7 Tips for Making Other People Feel Smart and Insightful.
We all want to get along well with other people, and one way to do this is to help people feel good about themselves. If you make a person feel smart and insightful, that person will enjoy your company. The point is not to be manipulative, but to help other people feel good about their contributions to a conversation.
Gretchen Rubin
 Make others feel awesome! Mines the psychological methods for reinforcing employees' and clients' self-esteem and confidence, placing you in a positive light and a forming a collaborative image. Notes that proven methods help in refining how you are seen by others. Ideas include: - Jot down notes as you speak to the person, so they feel you are concerned about what they have to say. Writing down their words illustrates that they are important to you.
- Use the notes you take to refer to something the person said previously in the conversation. Referring back to a statement they have made reinforces the feeling that you are really listening.
- When the person is cut off or distracted, unable to complete a thought, tell them to pick up where they left off. This shows you value what was being said, and you want to hear the complete thought.
- Refer to the person by name sporadically. You don't want to overdo it, making them feel awkward, but inserting their name into the conversation periodically makes them feel valuable as an individual.
- Make a big deal about a few of the person's positive qualities as they come up in the conversation. They can be small things, but make them sincere.
- Ask sincerely for advice on a work matter, and if possible, put the advice into practice. Nothing can show that you value them more than taking their advice.
Darin's note: You might also try making good eye contact, sitting in a relaxed posture, using emotive hand gestures, moving out from behind the desk, and shaking hands. Be sure to use their name the next time you see them, and make them aware that you remember them. Interested? Click the title or image to read on. Source is Happiness-Project.com You might also enjoy:
By Darin L. Hammond Writer for ZipMinis and owns ZipMinis Freelance Writing.
Darin Publishes across the web on sites like Technorati
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Act Like a Leader Before You Are One
If you want to become a leader, don't wait for the fancy title or the corner office. You can begin to act, think, and communicate like a leader long before that promotion. Even if you're still several levels down and someone else is calling all the shots, there are numerous ways to demonstrate your potential and carve your path to the role you want.
Amy Gallo
 Be a leader? Act like one right now. Mines the truth that no one starts at the top and describes tactics to elevate yourself, starting with acting like a leader right now. Notes that even if you are entry level, you should not wait for the title to become a leader. If you wait to act like a leader until you become one, you more than likely won't be promoted. This approach possesses two key assets: you are practicing leadership skills, and people will inevitable notice you for promotions as you develop the qualities of a leader. Among the methods to practice leadership are: - Exceed expectations in the duties you are assigned, rather than merely completing the task.
- Assist your superiors in accomplishing the goals they have defined.
- Grab leadership responsibilities, even if they seem small and unimportant.
- Make the success of your boss a priority in your daily tasks because making her look good reflects well on you.
- Search for areas of improvement within the organization that other coworkers are maybe reluctant to take on.
- Present yourself as a kind and loyal friend to coworkers, but be sure not to make your attempts superficial.
- Keep your ambitions and goals to attain leadership to yourself so that you are seen as a giver without an agenda.
- Connect with mentors who will guide you in your career path and will become positive references.
Darin's note: Along with making mentor connections, make solid friendships with your coworkers and others in the company because they are the people you will likely lead down the road. The stronger your positive network of associations, the more likely you are to advance. Interested? Click the title or image to read on. Source is Blogs.HBR.org You might also enjoy:
Before you leave, let us know what advice we have missed. What other tips do you have for preparing for leadership.
By Darin L. Hammond Writer for ZipMinis and owns ZipMinis Freelance Writing.
Darin Publishes across the web on sites like Technorati
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Try "Location Boxing" to Get Your Brain to Switch Gears
For the past week, I’ve been taking an hour or so at the coffee shop near my office to knock out most of my email and communications. Then when I get back to the office, I stay out of email as much as possible. The experiment has made me realize that shaking up my work environment helps me stay more focused and productive.
Robby Macdonell
 Outside the box thinking for productivity. Mines the value of using different locations to shift thinking and mindsets, adding productivity to your various tasks. Notes that there are completely different types of thinking that one uses in a day, a few of which are: - Design-thinking: contemplating user interaction with design and visual layout.
- Coding-thinking: creating new features, constructing new ideas, and resolving problems.
- Business-thinking: communication that involves collaboration with workers within your office.
- Support-thinking: fixing problems for people, customer service, and replying to questions from clients.
