Don Crawley, Author.

In the current political climate in the United States (and elsewhere, for that matter), it’s fashionable to place the blame for perceived problems on the other guys, the people who feel differently from you. Name-calling and lack of respect is rampant in the comments sections of blogs, on political talk shows, and among our politicians. […]

IT People Setting a Standard for Respect and Civility

Don Crawley, Author.

Maybe you’re familiar with Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, in which psychologist Abraham Maslow theorized that human motivation is driven by the need to fulfill our needs at each of five layers. The first, or bottom, layer concerns our physiological needs such as air, food, water, clothing, and shelter, to name a few. The remaining layers […]

A Hierarchy of IT Needs

Don Crawley, Author.

You know how sometimes you’re receiving technical support in a customer support chat session and the rep tries to make small talk at the start of the session? Maybe they ask how you’re doing or how your day is going. Is it just me, or does that make you crazy, too? It’s Different in a […]

How to Handle a Customer Support Chat Session

Don Crawley, Author.

Have you ever asked a customer service question and received an answer that wasn’t even close to what you were asking about? Maybe it was somewhat related, but it felt like the rep wasn’t really paying attention to what you wanted. Just Answer Customer Service Questions I recently was in a chat session with a […]

How to Deal with a Customer Service Question (Answer It!)

Don Crawley, Author.

My friends arrived at the theme park with only about two hours before they had to leave to catch a flight. They knew they would have limited customer choices. They explained their situation to the customer service agent and asked what they could do in the park in two hours. The customer service agent instead […]

Positive Customer Choices When Choices Are Limited

Don Crawley, Author.

The real problem with customer service is that many systems are designed by people who apparently don’t ever use them. I’ve stayed at many hotels during my career as a professional speaker. In some of them, I wondered if the managers of the hotels had ever tried spending the night in one of the rooms. […]

The Real Problem with Customer Service Systems

Don Crawley, Author.

Here’s an obvious statement: Conflict is a fact of life, especially at work. Conflict management training teaches you how best to deal with conflict. You have to deal with it, even if your choice is to avoid it. Conflict resolution involves negotiating skills, empathy, listening, compassion, and treating all parties with dignity and respect. Successful […]

Conflict Management Training: 5 Keys to Successful Conflict Resolution

Don Crawley, Author.

You and I may have never met, but I know something about you. I know that you’re committed to self-improvement, otherwise you wouldn’t be reading this blog post. Sometimes, the process of self-improvement can seem overwhelming. You know, “Should I take up yoga? Learn a new language? Start an exercise regimen? Learn to play an […]

Simple Self-Improvement Steps to Being Even Better Than You Already Are

Don Crawley, Author.

A common complaint among end users is that we, in IT, use technical jargon when explaining problems. It’s similar to your doctor using lots of medical jargon. It may be accurate, but unless you understand the jargon, it’s a waste of time. It can even come across as condescending. Of course, different people have different […]

The Dangers of Jargon

Don Crawley, Author.

Most of us have had hall conferences at work. You know, that time when you see someone in the hallway at work and discuss a project or maybe some upcoming workplace changes. We chat for a few minutes and then go about our business. Then, maybe a week later, the other person takes some action […]

The Importance of Following Up on a Hall Conference