Dear Steve, In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, I’m trying to be safe by following the health practices outlined by the CDC, WHO, and other officials. I don’t consider myself stringent, nor lax. I feel I am somewhere in between. But apparently that’s not how others see me. My requests for distance have offended others. …
Dear Scott, What is the difference between a crucial conversation and a crucial accountability conversation? I believe all accountability conversations are crucial, but are all crucial conversations about accountability? Sincerely, Confused Manager Dear Confused Manager, Many have wondered about the difference between Crucial Conversations and Crucial Accountability. It can often be difficult to know where …
As the coronavirus sends more of us home, business casual dress goes from slacks to jeans to sweats to pajamas. Before the coronavirus, a lot of companies were hesitant to let people work from home. “Working from home” rhymes too closely with “Shirking from home.” It includes surfing, posting, grazing, running errands, crushing Candy Crush, …
When I went to bed a few nights ago, life was strange enough already. Offices and businesses were shuttered. Friends and family were cloistered many more hours each day in our homes. A general unease had us listening to recycled news for hours on end. But I got to sleep. My plan was to hit …
Dear Justin, In the past week, our entire workforce has been sent home. I manage a small team and I’m feeling a bit at a loss on how to manage a remote team and keep them afloat, positive, and accountable given the new normal. Our team is used to working face-to-face and seems our success …
Dear Joseph, How do you best help a friend that has only days to live? I assume being a good listener is important, but is there anything helpful that I should say? Signed,Hoping to Help Dear Hoping, For purposes of my response, I’m going to assume this is a close friend, not simply an acquaintance. …
We’re excited to welcome a new contributor to the Crucial Skills Newsletter. Please enjoy a special introduction to Brian Wansink from author Joseph Grenny. We also encourage you to review VitalSmarts’ support of Brian Wansink here. A Message from Joseph Grenny If you haven’t met him yet, I want to be the first to introduce …
Dear Joseph, I work with scientific communications. My team leader dismisses any scientific paper that doesn’t agree with her beliefs or the company’s messaging, regardless of the quality of the research. On top of that, she always interrupts us when we’re trying to present the objective view of existing science on a topic, so we’re …
Please welcome Lisa Vermillion as a new author to the Crucial Skills Newsletter. Lisa joined the VitalSmarts team in September of 2019 as a Master Trainer and Client Solutions Engineer. Her professional background includes designing curriculum, writing books, coaching business leaders, and speaking and training. Dear Lisa, My coworker walks in after 8:00 a.m. every …
Dear Joseph, My daughter just turned 40 and has gained more weight than ever. Conversations about her weight gain over the years have mostly been negative, though she did actually lose weight with the help of a trainer about eight years ago. She says her schedule doesn’t allow time, but I disagree. I need help …
