I’ve been on my first long distance travels for the last 2 years. I am in Montevideo, Uruguay this week teaching at IEEM Business School. I’ve been coming here for the last 12 years (last year was a virtual visit via zoom). Many of my classes this week finished with participants commenting on the importance … Read more
Life is too short to figure everything out on your own. Humans spend the years from birth to 12 learning how to survive. Our parents have a vested interest in helping us develop the Stop there: we merely survive. We live in a highly complex society. There is intense competition for status in whatever hierarchy … Read more
This week I have been teaching at the Mid Atlantic Business School on the island of Santa Cruz de la Palma. This video shares a lesson that many participants took from the day: “Listen with Your Eyes“. Hearing is a sense that differs from all our other senses, because it has a buffer. I am … Read more
Here’s a quick analysis (not scientific nor complete) of poor ways of listening. I am guilty of #1 and #2, I can enjoy #3… but I really hate #4. (#2 is my Achilles Heel). The 4 Categories of Poor Listening Knows it Already One Upper Gossiper Black Hole Knows it Already As you get half-way … Read more
Listening is a state of seeking to be changed by the other person. Listening is less about the ears, than about a state of openness to change. Hearing is different from all other senses in that it has a buffer, a short term memory of the last 8 seconds that we have heard. This allows … Read more
Happy People share one characteristic in common. There are many different approaches to happiness, and many varied approaches… but there is one vital ingredient. It is very hard to find someone who is happy who doesn’t have strong, quality friendships and a satisfying romantic relationship. (Even imaginary friends help. Children with imaginary friends are more … Read more
There is a power tool in negotiation. I would say this is the single most useful tactic that I use in my years of selling (I sell private jets among other high value products). It is not competitive, it is not aggressive, it is not avoiding anything. It does not require massive intellectual development, years … Read more
What are the 3 words that managers find hardest to say? They are possibly the 3 words that parents find hardest to say to children. They are 3 words that teachers very rarely say to their students. They are not “You’re the Best”. They are not “I love you”. What might they be? The 3 hardest … Read more
You finish your pitch and the customer says: “Your product is too expensive!”. You arrive home, you’re a few minutes late: your partner says “You are always late!”. At a dirty plate left on the table: “you never wash the dishes!” What do you say in this moment? How do you handle objections? It is possible to take … Read more
How do I become a better listener? Become aware of what level you are listening at. There are 5 levels of listening: not listening hearing the noise, waiting for silence hearing the words, preparing my response hearing the meaning from my point of view hearing the emotion, meaning and point of view of the other … Read more