What potentially meaningful thing are you avoiding right now? For me, it’s networking. Specifically, the proactive outreach required to open up new business opportunities. I’m naturally introverted, my schedule is already packed, and I certainly don’t get any dopamine hits from scraping through LinkedIn. I’ll admit, I even looked into using an AI agent to
Several years ago, my marriage counselor shared a piece of wisdom with me that fundamentally shifted how I view communication: Defensiveness is the weakest posture in an interaction. I saw this play out recently during a presentation at a city council meeting. A consultant was pitching a proposal, and the mayor questioned the data regarding
I once worked for a manager who always had me walking on eggshells. He was smart, funny, and caring — seemingly the perfect manager. But there was something about him that always had me on edge, measuring my words and considering my actions. Have you ever worked with, lived with, or been friends with someone
It’s been a tumultuous start to the year in geopolitics, tech, and capital markets. There’s no better time to think about how to improve ourselves so that we can improve the world around us. We can’t control much, but we can manage our attitude and determination to grow. Rather than addressing a specific area of
I would be a better version of myself if I were more consistent with some habits. Because of that, I’m joining millions of other humans this month in considering making a resolution for the year. James Clear, who is widely recognized as the author of the best book on habits, says the key with resolutions
You should stop what you’re doing and watch this video. If you’ve already seen it, watch it again. That’s Fernando Mendoza, the quarterback of the Indiana Hoosiers football team, being interviewed after Indiana defeated Ohio State to win the Big 10 championship and become the undefeated nationally top-ranked college team heading into the playoffs. Prior
A manufacturing client of mine has been struggling to get their shift supervisors to think long-term. It seems like all they can do is keep their head above water. From their perspective, many of the supervisors feel pressured on metrics like “on-time shipping” and “labor rates.” As a result, they mainly focus on the output
Leo flinched and shot up, his eyes darting wildly. “What was that? Oh no, not now.” As his colleague Maya calmly assessed the fallen supply rack, Leo fumbled for his phone and hit the button for maintenance, his face heating up in stress and irritation. With clipped, exasperated breaths, he began to explain the problem,
We were worried entering this summer that we didn’t have enough activity scheduled for our kids. And yet, it turned out to be one of the best summers for our family…in large part because it was so unscheduled. We ended up filling the unscheduled time with great spontaneity and connection. In a similar way, I
Imagine a flight where the pilot, instead of following standard procedures, decides to do things based on their mood. One day, they might be meticulous with their pre-flight checks, and the next, they might rush through them. Naturally, this unpredictable behavior would make the co-pilot and crew highly anxious! They wouldn’t know what to expect,
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