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Articles from David Nour | Selfgrowth.com
- How To Approach Business Relationships With Constructive Criticism - by Submitted on Aug 25, 2011 from David NourWhen I was just starting out in my career some years ago, after an all-day training program for professional speakers, I approached the main presenter to give her some feedback and advice on her speaking style – constructive criticism that I thought would help her for her next presentation. I ...
Views: 1333 - Are You The Luckiest Person At Work? - by Submitted on Aug 22, 2011 from David NourWhen you consider that many of us spend more time with our co-workers than with our own family members, there is certainly a need to recognize those relationships, what they mean to us, and how to find joy in them on a daily basis. They do their best (most of the time) to interact with us so ...
Views: 1071 - Creating Success in the Workplace - by Submitted on Aug 22, 2011 from David NourOptimism in the workplace involves not only expecting positive outcomes but also explaining them in a manner logical with such outcomes. Leading others with optimism means dealing with the chaos of uncertainty by formulating a successful expectation regardless of the uncertainty. Life is full of ...
Views: 1075 - How Confidence Can Improve Our Business Relationships - by Submitted on Aug 04, 2011 from David NourIn dealing with our business relationships, how do we react when things don’t go as we expected? For example, if Paul had applied for a promotion and then found out that he didn’t get it, his negative reaction would probably be anger at his boss, sadness at the disappointment, and anxiety about ...
Views: 1140 - Does Your Organization Have a Social Media Policy? - by Submitted on Jul 28, 2011 from David NourIn talking with several companies lately, the conversation has centered on the need for a social media policy. Whether you work for a progressive organization or a conservative, risk-adverse one, it seems that everyone has an opinion on the best approach. Here are some prevailing camps: 1. ...
Views: 892 - Women or Men-Who Are More Effective Leaders? - by Submitted on Jul 15, 2011 from David NourIs there a probable gender bias in relationship building? It’s often said that women are better listeners than men. Are men who are comfortable with the Awareness Factor also more comfortable with their “feminine” side, such as intuition and emotional sensitivity? Are women effective in business ...
Views: 1165(2 votes) - Face to Face Communication at Work - by Submitted on Jul 08, 2011 from David NourYou can learn a lot by trying to read someone’s face or body language. It is clear that women can do it better when they are motivated. Women seem to gaze at others more than men do, enabling them to read faces better. But they seem to do so only when motivated. When married men and women are ...
Views: 1165 - The Power of Influence In Business Relationships - by Submitted on Jun 28, 2011 from David NourWhen you establish business relationships, do you recognize the power of influence? An example of how we influence or persuade others and negotiate with one another can be found in financial transactions. At the Center for the Study of the Brain, Mind, and Behavior at Princeton University, Dr. ...
Views: 965(1 vote) - The "Technology" of Understanding Another's Point of View in the Workplace - by Submitted on Jun 18, 2011 from David NourSocial intelligence, with its focus on the research of neuroscience and human interaction, is primarily focused on social awareness through listening and empathy, as well as success in social relationships, including influencing others through appropriate self-presentation. Social intelligence ...
Views: 1367 - Do You Find Joy and Meaning in Your Work? - by Submitted on Jun 13, 2011 from David NourWhat’s so special about the privilege of staying at home and telecommuting? Truth is there may be a problem there. There is a deep, pervasive need to connect with others on a daily basis. Working at home may be convenient in terms of comfort and flexibility, but it doesn’t do much for feeling ...
Views: 1049 - The Benefits of Candor in the Workplace - by Submitted on Jun 05, 2011 from David NourOverall, there seems to be a shift in the corporate mind-set-from status-oriented, hard-driven, personality-cult, top-down leadership to more relationship-oriented, collaborative, communication-based types. According to Judith Glaser, author of The Leadership DNA, as quoted by The Wall Street ...
Views: 3764(2 votes) - To Communicate With Awareness Requires Courage - by Submitted on May 28, 2011 from David NourThe courage that JFK displayed in facing down the Cuban missile crisis, that Churchill showed in fostering Britons’ courage to show a stiff upper lip in the face of Nazi bombing, that any leader musters when he or she reaches out for the right decision and the rest of the organization ...
