How to Thrive in a “Sink or Swim” Economy
I should warn you, the inspiration for this blog came from those who live their whole lives in a “sink or swim” world: the fish in my 125-gallon aquarium. I didn’t ask for this aquarium, but it came with the purchase of our house… and now I’m glad it did. For one...
This Memory Tip Never Fails
Have you ever walked into a room to get something, and then you can’t remember what in the world you needed? Good news – it’s not just you. We’ve all been there.
What a Fly Can Teach You About Zoom
Unless you’ve been living in a cave for the past couple of weeks, you’re aware of the impact one small fly had on the nationally televised U.S. Vice Presidential debate. I don’t want to focus on politics or the candidates, but I would like to share with you how this could help you have more influence when you participate in virtual meetings, whether on Zoom or other platforms.
After COVID, will we continue to work virtually or return to the office?
COVID-19 has changed the way many of us work. People, who never worked virtually, have now become accustomed to it. Some companies are trying to blend the two approaches by alternating when staffers work at home and when they come to the office. Will that become the new normal?
Do Open Office Spaces Lead To Open Communications?
As a consultant who specializes in the science of influencing people, I find myself inside many corporate work places. I’ve noticed a lot of companies have done away with private offices and gone to an open space model. If you ask managers, they’ll tell you the move...
Does working together beat working alone?
Does your company give employees the flexibility to work virtually from home? It’s a growing trend, which many employees like, but what is the impact on productivity? A number of studies have produced some unexpected results. In the next few weeks, I will be looking...
New Research: Doctors’ Words More Potent Than Meds
A doctor with a great bedside manner is often considered a nice bonus – but not a requirement – for patient care. Now, scientific research shows there are compelling reasons for physicians to develop better patient communications skills to improve both the patient...
Can Influence Impact How the Tax Assessor Sees Your Home?
Here is another great illustration of the power of Influence, which shows: “It’s not what you present, but how you present it that influences your outcome.” The property tax protests in my neighborhood played out just as the Science of Influence would have predicted...
Surprising Truth Behind Logical Decisions
The truth is that decisions are not based on logic. In their research, neuroscientists can actually see what areas of the brain light up first when people are asked to make decisions. While most of us want to believe we are using logical thinking – especially for...
How organizations influence your subconscious with nonverbal communications aimed at your senses
Many people do not realize that nonverbal communications encompass far more than just body language... and apply to more than human beings. Places – including your office – send their own nonverbal messages. Even though you may not be conscious of it, your brain is...
How monkey business became big business
In case you missed it the first time, the “Monkey Selfie” photo is back in the news. A few years ago, a precocious 6-year-old Indonesian crested macaque monkey named Naruto stole a camera from a professional nature photographer, and took several photos, including a...
Why talking to yourself isn’t crazy
Think about a time when you felt nervous about an important business presentation… Remember how fast your heart was beating before you began to speak. Maybe your throat felt dry as you were giving your presentation. Both are normal stress responses from your brain’s...
What’s the best way to deal with an unethical request from someone in business?
The answer may surprise you… When I took a self-defense course, my black-belt martial arts instructor advised, “The best self-defense is to not put yourself in a vulnerable position in the first place.” Turns out, the same is true in business. A recent study published...
What’s Warren Buffet’s Secret To Instantly Building Trust With Shareholders?
I’ve had the opportunity to learn directly from some of the front-line researchers in the Science of Influence. One of those experts, Dr. Robert Cialdini, was recently quoted on CNBC News about the way billionaire Warren Buffett builds trust through his shareholder...
What is more powerful than money to make behavior changes in your workforce?
When employers want to motivate a change in behavior from their employees, often their first instinct is to use financial incentives. That usually comes in the form of bonuses, contests and other monetary rewards… but, even when they achieve the behavior change, how...
Have you ever made a bad hiring decision?
The more hiring experience you’ve had, the more likely the answer is, “Yes.” You remember how impressed you were at the interview… then when the new hire gets on board, they under perform – or worse – they disrupt your workplace with bad behavior. What influenced you?...
