The fear of damaging a relationship might keep you from saying “no” to your boss or to a co-worker, but turning down someone doesn’t have to come across as combative or reluctant, notes Harvard Business Review writer Holly Weeks.
Top admins exhibit bridge-building communication skills by emphasizing shared interests and minimizing resistance. Try these techniques to communicate better with colleagues.
Next time you find yourself in a standoff, exert influence and come to an amicable solution with these five tips from Bob Burg, author of Adversaries Into Allies.
Plenty of problems get on your nerves at work, but trying to fight every one of them will leave you exhausted and your colleagues thinking you’re a pain. Harvard Business Review’s Amy Gallo suggests these tips for choosing your workplace battles wisely.
Research from Stanford University found that people who fear asking others for favors may be stifling their own chances of getting a “yes.” Get the most from your requests with these tips from blogger Jessica Stillman.
Handling a complaint is a high-stakes situation, whether it’s from someone you support in the office or a customer. Please a person who is upset, and you develop an ally; botch it, and you never recover in that person’s eyes.
Mary Jo Asmus, founder and president, Aspire Collaborative Services, offers advice and conversational tools for anyone who wants to have a positive influence on others.
You can steer others to offer the responses you want by “framing” the questions you pose. Use one of these tactics the next time you’re asking for a “Yes” or other positive reply.
It’s easy to get emotional when a bank makes a mistake and money is at stake, but experts interviewed by personal finance reporter Daniel Bortz say you’re more likely to get your way if you take a measured approach to addressing the issue.
The last time you floated an idea to the team, a group of opponents shouted you down with such force that they rattled you, and you let the idea drop. Next time, use these potent phrases to monopolize the conversation long enough for you to convince the “silent majority” on the team to support your idea.