While your on the job thinking may differ, the principles that follow still apply. Physical location influences the way you think, and by creating routines that place you in optimal locations for different types of work, you can make your day more productive. The biggest task will finding the ideal location for the type of thinking you are doing, but here are some ideas for location boxing: - Use different desk configurations and alter your office spaces.
- Find unused places in your building that are ideal for certain tasks that maybe require minimal distraction.
- Get out of the office for awhile with your mobile equipment: a park, plaza, or public space.
- Make use of coffee and sandwich shops that allow you to do a bit of work while taking a break at the same time.
- Be creative in coming up with your own spaces for your unique types of thinking.
Interested? Click the title or image to read on. Source is Lifehacker.org You might also enjoy: Before you go, what strategies do you use to increase productivity and innovation? Thank you for being here, and you are awesome!
By Darin L. Hammond Writer for ZipMinis and owns ZipMinis Freelance Writing.
Darin Publishes across the web on sites like Technorati
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Great Innovators Think Laterally
Do you ever wonder why cars aren't called "horseless carriages" anymore? Today's cars are just as horseless as they were a century ago. Horselessness is standard equipment on most new and late models, both foreign and domestic.
Ian Gonsher and Deb Mills-Scofield
 Great leaders think laterally, not vertically. Mines the analogy of the car and horseless carriage to illustrate the way innovative leaders emerge and evolve from historical processes, not in isolation. Cars were first horseless carriages because they arose out of the era of the horse and coach. Notes that even though the term horseless carraige is not used today, we still know that it means car because history synthesizes or merges the ideas together. Traces of the horse are still found in many of the names of vehicles (Mustang, Bronco, etc.), whose force is measured in horsepower. History merges with the present. This is a useful way of understanding innovation: - "Thesis:" a statement about a paradigm, such as transportation invovlving horses and buggies.
- "Antithesis:" a statement that opposes or makes obsolete that thesis, such as cars and trucks.
- "Synthesis:" the conditions which arise from the tension between the two, with the car predominating, but still connected to the past horseless carriage.
Innovators attempt to push beyond the first two to find the blending and unification in synthesis, rather that thinking of the thesis and antithesis as two completely opposing paradigms. This innovative thinking involves the power to move horizontally or laterally across the two paradigms, rather than considering them isolated within themselves. So, lateral thinking involves the synthesis of ideas that on the surface appear to be completely different, but underneath, historically, share much in common. This is just one example of lateral thinking to which we could add flight, similar in that they are forms of transportation, but different in means. This type of thinking across different domains of knowledge leads to innovation. When we consider the past and present of innovation along lateral paths, we can invision what will come next, what possibilities the future holds. Innovative thinking breaks out of the known, the assumed, and the past to extend to new domains and intersections of knowledge. The opposite of innovation is to remain so entrenched vertically in the horse and buggy that one cannot see laterally across other knowledge which will lead to the car. Interested? Click the title or image to read on. Source is Blogs.HBR.org You might also enjoy: Before you go, what other qualities lead to innovation? How do you innovate?
By Darin L. Hammond Writer for ZipMinis and owns ZipMinis Freelance Writing.
Darin Publishes across the web on sites like Technorati
BC Blog, Blog Critics, Broowaha, and Social Media Today.
Top Five Secrets of Great Coaching in Leadership
True leaders know it’s never about them. Leadership is a gift; you are entrusted with the responsibility of fulfilling the higher purpose of the organization, creating a vision of the world when that higher purpose is finally attained and executing clear strategies to bring the vision to life.
Lisa Petrilli  Effective coaching increases productivity. Mines the primary goal of a true leader is long-term, feasible growth in both the corporation and the employees. Awesome leaders know that their role is not to correct the weaknesses of others, but to inspire the greatness already present within the team, providing them with tools for success. Notes that the way leaders position their feedback and criticism is all important, using inspiring, motivating language rather than degrading. In your past, you may have experienced coaches who are determined to point out every flaw and problem he or she sees. Obviously this is not effective. One way of avoiding criticism, as a leader, is to use stories from your life to illustrate and examine the problem, without tearing people down. Humans easily detect fake positive feedback, but providing sincere encouragement, that is specific and verifiable, animates your workers. Encouragement should be at the center of all your interactions with coworkers. When setting goals, the focus should be on the employees rather than the leaders. If the workers generate their own goals, they own them and are therefore more committed. They are more likely to complete and exceed the goals they have created. The most important skill to remember is praising workers for tangible goal completion and successes. For this praise to be useful, it has to be authentic, reinforcing both basic and specific skills, talents, hard work, completed projects, and successes. Praise is the foundation of successful leadership. Interested? Click the title or image to read on. Source is LisaPetrilli.com You might also enjoy: How do you react when you receive either positive or negative feedback?
