Listening is the number one skill for success in business today. Poor listening skills make people angry and make them feel you don’t value them. They affect all relationships, especially business relationships. Most people think they are good listeners. In reality, we listen effectively only 25% of the time. In fact, most people only listen […]

The uncomfortable truth is that everyone is biased. Stereotypes about groups of people are ubiquitous. Some of these preconceived ideas or feelings operate at a level below consciousness, and these are called implicit or unconscious biases. They are not limited to race, gender, age or sexual orientation, but may also include many other issues, such […]

High performing companies know the value of building relationships with their customers and vendors. Relationships drive growth and revenue. They carry you through the tough times and may even give you an edge if there are shared intimacies. However, while we know this on one level, often our daily tasks consume us, and we don’t pay enough attention to the little things that affect deepening or growing the relationship. Here are some things to consider.

An area that is vital to most organization’s success is the launch of new products. However, instead of getting the predicted initial sales, the results are often disappointing. Companies are left frustrated and wonder if their projections were realistic, if the product is as good as they thought or if its sales force is unskilled. […]