Skip to content

UXL Blog

“Creating Successful Leaders”

Tag Archives: Margaret Smith professional speaker

February 10, 2021 Self Improvement Goal: Improve Communication

How many times has a project or a meeting broken down because of either A) a lack of communication or B) a miscommunication? Unfortunately, this is commonplace and can completely derail conversations, relationships, or projects. What’s more, in the era of work from home, effective communication is getting even trickier. It can be difficult to read body language over Zoom and it’s no longer possible to pop into someone’s office to ask a quick question (thus, making communication that much harder).

How can we strive to improve communication this year? Here are 3 ideas:

1. Practice active listening

There’s a difference between hearing and listening. Hearing is physiological and can be passive—we can hear sounds or sentences without bothering to interpret them. Listening, however, is active. It involves hearing and interpreting what you hear. Practice active listening by paying attention and absorbing what others say without formulating a response. Too often we’re so busy thinking about what we want to say, that we do not truly pay attention to the speaker.

2. Ask good questions

Even if you think you understand what’s been said, it’s a good idea to ask clarifying questions. Make sure you understand the who/what/where/how of something, before moving on to the next subject. You might try using the “I think I heard” approach. This approach involves repeating back what you think you heard, and asking if that is correct. For example:

“Just to clarify, it sounds like we are going to be prioritizing XYZ this quarter, is that correct?”

For more on asking good questions, please see this blog post all about clarity.

3. Keep meetings to a minimum

You may already suspect this, but it is NOT necessarily a good thing to have more meetings. People are suffering from meeting burnout (especially lately, with so many video chats). What’s more, according to Harvard Business Review, “meetings have increased in length and frequency over the past 50 years, to the point where executives spend an average of nearly 23 hours a week in them, up from less than 10 hours in the 1960s.”

That’s outrageous, and it’s completely unnecessary. Instead of focusing on meeting frequency, focus on meeting quality. Create specific meeting goals, make sure everyone knows their roles and responsibilities, and set a time limit for the meeting. If the meeting involves gathering feedback from your team, try challenging everyone to summarize their thoughts in a minute or two. Concision is key!

Lastly, ask yourself if a meeting is actually necessary. What needs to be accomplished? Can it be achieved through a few quick emails? If so, consider skipping the meeting.

Good communication is often hard to come by. Practice good listening, keep an honest and open line of communication, and work to avoid meeting burnout. Effective communication can be truly transformative for a workplace.

MARGARET SMITH IS A CAREER COACH, AUTHOR, INSIGHTS® DISCOVERY (AND DEEPER DISCOVERY) LICENSED PRACTITIONER, AND FOUNDER OF UXL. SHE HOSTS WORKSHOPS FOR PEOPLE WHO NEED CAREER OR PERSONAL GUIDANCE. 
CHECK OUT MARGARET’S ONLINE LEADERSHIP COURSE.

Tags: , , , , ,

December 23, 2020 Finding Comfort This Holiday Season

For many people, this may be one of the strangest holiday seasons yet. Some families may be having a socially-distanced holiday or have decided to quarantine for a couple weeks before meeting. Some have even decided not to meet at all. And even for those who have chosen to gather together for the holidays, things feel…strange.

This is a tense time in our nation, for many reasons. Worry and fear abound in areas of politics, health, and finances. There’s a sense of division and unease among Americans, even among family members. How can we possibly get past all these negative feelings and try to have a somewhat normal, even comforting holiday?

Try a few of the following:

Practice Good Self-Care

If you’re feeling tense, sad, or frustrated, don’t forget to take a step back and take care of yourself. This isn’t avoidance–it is simply allowing yourself space to gain some perspective. When your nerves are frayed, you’re not going to make good decisions and your stress may end up being destructive (to both you and those around you).

Take a long walk, read a book, soak in a hot bath, sleep in–find those quiet moments where you can step away and clear your head. Do what you need to do to take care of yourself.

Connect Over Food

There are few things that can mend rifts and ease tension than comfort food. This season, make your favorite dishes and share them with others. Even if you’re not meeting in person, you can still share your cooking by dropping off a “just heat it up” dish.