By Darin L. Hammond Writer for ZipMinis and owns ZipMinis Freelance Writing.
Darin Publishes across the web on sites like Technorati
BC Blog, and Social Media Today.
How to Sound Confident (Even if You're Not)
Give your great ideas the verbal boost they deserve with these six tips. Even if you have great ideas, nobody will listen to them if you sound like a wimp when you open your mouth. By contrast, even mediocre ideas seem profound when spoken with confidence.
Geoffrey James  Reveal your nervous and ruin your presentation. Mines the power of presence when speaking to groups, conveying positive, powerful leadership. The nervousness you feel inside is controllable. Notes that six effective techniques for controlling nerves start with: - Picturing your audience on your same level, hierarchically and psychology. Center yourself on the common qualities you share with the listeners. Believe yourself equal and you will be.
- Rehearsing every syllable of the presentation from start to finish. The more you practice, the less likely you will be to stumble and stammer, sounding less confident. A brief pause, however, sounds calm and confident rather than nervous.
- Voicing from your diaphragm and chest rather than your throat or nose. The deeper, smoother voice sounds more confident.
- Speaking at a slower rate than seems normal. This helps you to control the nervous tendency to speak quickly.
- Practicing the control of your verbal idiosyncrasies (filler sounds, words, and phrases), preferring a brief pause over the filler.
- Speaking in statements rather than questions. Statements show more confidence and knowledge.
Darin's note: a couple of other techniques that work for me are below. - While rehearsing, plan pauses so that you don't run out of breath mid-speaking.
- Rehearse the presentation repeatedly, in front of the mirror and other people, but avoid memorizing the speech word for word. Memorization inhibits your ability to improvise.
- If possible, rehearse the speech in the exact room you will deliver it. This provides more confidence and the comfort of familiarity.
- A notecard or two can be helpful as long as you only glance at them briefly.
- If it is a PowerPoint, always look at the audience, rarely at the screen.
Interested? Click the title or image to read on. Source is Inc.com You might also enjoy: What strategies did I miss?
By Darin L. Hammond Writer for ZipMinis and owns ZipMinis Freelance Writing.
Darin Publishes across the web on sites like Technorati
BC Blog, and Social Media Today.
Living and Leading with AuthenticityI believe authentic living and leadership do not come from title, social stature, or the size of one's paycheck, but rather from knowing yourself, how you live, and the impact you make around you.
Faisal Hoque
 Mines the origin of authenticity to the Greek root meaning "original, genuine, principal." Contrary to pessimists who might find doubt others, authentic people are all around us, those living their own essence. Notes that authenticity includes a courageous power and mental discipline to act in a way that corresponds with one's values and beliefs, meaning that one must be mindful, awake to the present moment. Cultivating inner strength - Determine your destiny and use that to drive your actions and instill hope in dark times.
- Be mindful, always in the present moment, because all else is a distraction from your destiny.
- Create habits that allow you to master your authentic craft, whatever your work might be.
Bearing suffering - Maintain your focus on the larger vision of the destiny you have created.
- Turn failures into successes by learning from them.
- Surround yourself with friends who uplift you and support your goals and objectives.
Managing from the edge of the cliff - Require the best of yourself, but not perfection.
- Adapt with flexibility to unforeseen events and situations.
- Be content with ambiguity because, although you know your destiny, the path to it is not mapped out.
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world ... As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.
Marianne Williamson
Interested? Click the title or image to read on. Source is HuffingtonPost.com You might also enjoy: What helps you to maintain authenticity in a world filled with the superficial?
By Darin L. Hammond Writer for ZipMinis and owns ZipMinis Freelance Writing.
Darin Publishes across the web on sites like Technorati
BC Blog, and Social Media Today.
Google's Favorite Psychologist Has Some Advice About Motivation
Psychologist Adam Grant gives some excellent and unconventional advice in a cover story in The New York Times Magazine.
