Schreiber Training

Milo agrees that meetings are seen as the #1 time waster at the office, up from #3 in 2008. Come change that statistic for your organization and learn how to reduce meeting time by up to 50%. Registration closes soon!

April 9, 8:30 - 4pm Managing Meetings with Ease

Upcoming Training: Save Time in Meetings and Gain Confidence When Communicating

Wise Link Wednesday

A great reminder of how to deal with co-workers that get under your skin.

How To Deal With Coworkers You Can't Stand - In Photos: The 13 Most Frustrating Coworker Types... In their new book Dealing with People You Can't Stand, Dr. Rick Brinkman and Dr. Rick Kirschner identify the 13 most frustrating archetypes and how to work with them. 'You can be one of the people who brings out the best in people at their worst,' says Dr. Kirschner.

Milo on Monday

"Labradors [are] lousy watchdogs. They usually bark when there is a stranger about, but it is an expression of unmitigated joy at the chance to meet somebody new, not a warning." ~Norman Strung

Milo has developed a fierce bark, especially at Dan the mailman. He actually really enjoys interacting with Dan because Dan gives him treats. But he doesn’t realize that it is Dan when he first hears the front gate open and footsteps on the porch. So he barks loudly and protectively, while wagging his tail in hopes of Dan. If they meet, it’s all kisses and back scratches.

I sometimes see this behavior in the workplace. An employee is conditioned to respond in a certain way. For example, I’ve met a critical curmudgeon at almost every workplace I have consulted for. For better or for worse, their behavior is reinforced to a point of every day occurrence.

But when given an opportunity to change, the curmudgeon is not as eager as Milo. Perhaps it’s finding the right motivation (treat) for them or recognizing that their critical viewpoint (their bark) is actually helpful to the organization.

Client Quote of the Week

"The best manager I ever had did 4 things: she listened, she gave feedback, she received feedback, and she treated me like an equal."

Thoughts on Tuesday

Another short video, full of tips of how you can communicate in your workplace.

Tips to improve work relationships Expert advice on how to make sure you have healthy working relationships.

Milo on Monday

"Acquiring a dog may be the only opportunity a human ever has to choose a relative." -- Mordecai Siegal

It’s true, I had a choice to rescue Milo. And, I’ll admit, at times I have stated that he “rescued” me as well. So in a sense, we chose each other and are very happy in our decision!

But, typically at work, we don’t acquire our co-workers. We don’t usually have a choice of whom we work with. But if you could hand pick who your fellow employees, who would you pick? People similar to you? Drastically different? A friend? A relative?!

This simple model shares a secret to organizational success.

The Success Triangle Recently, at a high tech manufacturing company, I asked the engineer predominant attendees in the room, where they spent most of the time in a triangle I had drawn on the board. They laughed when I asked about the area labeled “Relationship”. For them, getting the task done was most important. An...

Milo on Monday

"We long for an affection altogether ignorant of our faults. Heaven has accorded this to us in the uncritical canine attachment." ~George Eliot

Rest assured, Milo will never criticize me. But what if he could? Would he complain that I don’t walk fast enough? Or that I’m not creative with his standard, twice a day food offerings? Or that my belly rubs are too short?

I have found that people (not dogs!) generally critique others when some need of theirs is not being met. With this in mind, I encourage clients to think about the criticism before reacting. Take a moment to understand the “why” of the criticism in addition to the “what”.

Wise Link Wednesday

In his State of the Union speech last night President Obama called for an “across-the-board reform of America’s training programs” and said, “We know how to do it.”

Training Programs That Work for Business, Workers, and the Economy They have three key ingredients regardless of their specific form or workforce targets.

A random encounter during a walk in the woods...

Why Are Apples in this Tree? On a recent snowy walk, Milo and I came upon an unusual sight. A tree had apples hanging from its limbs, attached by string. How wonderfully unexpected and out of context! Who would take the time to trek out here, in the woods, and adorn this ordinary tree with fruit?

Milo on Monday

"The reason a dog has so many friends is that he wags his tail instead of his tongue." ~Author Unknown

One of the most destructive workplace behaviors I have seen over the years is gossip. It is a symptom of an unhealthy business culture, typically where employees feel undervalued and under appreciated and also fearful. I encourage those that are prone to gossip to first consider the outcome of their loose lips. To think beyond themselves can be a daunting request. But ultimately, if they can see the negative impact their words have, they are less likely to act with a self-centered attitude.

Wise Link Wednesday

My good friends at New Directions Consulting remind me how to remain assertive.

The Upside of “No”: 9 Tips to Saying No Assertively In a May blog , I encouraged you to start your journey to setting limits with others by attending to four basic steps: (1) accept your right to say no (2) uncover organizational beliefs around values and work/life balance (3) learn from past history (what does your environment tell you about possibl...