Views: 1070(1 vote) - Is There a Shift toward Performance Oriented Leadership and Away from Ego-Centric CEOs? - by Submitted on May 21, 2011 from David NourIn addition to such victims of “industry dissonance” as the late Enron founder Kenneth Lay and CEO Jeffrey Skilling, there seems to be a movement, possibly due to the dramatic economic shifts occurring at the start of the century, in which the status-loving, jet-setting, deal-making celebrities ...
Views: 891 - Wielding Power with Generosity and Support - by Submitted on Apr 27, 2011 from David NourLaughter and smiles are often signs of relaxed comfort, quite the opposite of hierarchal power imposed on the organizational structure, where scowls are more common than smiles. In such status-based organizations, power is assigned according to rank, and there is little wiggle room for the free ...
Views: 1017 - Unfolding Your Agile Self - by Submitted on Apr 21, 2011 from David NourDo you ever wonder what you really have to offer the workplace? What knowledge, talents, and skills do you possess that may possibly benefit others? You see, others will recognize whatever is placed before them in an inviting proposition. It’s usually not that others fail to recognize what ...
Views: 1031 - How to Make the Most out of Your Core Group - by Submitted on Apr 16, 2011 from David NourWithin each organization is a core group that is primarily responsible for the success of that organization. That core group might be a working team, an executive committee, or a board of directors. Or it could be an unofficial grouping of people from all three categories, usually consisting ...
Views: 1038 - How to Successfully Connect with Others - by Submitted on Apr 08, 2011 from David NourBusiness is made up of interpersonal communication, whether in person, by phone, over the Internet, or via whatever new electronic instrument that outperforms yesterday’s darling device. The most revealing communication, because it reveals so much more in terms of nonverbal information, takes ...
Views: 1059(1 vote) - How do You Keep Your Strategic Relationships Strong? - by Submitted on Apr 02, 2011 from David NourThere are a number of components we must keep in mind when it comes building and nurturing our strategic relationships. The following seven areas will help you build these key relationships: • Relationships are assets. In any business setting, relationships are assets. As such, they can be ...
Views: 1025 - How to Bring Cooperation back to the Workplace - by Submitted on Mar 26, 2011 from David NourSuccess and fulfillment arrive from finding the “flow” of your work, having a best friend in the office, and in developing strong partnerships with your colleagues and customers. Allow yourself to feel secure enough in your own power as an individual to share it with others who contribute in a ...
Views: 1337 - Finding Success and Fulfillment in Your Relationships - by Submitted on Mar 18, 2011 from David NourSuccess and fulfillment come from finding the “flow” of your work, having a best friend in the office, and connecting with others. If you’re the boss, being in touch with your staff members’ concerns, authentically felt, will make your team more successful. Otherwise, success means finding the ...
Views: 953 - How Are You Smart About People? - by Submitted on Mar 12, 2011 from David NourAs Dr. Richard Boyatzis, psychology professor at Case Western Reserve University, and his colleagues have pointed out, leadership in the workplace is ultimately a matter of personal skills that have to do with self-awareness-realizing the difference between your ideal self and your real self, ...
Views: 1198(2 votes) - Adding a Desired Outcome to Your Relationships - by Submitted on Mar 04, 2011 from David NourRelationships without a desired outcome can come across as meaningless and superficial. A relationship with no Desired Outcome is not a relationship at all. It is merely a momentary, superficial exchange between or among people. Add a Desired Outcome, such as a business agreement or even a ...
Views: 1093(1 vote) - The Concept of ConnectAbility - by Submitted on Feb 25, 2011 from David NourGiven all the models for effective approaches to successful business communication to date, what in fact holds water? In other words, what's the foundation of the concepts that really work-over time and over the countless challenges of communicating effectively with associates, prospects, ...
