’s helpful to know but communications should never be an outcome; it’s a means to achieving a business outcome). When we follow-up: “What’s the <em>business</em> outcome you seek?” we often get puzzled looks from some.</p> <p>That said, I thought it would be valuable to define the concept of an outcome given its importance. The better we can define what we need to accomplish, the better the chance we will succeed at achieving it. After all, if we don’t know where we’re going, how will we get there? And, as was the case in Alice in Wonderland, “any road can get you there.”</p> <p>An outcome is an observable end result, a consequence, a change in business performance, something that follows from an action. </p> <p>When we ask about a desired outcome, we want a business objective. That is, a measurable result like widgets sold, customers served, share of market, or people in seats. This kind of outcome is a consequence of action by teams and individuals whose goal is to deliver on the business objective.</p> <p>Another way to look at this: if what you want to communicate isn’t about moving the business forward, it’s important to think long and hard about whether you should be communicating at all.</p> <p>There might be other outcomes you want to achieve that are secondary and might be less measurable but still important: build a critical relationship inside an organization, get a seat at the table, or get promoted.</p> <p>Like any activity that is focused on getting results, communication needs to be based on a clear goal or “desired outcome” to be effective. It’s worth the time and thought to create a solid first step that will be the foundation of any successful communication.</p> <p><em><b>What’s the business outcome you seek?</b></em></p> <p>- David Grossman</p> <p>________________</p> <p><strong>Want more communication tips? Get more on defining the outcome and several other steps in our latest ebook, <em>The Courageous Communicator Quest</em>. Download today! </strong></p> <p><span class="hs-cta-wrapper" id="hs-cta-wrapper-547afb89-f792-44c4-86be-02bb8d689b4c"> <span class="hs-cta-node hs-cta-547afb89-f792-44c4-86be-02bb8d689b4c" id="hs-cta-547afb89-f792-44c4-86be-02bb8d689b4c"> <a href="http://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/83405/547afb89-f792-44c4-86be-02bb8d689b4c" \=""></a> </span> <script type="text/javascript"> (function(){ var s='hubspotutk',r,c=((r=new RegExp('(^|; )'+s+'=([^;]*)').exec(document.cookie))?r[2]:''),w=window;w[s]=w[s]||c, hsjs=document.createElement("script"),el=document.getElementById("hs-cta-547afb89-f792-44c4-86be-02bb8d689b4c"); hsjs.type = "text/javascript";hsjs.async = true; hsjs.src = "//cta-service-cms2.hubspot.com/cs/loader.js?pg=547afb89-f792-44c4-86be-02bb8d689b4c&pid=83405&hsutk=" + encodeURIComponent(c); (document.getElementsByTagName("head")[0]||document.getElementsByTagName("body")[0]).appendChild(hsjs); try{el.style.visibility="hidden";}catch(err){} setTimeout(function() {try{el.style.visibility="visible";}catch(err){}}, 2500); })(); </script> </span></p> <p> </p> </article> <article> <h1>New Communication eBook: The Courageous Communicator Quest</h1> <p>David Grossman — Tue, 14 May 2013 13:59:00 GMT</p> <p></p> <p class="Default">I’ve talked to a lot of folks lately who say they don’t want to just lead – they want to be great leaders – but they struggle with how to get there and do it effectively.</p> <p class="Default">So it was with that my latest eBook – The Courageous Communicator Quest – was born. In it, you’ll spend 13 weeks working through 13 challenges and reach hundreds of personal accomplishments, all as part of your journey to become a remarkable leader.</p> <p class="Default">You will face new leadership challenges and when it’s all over, you’ll be a true leader by nature.</p> <p>Be prepared to:</p> <ul> <li>Unlearn some of what you have learned</li> <li>Tackle common leadership fears head on</li> <li>Accept that some of what you’ve been taught or told yourself about what it takes and what it means to be a leader isn’t necessarily true</li> </ul> <p>Are you ready to leave your comfort zone, reach new heights and journey to new lands of self-understanding and to challenge yourself to lead better than ever before?</p> <p><b><em>Download <a href="http://www.yourthoughtpartner.com/courageous-communicator-quest" title="The Courageous Communicator Quest" target="_self">The Courageous Communicator Quest</a> and begin your journey to great leadership, today!</em></b><b><em></em></b></p> <p>- David Grossman</p> <p>___________</p> <p><span>Want more leadership communication tips? Sign up for our monthly eThoughtStarters newsletter!</span></p> <p><span></span><span class="hs-cta-wrapper" id="hs-cta-wrapper-8e66fbf3-4670-48a8-bd31-1fa53516f16d"> <span class="hs-cta-node hs-cta-8e66fbf3-4670-48a8-bd31-1fa53516f16d" id="hs-cta-8e66fbf3-4670-48a8-bd31-1fa53516f16d"> <a href="http://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/83405/8e66fbf3-4670-48a8-bd31-1fa53516f16d" \=""></a> </span> <script type="text/javascript"> (function(){ var s='hubspotutk',r,c=((r=new RegExp('(^|; )'+s+'=([^;]*)').exec(document.cookie))?r[2]:''),w=window;w[s]=w[s]||c, hsjs=document.createElement("script"),el=document.getElementById("hs-cta-8e66fbf3-4670-48a8-bd31-1fa53516f16d"); hsjs.type = "text/javascript";hsjs.async = true; hsjs.src = "//cta-service-cms2.hubspot.com/cs/loader.js?pg=8e66fbf3-4670-48a8-bd31-1fa53516f16d&pid=83405&hsutk=" + encodeURIComponent(c); (document.getElementsByTagName("head")[0]||document.getElementsByTagName("body")[0]).appendChild(hsjs); try{el.style.visibility="hidden";}catch(err){} setTimeout(function() {try{el.style.visibility="visible";}catch(err){}}, 2500); })(); </script> </span></p> </article> <article> <h1>In Case You Missed It: From Leadership to Millennials - this week's best posts</h1> <p>David Grossman — Fri, 10 May 2013 15:35:00 GMT</p> <p></p> <p>Welcome to my weekly round-up of top leadership and communication blog posts. Each week I read and tweet several great articles and on Fridays pull some of the best together here on my blog. So in case you’ve missed them, here is this week’s round-up of top posts.