Want to be a better communicator? It all starts with listening. Do you listen with the intent to understand or the intent to answer? It takes emotional fortitude to phone a government department. It’s a bit like a mission I choose to accept, a challenge to overcome, a game that I want to win. It all started with an application to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE). I … [Read more...]
Walking the Tightrope
What would you do? Here's the scenario: A customer rings up and you take the call. The customer is calling to complain about a report they received from your company. They complain that the report is poorly written and contains a number of factual errors. You check the report and see that it's written by your manager. What do you do? 'Saving face' - it's a concept that we usually associate … [Read more...]
Just How Good Are You at Your Job?
'Staff member who is a technical expert but a relationship dunce' - was the title of the post on the Linked In site of Human Resource Institute of NZ group this week. The problem - someone who is technically competent in their work but no-one wants to work with them. It was a subject that resonated with many people - there were a flood of responses. So what does it take to be competent in your … [Read more...]