How to Deal with Real Work Drama

Last week I spoke at a convention with Captain “Sully” Sullenberger, the pilot who safely landed a passenger airplane in the Hudson River. That day he faced a surprise –true work drama. All Captain Sully had to do was walk out on the stage and we gave him a standing ovation.

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How to Work with a Know-It-All

“That will never work,” the senior partner told me during my first job out of law school. I had asked if we should call the opposing counsel. “Why?” I countered. “Phone calls won’t work,” he replied. “We only write letters. You won’t get anywhere. You’re wasting your time.” Sound familiar?

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How to Avoid Hiring a Complainer

If you’ve been to Geno’s in Philadelphia, then you’ve seen people who know how to get things done. Once, while attending the National Speakers Association (NSA) Convention, a group of us (pictured above) took the Philly Cheesesteak Challenge. We compared Geno’s to Pat’s (competing restaurants across the street from each

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How to Keep People from Throwing You Under the Bus

I’ve been thrown under the bus a few times in my career but a while ago I couldn’t escape one. After speaking at a convention, the bus transporting conference attendees from the convention center to the hotel had a “minor malfunction.” When it was time to unload, the door made a sound like it

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Negotiate Conversations Like a Reporter

Most people know I went to law school but not everyone knows I first graduated with a Broadcast Journalism degree. During that time, I was a DJ at Texas Tech’s radio station and a news intern at KAMC-TV, the ABC affiliate in Lubbock. If you promise not to laugh at

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How to Stop a Complainer

Oh no…she was back…and she was bringing more complaints. Unfortunately, I didn’t have 30 minutes to hear “Diane” vent and describe every slight she suffered that week. My exploding at her, “Sorry, I just don’t have time to fix YOUR problems today,” certainly did not improve our work relationship. Ever have people

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How Getting My Credit Card Stolen Had a Silver Lining

BAD NEWS- My credit card and I were parted for a number of days-not of my doing. The thieves didn’t buy much. Luckily, they didn’t have my PIN number and I reported the card as stolen once I discovered it missing. SURPRISINGLY GOOD NEWS- There are good Samaritans out there. Meet Aysha

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How to Communicate with Good Cheer

Wow. I had a bad customer service experience over the holidays. While visiting one of my favorite stores, I encountered a Scrooge who did not like working. To be fair, it was busy and the dressing rooms were a disaster. (Don’t you wonder about people who won’t hang up the

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How to Negotiate for Anything

I was thrilled to be to invited to speak at the Professional Convention Management Association’s Convening Leaders Conference last week in sunny San Diego.  The local CW television channel found out I was going to be in town and asked me to appear on their morning show to discuss my favorite

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How to Refocus a Complainer

I’m embarrassed to say that heading over to the launch for my book Stop Complainers and Energy Drainers, I wasn’t pleasant. In fact, I was a big whiner – but I had “good” reasons. First, there was the late start because I forgot to load boxes into my car. Then, there

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The Worst Thing to Say to a Complainer

Some things you never forget. Quite a few years ago I was in the San Francisco airport after attending a three-day jam-packed National Speakers Association conference. Overwhelmed by all I had learned,  I was now at a tipping point in my career and not sure which direction to take. An industry

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