</p> <p>They’ll provide you with tips, strategies and thought-starters from many of the smart folks in my network. So whether you’re a new leader or an industry veteran there’ll be something here for you.</p> <p style="padding-left: 60px;"><a href="http://switchandshift.com/not-a-born-leader-so-what">Not a Born Leader? So What!<br></a><span style="font-size: 13px;">By: Dr. Janice Presser via the Switch and Shift Blog<br></span><em style="font-size: 13px;">I was not born a leader. When I was born (and this was a very long time ago), there were serious defects in my leadership blueprint. First, I had two X chromosomes at a time when one Y was needed in order to be a leader…</em></p> <p style="padding-left: 60px;"><a href="http://www.tanveernaseer.com/promotion-focus-vs-prevention-focus-heidi-grant-halvorson/">Is Your Team Promotion Or Prevention-Focused? Here’s Why It Matters To Leaders<br></a><span style="font-size: 13px;">By: Dr. Heidi Grant Halvorson via the Tanveer Naseer Blog<br></span><em style="font-size: 13px;">Is your employee a risk-taker, or does he avoid risks like the plague? Does she get uncomfortable with too much optimism or praise, or is she known for her sunny outlook? Do some assignments always seem particularly hard for her, while she excels at others naturally?...</em></p> <p style="padding-left: 60px;"><a href="http://www.openforum.com/articles/productivity-tips-from-incredibly-busy-entrepreneurs/">12 Productivity Tips From Incredibly Busy People<br></a><span style="font-size: 13px;">By: Bruna Martinuzzi<br></span><em style="font-size: 13px;">"Personal productivity is a key differentiator between those who succeed in their chosen field and those who do not," says bestselling author Brian Tracy. Leaders and entrepreneurs who are at the top of their game know how to achieve what they want in less time than others…</em></p> <p style="padding-left: 60px;"><a href="http://themojocompany.com/2013/05/8-characteristics-of-creative-leaders/?utm_source=rss">8 Characteristics of Creative Leaders</a> <br> By: Matt Monge<br> <em>I hate to outline things that may generally be true of what some would consider “creative” leaders, because I don’t want that to misconstrued as me positing that some humans are creative and others aren’t. I don’t think that at all…</em></p> <p style="padding-left: 60px;"><a href="http://switchandshift.com/3-leadership-lessons-we-can-learn-from-gen-y">3 Leadership Lessons We Can Learn from Gen Y<br></a><span style="font-size: 13px;">By: Shawn Murphy<br></span><em style="font-size: 13px;">A third of U.S. employees feel chronically overworked. 52% of U.S. families say work interferes with their family or home responsibilities. More than 54% of U.S. Americans say they will look for a better job once the economy improves.</em></p> <p><b>What were some of the top leadership articles you read this week? </b></p> <p><span style="font-size: 13px;">- </span><em style="font-size: 13px;">David Grossman</em></p> <p><em style="font-size: 13px;">________</em></p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Want leadership & communication tips on a regular basis? </strong><strong style="font-size: 13px;">Sign up for our monthy eNewsletter, today!</strong></p> <p><strong style="font-size: 13px;"><span class="hs-cta-wrapper" id="hs-cta-wrapper-8e66fbf3-4670-48a8-bd31-1fa53516f16d"> <span class="hs-cta-node hs-cta-8e66fbf3-4670-48a8-bd31-1fa53516f16d" id="hs-cta-8e66fbf3-4670-48a8-bd31-1fa53516f16d"> <a href="http://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/83405/8e66fbf3-4670-48a8-bd31-1fa53516f16d" \=""></a> </span> <script type="text/javascript"> (function(){ var s='hubspotutk',r,c=((r=new RegExp('(^|; )'+s+'=([^;]*)').exec(document.cookie))?r[2]:''),w=window;w[s]=w[s]||c, hsjs=document.createElement("script"),el=document.getElementById("hs-cta-8e66fbf3-4670-48a8-bd31-1fa53516f16d"); hsjs.type = "text/javascript";hsjs.async = true; hsjs.src = "//cta-service-cms2.hubspot.com/cs/loader.js?pg=8e66fbf3-4670-48a8-bd31-1fa53516f16d&pid=83405&hsutk=" + encodeURIComponent(c); (document.getElementsByTagName("head")[0]||document.getElementsByTagName("body")[0]).appendChild(hsjs); try{el.style.visibility="hidden";}catch(err){} setTimeout(function() {try{el.style.visibility="visible";}catch(err){}}, 2500); })(); </script> </span></strong></p> </article> <article> <h1>You Can’t NOT Communicate Wins Prestigious Axiom Business Book Award</h1> <p>David Grossman — Wed, 08 May 2013 14:47:00 GMT</p> <p></p> <p>I’m incredibly humbled and honored that my first book, <a href="http://www.yourthoughtpartner.com/book/"><em>You Can’ Not Communicate</em></a><em>, Second Edition, </em>has received the Gold Axiom Business Book Award.</p> <p>The <a href="http://www.axiomawards.com/">Axiom Business Book Awards</a> are intended to bring increased recognition to exemplary business books that are a must-read for information-hungry business leaders. My book was honored in the Communication category. To see the 2012 Axiom Business Book Award Winners click <a href="http://www.independentpublisher.com/article.php?page=1523">here</a>.</p> <p>In celebration, if you haven’t picked up a copy of You Can’t Not Communicate 1 or 2, you can today at a discounted price. Just use <a href="http://www.yourthoughtpartner.com/book/">discount code AXIOM13 for 20% off</a>.</p> <p>- David Grossman</p> <p>_____________</p> <p><strong><em>For more on You Can't Not Communicate and it's follow-up visit our book page!