By Steve Adubato, PhD
I’ve been thinking a lot these days about narcissism. A friend recently recommended a great book entitled, “The Narcissist in Your Life” by Linda Martinez-Lewi. What does narcissism have to do with communication, leadership or any important aspect of business success? Everything! Narcissists make terrible communicators. I am not talking about people with healthy egos and a positive attitude about themselves. We all want attention and recognition for our efforts. There is nothing wrong with that. I am referring to the people who only see the world with them at the center of it—People in our professional and personal lives who are impossible to communicate with in a meaningful way.
By Steve Adubato, PhD
I’ve been thinking a lot recently about how exactly we connect with others, especially in the world of business. The economy is tough, people are nervous and therefore our ability to build strong relationships with clients, customers and prospects is more important than ever.
By Steve Adubato, PhD
The expression “I misspoke” is in the news a lot these days. Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said she “misspoke” when she told a story about arriving in Bosnia as First Lady in 1996 under “heavy sniper fire.” When Clinton was responding to a question recently about video footage of the event that contradicted her assertion that her group “ran with our heads down” to avoid this sniper fire, she said; “I say a lot of things -- millions of words a day -- so if I misspoke, that was just a misstatement.”
By Steve Adubato, PhD
Former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer’s downfall offers many lessons in leadership. One of the most significant is missed by many, which involved Spitzer’s “in-your-face,” unnecessarily confrontational and combative communication style. The way Spitzer communicated wasn’t responsible for his failure, but it did contribute to the large number of enemies who lined up against him.
By Steve Adubato, PhD
Great communicators know how to read their audience. They know when their audience is with them and when they are beginning to lose that connection. It doesn’t matter whether you are communicating in a one on one situation or to a large group; the ability to connect and understand what your audience is feeling is a critical skill for any professional who needs to persuade others. Some questions on reading your audience.
By Steve Adubato, PhD
It is hard to think of any aspect of professional life where communication doesn’t come in to play. Consider how often as a manager, supervisor or business owner you’ve had to hire someone. In the process, you conduct interviews, yet few professionals have been trained to do this well. Being a great interviewer is critically important in finding out the strengths and weaknesses of a potential new hire. With this in mind, consider the following:
By Steve Adubato, PhD
It’s a bit early for spring cleaning, but it is never too soon to empty the communication mailbag. Here’s a sampling of some of the more challenging questions we received.