You are here: Home / Archives for Relationship

Poor Communication Can Impact Work Culture and Performance

February 15, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Regardless of the industry or the type of job, finding someone who feels their boss does not communicate well with them is more common then you may think. Ask ten friends and I am confident that you will run across someone who feels that their boss is not responsive to their needs. Some feel like their boss does not listen to them, or does not value what they have to say. This can affect the bottom line of the department, business or organization. How? Well the employee who feels this way may feel disconnected and not put forth their best effort at work. They may feel that what they do at work does not matter or make a difference. This ultimately results in the employee not being as productive or motivated as one whose supervisor is interested.

If you are the boss and your staff feels this way, you are having an adverse impact on the revenue of the company. This can be a major problem especially if your business is in a highly competitive market. How do you make a course correction in your behavior? Slow down. A number of times there is a breakdown in communication between people because one is processing information faster than the other. Talking to the other person in passing may be perceived as rude or uncaring. I recommend that you stop and take the time to engage the other person. Do not interrupt them, let them complete their thought. Practice active listening by summarizing the conversation which will allow for better communication.

If you are the employee and you feel like your boss is not doing a good job of communicating with you, you have a few options. Set up an appointment to meet with your boss to discuss improving mutual communication. Remember communication is a two way street and works best when both people are willing to meet each other half way. If your boss is too busy to meet with you, write down the idea or issue and send it to them in an email with suggested times you are free. You never know when a meeting is cancelled and your boss, knowing your availability may ask you to come in at a moment’s notice. This way you are prepared because you previously sent the email.

Being aware of the other person’s needs, expressing the desire to improve communication and taking positive steps to improve communication are the signs of a good leader. Regardless of your position, boss or employee improving communication will be to your advantage and will have a positive impact in the workplace culture of your company.
.

Filed Under: Business, communication, Leadership, Relationship Tagged With: , , ,

Who Ate Chicken Little

June 29, 2010 by 7 Comments

While reading a fellow blog challenge member’s blog a memory came back to me that I would like to share.  The blogger Rob of “The Mid Life Opportunity” blog posted an article on “Leaving the Rat Race – The Mid Life Devil’s Advocate View” which spoke about raising livestock, chickens and pigs, for meals as a cost saving measure.
The entire concept brought me back to a story that my mother shared with me.  She told me she received a chick for Easter when she was a little girl.  This was a customary practice for a number of people to do at Easter for their children.   My mother named the chick, Chicken Little. Usually the chick would run around the house for a little while and then die.  But Chicken Little did not die but grew up to become a chicken. When it was large enough to eat her grandmother killed it and had it for dinner.

My mother’s aunt who lived with my mother and her grandmother could not bring herself to eat Chicken Little.  The fact that was Chicken Little was considered a pet by my mother’s aunt and an animal rose to serve as a meal by the rest of the family. It is a mindset and it is your mindset that will determine what you will do.

So I ask you if this was the situation today in your family and you were raising an animal who some people in your family considered as a pet, would you kill and eat it.  Just to finish the story my mother and everyone else in the family, except her aunt, ate Chicken Little.  Her grandmother said that “Chicken Little was smooth like butter”, when she was eating it.  Not everyone could eat Chicken Little but when you are hungry there is not much choice.  So I ask you again would you eat Chicken Little?  Please share your comments below.

Filed Under: Humor, Relationship, Video Tagged With: , , ,

Do You Have A Mastermind Group

June 23, 2010 by 4 Comments

Do you have a mastermind group?  Not sure what it is? A master mind is a group of like minded individuals who share common interest.  They are willing to meet with each other on a regular basis and assist in supporting and holding each other accountable to reaching their goals.

The best thing is this can be a focused, high energy group that can provide insight that any one individual would not be able to obtain if they were just brain storming alone.  Having other people who share the same interest provides synergy and helps everyone benefit from various points of view on the same topic.

I am a member of a master mind group of speakers who are looking at expanding their impact in the various markets they speak.  We share a number of things in common, we are members of Toastmaster International, we have competed in speech competitions (even competed against one another), and we enjoy sharing information with each other.

The size of the mastermind group is important.  We started with a size of 5 and grew to 7 although we normally have around 5 people attend when we meet do to schedules and time constraints.  Our gender makeup is one female and six males.  One of the things that we enjoy is meeting over lunch and making it a working meeting.  We have selected restaurants which have free WIFI and bring our lap top computers.  This allows us to show our group members specific sites and tools on the internet we use and how they work.

Having a mastermind group is very similar to the study group I had in graduate school.  We want to ensure that the group is successful because our personal success is tied to the group.  We find that each of us has an area of expertise that we have to offer the group and benefit from the open sharing of this information.

Do you need a mastermind group? Only if you are looking to reduce your learning curve by leveraging the knowledge of like minded individuals who are focused on being successful.  And the best thing about the development of a mastermind group is that it is free.  Our payment to each other is our time and open sharing of information.  We like to meet over food because it allows us to develop our relationship with each other and make the work that we do together more enjoyable.

The most important part of development of a mastermind group is the outlook of the members.  Everyone must agree to respect each other’s opinion and be open to comments made by others.  Just like in the development of any group you may experience the various stages of forming, storming, norming and then performing.  If the group members are selected correctly the storming stage should be minimized by the desire for the group to be successful.  It is the need for the mutual exchange of ideas that drives the group.

If you are looking to reduce your errors, help others, open to new ideas, and have a true desire for success then a master mind group is for you.  I encourage you to find out more about it. Start a small group and meet.  If you have a question about how to start a mastermind group please feel free to contact me.  I would be happy to help you.

