There’s a beautiful and instructive scene in the movie Inside Out when Bing Bong doesn’t want to keep going because he’s so upset about the changes happening around him. The character representing Joy becomes frustrated and tries to coax Bing Bong to move on. “It’s going to be OK, we can fix this,” she cheers.
Too often, these thought patterns have dominated the way I think about my calendar: Over-estimating my capacity: I’m available, so I suppose will! Fearing let down or rejection: I’d hate to disappoint that person… Feeling overwhelmed: I have no idea how I will get all this done. Does any of this resonate with you? These
My friend Jamie leads a large technology organization. Last week I joined him for an all-hands Q&A about my latest book, Lead with Influence. Jamie previously read and reviewed the book, so he asked really thoughtful questions that apply especially to knowledge workers. Because so many readers of my posts are in knowledge work and,
An executive I once reported to made something very clear: His job was to focus one to five years out, my job was to focus three to 12 months ahead, and the people reporting to me were to focus on the current quarter. I remember being somewhat relieved by this limited responsibility, thinking, “I can’t
After my article last week about the five keys to “being heard,” a friend challenged me to write a follow-up on writing an email you want someone to read. Since many people are turning to ChatGPT for marketing and writing support, I thought I’d ask it some questions on the topic. Hope you enjoy this
What I’m hearing you say is that you would like to win more deals and have greater impact this year. Is that right? Regularly recapping what you’ve heard someone (or a group) say shows that you’re listening and ensures you’ve accurately understood. It can also help people make more progress toward decisions as they agree
In 1985, Charles Hummel wrote a pamphlet suggesting that most people’s lives are ruled by things that are urgent. He added that most people don’t do enough of the things that have delayed gratification because there “isn’t time” or they “couldn’t get to it.” Like for the past three weeks I’ve been trying to do
Last night, I turned over my phone and sat on the floor next to my bed to stretch and read. The night before, I did the same thing. Same the night before that. It has become my most important daily discipline because I’ve realized something fascinating: This habit impacts the following 24 hours in a
You don’t need a sledgehammer to fix a leaky faucet. A tape measure won’t do the job either. It’s the same when it comes to solving problems and making decisions with others. Being pushy or defensive like a sledgehammer never helps. And remaining quiet and passive, continuously measuring up others and the topic, just won’t
Nine years ago this week, I wrote my first post on this site after declaring to my wife in the stands at our sons’ hockey practice that I would become a regular writer. It was a goal that seemed absurd at the time: young kids, busy work schedule, and no strong background or training in
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