Is your Flextime schedule helping or hurting your career?
In working with both employers and employees, I’ve consulted on the pitfalls of unconscious biases. Recently, I came across one that may be impacting your career path because it involves Flextime programs. On the positive side, research shows Flextime leads to higher...
The Bias Nobody Talks About: The Beauty Bonus
Are looks really important? In studies by both psychologists and economists, the answer keeps coming up “Yes!” University of Texas Economics Professor Daniel Hamermesh reviewed several studies over the years that showed attractive people – both men and women – have a...
Split-second Judgments Make Lasting Impressions
When I speak about Insights from the Science of Influence, most people in my audiences are amazed at how fast we form judgments about others… and how difficult it is for people to change their minds after they form the first impression. A new study from Cornell...
Oxford Dictionaries “Word of the Year” validates The Science of Influence
What is the 2016 “Word of the Year”? If you haven’t heard it, yet, here’s a hint: this newly invented word rose in usage by 2,000% in just the last year. Events like Brexit and the U.S. Presidential Election gave birth to this hyphenated adjective that is officially...
Go Ahead, Float Your Ideas Out There
I was recently visiting the Chihuly Glass and Gardens in Seattle, and was surprised to learn that my favorite glass artist “lives the message” in my TED Talk. If you’ve ever seen his beautiful boats filled with glass floating on water, you may have wondered how Dale...
What’s Stopping You?
It was a thrill to give my first Ted Talk at the TEDxPlano event in Texas! I will send out the video link in about a month when it posts to the TED site. In the meantime, here’s a brief overview… I’ll try not to spoil any of the surprises (of which there were many in...
What’s worse than profanity in email?
Before you bang out a quick email to a client, there’s something you should know about what thrills and what kills your image in email. People are making quick judgments about you based on things you may have never guessed were important. New research shows there are...
Does the way you dress affect the way you think?
Business casual is great, right? Last week I was interviewed by CBS radio talk-show host George Russell about a very interesting study which showed that dressing casually for work may make you feel more comfortable, but it will not help you perform better. In fact,...
What Separates Confidence and Arrogance?
Ever met someone in business who comes across as arrogant? My executive clients say if they sense a person is arrogant, it's an instant deal-killer. So, what's the distinction between arrogance and confidence? I heard business author Dr. Alan Weiss describe it this...
Why is this monkey smiling… and how can the answer help you in business?
A precocious monkey from an obscure Indonesian island has become an internet sensation and the subject of a lawsuit regarding intellectual property rights. The monkey absconded with a nature photographer’s camera and took a number of photographs, including some...
What Can You Learn From The New York Times’ Firing of Jill Abramson
When the first female executive editor at The New York Times was suddenly let go last week, it spurred lots of conversations about how gender may have influenced the firing decision. Jill Abramson’s management and communications styles have been characterized by...
When Mission Statements Miss the Mark
I was listening to National Public Radio recently. Lucy Kellaway, a columnist for the Financial Times was poking fun at management jargon. The topic of her witty ranting on this particular day was the company mission statement. You know what she’s talking about –...
What Cesar and Oprah can show us about optimizing business results
I’m a big fan of the Dog Whisperer TV show, even though I do not own a dog at the moment. What attracts me is the surprisingly high relevancy to human behavior. Don’t get insulted . . . give me a little slack here to explain. Cesar Millan points out that the dog’s...
Business for Peace
This week, I spent time facilitating a marketing session with visiting women entrepreneurs from Rwanda and Afghanistan. The women I worked with are in the U.S. for a few weeks as part of the “Business for Peace” program. We tackled putting together marketing...
Office Language
In my opinion, many offices do have a distinctive “Body Language.” After all, body language is primarily the visual expression of an inside feeling. With people, you can see it in the way they hold their arms, the position of their legs and, of course, the expressions...
Negotiation by the Numbers
In a price negotiation, should you throw out the first number or not? If you think the answer is obvious, you may be in for a shock. Up until this week, I thought that negotiations experts agreed you should always let the other guys give the first offer. I remember...