Category: 1-Minute Strategy

Harvard Business Review suggests you follow these 3 tips to expedite the complaint process: 1) Understand the full context—The more information you have, the easier it is to determine the root of the dissatisfaction. 2) Propose a resolution—What would make the situation better for your customer? 3) Show respect—Be empathetic; reframe harsh criticism into constructive […]

Watch out, complaining can be contagious. And grousing drives away potential allies who see you both as whiners. When you’re irritated by something, don’t feel compelled to talk about it. Ask yourself, “What’s to gain?” that should help you avoid injecting negative observations.

Practice this: in an earnest, non-defensive tone, “Yes, if you can let me finish, this is an important point that’ll clarify your concern.” Resist the urge to speak faster because you anticipate being cut off. If you get into the habit of speeding up, you may say something you regret later. And you may string […]

That means looking for ways to save the company time and money, thinking of ways to boost office morale and finding opportunities to sincerely praise co-workers for jobs well done.

While that may be the truth, no one wants to hear about your backlog. Instead, rather than appearing to have no control over your time, it is better to pull out your appointment book and say, “Let me reserve a time to take care of that for you.” Or, “Let me look at my Outlook […]

In his new book Great by Choice, Jim Collins says, “Following the belief that leading in a ‘fast world’ always requires ‘fast decisions’ and ‘fast action’ is a good way to get killed.” He reports that, overall, fast decision making was associated with good outcomes, however, when events were moving slowly, 61% of cases with […]

Stimulate the blood flow in your feet by taking off one shoe and rolling a golf ball under your foot.

Concentration is a skill that requires practice. Adopt a hobby that will help you focus, like playing chess or practicing yoga.

If a co-worker confides in you, recognize that she might only need to vent. Don’t offer advice unless asked. You can always answer, “I don’t believe I’m the best person to offer you advice on this subject.”

When you declare an ambitious goal, state it in positive terms. Example: Replace “I want to stop losing my temper” with “I want to develop more patience.”