</em></strong></p> <p><strong><em><span class="hs-cta-wrapper" id="hs-cta-wrapper-95357270-96f9-4915-ac07-b58b409cb674"> <span class="hs-cta-node hs-cta-95357270-96f9-4915-ac07-b58b409cb674" id="hs-cta-95357270-96f9-4915-ac07-b58b409cb674"> <a href="http://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/83405/95357270-96f9-4915-ac07-b58b409cb674" \=""></a> </span> <script type="text/javascript"> (function(){ var s='hubspotutk',r,c=((r=new RegExp('(^|; )'+s+'=([^;]*)').exec(document.cookie))?r[2]:''),w=window;w[s]=w[s]||c, hsjs=document.createElement("script"),el=document.getElementById("hs-cta-95357270-96f9-4915-ac07-b58b409cb674"); hsjs.type = "text/javascript";hsjs.async = true; hsjs.src = "//cta-service-cms2.hubspot.com/cs/loader.js?pg=95357270-96f9-4915-ac07-b58b409cb674&pid=83405&hsutk=" + encodeURIComponent(c); (document.getElementsByTagName("head")[0]||document.getElementsByTagName("body")[0]).appendChild(hsjs); try{el.style.visibility="hidden";}catch(err){} setTimeout(function() {try{el.style.visibility="visible";}catch(err){}}, 2500); })(); </script> </span><br></em></strong></p> </article> <article> <h1>4 Steps to Increase Employee Engagement through Two-Way Communication</h1> <p>David Grossman — Tue, 07 May 2013 15:26:00 GMT</p> <p></p> <p>Employees who are highly engaged in their work perform better than their less-committed counterparts and boost the organization’s bottom line. Not surprisingly, building employee engagement involves two-way communication – both to and from employees.</p> <p>Leaders who understand the importance of communication, and how you can’t lead without communicating well – engage employees with various communication vehicles that help them connect the dots between individual efforts and organizational goals. But just as important as any leadership message is having systems in place to gather employee input and demonstrate its importance to the organization.</p> <p>By establishing channels to encourage and funnel <a href="http://www.yourthoughtpartner.com/blog/bid/53952/Workplace-Diet-Taking-Action-on-Feedback-from-Employees">feedback</a> from employees to leaders, you create a critical structure to support employee engagement.</p> <p><b>Here are four steps to build employee engagement:</b></p> <ol> <li><b>Understand your audience and what’s important to them</b> – The top priority for building engagement is to give employees information they need to succeed in their jobs, and ensure they know where to find additional resources. The type of organization, job and level of employee will dictate the most effective channel to meet your needs. Your efforts will be most effective if you first ask yourself, “What is the most important thing these employees want to know, what is the best way to encourage dialogue and how would they be most comfortable sharing input?”</li> <li><b>Choose or create channels</b> – Once you consider the <a href="http://www.yourthoughtpartner.com/blog/bid/58368/Automated-Communications-Doesn-t-work-for-Ally-doesn-t-work-for-your-employees">audience</a> and work environment, look at the best ways to engage employees to share their ideas and insights. You may use existing channels or create new ones. Keep in mind feedback channels can be informal – such as leaders “managing by walking around” or supervisors asking for input – or they can be more formal mechanisms that invite ideas and questions via print or technology. When determining which channels work best, keep in mind employees’ time commitment, availability and access to technology. Be sure they can use feedback mechanisms both during and after work hours. </li> <li><b>Gather and encourage feedback</b> – Once you are ready to implement and promote feedback channels throughout the organization, recognize that what you do with their input speaks volumes to employees. When leaders respond quickly to ideas and questions, employees get the message their input is valued and they become more committed and engaged. To ensure feedback gets the respect it deserves, assign someone to respond personally and promptly to all employee concerns and ideas.</li> <li><b>Act on feedback</b> – Highly engaged employees are enthused about their organization and believe they can positively influence its success. Acting on employee feedback and highlighting the impact employees make is a strong engagement builder. Be sure that all employees know how their colleagues’ suggestions or ideas are being implemented. Regularly sharing results and requesting additional feedback creates predictable, consistent two-way communication that encourages employees to take ownership and understand their ideas are valued by the organization.</li> </ol> <p><b><em>What systems can you add to encourage two-way communication and increase employee feedback?</em></b></p> <p>- David Grossman</p> <p>______________</p> <p><strong>Feel like you're communicating but your employees don't always hear you? Download our "Can You Hear Me Now? Make What You Say Matter And Increase Your Chances of Being Heard" ebook, today!</strong></p> <p><span class="hs-cta-wrapper" id="hs-cta-wrapper-14c7c818-7d91-492c-8b87-ab04c269afe5"> <span class="hs-cta-node hs-cta-14c7c818-7d91-492c-8b87-ab04c269afe5" id="hs-cta-14c7c818-7d91-492c-8b87-ab04c269afe5"> <a href="http://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/83405/14c7c818-7d91-492c-8b87-ab04c269afe5" \=""></a> </span> <script type="text/javascript"> (function(){ var s='hubspotutk',r,c=((r=new RegExp('(^|; )'+s+'=([^;]*)').exec(document.cookie))?r[2]:''),w=window;w[s]=w[s]||c, hsjs=document.createElement("script"),el=document.getElementById("hs-cta-14c7c818-7d91-492c-8b87-ab04c269afe5"); hsjs.type = "text/javascript";hsjs.async = true; hsjs.src = "//cta-service-cms2.hubspot.com/cs/loader.js?pg=14c7c818-7d91-492c-8b87-ab04c269afe5&pid=83405&hsutk=" + encodeURIComponent(c); (document.getElementsByTagName("head")[0]||document.getElementsByTagName("body")[0]).appendChild(hsjs); try{el.style.visibility="hidden";}catch(err){} setTimeout(function() {try{el.style.visibility="visible";}catch(err){}}, 2500); })(); </script> </span></p> </article> <article> <h1>In Case You Missed It: Best Leadership & Communication Posts of the Week</h1> <p>David Grossman — Fri, 03 May 2013 15:11:00 GMT</p> <p></p> <p><span style="font-size: 13px;">Welcome to my weekly round-up of top leadership and communication blog posts. Each week I read and tweet several great articles and on Fridays pull some of the best together here on my blog. So in case you’ve missed them, here is this week’s round-up of top posts.</span></p> <p>They’ll provide you with tips, strategies and thought-starters from many of the smart folks in my network. So whether you’re a new leader or an industry veteran there’ll be something here for you.