Peter Bregman writes for the Harvard Business Review, and he's also CEO of Bregman Partners, a global management consulting firm. Bregman authored an article in January titled "When your voicemails and email go unanswered, what … [Read more...]
The Cardinal Rule of Rules
March 10, 2010 By
I was in my home office, on the phone with a new client, when I heard a knock on the door. I looked at my watch: it was 4pm, the time my daughters Isabelle and Sophia come home from school. Generally I love taking a break at this time and hearing … [Read more...]
How to Help Others Through a Difficult Transition
February 23, 2010 By
"I don't want to go to ski class!" Sophia, my four-year-old daughter, was crying. I knelt down on the snow so we could be at eye level and asked her why. "I just don't want to go," she whimpered. I didn't want her to skip class. She was already … [Read more...]
How to Handle Silence, the Worst Kind of Feedback
January 19, 2010 By
Last week I shared the problem of Alex, a marketing consultant who was left in the dark when Sam, a prospective client, didn't call him back. My suggestion to Alex was to reach out to Sam once and then let it go. In that situation Alex and Sam … [Read more...]
When Your Voicemails and Emails Go Unanswered, What Should You Do?
January 12, 2010 By
A few months ago Alex, a marketing consultant I know, met with Sam, the head of marketing at a pharmaceutical company, to explore the possibility of doing a branding project.* They had a great meeting. Or so Alex thought. But a month later, after … [Read more...]
The Right Speech to Make This Year
January 5, 2010 By
In 2008, Marc, the CEO of a 100-person software development company, decided not to have a company holiday party. What was there to celebrate? Companies around them had crashed and burned. Clients were skittish. Sales in the last two quarters had … [Read more...]
How to Reverse a Mistake in the Middle of It
December 8, 2009 By
I was moving as fast as I could and not getting anywhere, a feeling I'm well acquainted with. This time, though, it was deliberate: I was on a stationary Spin bicycle. When the towel draped over my handlebars fell to the ground, I tried to stop … [Read more...]
When to Confront Someone: The Rule of Three
November 30, 2009 By
"Should I bother to have the conversation with her? What do you think?" Mike*, a marketing director, was telling me about Anne, one of his employees, who had done a few things to frustrate him. She arrived late to a meeting with a client. Not that … [Read more...]
How to Talk About What You Most Dread
November 24, 2009 By
"I have a question," a woman we'll call Tricia said to me during the break at a leadership training class I was teaching, "and I'd rather not ask it in front of everyone." Everyone being her colleagues, the other heads of departments at a financial … [Read more...]
The Martial Art of Difficult Conversations
October 27, 2009 By
My wife Eleanor and I used to live in a small house in Princeton, New Jersey. One night we returned home to find a car parked in our single space driveway with no owner in sight. We were tired and had nowhere nearby to legally park our car. So we … [Read more...]
