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Can You Spot the Lie?

Can You Spot the Lie?

When I show audiences how to “read the room” by understanding subtle nonverbal cues, I’m often asked if there are specific signals that prove someone is lying. The answer may surprise you: At this point,  no one and no technology can definitively detect a lie 100% of...

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How to Thrive in a “Sink or Swim” Economy

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...

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What a Fly Can Teach You About Zoom

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.

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Does working together beat working alone?

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...

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Surprising Truth Behind Logical Decisions

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...

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How monkey business became big business

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...

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Why talking to yourself isn’t crazy

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...

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Have you ever made a bad hiring decision?

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?...

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The Bias Nobody Talks About: The Beauty Bonus

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...

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Go Ahead, Float Your Ideas Out There

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...

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What’s Stopping You?

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...

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What’s worse than profanity in email?

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...

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What Separates Confidence and Arrogance?

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...

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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 –...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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