Max Nisen
 Psychologist Grant advises Google. Mines why Google turns to psychologist Adam Grant when they are churning over big issues, pursuing the key knowledge that he shares with the giant. Notes that when leaders grapple to find sources of motivation within an organization, they usually focus on financial and other forms of compensation. Grant found in his numerous studies that while employers often perceived giving as counter productive, focusing on the benefits of helping others is rewarding to all involved. Feeling like they are helping others reframes the work and makes it more fulfilling. For example, rather than feeling oppressed by the hundreds of emails waiting for them each morning, leaders can reframe the situation by reminding them how much good they are doing for the recipients.
Productivity increases with even simple positive actions that can potentially have a huge impact on interactions with colleagues and clients. Grant uses examples to illustrate that focusing on the benefits others receive advances the cause of the organization. Framing issues in a positive light gives rise to positive feelings. The examples show that by focusing on the positive and on what people are gaining from your service, not only are employees more fulfilled, but you gain happy, loyal customers in the process. Giving and gratitude are key to success and the reason why Google uses his knowledge. Interested? Click the title or image to read on. Source is BusinessInsider.com You might also enjoy:
By Darin L. Hammond Writer for ZipMinis and owns ZipMinis Freelance Writing.
Darin Publishes across the web on sites like Technorati
BC Blog, and Social Media Today.
The role of empathy in business success
Do you want to be able to influence others better? Want to make your sales quota? Want to motivate your team? Try practicing empathy.
Henna Inam
 Mines, through experience as an executive coach, how effective leaders have a strong emotional intelligence (analogous to IQ) and those who exhibit the highest levels of empathy earn the greatest success. Notes that research shows that leaders with a high EQ earn up to $29,000 more annually. Practicing five difficult steps can lead to a higher EQ through greater empathy: - Decide that you want to always see issues from another's point of view.
- Recognize your own filter (point of view) that you are hearing others through.
- Forget all preconceived notions that you have about the individual and issue.
- Dig at the issue until you are able to understand the emotion the other person holds deeply.
- Relate with the emotion you uncover and acknowledge the feelings rather than being dismissive.
Neuroscience teaches us that we are hardwired to receive contagious ideas and attitudes, and if you behave with a high EQ, others will probably follow, benefiting all. Interested? Click the title or image to read on. Source is SmartBlogs.com You might also enjoy: Before you go, how have you seen the benefits of empathy in relationships? Please bookmark us and return often. We value your input.
By Darin L. Hammond Writer for ZipMinis and owns ZipMinis Freelance Writing.
Darin Publishes across the web on sites like Technorati
BC Blog, and Social Media Today.
3 Skills to Prevent Leadership Burnout
Owning your own business is enormously rewarding, but success can take a Herculean effort that often leads to isolation and exhaustion.
Nadia Goodman
 Leaders must balance work and off-time. Mines the causes and symptoms of business burnout in order to help you steer clear of a breakdown. You or your coworkers may already be experiencing some of these symptoms.Notes that the prevention of a crash before it happens will help your business far more than pushing yourself to the breaking point. Symptoms that you are headed toward a crash include emotional volatility, detachment from friends and loved ones, and exhaustion. The worst part is that your leadership will deteriorate the strong corporate culture you have worked so hard to create, and a little vacation time is not enough to remedy the cause of the problem. Consider these ideas to start you down a healing path:- Physical and emotional health. You must incorporate strategies that ensure you are well, and even though directing a company is time consuming, taking care of yourself will ensure that you can make it through the difficult times. Eat, sleep, exercise, and relax.
- Confidence. Entrepreneurs and leaders who exhibit confidence are less likely to burnout, but you can't fake it. You can't just tell yourself that you are confident in the mirror each morning. Real confidence comes from the knowledge that you are capable, qualified, and prepared.
- Delegation. You work hard to choose employees that you can rely on, so use them to your advantage as you manage your time each day. This means that you cannot micromanage, which will lead to added stress. It means that you need to empower your employees to use their own creativity, leadership, and innovation to push the company along.
Leadership is stressful, and you can't wait too long to employ these ideas. More than likely, you are already headed on a course toward burnout, and although it may seem to yield positive results in the beginning, a crash will nail you in the end. Interested? Click the title or image to read on.Source is Entrepreneur.comYou might also enjoy:Before you go, what other strategies help to prevent burnout? Please bookmark ZipMinis and return often. Thank you for being here.
By Darin L. HammondWriter for ZipMinis and owns ZipMinis Freelance Writing.
Darin Publishes across the web on sites like Technorati
BC Blog, and Social Media Today.
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