Filed Under: Business, Leadership, Relationship, Speaking Tagged With: , , , , ,

What Your Hand Shake Says About You

June 19, 2010 by 5 Comments

When you prepare to shake someones hand what is going though your mind?  I ask this question because how you answer it speaks to your success in making a good first impression.  Have you ever met someone for the first time and when they shock your hand they squeeze it so hard that it feels like they are trying to hurt you?  You remember the incident but it did not leave you with a good first impression.

How about the hand shake you received when it appeared that the person hardly wanted to touch you?  There hand was limp, pointed toward the floor and they pulled away as soon as possible.  They left an impression too, but not one that was welcoming or fostered the opportunity to develop a trusting relationship.

How you shake hands is vitally important to developing a good relationship.  You should offer your hand and lean forward (to show interest – inviting a return hand shake).  When you receive the other persons’ hand in yours I recommend that you make eye contact and smile.   This will help to instill trust and open the opportunity to develop a relationship.  Making first contact with someone new is like a waltz.  It is a dance done with grace and dignity.  The approach is slow, intentional and deliberate.  You do not want to have a rock and roll approach where you are moving without an anticipated next step.

You make a physical connection when you shake hands.  I know that you want it to be a good, lasting and positive impression that you make when the hand shake is over.  Feel free to share your hand shaking experiences both good and bad below.

Filed Under: Business, First Impression, Relationship Tagged With: , , ,

The Art of Selling Yourself

June 16, 2010 by 8 Comments

Your ability to sell yourself is vital to your ability to develop a relationship.  It does not matter if the relationship is business or personal, the most important thing is to make a good first impression.   How do you make a good first impression?

Smile – You must smile when you first meet someone.  It might seem kind of funny that I even mention it, but you would be surprised at how many people do not smile when they are approaching to meet someone.  Your smile is your greeting card.  It says, hello I am a friendly person and I would be a nice person to meet.  Now let’s think about this for a minute, who would you like to meet a friendly person or an indifferent of uninterested person?  Of course you want to meet the friendly person.

Smiling is just the first step in the process and I hope that when you meet someone today that the first thing you do is smile.  I am willing to bet that the majority of the time you will receive a smile in return.

Filed Under: Branding, Interview, Leadership, Relationship, Your Talents Tagged With: , , , , ,

Relationship Building the Key to Social Networking

June 7, 2010 by 10 Comments

As humans we are social beings.  This means that we place value to developing meaningful relationships.  This started back in childhood when we played with other children. We wanted to be friends and make friends with others.  We were interested in what the other children liked to do and the common interest we shared.   We were excited about new things that we discovered through others.

The things we did to develop good relationships with others when we were children are the same things that we need to do now with our social networks.  Why, because although there is technology that allows us to connect to one another in our social networks, the people are the same on either end of the technology.  This means that we both are looking to develop meaningful relationships if we are interested in developing a great social network.

To be successful we need to do the same thing in our virtual relationship as we do in our face to face relationship.  These points were mentioned in a recent blog post that I read by Kathryn  Griffiths, (a fellow 30 day challenge blogger) and I would like to bring them to your attention.  Kathryn said we should:





  1. Use our own picture on social networking sites not an avatar
  2. Use audio with your voice when possible
  3. Be transparent  – using an e mail and other means of contact where possible
  4. Be open to connecting off line –  in person or via phone

While I do agree with the first 2, I would like to provide an air of caution on numbers 3 and 4.  We live in a different world then we did when we were growing up.  This means that we need to not give out too much personal information when on social networks.  Using a P.O. Box is a way to provide an address without revealing your own.  This is important especially to avoid identity thief or if you have a business.  Meeting people in person may not always be practical, because of the physical distance between you (living in another state or country) and this too may be unsafe.  I encourage you to use caution and meet in a public place if you choose to meet in person.

There is one more format that I would like to suggest you use to connect with others online and that is video.  Video allows the viewer to connect with you in a way that is stronger than a picture and audio alone.  I recommend that you consider these tips when connecting with others in your social networks and I invite you read the “Virtual Relationship” post by Kathryn.

Filed Under: Relationship, Social Network Tagged With: , , ,

Why Speak?

January 6, 2010 by

A number of people have asked me this question over the years.  Why speak?    I speak to inspire others, share knowledge and make people smile.  It is my passion to touch other people’s lives in a meaningful way.  Having the opportunity to deliver a message that resonates with the audience, inspires them to be their very best and makes them smile brings me joy.  It is my intention that whenever I speak the audience will walk away more informed, enlightened, and joyful.

Kevin Thompson MPA presenting at CUNYHumor plays a major role in my presentations.  People learn and retain more when they are enjoying the message.  My goal is to ensure that the message the audience hears is memorable if not unforgettable. This is the reason that I tailor and customize my presentations for each organization or association.  Yes this requires more preparation but it results in making an unforgettable connection with the audience.  I believe there is nothing better than making that type of connection with the audience.  I enjoy watching their eyes light up as I speak.  Seeing them smile and roll with laughter brings me joy.  I am happy and fell fulfilled knowing that I made that connection.  Having the opportunity to touch another person’s life, mind and heart in a positive way is one of the best ways that I know to spread joy in the world.  Why do I speak? I speak for all of these reasons.  I am looking forward to speaking to your organization or association.   Click this link, fill out the form and let’s discuss how I can communicate a message that will resonate with your audience.

Filed Under: Business, First Impression, Relationship, Speaking Tagged With: , , ,