This author has not written his bio yet.
But we are proud to say that Laurie Ford contributed 235 entries already.
How do you get credibility when you don’t already have it, particularly when you are new to a group? One way is to use a closure conversation. One function of a closure conversation is to acknowledge the facts of a situation. In this case, it is used to let other people know that you know […]
How often have you heard (or made) one of the following complaints (or some variation thereof): We have a real communication problem here. They don’t tell us anything, and when they do tell us, it’s not much. They never give us enough information. The absence or inadequacy of communication is one of the most frequently […]
Tiger Wood’s recently addressed the world to apologize for his marital infidelity. If you watched the apology, you could tell that it was not easy for him. He was clearly ill at ease, unsure of himself, nervous, and at times, upset. For someone who values his privacy, this was difficult. In terms of The Four […]
Credibility is essential to being an effective leader. One of the most powerful ways to build credibility is to own up to something that didn’t work and apologize for it. When Ed Koch was mayor of New York, he was concerned about the number of accidents resulting from bikers darting in and out of traffic. […]
The State of the Union address is an opportunity for the President of the United States to inform the Congress, and the American people, his assessment of the state of the union – good, bad, or ugly. It is an opportunity to acknowledge accomplishments, recognize people for their service and sacrifices, and, where appropriate, make […]
A former student of mine sent me the link to a great blog article posted by Fast Company entitled “2010: The Year of Saying ‘I Got It’ “. The focus of the article, written by Lynette Chiang, is how companies, as well as individuals, have gotten into the habit of not responding to inquiries – […]
I have been doing some research in preparation for a workshop on personal accountability a colleague and I are doing for MBA’s at the Fisher College. As I have been getting into it, I am beginning to notice more about what the absence of accountability sounds like when people talk. Consider the following example. The […]
Effective performance conversations depend on people keeping their agreements and doing what they said they would do. Encourage people to respect the idea that keeping agreements matters. Keeping agreements is the foundation for effective performance conversations. Every time we say Yes to a request, we have created an agreement with someone. It might be as […]
Don’t risk being held to account for things you don’t know about. Take the time to find out what people really expect you to do, and what they expect you to deliver. If they don’t tell you, ask. It’s part of getting and giving a good promise and is key to effective performance conversations. I […]
Laurie and I recently conducted a training program on The Four Conversations for a group of project managers. Since most of the managers were from the same organization, they all encountered the same problem when given an assignment. Rather than being told a due date or deadline by when the assignment was to be completed, […]
Awarded "Best Management Book" by 800-CEO-READ.
Rated #5 "Best Business Book" by The Toronto Globe and Mail.