In my first entry about the word "we," I argued using the words "We decided to..." often create ambiguity. I suggested asking yourself several questions to reduce ambiguity either when you hear those words or when you are about to say them.

In this entry, I will lay out the case for when using the words "We decided to..." is completely appropriate and the use of other words is inappropriate.

You and Jeff are members of a project team. You've know Jeff for years. You like and respect him. He is new to the team. In what looks to you like an effort to prove his value to the other members of the team he has taken on too many tasks. He isn't completing his high-priority tasks on schedule. And he keeps taking on new tasks.

What do you do?

How many times have you heard a supplier assert that they offer a technique that is a "best practice?"

What do they mean? How do you test whether a technique is a best practice?

Your manager, Ellsworth, asks you, "But is it possible?" He wants you to tell him that it is possible for you to satisfy a project milestone despite the argument you presented him for the past five minutes that the milestone was unrealistic.

Rewards can be powerful management tools, but only if you implement them effectively. Discover how the right timing and getting to know your employees better can improve the impact of your recognition methods. 

Do you wish you could break through and communicate better with upper management? You aren't alone.

Employees do their best to share their ideas with busy upper managers. But they rarely receive feedback about the interaction. In this workshop, we will simulate interactions with upper management and provide feedback about the interaction.

"Communication is to personal health, satisfactory interpersonal relationships, and productivity as breathing is to life. Effective communication can be both taught and learned. We were not born with the way we communicate. We learned it, mostly through modeling, in ways no one even knew or intended."

--Virginia Satir (family therapy pioneer)

How would your management style change if all your employees were financially independent and their objective was to master their craft while contributing to society?

Someone asks that information be hidden from a co-worker. This article offers one approach for dealing with that situation.

If you want to be a more effective communicator, keep your conversations focused on these three elements --

HERE

NOW

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