Views: 988(2 votes) - Three Components of Improving Performance - by Submitted on Feb 25, 2011 from David NourConnectAbility is an understanding of the relationship among desired outcomes, roles and expectations, and personal differences while communicating with awareness of the ultimate effect on the listener. It is much more than mere "people skills" and paying attention. It also involves the skill ...
Views: 954(1 vote) - Develop a Systematic Game Plan To Networking Properly - by Submitted on Feb 05, 2011 from David NourWhen people say that networking doesn’t work, they usually cite as confirmation the fact that they have invested in others in the past without any return from the other side. When I inquire specifically, How did you arm them with the appropriate context to introduce or recommend you? The answer ...
Views: 1064 - The LinkedIn Effect in the Venture Capital Community - by Submitted on Feb 01, 2011 from David NourIn our experience, the following key factors profoundly influence the results of many venture capital investments: Selection and on-boarding of high quality, high-performance-minded entrepreneurs Attracting and retaining the right professional managers at the right time in the emerging ...
Views: 1108(18 votes) - Beyond Influencers to the Influenced - by Submitted on Jan 21, 2011 from David NourOne of the best approaches to spreading a viral change campaign is to court key influencers. But recent research also conforms that the influenced may be as critical as the influencers. A recent study found that trying to track down key influencers – people who have extremely large social ...
Views: 1041 - Does Text Messaging Define Your Relationships? - by Submitted on Jan 14, 2011 from David NourOver the years, I’ve been blessed with a great lifestyle from and around the technology field. From ComputerLand in the 1980s to Silicon Graphics in the 1990s and SaaS (Software as a Service) applications since 2000, I’ve seen the remarkable development of a whole host of information technology ...
Views: 1011 - Return on Impact from Social Networking Technologies - by Submitted on Jan 11, 2011 from David NourEach time you turn around there is yet another technology that grabs everyone’s attention. It is simply too soon to measure the quantifiable impact of many Web 2.0 technologies in the market today. But sifting through all of it there are some very real treasures that can improve business. Client ...
Views: 998 - Strategic Relationship Plan for a Professional Service Firm - by Submitted on Dec 16, 2010 from David NourHere is an outline for an annualized strategic relationship plan for partners of a professional services firm. Such a plan should be reviewed monthly for success of execution milestones and quarterly for strategic viability. You should also identify an accountable peer and proactively correspond ...
Views: 1415 - Network of Influencers As a Strategic Asset in Change Management - by Submitted on Dec 09, 2010 from David NourSeveral years ago, one of our professional service clients decided that it needed an organizational overhaul. Management of best practices and competent and successful cooperation across service lines were dreary at best. Critical team members who needed to be at the edge of the business ...
Views: 1045 - 100-Day Action Plan for Large-Scale Change or Mergers and Acquisitions - by Submitted on Dec 02, 2010 from David NourWhy do you think most New Year resolutions don’t stick? In one of my keynotes, someone suggested that it is because you are drunk when you make them. Beyond that theory, would you agree that they often include no responsibility, practical expectations, or organized plan? It has been said, ...
Views: 3287(2 votes) - Calculating Your Return on Impact - by Submitted on Nov 30, 2010 from David NourAs highlighted by Larry Bossidy in his book Execution, when people, processes, and tools converge with a mindset to execute, you realize Return on Impact. Those who can without fail deliver performance, implementation, and results – despite macro- or microeconomic conditions, setbacks, ...
Views: 1139(4 votes) - Myopia in Leadership Development - by Submitted on Nov 18, 2010 from David NourTypically, our view of leadership development encompasses the escalation of current high performers into an environment where they can develop a broader set of competencies and capabilities. In many organizations, the senior leaders aim to manage the perception of the issues, form coalitions, ...
Views: 1400(3 votes) - Are You Talking to the Wrong People? - by Submitted on Nov 11, 2010 from David NourSome of my favorite networking functions are early morning breakfast briefings. I am an early bird and most attendees have yet to face the minutia of the day, so they are likely to attend for the two critical factors: content and community. I recently attended a Harvard Business School ...
