Training Industry Blog

“Curb Your Enthusiasm” is one of my favorite HBO comedy series. The show centers around the life of Larry David who was the creator of the show “Seinfeld.” What makes “Curb Your Enthusiasm” so funny is that its main character, Larry David, has an extremely low level of emotional intelligence. As a result, he is almost completely unaware of how his words and actions are being perceived by those around him. This lack of awareness prevents him from picking up on body language, voice inflections, and other verbal and non-verbal cues that would cause most people to adjust their words or behaviors. As a result of this behavior, the other characters on the show only interact with him when they absolutely must.

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OK, we all make mistakes. I once talked a friend out of an idea to start a business shopping for groceries for people, only to see Peapod splash onto the scene a couple years later. Free advice is sometimes worth much less than what you paid for it.

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“Walk the talk” is an evocative phrase. I use it myself. It brings up images of change leaders who are involved with the change and who lead by example. A visionary leader can set the stage for a change initiative, but every line manager needs to walk the talk to sustain the change. Nonetheless, it is not unusual for managers to hold back or try to delegate leadership.

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Here’s a riddle I don’t expect you to answer, but you’re welcome to try: When is Meryl Streep like your top salesperson, or best manager, or most valuable employee? The answer is all the time. No matter what’s happening in your company, in your community or in your country, the ongoing best practice is to treat your top talent like they truly matter to your organization. That’s an easy act to put on: They do truly matter.

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Attendees will not always be actively engaged in your virtual instruction. They may feel overworked, resent their boss’s making them attend your training, or not feel positive about your message in the first place. Either way, it is up to you to overcome their silence and resistance without further upsetting them. Here are some points to remember that might help you do so.

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Success is usually apparent, but not always. When you cook a meal or wash your car, you’re left with a clear sign of a job well-done.

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A money manager of a large fund mutual fund recently told me, “The words ‘Tax Reform’ simply mean that politicians want to take more money from someone.” This explanation of Tax Reform lead me to ponder exactly what do the words ‘Healthcare Reform’ mean? Applying the money manager’s logic, Healthcare Reform simply means the politicians want to take money from somone in healthcare. Ostensibly, this Heatlhcare Reform is presented under the guise of decreasing costs, but still the monies representing the decreased costs are coming out of someone’s pocket.

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It’s been a pretty amazing week from a business perspective. The training industry managed to get a bit smaller in the past week, but it’s grown bigger too. Amazing, isn’t it?

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OK I’m going to tell you something, but before I do, look casually around. Are there any young people nearby? They can’t see this can they? Apparently, they can’t be trusted.

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All of us serve clients. They may be an internal business group or an external company that your firm depends upon to keep the lights on.

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