Keep in Touch

There are probably people in your life whom you will not have a chance to see this holiday season. If that’s the case, make an extra effort to reach out. Write them a letter (or several!), send a customized picture postcard, give them a call, or send some flowers. Your efforts will make a difference (and these kind gestures have a way of coming back to you).

Find Commonalities

I have found that even if I am VERY different from the person sitting across the table, I can always find common ground or common interests. If you are spending time with family AND you happen to disagree with them on fundamental issues, that’s okay. Take a deep breath, put on a brave face, and make the best of the situation. Make an effort to find the things that bind you together, rather than tear you apart.

This doesn’t mean you should ignore your values (if someone is belittling or tearing down something that is truly important to you, by all means, speak up!). What it DOES mean is that you can make an effort to build a bridge, if the other person is willing. Find common interests (your kids, baking shows, hiking, etc.) and attempt to see the human side of one another.

Be Kind

Tis the season to be kind. Shovel your neighbor’s sidewalk, donate to local food banks, buy your co-workers thoughtful gifts, smile and say thank you to the over-worked cashier at the checkout. Your small acts of kindness will go a long way toward making the season brighter.

Happy holidays! Wishing you much hope, peace, and comfort this holiday season.

MARGARET SMITH IS A CAREER COACH, AUTHOR, INSIGHTS® DISCOVERY (AND DEEPER DISCOVERY) LICENSED PRACTITIONER, AND FOUNDER OF UXL. SHE HOSTS WORKSHOPS FOR PEOPLE WHO NEED CAREER OR PERSONAL GUIDANCE. 
CHECK OUT MARGARET’S ONLINE LEADERSHIP COURSE.

Tags: , , , , , ,

November 4, 2020 There is Power in HOPE

the power of hope

If you’ve been troubled by how people have been treating each other (with so much political divisiveness and name-calling lately), don’t give up hope. Your hope is powerful, and it CAN make an enormous difference.

Even in the darkest times, we can find sparks of hope. A single candle can illuminate a dark room in the same way that a grateful thought or an inspiration can illuminate a mind. Although the science is still fresh, research is starting to find that hope is a powerful factor in lifting people out of poverty, motivating people to find work, and encouraging investment (financially, educationally, or otherwise) in the future.

In a study on poverty, the researchers found that, “families that are stressed and impoverished — trapped in cycles of poverty — can feel a hopelessness that becomes self-fulfilling. Give people reason to hope that they can achieve a better life, and that, too, can be self-fulfilling.”

Hope is self-fulfilling.

If we all decide to be hopeful about a better, brighter future, we CAN make that happen. We’ll be propelled into action and motivated to keep going, to keep trying. On the other hand, if we choose to have a defeatist attitude and believe there’s nothing good in our collective future…well, that, too, can be a self-fulfilling prophecy.

When you have hope, you ask yourself constructive questions such as “What if..?” and “How will I…?” If you hold the belief that you can do something, you start seeing the paths of possibilities.

I challenge you today to think about what you’d like in your life, and what you’d like for others. Focusing on a smaller scale, ask yourself: What are my personal goals? How do I envision my future?

Then, zoom out your lens and focus on your community, or even your nation. What are your wishes for others? What are your hopes for the next generation, and the one after that? What does an ideal community or nation look like?

Start thinking about your goals and dreams as REAL possibilities, instead of wishes. By changing your mindset to a “How can I…” instead of a “I couldn’t possibly…” you’ll start finding ways to make your goals happen.

Our minds can do amazing things. If you find yours blocked by pessimistic thoughts, try focusing on the possibilities buried within the doubt. Find hope in your life and see where it can take you.

MARGARET SMITH IS A CAREER COACH, AUTHOR, INSIGHTS® DISCOVERY (AND DEEPER DISCOVERY) LICENSED PRACTITIONER, AND FOUNDER OF UXL. SHE HOSTS WORKSHOPS FOR PEOPLE WHO NEED CAREER OR PERSONAL GUIDANCE. 
CHECK OUT MARGARET’S ONLINE LEADERSHIP COURSE.

Tags: , , , , , ,