Views: 1078 - How to Lead a Team Through Change - by Submitted on Oct 26, 2010 from David NourA component that is critical to driving everything from process optimization to altering the mindset of the people whom the change will surely affect is the team of employees chartered to help the organization navigate through this often challenging journey. These change agents are leaders in ...
Views: 2841(3 votes) - Large-Scale Change and Mergers and Acquisitions - by Submitted on Oct 20, 2010 from David NourAt some point, three percent organic growth, although perhaps respectable in your industry, will become less than attractive for the organization. As such, the senior leaders or the board may recommend a more aggressive, inorganic growth strategy that encompasses a strong spring of deal flow, ...
Views: 1074(4 votes) - A System For Prioritizing Your Relationships - by Submitted on Oct 05, 2010 from David NourThere is only so much time in the day. That is why it is critical that you take the time to prioritize which relationships you will invest in. The following is one method you can use to prioritize your relationships. Twice a year, print out your entire contact database (from your Outlook, ...
Views: 1396(4 votes) - Lack Of Candor and Stand In Corporate America - by Submitted on Sep 23, 2010 from David NourA multitude of surveys done in the late 1960s showed that 70 percent of U.S. residents felt that corporations could generally be trusted to act responsibly. Even after the economic boom of the past two decades, this figure has fallen to around 45 percent. Particularly, because of times of crisis ...
Views: 1173 - Five Common Traits of Pivotal Contacts - by Submitted on Aug 27, 2010 from David NourPivotal Contacts are thought leaders among their peers. They have developed deep subject matter expertise, have proven themselves in situations requiring a balanced approach between strategic vision and tactical execution, or simply have access to influential relationships. They are commonly ...
Views: 1214 - Fueling Innovation with Collaborative Relationships - by Submitted on Aug 26, 2010 from David NourAs a new divisional leader, how do you quickly uncover and leverage knowledge, experience, and specific expertise across the different parts of your organization in an effort to not only retain your best customers, but also to expand your mind share and wallet share within each of your most ...
Views: 1267 - Competency and Trust are Critical Components of Reputation Capital - by Submitted on Aug 26, 2010 from David NourReputation Capital is a measure of how effective you are in promoting and delivering value. As the delivery of that value is recognized, you start to accumulate Reputation Capital. The two fundamental pillars of Reputation Capital are competency and trust. The following provides some insight ...
Views: 1674 - Improving How You Sell Yourself as a Professional - by Submitted on Aug 26, 2010 from David NourMany technical professionals are often horrible at selling themselves. Many accountants, attorneys, consultants, and engineers don’t think of themselves as salespeople – and they don’t want to! Although their academic and educational foundation and their professional development includes ...
Views: 2346 - How Nurturing Relationships Extends Business with Your Existing Customers - by Submitted on Aug 26, 2010 from David NourSomething that is often undervalued, undermined, and certainly underdeveloped in any organization is the post-sale part of the revenue generation engine. Many struggle to automatically throw a customer, which they have worked so hard to acquire, over the wall to a customer service ...
Views: 1549(1 vote) - Two Questions to Help Maintain Your Strategic Focus - by Submitted on Aug 26, 2010 from David NourWhat business are you in? What business should you be in? Although simple in their inquisitive nature, it is amazing just how complex these two questions can be. What business you are in should answer, from a historical perspective, where you have been most successful, where you have produced ...
Views: 1436 - Do you Relationship Choke or Panic? - by Submitted on Aug 26, 2010 from David NourWatching 26-year-old Dustin Johnson recently blow his three-round lead at the 110th U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, California reminded me of others we’ve seen squander away amazing opportunities. Specific to relationships, when facing pressure to execute do you choke or panic? You see there are ...
Views: 2125(2 votes) - What’s the Strategic Value of Your Business Relationships? - by Submitted on Aug 26, 2010 from David NourWhat is your impression of networking? To many, it’s an insincere trade of favors or, at best, an elegant way of using people to get what you want. I actually asked this question of a group of PhD students at a Top 5 engineering school and one student near the front asked, “You mean, with other ...
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