Can Some Influencing Strengths Do More Harm Than Good?

Leveraging our strengths is a powerful way to grow, increase our impact, and collaborate more effectively with those around us.  Working regularly with team trainers and coaches, I know how good it feels to see individuals score highly on certain SOI 360 Influencing Styles. For example, styles that are central to their roles or styles […]

What is “Coaching Up”? How To Coach Your Boss

Arrow existing of little arrows pointing in the other direction to indicate contradiction. it symbolizes coaching up.

Do you ever feel like you could perform better, learn faster, or realize your potential more successfully…if you only had a little more from your manager or leader? As brilliant as they may be at their jobs, leaders are (also) humans and not necessarily great at everything.  Maybe your boss could follow through more often, […]

Preaching Under Pressure: Why We Do It & 3 Better Ways To Manage Stress

Perspective rendering of a playing card with an illustration of a woman in front of a blackboard with an equation on it.

You know those meetings where you feel like all you do is listen? You’d love to get a word in edgewise, but there’s one colleague who just…won’t stop? Maybe their monologue is about “the only way to do something right…” Or a never-ending speech about what will happen “…if we don’t use this exact software…” […]

Are You Mr or Ms “Right All The Time?”

Perspective rendering of a playing card with an illustration of a woman in a purple shirt and a woman in a yellow shirt having a discussion.

Have you ever found yourself stuck in a conversation where the other person just won’t give up? You know the drill:  We’ve all been in situations where someone simply must prove their expertise or worth. They rarely end well, leading mostly to arguments, disagreements, and other unpleasant conflicts in the workplace.  And let’s face it: […]

Are You (Really) A Good Listener?

Being-a-good-listener

Do you want to know something shocking? At least, it was shocking to me. I recently analyzed the data for my Sphere of Influence research on how people use the twelve different interaction styles, and the results were a landslide. Of 6861 people surveyed, guess what the least used style was? You guessed it: Listen. […]

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