Note: I was prompted by the recent political debates to re-publish this popular post from the 2012 archives. Hope you enjoy it! Graphic designers know how to focus your attention. They frequently communicate through the use of white space. Less is more. The message is clear. There's no clutter. Use Verbal Whitespace. You can increase your verbal impact  the same way. How many times have you wished that someone would just "say what they mean?". Boss says:  "We finished the senior level meeting and it looks as if we have to increase our numbers. You know how much I appreciate your.". When.". MORE >>

"Developing Others" ranks dead last on just about every organizational skill level survey with which I've been involved or have read. . It's not because people lack awareness of its importance; quite the contrary. It's because development takes time. It involves getting to know people and their capabilities at more than a surface level. To develop people, you have to follow a few fundamental steps. Here's How To Begin. 1. Start with an accurate picture of the person's strengths and weaknesses. They can't grow if they don't have good information about themselves. Build a l earner mentality. MORE >>

Leaders  do  have to tell people exactly what to do when a person isn't yet competent--and confident--about the task or assignment. The whole "leader" thing isn't just about high-concept and vision). But how do you develop managers who are knowledgeable and committed? You can build increased confidence and deeper understanding by asking questions designed to help them make their own discoveries and decisions. Here are  seven questions  to get you started as  a "coaching" leader:  . As you become more comfortable with probing questions, you'll develop your own. Do you have any favorites now? MORE >>

Last week I was discussing the Hawthorne Effect during a speech on performance. It led to a lively Q&A, so I thought I'd re-visit this post from December, 2009. The original experiment and its impact on management and human behavior are timeless. . In the 1920s, physiologist  Elton Mayo  conducted experiments at the Hawthorne Electrical Works in Chicago. He was trying to confirm his theory that better lighting led to greater productivity. So, he had the lights on the factory floor turned up. Voila! As he expected, production levels increased, too. Done deal? Production went up again. MORE >>

Beginnings make a huge difference.  . Meetings offer a perfect example. I was working with a VP who started off her 3-day, first quarter meeting with a 20 minute introduction. In that 20 minutes she crisply and energetically laid out: The purpose and expected outcome of the three days. Three highlights and three lowlights from the previous year. Why people were seated, by name card, at their six-person tables. There were actually two reasons):    1. It really beats spending an hour having new people introduce themselves, tell their histories, and then know nothing about the rest of the group. MORE >>