</p> <p style="padding-left: 60px;"><a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/laurashin/2013/05/01/the-7-ways-successful-people-approach-their-work/">The 7 Ways Successful People Approach Their Work</a> <br> By: Laura Shin via Forbes<br> <em>When it comes to work, everyone has their own methods for getting tasks done. But it turns out that the most successful people tend to have similar habits…</em></p> <p style="padding-left: 60px;"><a href="http://switchandshift.com/11-characteristics-of-meaningful-work">11 Characteristics of Meaningful Work</a><br> By: Shawn Murphy via the Switch and Shift Blog<br> <em>Managers cannot make work meaningful for employees. Managers, however, can shape the workplace environment to let meaningful work become possible for employees. With a context set to let meaning be experienced, employees can leverage the environment to derive meaning from their work…</em></p> <p style="padding-left: 60px;"><a href="http://www.christopheravery.com/blog/more-fairness-principle-ideas-for-clearer-communication/">More Fairness Principle Ideas for Clearer Communication</a><br> By: Christopher Avery<br> <em>Here are additional ideas for more successful communication between team members that are in the office and team members that phone in during conference calls...</em></p> <p style="padding-left: 60px;"><a href="http://www.openforum.com/articles/top-ten-tips-for-handling-the-difficult-conversation/">12 Tips for Handling Difficult Conversations</a> <br> By: Bruna Martinuzzi via Open Forum<br> <em>We all have an inner voice that tells us when we need to have a difficult conversation with someone—a conversation that, if it took place, would improve life at the office for ourselves and for everyone else on our team…</em></p> <p style="padding-left: 60px;"><a href="http://ericjacobsononmanagement.blogspot.com/2013/04/how-to-maximize-employee-involvement.html">How To Maximize Employee Involvement<br></a><span style="font-size: 13px;">By: Eric Jacobson<br></span><em style="font-size: 13px;">Here are 10 tips for how to maximize employee involvement: Have active ways to listen to your employees. Check often with employees to see if the information you are sharing with them is what they need and what they want…</em></p> <p><b>What were some of the top leadership articles you read this week? <br> </b><b><em></em></b></p> <p>- <em>David Grossman</em></p> <p><em>____________</em></p> <p><em><em><strong>Are you a leader or communicator looking to master the art of messaging? Download our free eBook, today! </strong></em><br></em></p> <p><em><span class="hs-cta-wrapper" id="hs-cta-wrapper-ac86c0d2-77cc-402b-9396-44f68e41bdbe"> <span class="hs-cta-node hs-cta-ac86c0d2-77cc-402b-9396-44f68e41bdbe" id="hs-cta-ac86c0d2-77cc-402b-9396-44f68e41bdbe"> <a href="http://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/83405/ac86c0d2-77cc-402b-9396-44f68e41bdbe" \=""></a> </span> <script type="text/javascript"> (function(){ var s='hubspotutk',r,c=((r=new RegExp('(^|; )'+s+'=([^;]*)').exec(document.cookie))?r[2]:''),w=window;w[s]=w[s]||c, hsjs=document.createElement("script"),el=document.getElementById("hs-cta-ac86c0d2-77cc-402b-9396-44f68e41bdbe"); hsjs.type = "text/javascript";hsjs.async = true; hsjs.src = "//cta-service-cms2.hubspot.com/cs/loader.js?pg=ac86c0d2-77cc-402b-9396-44f68e41bdbe&pid=83405&hsutk=" + encodeURIComponent(c); (document.getElementsByTagName("head")[0]||document.getElementsByTagName("body")[0]).appendChild(hsjs); try{el.style.visibility="hidden";}catch(err){} setTimeout(function() {try{el.style.visibility="visible";}catch(err){}}, 2500); })(); </script> </span><br></em></p> </article> <article> <h1>Millennials: 3 Characteristics that Define how they Approach the Workplace</h1> <p>David Grossman — Thu, 02 May 2013 14:56:00 GMT</p> <p> </p> <p>At more than 80 million strong, millennials — those born roughly between 1982 and 2000 — are a true force to be reckoned with in the workplace. Like every “next generation,” millennials often feel misunderstood, which can lead to lower productivity, or even disengagement. Studies predict millennials will be the highest achieving generation to date. To better connect with this powerful segment of the workforce, leaders must understand who they are and how to draw on their unique talents.</p> <p>Like any generation, there are certain cultural experiences that affect the way millennials see the world. Baby Boomers grew up with The Brady Bunch and having to get off the couch to change the channel. Millennials remember watching Full House and Home Improvement; most recall vividly when they got their first cell phone.</p> <p>There are a variety of characteristics that can help you easily identify a millennial. Their generation is one of selectivity, choices, technology, and team work. Millennials grew up in an era with hundreds of television channels, boxes of crayons with 96 colors and now multi-colored iPods and cell phone cases.</p> <p>Because they’re used to having options in all parts of their lives, millennials value flexibility and convenience more than previous generations. Going through programs such as daycare and after-school sports — something their parents or grandparents did rarely — has also shaped the way millennials learn and interact. Because they’ve been working with peers their whole lives, they learn best through collaborative efforts.</p> <p>Based on the knowledge of what makes a millennial “tick,” leaders need to understand the three main characteristics that shape their approach to the workplace.</p> <ol> <li><b>Millennials learn by doing</b> and encourage constant <a href="http://www.yourthoughtpartner.com/blog/bid/23117/The-Four-F-s-of-Feedback">feedback</a>, which makes them incredibly results-oriented. They’re usually on the lookout for ways to develop and improve the quality of their work, making them great team members. With that, leaders know they can rely on millennials to welcome constructive counsel to reach their best potential.