If you want to motivate people, setting a good example is a good place to start
Motivating yourself can be difficult at times, but motivating other people offers a different kind of challenge. Short of standing behind them with a pitchfork and an evil grin, or offering them a gazillion dollars, what can you do to get the best from others, be they employees or colleagues or even family (although that’s…
Body language cues are most accurate when a speaker is initially put on the spot. So ask candidates hard questions and watch closely
What makes interpreting the sincerity of all those election promises so darn challenging? All the prep time a candidate has gets in the way. Interpreting the nuances of non-verbal communication requires us to detect fleeting cues and they’re more accurate when an individual hasn’t had the luxury of polishing up their rebuttal. Body language cues…
A body language expert looks at Trudeau's latest apologies and analyzes their sincerity
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau seems to be paying attention to experts when they share what it takes to offer a sincere apology. I suppose he ought to – after all, he spent a term being that kind of leader: one who leans on apology to help boost his public image. I’m not saying this is…
Focus on these three Cs — calm, collected and confident
Too often, we’re exposed to the energy-sucking power of worry. What a waste. But you can do something about it. When I was a young mom, I worried about making mistakes raising my children. I was so concerned about scarring them for life. It seemed that every article I read eluded to poor parenting as…
How your state of mind can influence everything around you, and tips that will help you find and achieve the right balance
Decluttering your life and being at ease with yourself has more to do with your mind than your environment. Over the years, I've voraciously consumed articles and watched programs about creating a stress-free life through decluttering. For example, they say most of us wear only 20 per cent of our wardrobe – the rest we'll fit…
Learn how to express your feelings in more productive ways and keep an explosive temper from hijacking your life
Anger doesn't have to hijack your life. Anger is a natural emotion that helps protect us from real (or imagined) attacks against our physical or emotional well-being. When used appropriately, anger can motivate us to achieve goals we would otherwise be too afraid or lazy to pursue. In this way, anger may not be a big…
In the long run, accepting responsibility then following up with a solution is more productive than if you try to shift the blame
When mistakes happen, it is easy to point out loudly and in great detail just whose mistake it is and how it is not at all our fault. Blaming someone or something else is a short term fix to keep the attention off of people who don’t want to appear foolish, or who don’t believe…
There’s a huge difference between “I failed at that particular task,” and “I am a failure"
A colleague of mine is a private teacher and she teaches students from ages 11 through adult. Over the years, she's noticed an interesting trend – young people, for the most part, are resilient when they make mistakes. They typically don't brood about it, they don't get too bent out of shape, and they tend…
How to make your point without alienating, angering or humiliating your audience
It’s that time of year when a lot of us take holidays with family and friends. As much as we enjoy getting together, conversations can be a bit prickly and leave loved ones feeling less supported than we might want. So we need some strategies for reducing potential misunderstandings when confronted with the argumentative communicator.…
National Workaholics Day is no reason for celebration. By working smarter, you could work less – and have more time for family, friends and fun.
July 5 is National Workaholics Day. But is this something we should really be celebrating? According to Forbes, the average Frenchman works 18 hours a week; the average Italian about 16.5 and the British work 21.5. But in North America, our idea of full employment is a standard 40-hour week. And in some locales, that…
There are many simple things you can do to ward off stress for any given situation
The next time you are stuck in traffic, fretting and fuming as the vehicles inch along, or you are standing in an incredibly long lineup at the bank listening to parents attempt to placate their whining child, whom they lovingly call 'incorrigible' and the rest of the people in the bank would term 'monstrous', take…
Being excluded from a clique may actually be your fault
If you have ever been part of the leadership of a board, you have no doubt heard the complaint that your group is too cliquey. A Clique is any small group of people, with shared interests or other features in common, who spend time together and do not readily allow others to join them. This…
Because they enjoy feeling powerful and they like it when their targets don’t stand up for themselves
I was once asked if it was true that 68 per cent of bullying is same-gender harassment. What a great question. I’ve always contended that girls can be more vicious than boys in many ways, especially when they are in middle school and high school. Unfortunately, it’s pretty much the same when they leave the…
You really don't need to be in contact with everyone 24-7
Most of us have become almost totally dependent on technology – and in the process, many of us have lost the art of true communication. In many ways, being tech-connected in the 21st century means being disconnected from humanity. Certainly everyone has a story about how the digital world has let them down – the computer that…
Intimacy requires constant nurturing
Is monogamy dead, or is it a question of what is acceptable in your own personal relationship? There are those who certainly believe in monogamy above all else – physical and emotional – and then there are those who believe a relationship is stronger when partners are encouraged to engage in “open relationships”. I have…