Listening is one of the most important skills you can master, for both business and personal life success.

Listening also takes effort, and doesn't happen automatically. 

Many barriers get in the way of our ability to listen to one another.  

Some of the worst are:

1. Making Assumptions about the Other Person - when we tell others how they feel or what they mean, we shut down the conversation.  The word "you" frequently causes a defensive reaction.  Instead, try to reflect what the othe...

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We all have our comfort zone, a world where we feel comfortable and safe.  We are at ease in our routine surroundings, job, community, and relationships.  But here's the catch - in our ever-changing world, life inside our comfort zone will still be tossed and turned.  If we are not prepared to change with the pace of our world, we will find ourselves stuck, or worse, left behind.

Here's a good example.  Depending on your age, you have had to make changes to the way you listen to music...
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Don't you admire risk takers--especially when they win or give a thrilling performance?  There's something exciting about someone who takes a chance - the person who has courage to start a business in a down economy, a football team that goes for the two point conversion to win the game, or those that put it all on the line to get what they want.  These folks seem fearless.

How about you?  What was the last risk you took?  What risk did you not take?  Fear is one of the biggest culprit...
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When our minds are filled with worry, stress and overwhelm, we operate from an emotional part of our mind that prevents us from making decisions or taking actions that serve our best interest.  It is easy to lose confidence during stressful times.  We just don't know which way to ...
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You always start a new project and never finish it.
You tried something like this before and failed.  ...
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Are you a dreamer, a doer or both?  Is your head in the clouds, full of ideas, are you able to plant your feet on the ground and take action?  Confident people let their imagination soar with possibilities and have the courage to take action.

If you find yourself dreaming big but acting small, you might need to kick some "buts" that hold you back.

Test yourself.  Think of a dream, big or small.  Do you have any "buts" holding you back?

• "But I don't have enough time.."
• "But there's n...

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Wow!  I just had a great customer service experience and I still can’t believe it.  I’m still reeling!   I won’t bore you with all the nitty gritty details but just suffice it to say that my belief in good customer service has been restored.

I have been worried lately that people just don’t seem to care anymore.  Whether it was getting no response from a client who missed an appointment (after many repeated atte...

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It was so uplifting when I came across this article about someone who actually loves what they do.  And she's a woman in technology no less!  A rarity indeed.

In today’s economy, you don’t always hear about people that enjoy what they do.  More often than not we hear about people who are unemployed, frustrated in their current situation or struggling to getting it all done. 

That’s why I wanted to share this a...

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The business world is changing.  It is no longer enough to keep your head down, do a good job and expect the rewards and recognition to come your way.

Marketing guru and author, Seth Godin, recently stated in this article from Business Insider.com,  “If you're the average person out there doing average work, there's going to be someone else out there...

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Have you thought about what 2012 will look like for you?  Do you have a plan to take your worklife to the next level?  Or are you going to continue to sit back and see what comes your way?

It is so easy to keep doing what you have been doing and expect to get different results.  But it doesn’t work that way.  Gone are the days when you can simply keep your head down, do a good job and get the recognition you desire.  ...

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To build a strong, effective team, (whether it be at work, at home or in your community) you first need to communicate your values as a person and a leader.   What are the guiding principles that you live by and are willing to defend when challenged?

Many times we think we know what our values are, but when pressed, we are not able to articulate them clearly.  Knowing the core of who you are and what you believe will allow you to authentically model the behavior you expect. 

As a leader you a...
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Motivating your team is imperative to the well being of its members and the accomplishment of the goal.  While motivating others isn't always easy, there are ways you can help to unleash the power and potential of your team.  Here are a few powerful leadership skills you can easily incorporate to bring out the best in others:

1. Ask questions rather than give direct orders.
2. Give specific and sincere praise for accomplishments, so as to let people know that you have noticed.
3. Celebrate successes.
4. Trea...

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Too often managers don't communicate the goals and requirements of their team, but instead leave them unsure what to do and how to do it.  This results in hesitation, indecision, lack of performance and miscommunication.

Properly setting expectations for team members will set standards for excellence and results.  Here are a few tips on how to do that:

1.  Start with a vision of what you want the end result to look like.  Not just what you want done, but the results you want to achieve when the...
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Are you ready to have a more positive impact on those you lead?  Would you like to be the one who empowers others to be their best?  When good leaders are effectively empowering their team, their lives are easier and their team is happier.  When teams are empowered, leaders don't spend nearly as much time checking up, putting out fires, or lighting fires under people who are not motivated.  When people feel empowered, they will be at their best and get their best results.  When your team is r...
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When we think of leadership, we think of the commanding, visionary person who takes charge in a time of crisis and leads his company to victory when all seems lost.  Although this type of leader is what we think of most there's another form of leadership that ultimately may be more effective at achieving high performance.  It's called "quiet leadership".

One of the primary traits of quiet leadership is leading by example, and eliciting the behavior you want by demonstrating it, rather than jus...
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