<br> </li> <li><span style="font-size: 1em;">It’s important to remember that millennials are the first generation to grow up in the information age, making them </span><b>true digital natives</b><span style="font-size: 1em;">. Because millennials rely so heavily on technology, this means they may not have had the opportunity to practice verbal communication skills in business situations. As leaders, we can teach them about the benefits of </span><a href="http://www.yourthoughtpartner.com/blog/bid/53520/Google-Exec-Disconnect-from-Your-Email-and-Engage-in-Face-to-Face-Communication" style="font-size: 1em;">face-to-face communication</a><span style="font-size: 1em;"> and tap them to help us better navigate new technologies.<br></span><span style="font-size: 1em;"><br></span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 1em;">Along with being tech savvy, millennials are </span><b>great multi-taskers</b><span style="font-size: 1em;">. They often have four screens open while working on multiple projects. Knowing that millennials are comfortable with multi-tasking, leaders should know that this skill-set makes them flexible team members that can successfully handle several tasks at a time.</span></li> </ol> <p>As a large percentage of our population, millennials are already shaping the future of many industries. Having them as a part of your organization can help guide your team through the ever-changing business landscape. As new technologies become a bigger part of business, millennials will be there to help companies adjust through those changes. Their experiential learning style and innate ability to be results-oriented will continue to add value and ultimately help drive business results. That’s a benefit a leader of any generation can appreciate.</p> <p><strong><em>Which characteristic of yours is most unlike those of Millennials?</em></strong></p> <p>- David Grossman</p> <p>_____</p> <p><strong>Looking for more tips on workplace communication and leadership? Download Part 1 of our "A-List" ebook series and begin to communicate your way to great leadership, today!</strong></p> <p><span class="hs-cta-wrapper" id="hs-cta-wrapper-8c518c3e-1d05-44b5-93cd-556dc34d1ee9"> <span class="hs-cta-node hs-cta-8c518c3e-1d05-44b5-93cd-556dc34d1ee9" id="hs-cta-8c518c3e-1d05-44b5-93cd-556dc34d1ee9"> <a href="http://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/83405/8c518c3e-1d05-44b5-93cd-556dc34d1ee9" \=""></a> </span> <script type="text/javascript"> (function(){ var s='hubspotutk',r,c=((r=new RegExp('(^|; )'+s+'=([^;]*)').exec(document.cookie))?r[2]:''),w=window;w[s]=w[s]||c, hsjs=document.createElement("script"),el=document.getElementById("hs-cta-8c518c3e-1d05-44b5-93cd-556dc34d1ee9"); hsjs.type = "text/javascript";hsjs.async = true; hsjs.src = "//cta-service-cms2.hubspot.com/cs/loader.js?pg=8c518c3e-1d05-44b5-93cd-556dc34d1ee9&pid=83405&hsutk=" + encodeURIComponent(c); (document.getElementsByTagName("head")[0]||document.getElementsByTagName("body")[0]).appendChild(hsjs); try{el.style.visibility="hidden";}catch(err){} setTimeout(function() {try{el.style.visibility="visible";}catch(err){}}, 2500); })(); </script> </span></p> </article> <article> <h1>How belt-tightening helps us with change - in the workplace and out</h1> <p>David Grossman — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 15:02:00 GMT</p> <p><span style="font-size: 13px;"><br></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 13px;">A good friend of mine is trying to lose weight. I know that’s a goal many of us have, and an ongoing challenge for just about all of us. You might even call it a weighty issue.</span></p> <p>Part of what’s most difficult is changing our habits and internalizing new behaviors (not to mention finding the right formula to shed a few pounds!). Sticking to it – whatever the plan is – can be tough because it’s so easy to get distracted and off course.</p> <p>My friend and I were talking recently about his desire to get thinner, and while bemoaning his too-tight jeans, he told me about his plan to buy a few pairs of new, more comfortable (read: larger) jeans.</p> <p>“Don’t do it,” I told him. Now, as someone who enjoys a good shopping trip, I hate to stop others from doing something I heartily enjoy, knowing how energizing a few great purchases can be. However, I knew how important his goal of losing weight was to him, and I wanted to be helpful because I cared about him.</p> <p>Here’s why I told him not to do it. Every time he puts on those too-tight jeans, he’s going to feel a little uncomfortable, maybe even a tad bit frustrated in buttoning them. That little bit of discomfort (or maybe a lot!) is going to remind him of his goal – to lose weight -- and hopefully, move him to action in a positive way, which will help him stick to the new behaviors he’s trying to ingrain.</p> <p>Then, over time, there’s the wonderful reinforcement when the jeans begin to get less snug, and you can celebrate that what you’re doing is working. If you don’t feel a little discomfort, then you’re not going to change or learn or grow or lose a few pounds. </p> <p>Understanding that truism can make anyone smarter and able to <a href="http://www.yourthoughtpartner.com/blog/bid/28837/Influencers-Can-Help-Implement-Change-and-Make-It-Stick">move through change</a> more effectively, and feel better about it. That’s what I call jean-ious!</p> <p><b>What discomfort are you feeling today that might be a cue or clue that you have the opportunity to grow?