Analogies can be a gift worth giving, or a dull ax on hard wood. Effective and efficient communicators know how to use them (not abuse them). In this episode, I share some thoughts about how to make them work for you so you’re rock solid, and avoiding some of the pitfalls when you venture on thin ice.

The post Ep. 309 – The Pros and Cons of Analogies appeared first on Just Saying.

Many of the meetings we attend or lead simply need to be completely blown up and rebuilt entirely. Maybe the original intent has been altered, or we have fallen into a rhythm and routine and lowered the bar too low. Sometimes, we just might need to have a meeting to design all the ones that don’t work.

The post Call back Episode – Ep. 263 – Meetings redesigned and redefined appeared first on Just Saying.

Thanksgiving Day is a wonderful time to gather and celebrate with family and friends. This time of year (all the time, for that matter) is a great time to quietly contemplate – and take note of – all the things in our lives that we are grateful for, from the simple to the profound.

The post Call back Episode – Episode 214 Thanksgiving: notes of gratitude appeared first on Just Saying.

A recent recommendation from a colleague stopped me in my tracks. His two simple words made me not only heed his advice but also pause to think about the power of deliberate, direct counsel for professional and personal improvement. Especially in a day with non-stop noise and constant choices, “highly recommended” can help clear the clutter. In this episode, I provide some advice on how to give (and get) better suggestions.

The post Ep. 308 Highly Recommended (why these two words are priceless) appeared first on Just Saying.

Quality collaboration counts more than ever when workers aren’t in the office every day. Whether they are hybrid or fully remote, the time they have together (in person or online) is precious. In this episode, I share ways to get ready for collaboration like it’s game time and how to have the right mindset to communicate and connect with impact (and not add to the noise).

The post Ep. 307 – Collaboration chaos: making time in the office matter appeared first on Just Saying.

CEOs are delusional to think they can order employees back to the office and turn back the clock. We live in a hybrid world now and employees are resisting the call not just because of the flexibility and elimination of a commute. In this episode, we talk about the deeper reason why the RTO mandate falls flat and how leaders need to reimagine the workplace.

The post Ep. 306 – Return-to-office mandates won’t work appeared first on Just Saying.

Busy people are always complaining about how little time they have. In reality, they have plenty of time yet run from it and spend bits and pieces of their day creating and consuming noise. In this week’s episode, I share a different perspective on time management that will challenge you to get off the hamster wheel.

The post Call Back Episode – Ep 268 – Running from time (not out of it) appeared first on Just Saying.

Over the years, I have counseled many senior leaders on how to develop and deliver a clear and concise message. Whether it was unveiling a new product or strategy, sharing their value proposition, or explaining a complex topic, they all ask the same question: How do we communicate the same message to different people? In this episode, you will learn that even though each audience has distinct needs, you don’t have to craft countless versions for each of them.

The post Ep. 305 – Speaking to Different Audiences Simultaneously appeared first on Just Saying.

Imagine the simplicity and power of someone promising to distill all the information you need and putting it on just one page. These executive summaries, whether they be a single PowerPoint slide or a cleanly formatted document with a series of bullet points, do everyone an enormous favor. In this episode, I share some thoughts when making them, so they become a go-to gift you’ll always give.

The post Ep. 304 – The Beauty of the One-pager appeared first on Just Saying.

Taking a course at The BRIEF Lab leads many professionals to breakthroughs with co-workers, clients, and bosses. Yet, our busy lives squeeze out any chance to slow down and take the needed time to develop and deliver tighter emails, updates, and recommendations. In this week’s episode, I share why we have created a program for teams that have taken our BRIEF coursework to leverage pockets of quiet time over 4-6 weeks to make silence work for concise communication. It takes time to be brief and quiet is the answer.

The post Ep. 303 – Quiet Works for BRIEF Teams appeared first on Just Saying.