How do I make someone talk about an issue when they don’t want to? That’s the question Lisa* asked me after attending my Don’t Shoot the Messenger workshop. Lisa was married with four kids and her relationship with her husband was in trouble. She’d tried to speak with him about their challenges many times, but […]

This year marks 12 years since I worked as a newspaper journalist for the Latrobe Valley Express in Gippsland, Victoria. I loved being part of the newsroom: the pace, the energy, the banter, the inside scoop on what was going on. But it was more than that. My time as a journo taught me skills […]

What do you value? In life; a partner; a job? If I asked you this question, could you answer me? Not with some vague explanation of what you think your values should be, or what you want them to be; but with a clear description of the things that are most important to you and […]

Once you’ve had a difficult conversation, it’s tempting to think your job is done, but the best communicators know the high-pressure conversation is not the end of the story. If you want to maintain your relationship with a person, it’s important you continue to communicate with them regularly and follow up after a difficult conversation […]

When losing control is your normal, your communication also loses its effectiveness. People ignore what you say because your behaviour distracts and detracts from your message. When you lose your cool – regardless of how legitimate your message is – the focus shifts to your behaviour instead.

Actions speak louder than words. It’s a cliché because it’s true. What you DO communicates far more powerfully than what you SAY and if your words and actions are out of alignment, it’s your actions people will believe. Simon was an old-school ‘command and control’ leader who often told his staff that respect was one […]

An intense fear of failure stifles many people’s #communication. Our fear of saying the wrong thing and offending someone keeps us silent, or our concern about embarrassing ourselves in front of the boss means we don’t put forward a suggestion about a new initiative. So many of us see failure as a bad thing, something […]

There are many myths and assumptions about effective communication. Here I dispel the top five I come across through my work: Myth 1: Communication ability is innate. You’re either good at it or not.

Not having a difficult conversation to address poor behaviour or performance is far more damaging than having it. Here are 10 problems that occur when you avoid addressing the elephant:         

Few people enjoy conflict and confrontation but avoiding difficult conversations is not the answer. When we don’t ‘address the elephant’ and deliver feedback it doesn’t impact individuals alone; it impacts the success of teams, businesses and organisations. Issues that start out as minor niggles and annoyances snowball into major conflict when leaders avoid talking about […]