</b></p> <p><em>- David Grossman</em></p> <p><em>________________________________________________________________________</em></p> <p><em><span class="hs-cta-wrapper" id="hs-cta-wrapper-8e66fbf3-4670-48a8-bd31-1fa53516f16d"> <span class="hs-cta-node hs-cta-8e66fbf3-4670-48a8-bd31-1fa53516f16d" id="hs-cta-8e66fbf3-4670-48a8-bd31-1fa53516f16d"> <a href="http://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/83405/8e66fbf3-4670-48a8-bd31-1fa53516f16d" \=""></a> </span> <script type="text/javascript"> (function(){ var s='hubspotutk',r,c=((r=new RegExp('(^|; )'+s+'=([^;]*)').exec(document.cookie))?r[2]:''),w=window;w[s]=w[s]||c, hsjs=document.createElement("script"),el=document.getElementById("hs-cta-8e66fbf3-4670-48a8-bd31-1fa53516f16d"); hsjs.type = "text/javascript";hsjs.async = true; hsjs.src = "//cta-service-cms2.hubspot.com/cs/loader.js?pg=8e66fbf3-4670-48a8-bd31-1fa53516f16d&pid=83405&hsutk=" + encodeURIComponent(c); (document.getElementsByTagName("head")[0]||document.getElementsByTagName("body")[0]).appendChild(hsjs); try{el.style.visibility="hidden";}catch(err){} setTimeout(function() {try{el.style.visibility="visible";}catch(err){}}, 2500); })(); </script> </span><br></em></p> </article> <article> <h1>In Case You Missed It: Best Leadership & Communication Posts of the Week</h1> <p>David Grossman — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 15:19:00 GMT</p> <p></p> <p>Welcome to my weekly round-up of top leadership and communication blog posts. Each week I read and tweet several great articles and on Fridays pull some of the best together here on my blog. So in case you’ve missed them, here is this week’s round-up of top posts.</p> <p>They’ll provide you with tips, strategies and thought-starters from many of the smart folks in my network. So whether you’re a new leader or an industry veteran there’ll be something here for you.</p> <p style="padding-left: 60px;"><a href="http://breaktheframe.com/lose-the-big-head-and-go-on-the-leadership-diet/">Lose the Big Head and Go on the Leadership Diet</a> <br> By: Alli Polin <br> <em>The best leaders engage people not only with their stunningly smart ideas and heroic experiences but also, and quite simply, showing up as who they are…</em> </p> <p style="padding-left: 60px;"><a href="http://themojocompany.com/2013/04/5-things-we-can-learn-about-leadership-from-siri/?utm_source=rss">5 Things We Can Learn about Leadership from Siri</a><br> By: Audra August via the Workplace Mojo Blog<br> <em>Apple’s virtual assistant Siri was designed to learn and get more sophisticated over time. The evolution in Siri’s capability and the increase in value she brings happen as users build a history with her. Learning through experience…what a great concept!…</em></p> <p style="padding-left: 60px;"><a href="http://johnbossong.com/2013/04/21/your-leadership-reflects-your-preparation/">Your Leadership Reflects Your Preparation</a> <br> By: John Bossong<br><em style="font-size: 13px;">When you see an organization that is doing well and running on all cylinders, it seems like magic. The sales team is producing great revenue, customer service is churning out Raving Fans and the people are all focused on the purpose and mission of the organization…</em></p> <p style="padding-left: 60px;"><a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/amyanderson/2013/04/17/good-employees-make-mistakes-great-leaders-allow-them-to/">Good Employees Make Mistakes. Great Leaders Allow Them To.<br></a><span style="font-size: 13px;">By: Amy Rees Anderson via Forbes<br><em>As a business leader, I found that one of the scariest things to do was to give your people the freedom to make mistakes. While mistakes allow individuals to learn and grow, they can also be very costly to any company... </em></span></p> <p><em><br></em><b>What were some of the top leadership articles you read this week? </b></p> <p><span style="font-size: 13px;">- </span><em style="font-size: 13px;">David Grossman</em></p> <p> <span style="font-size: 13px;">_________________________</span></p> <p><strong>For more communication, culture and change tips, download our A-List eBook - Featuring top check-lists for communicating your way to great leadership, today!</strong></p> <p><span class="hs-cta-wrapper" id="hs-cta-wrapper-8c518c3e-1d05-44b5-93cd-556dc34d1ee9"> <span class="hs-cta-node hs-cta-8c518c3e-1d05-44b5-93cd-556dc34d1ee9" id="hs-cta-8c518c3e-1d05-44b5-93cd-556dc34d1ee9"> <a href="http://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/83405/8c518c3e-1d05-44b5-93cd-556dc34d1ee9" \=""></a> </span> <script type="text/javascript"> (function(){ var s='hubspotutk',r,c=((r=new RegExp('(^|; )'+s+'=([^;]*)').exec(document.cookie))?r[2]:''),w=window;w[s]=w[s]||c, hsjs=document.createElement("script"),el=document.getElementById("hs-cta-8c518c3e-1d05-44b5-93cd-556dc34d1ee9"); hsjs.type = "text/javascript";hsjs.async = true; hsjs.src = "//cta-service-cms2.hubspot.com/cs/loader.js?pg=8c518c3e-1d05-44b5-93cd-556dc34d1ee9&pid=83405&hsutk=" + encodeURIComponent(c); (document.getElementsByTagName("head")[0]||document.getElementsByTagName("body")[0]).appendChild(hsjs); try{el.style.visibility="hidden";}catch(err){} setTimeout(function() {try{el.style.visibility="visible";}catch(err){}}, 2500); })(); </script> </span></p> </article> <article> <h1>Starting Thought - One principle from the Margaret Thatcher School of Leadership: Leave a Legacy</h1> <p>David Grossman — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 15:37:00 GMT</p> <p> </p> <p>With the passing of Margaret Thatcher earlier this month, the world has lost one of its great leaders and communicators. In <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/people/margaret_thatcher">reading about her journey</a>, and all she accomplished, I thought about the amazing legacy she left.</p> <p>Which leads me to the question for every leader: what will your <a href="http://www.yourthoughtpartner.com/blog/?Tag=leadership+legacy">legacy</a> be?</p> <p>You’ll have a legacy whether you want t or not; will it be the one you envision?</p> <p>I regularly ask senior leaders about what they want their legacy to be, and often get a list of qualities. That’s important. People will remember who you were and how you made them feel. But there’s a second part.</p> <p>What impact will you have had on your organization? Industry? World? You’ll be remembered as someone who did what?</p> <p>This is a big question, but how will you get there if you don’t know where you’re going?</p> <p><b>What will your legacy be?</b></p> <p>- David Grossman</p> <p>_______________________________________________________</p> <p><strong>Want regular tips for the workplace? Sign up for our monthly eThoughtStarters, today!