The Monthly Memo.

Here's a quick "What's wrong with this picture?" exercise. Look over the statement made last month about the departure of Steve Jobs by the new CEO at Apple and see if you find anything out-of-place: "I want you to be confident that Apple is not going to change. I...

It is surprising to realize I have written 77 Monthly Memos and am just now getting around to writing about what to do when you are nervous. (I've touched on it before, but this is the first straight take on the topic!) I was prompted by reading "Jacked Up" -- a book...

Does that sound like you? The Boss says you need to speak tomorrow and you're totally booked between now and then. Or a team member can't be there and you suddenly have to fill in for them. Or you want to be the "go to" person at work but you already have...

During a recent tour through New Hampshire, presidential candidate Mitt Romney seemed to put on an "awkwardfest." Of course Mr. Romney may make a fine president -- I take no sides on that question. (If awkwardness stopped people from inhabiting the highest office in...

Just in the last month I've helped clients win millions of dollars in business by successfully coaching them for high-stakes interviews. It's a terrific learning experience and something I want to share with you in this edition of the Monthly Memo. The biggest keys to...

Okay, I get it that you might not find yourself reading from a teleprompter on a regular basis, but if you EVER are in that situation (or are working with someone who does) you'll want to keep this nearby as a cheat sheet! Trick #1 -- It is not a magic wand. Even...

Most anyone who stands before an audience must decide, "Do I script this thing word-for-word or do I go with an outline and hope I can follow it?" With the ever-growing prominence of reality TV, You Tube and other supposedly unrehearsed elements in the entertainment...

A special guest column by ASU Communication Professor Kelly M. McDonald, Ph.D. Can a leader survive accusations of impropriety? It does not take long to find examples around us from civic and public life where leaders soar like a Phoenix and overcome challenges they...

Is there a single person reading this who is an expert on all the things we need to know about these days? Subjects like finance, technology, history, business strategy or health issues? Few if any among us are true experts on all of these -- or even a majority of the...

There is a neighborhood restaurant I go to every week or two and when I'm in there, something funny happens. The owner remembers my name. There are times when I haven't been in for a while and he might forget, but he makes the effort every single time. And every time...

A local scandal involving the wife of an elected official brings to mind a lesson we can all take to heart when things go wrong. First, here is what we know about the unfortunate sequence of events: The wife of a Phoenix-area County Board member was arrested this week...

Let me ask, do you know what to do once the "beep" on the phone message sounds? I'm willing to bet everyone who reads this and most everyone over the age of two can answer that question. So why, in about 8 out of 10 phone systems and cell phones, is there the "extra"...

If we bump into each other sometime soon, I have to warn you, I'll probably quiz you. I can't help it, after all those years as a reporter. During one of my recent quiz sessions a businesswoman from Seattle told me her biggest challenge when she is in front of an...

Test, check, is this thing on? As you might imagine, there are plenty of mistakes you can make when you spend decades around microphones, and that's just what I've done. Here are few things I learned along the way. Quality counts: If you've ever had to try to speak in...

One of my great motivations is to get rid of the usual excuses that hold back others. Here are some of my favorites. "Oh, he got that job because of 'politics'." It is often used by people who won't put in the work and build the relationships to make things happen. Or...

The Winning Words of Negotiation (Part Two) Have you noticed in the last month how many times you were actually negotiating without even realizing it? Anyone who is a parent knows this to be true -- and the same can be said for the business person. Let's move on to...

What, you're not a professional negotiator? Surprise! Everyone is a negotiator -- even if you don't do it for a living. Take a few minutes and learn how you can make those give-and-take conversations a little more take and not so much give! Successful negotiations...

"Gee, it feels like my whole career is on the line right here!" It's the thought which often goes through the mind of someone preparing for a REALLY BIG speech. It's not just butterflies. It somehow goes way beyond that feeling and moves right into true paralysis. So,...

The only thing worse than having to stand up and speak for most people is to be forced to stand up and speak RIGHT NOW! You've probably heard the fateful words before, "Jamie, could you take a few minutes and share with the group about your recent client visits?" Here...

"Please respond ASAP on this issue." "I just received this e-mail and I don't know what it means!" "I get the feeling the person who wrote this is angry about something ..." E-mail, like a lot of great advances, is both a tremendous tool and a source of extreme...

Do you cringe every time you see a CEO in the news, sweating and struggling, because you fear you could be next? Are you afraid your organization isn't ready to deal with a problem or full-blown crisis? Even worse, do you feel you are the only one who understands the...

There have been major changes in the Media world in the last year and they have an impact on your work place, how you learn about the world around you and how you communicate to that world. Let's start with just SOME of the changes: the economy has impacted everyone,...

For nearly every person I meet, I want to know their personal story. If you spend any significant time with someone don't you want to know where they're from, how long have they done their job, family stuff, etc.? Here's the question: How well do you tell your...

With so many people looking for work I decided to offer a Special Edition Monthly Memo and I found the perfect person to write it. My long-time friend and colleague John Menzies just finished three non-stop months in job search mode after about 30 years of employment....

Have you ever witnessed an accident? Everything moves in slow motion. You see it happening but you can't do anything to stop it. That's how it must have felt for the President's advisors as they listened to him at last week's news conference as he wandered into the...