Like good customer service, bad customer service has a way of getting known in the world, through something I think of as the ripple effect. It’s like skimming a pebble over the surface of the water and watching the rings spread. Satisfied customers tell other satisfied customers, and the ripple of good will continues. And…
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Sometimes, what goes unsaid is as important as what is said. I was struck by this truth following Donald Trump’s comment about Ghazala Khan, the mother of an American Muslim soldier killed in Iraq. She chose to remain silent during her husband’s speech at the Democratic National Convention. Trump suggested it was because she wasn’t…
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Harvard Business School professor Robert Simons asks: “How Do Your Core Values Prioritize Shareholders, Employees, And Customers? Along with identifying a primary customer, you must also define your core values in a way that ranks the priority of shareholders, employees, and customers. Value statements that are lists of aspirational behaviors aren’t good enough. Real core…
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As an educator, I’ve always spent a lot of time observing and researching the best ways to help people learn. But working specifically with business people to improve their communication skills is a second career for me. So, it’s taken some time to distill my thoughts on the best way to facilitate that process. In…
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English may be one of the most widely spoken languages in the world, but it isn’t necessarily the easiest language to learn. I know this first hand from my work at The Language Lab. When I coach high-level executives to improve their written communication, I’m always reminded of how confusing English can be. There are…
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If you’re an entrepreneur, as I am, you’re usually interested in expanding your client base. But one of the challenges I’ve found is finding reliable service providers. Case in point: Recently, I hired a company to work on the SEO for my website. I wanted to improve my Google ranking so people could find The Language…
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I never paid attention to basketball until my hometown team, the Toronto Raptors, had their brief but glorious run in the NBA playoffs. There was so much excitement in the city that I had to watch a game. And, somewhat to my surprise, once I started watching I couldn’t stop. It was so fascinating to…
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I often find that dealing with media seems to fall into two distinct categories– either a slam dunk experience that requires little effort or a scourge to be avoided at all cost. Sometimes, it can be a little of both. The key to media success is to better understand the rules of engagement. Why contact…
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I’ve always been the kind of person who sets a goal and stays the course until I achieve it. Not too long ago I had a bike accident. Given the severity of the accident I was determined to find the best help for my recovery. And that meant finding the right practitioners. Along the way,…
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