</strong></p> <p><span class="hs-cta-wrapper" id="hs-cta-wrapper-8e66fbf3-4670-48a8-bd31-1fa53516f16d"> <span class="hs-cta-node hs-cta-8e66fbf3-4670-48a8-bd31-1fa53516f16d" id="hs-cta-8e66fbf3-4670-48a8-bd31-1fa53516f16d"> <a href="http://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/83405/8e66fbf3-4670-48a8-bd31-1fa53516f16d" \=""></a> </span> <script type="text/javascript"> (function(){ var s='hubspotutk',r,c=((r=new RegExp('(^|; )'+s+'=([^;]*)').exec(document.cookie))?r[2]:''),w=window;w[s]=w[s]||c, hsjs=document.createElement("script"),el=document.getElementById("hs-cta-8e66fbf3-4670-48a8-bd31-1fa53516f16d"); hsjs.type = "text/javascript";hsjs.async = true; hsjs.src = "//cta-service-cms2.hubspot.com/cs/loader.js?pg=8e66fbf3-4670-48a8-bd31-1fa53516f16d&pid=83405&hsutk=" + encodeURIComponent(c); (document.getElementsByTagName("head")[0]||document.getElementsByTagName("body")[0]).appendChild(hsjs); try{el.style.visibility="hidden";}catch(err){} setTimeout(function() {try{el.style.visibility="visible";}catch(err){}}, 2500); })(); </script> </span><br><strong></strong></p> </article> <article> <h1>Leadership Styles: Do you lead like a shark or a whale?</h1> <p>David Grossman — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 15:07:00 GMT</p> <p></p> <p>I was watching Nightline recently and saw a clip about the <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/video/killer-sharks-killer-whales-18625402">difference between sharks and whales</a>. There’s the obvious – Jaws vs. Free Willy, but really, it’s not that simple.</p> <p>Both rule the seas naturally because of their size and strength, but also because of their ability to hunt. </p> <p>And as I watched, I started to think of their respective hunting behaviors as ultimately, different leadership styles.</p> <p><b>Whales:</b> Social and work in stable units. Practice their hunting techniques, adapt to changing conditions and operate based on learned behaviors</p> <p><b>Sharks:</b> Solitary, less planful, known for surprise attacks and hunt on instinct</p> <p>There certainly is <a href="file:///S:/__TGG%20Marketing/Social%20Media/Blogs/Approved%20Blog%20Posts/For%20Posting/21st%20Century">no one leadership style</a>, but my wish is we all try and lead a little bit more like the whales:</p> <ul> <li>Be planful</li> <li>Focus on outcomes</li> <li>Act deliberately</li> <li>Adapt to change over time</li> <li>Teach others</li> <li>Be team-oriented</li> </ul> <p>If we avoid leading like the sharks–self-focused, work in a vacuum and making shot-in-the-dark decisions– we’ll save ourselves from a wave of repercussions making it that much easier to lead our teams to a swimming success. </p> <p><b><em>Do you lead like a shark or a whale? And what could you do differently?</em></b></p> <p>- <em>David Grossman</em></p> <p>__________________________________________________________________</p> <p><strong>Want more on leadership? Download our Leadership Toolbox eBook, today!</strong></p> <p><span class="hs-cta-wrapper" id="hs-cta-wrapper-2da16629-c414-4f94-b0d5-78c623d93f71"> <span class="hs-cta-node hs-cta-2da16629-c414-4f94-b0d5-78c623d93f71" id="hs-cta-2da16629-c414-4f94-b0d5-78c623d93f71"> <a href="http://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/83405/2da16629-c414-4f94-b0d5-78c623d93f71" \=""></a> </span> <script type="text/javascript"> (function(){ var s='hubspotutk',r,c=((r=new RegExp('(^|; )'+s+'=([^;]*)').exec(document.cookie))?r[2]:''),w=window;w[s]=w[s]||c, hsjs=document.createElement("script"),el=document.getElementById("hs-cta-2da16629-c414-4f94-b0d5-78c623d93f71"); hsjs.type = "text/javascript";hsjs.async = true; hsjs.src = "//cta-service-cms2.hubspot.com/cs/loader.js?pg=2da16629-c414-4f94-b0d5-78c623d93f71&pid=83405&hsutk=" + encodeURIComponent(c); (document.getElementsByTagName("head")[0]||document.getElementsByTagName("body")[0]).appendChild(hsjs); try{el.style.visibility="hidden";}catch(err){} setTimeout(function() {try{el.style.visibility="visible";}catch(err){}}, 2500); })(); </script> </span></p> </article> <article> <h1>In Case You Missed It: Best Leadership & Communication Posts of the Week</h1> <p>David Grossman — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 15:09:00 GMT</p> <p></p> <p>Welcome to my weekly round-up of top leadership and communication blog posts. Each week I read and tweet several great articles and on Fridays pull some of the best together here on my blog. So in case you’ve missed them, here is this week’s round-up of top posts.</p> <p>They’ll provide you with tips, strategies and thought-starters from many of the smart folks in my network. So whether you’re a new leader or an industry veteran there’ll be something here for you.</p> <p style="padding-left: 60px;"><a href="http://johnbossong.com/2013/04/15/2-leadership-tips-that-get-immediate-results/">2 Leadership Tips That Work</a> <br> By: John Bossong<br> <em>Successful leaders know that consistency and a positive environment are two keys to successful leadership. Here’s two things you can do immediately to be more consistent and create a positive work environment…</em></p> <p style="padding-left: 60px;"><a href="http://www.tanveernaseer.com/how-leaders-can-better-engage-and-empower-employees/">How Do You Show Up As A Leader In Your Organization?</a><br> By: Tanveer Naseer<br> <em>Most of us understand that to be successful in leadership, we need to be aware of what and how we communicate. Of ensuring that we actively listen to what those around us are saying, and sometimes what they’re not saying…</em></p> <p style="padding-left: 60px;"><a href="http://millennialceo.com/leadership/success-help/">Success and Asking For Help</a><br> By: Daniel Newman via The Millennial CEO Blog<br> <em>Have you ever had the chance to sit down with someone that you consider really successful and asked them to describe the pivotal moment or moments that changed the course of their lives?...</em></p> <p><b>What were some of the top leadership articles you read this week? <br> </b><b><em></em></b></p> <p>- David Grossman</p> <p>__________</p> <p><strong>Want more on leadership? Download our Leadership Toolbox eBook, today!