Several years ago, I facilitated an overnight high stakes meeting for a group of executives. A week prior to the meeting, one of the executives texted me with demanding questions about his personal sleeping arrangement. Another emailed me with suggestions about our agenda. A third called me to discuss his concern that some of the
Anson Dorrance is undoubtedly one of the greatest soccer coaches of all time. As former U.S. Women’s National Team head coach and legendary University of North Carolina head women’s soccer coach, he has led his teams to win a staggering number of championships and developed some of the best female soccer players in the world.
Breathe. Look up. Shoulders back. Push harder. Release the fear. When I went through certification to become a group fitness instructor several years ago, I learned about the power of these kinds of “coaching cues,” quick words spoken in the moment to help someone improve their performance in real time. Coaching cues aren’t just for
As organizational hierarchy has flattened and cross-functional teams are increasingly responsible for getting the work done, everyone needs to be able to influence. In fact, last week a human resources manager told me that influencing makes up almost his entire job. “Every now and then I have to tell people they can’t or have to
How do you sell (or outreach, fundraise, negotiate, network, interview, or gain buy-in) when the people you’re trying to reach are remote and afraid? Being socially distanced can prove to be challenging but also full of opportunity for new growth and outreach. Giving in to fear and isolating yourself beyond necessary means will only lead
Do you ever feel overwhelmed by the number of opportunities to make an impact in the world, in your work, and in your community? It’s common to wish we could make a bigger difference, but it’s just as common to feel limited by our resources, lack of knowledge, and fears. Cue what I like to
Recently, I watched a colleague present at a conference, and something about the presentation moved me. The passion, the mastery of the material, the risk this person took to be on stage — it all just hit me. Suddenly, my chest felt full and tears started streaming out of the corner of my eyes. And
In the wonderful documentary, Jiro Dreams of Sushi, revered sushi chef Jiro Ono does something completely uncommon and unnecessary. Despite being 85 years old and widely considered the world’s greatest sushi chef, he never settles. We can sum his constant push toward perfection in the Japanese word shokunin, meaning “craftsman” or “artisan.” But even beyond technical
I live in a neighborhood with narrow streets. Parked cars are allowed on one side of the street. This makes it nearly impossible for two oncoming cars to pass each other. There are no signs or guidance as to how to navigate this predicament. But behavior expectations develop over time. I expect, for instance, that
How might you describe the organizational cultures you’ve worked in? For me, I’ve worked in independent-detached cultures, toxic-politics cultures, unhealthy-anxiety cultures, and high-trust cultures. The one constant across all of these is that the organization’s culture—the way people think, behave, and interact—has influenced my own thinking, behavior, and interactions. You’ve probably experienced something similar. It’s
Matt Norman is president of Norman & Associates, which offers Dale Carnegie Training in the North Central US. Dale Carnegie Training is a global organization ...READ MORE