</strong></p> <p><strong></strong><span class="hs-cta-wrapper" id="hs-cta-wrapper-2da16629-c414-4f94-b0d5-78c623d93f71"> <span class="hs-cta-node hs-cta-2da16629-c414-4f94-b0d5-78c623d93f71" id="hs-cta-2da16629-c414-4f94-b0d5-78c623d93f71"> <a href="http://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/83405/2da16629-c414-4f94-b0d5-78c623d93f71" \=""></a> </span> <script type="text/javascript"> (function(){ var s='hubspotutk',r,c=((r=new RegExp('(^|; )'+s+'=([^;]*)').exec(document.cookie))?r[2]:''),w=window;w[s]=w[s]||c, hsjs=document.createElement("script"),el=document.getElementById("hs-cta-2da16629-c414-4f94-b0d5-78c623d93f71"); hsjs.type = "text/javascript";hsjs.async = true; hsjs.src = "//cta-service-cms2.hubspot.com/cs/loader.js?pg=2da16629-c414-4f94-b0d5-78c623d93f71&pid=83405&hsutk=" + encodeURIComponent(c); (document.getElementsByTagName("head")[0]||document.getElementsByTagName("body")[0]).appendChild(hsjs); try{el.style.visibility="hidden";}catch(err){} setTimeout(function() {try{el.style.visibility="visible";}catch(err){}}, 2500); })(); </script> </span></p> </article> <article> <h1>21st Century Communications – Employees Really Are the Greatest Asset</h1> <p>David Grossman — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 14:38:00 GMT</p> <p></p> <p>Webster’s Dictionary <a href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/asset">defines an asset</a> as an “advantage” or a “resource.” In today’s business world, the greatest asset of any organization is not the steel, cable, real estate or technology at its disposal.</p> <p>People are the greatest asset.</p> <p>Think about it this way – it’s through people that the best steel, the fastest cable, the most prime real estate and the greatest technology is able to actually benefit an organization.</p> <ul> <li>A <a href="http://www.yourthoughtpartner.com/blog/?Tag=mission+and+vision">vision</a> is just a vision until someone acts on it</li> <li>A <a href="http://www.yourthoughtpartner.com/blog/bid/56163/Define-Your-Strategy-to-Align-Your-Employees">strategy</a> is only a strategy until someone acts on it</li> <li>A <a href="http://www.yourthoughtpartner.com/blog/bid/37814/Define-the-Outcome-as-First-Step-to-Effective-Communication">goal</a> is only a goal until someone acts on it</li> </ul> <p>Companies that are good at building their brands know their real task is managing things people in the company do to help fulfill the brand promise.</p> <p>Beyond that, employees play an increasingly important role as advocates for (or against) their organization, with a real impact on sales. Consider this:</p> <p>According to the Journal of Marketing:</p> <ul> <li><b>9% </b>of customers are lured away by competition</li> <li><b>68% </b>are turned away by an employee’s indifferent attitude</li> </ul> <p>In the coming years, we’ll see even more emphasis on the intangibles for employees and an increasing importance of the employee value proposition - set of tangible and intangible returns an employee receives from an organization in return for his or her contributions and work.</p> <p>Take <a href="file:///C:/Users/kellsworth/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/Temporary%20Internet%20Files/Content.Outlook/HVMTE1HU/zappos.com">Zappos.com</a>. Founder and CEO Tony Hsieh is becoming well known for his Delivering Happiness concepts which are all about customer service. The stated customer service goal is to “Wow” their customers. Zappos is typically in the Top 10 on the Fortune 100 Best Places to Work list but pay scales across the board are “just at or below the average pay scale,” according to Hsieh. So what makes it a great place to work?</p> <p>Zappos invests a great deal in selecting employees who fit with the culture. They invest in recruitment, training and development – and the company promotes a work-hard, play-hard culture. Employees are known to parade through the office, engage in several-hours long customer service calls and spend weekends together.</p> <p><a href="http://www.zapposinsights.com/culture-book"><b><em>The Zappos Culture Book</em></b></a><b><em> </em></b>is the 9<sup>th</sup> version in 9 years. As stated in the book, their #1 priority is the company culture. It reads, “Our belief is that if we get the culture right, then the other stuff, such as customer service or building a long-term brand, will happen naturally on its own.”</p> <p>The organization creates a sense of belonging and companionship for employees. Their employees want to go to work…<b>they get more out of their jobs than a salary.</b></p> <p>Zappos has created a highly valued employee value proposition – and a successful company to boot.</p> <p><b><em>How can you improve your employee value proposition – and your bottom line – today?</em></b></p> <p>- <em>David Grossman</em></p> <p><em>_______________</em></p> <p><strong>Feel like you're communicating but your employees don't always hear you? Download "Can You Hear Me Now? Make What You Say Matter And Increase Your Chance of Being Heard eBook", today!</strong></p> <p><strong><span class="hs-cta-wrapper" id="hs-cta-wrapper-14c7c818-7d91-492c-8b87-ab04c269afe5"> <span class="hs-cta-node hs-cta-14c7c818-7d91-492c-8b87-ab04c269afe5" id="hs-cta-14c7c818-7d91-492c-8b87-ab04c269afe5"> <a href="http://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/83405/14c7c818-7d91-492c-8b87-ab04c269afe5" \=""></a> </span> <script type="text/javascript"> (function(){ var s='hubspotutk',r,c=((r=new RegExp('(^|; )'+s+'=([^;]*)').exec(document.cookie))?r[2]:''),w=window;w[s]=w[s]||c, hsjs=document.createElement("script"),el=document.getElementById("hs-cta-14c7c818-7d91-492c-8b87-ab04c269afe5"); hsjs.type = "text/javascript";hsjs.async = true; hsjs.src = "//cta-service-cms2.hubspot.com/cs/loader.js?pg=14c7c818-7d91-492c-8b87-ab04c269afe5&pid=83405&hsutk=" + encodeURIComponent(c); (document.getElementsByTagName("head")[0]||document.getElementsByTagName("body")[0]).appendChild(hsjs); try{el.style.visibility="hidden";}catch(err){} setTimeout(function() {try{el.style.visibility="visible";}catch(err){}}, 2500); })(); </script> </span><br></strong></p> </article> </main></body></html>