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Susan has authored
hundreds of articles and has been featured in hundreds more. Below are
some of our favorites. Simply click the title to read the full
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articles all the time!
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By Susan B. Wilson
Executive Strategies,
www.execstrategies.com
(269) 408-1525
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Thank You Matters - Why and How to Write a Thank You That Keeps On
Giving
"Just a few days ago, a woman in the newspaper business asked me to
write an article dedicated to the value of thank yous and thank you
notes. In her conversation, she lamented the mass mailing of an
email thank you from a new bride, and no thank you at all from
another bride despite this woman’s investment in an expensive gift
as well as her effort (and expense!) to attend the bride’s long
distance wedding. I started digging into the topic and, wow!,
there are quite a few stories of “thank you nots” that are worth
sharing as well as tips for writing notes of appreciation that are
saved and savored..."
Your Trusted Partner
"Goals, promises, intentions—often easily made and then just as
easily broken. What is the different between a goal conceived and a
goal achieved? Well, it just might be the accountability that is so
often missing as we seek to complete the steps for accomplishing our
goals. A valuable strategy for holding yourself accountable to your
commitments, whether to yourself or to others who are counting on
you, is to discover a compatible “trusted partner” who will hold
your feet to the fire once you set your goals..."
Solve Your Communication Challenges: Anticipate, Initiate,
Appreciate
"For so many of us, communication problems occur when one or more in
a conversation fabricate, complicate, frustrate or obfuscate. (Isn’t
that last word great? It means to make unclear or to confuse). And
there seem to be countless ways of creating communication
challenges. This month, we consider two. A reader sent in
information about two very specific problems that she faces- Mr.
Know-it-all and Ms. Interrupter..."
How to Clip Ms. Interrupter for Conversation Completion!
"Interrupting is a negative habit that is easy to pick up and
difficult to break. Consider these strategies to avoid and change
this out of bounds behavior.."
Take the Freedom That You Want
"Several coaching experiences with clients remind me that each one
of us has enormous potential for greater power and freedom through
our daily choices. Recent client conversations had a variety of key
themes that included an “encouraged resignation”, a desire for a
career change, a move to a corporate position from owning a small
business, and an admission of needing to release the tyranny of
constantly filling others’ expectations. Freedom was a common
denominator in these shared conversations..."
The Power of Positive Language - A Reminder for Moving On
for Greater Influence
"Negative language, whether directed at yourself or others, weakens
the body and the spirit. Positive language, grounded in truth,
strengthens the body and the spirit..."
Don't Get Conned by Conflict
"In the past few weeks, clients have shared their frustration and
concern about how to more effectively address conflicts in meetings.
One client told me that, in her company, the tendency is to send
someone to a program to get “fixed” when that person has a tough
time with conflicts. While there are excellent programs for teaching
skills to use in the midst of conflict, I think that we need to be
more generous about scheduling F.A.S.T. Talk conversations when we
have a problem—conversations that require face to face interactions
that are Fair, Authentic, Shared and True..."
GOMO!® - Get Over It; Move On!
"GOMO!® is all about discovering the power of getting
over obstacles in the way of your relationships and your desired
goals. GOMO!® is a simple process that yields miraculous
results. We hear the proof if this over and over again! Get
Over it; Move On! What do you need to get over? What “stuff” gets in
your way?..."
Step Up to GOMO!®
"This month, our focus is on the first four steps of GOMO!®
—Get Over it; Move On! GOMO!® gives you power for getting
over the obstacles blocking your relationships and your desired
goals. GOMO!® is a simple process that yields miraculous
results..."
Move On With GOMO!®
"The final step of GOMO!® which is represented by
the "!," stands for Replace the Space. Once we release our "it" that
has been an obstacle, we have “space” for more powerful choices.
Read on to discover specific and powerful ideas for bringing the
words of Tao Te Ching to life, "….mastering yourself is true
power"..."
Avoid Choking on Feedback
"In preparation for an upcoming speech, "Coaching with
Backbone, Not Bite - Seven Strategies for Building High Performance
Teams," our office conducted a survey of student athletes
and coaches. Overwhelmingly, their responses pointed to the value of
giving and receiving feedback in a way that is constructive rather
than destructive. These athletes and coaches crave valuable feedback
to enhance their performance. Feedback is equally valuable in the
workplace..."
"Happily Ever After" Is Yours With These Seven Strategies for
Conquering Conflict
"Solutions to conflicts that really work and that build heart in
relationships are fairly easy to implement. Our efforts start with
an intentional decision to set personal pride aside and to take
action to benefit all of the parties involved. In my practice over
the years, I've discovered that most people want to improve the
relationships that are important to them.."
Gourmet Meetings on a
Microwave Schedule - Part I
"If you
dislike attending meetings, you’ve got a lot of company. More than
25 million meetings are held daily in the United States
according to the Wharton Center for Applied Research. Participants
consider 42% of their meetings (more than 10.5 million each day!) to
be a waste of time..."
Gourmet Meetings on a Microwave Schedule - Part II
"Peter Drucker, world-renowned management consultant, tells us that
“one either meets or works,” a condemning statement on the state of
meetings. Meetings are a high cost proposition. Frustrated
meeting participants say that many meetings are little more than an
overextended coffee break. But let’s also consider costs from the
employer’s point of view..."
F.A.S.T. Talk Influences
"Influencing others doesn't have to be complicated. We want easier,
helpful, and guaranteed ways of achieving meaningful results..."
F.A.S.T. Talk Builds Trust - Part 2 of 5 - Fair
"The first quality of F.A.S.T. Talk is Fair. Fair is honest,
honorable, courteous and trustworthy. What strategies can we use
that assure fair language? What points can we keep in mind to keep
out communication pure and without poison?"
F.A.S.T. Talk Builds Trust - Part 3 of 5 - Authentic
"Now we're on to the second quality of F.A.S.T. Talk- Authentic.
Authentic focuses on being honest, genuine, and trustworthy. Think
for a moment. Who are two people in your life that live in an
authentic way?"
Fast Talk Builds Shared Communication - Part 4 of 5 - Shared
"The third quality of F.A.S.T. Talk is shared communication. Shared
communication is collaborative. And we can show this in the words we
choose, words such as we, us, our, and together..."
F.A.S.T. Talk Speaks the Truth - Part 5 of 5
"The 4th quality of F.A.S.T. talk is that it be True...Acceptance
with reality was another definition (of truth); and it was one that
grabbed my attention. How one person sees reality can be
dramatically different than the way another person views it..."
We've Got
to Start Meeting Like This!
"...There are an array of strategies for improving the effectiveness
of and enthusiasm for meetings. Getting focused participation
from those whose contribution is valuable will reap the rate of
return that you desire. If you use the strategies outlined
here in your next meetings, improved results are guaranteed.."
GOMO!®: A Choice for Character
"Each of us has a story of hopelessness and a story
of hope depending on our response to the event. In our betrayals
and conflicts, do we focus on exacting revenge or do we focus on
exacting higher character?"
GOMOmentum
for Building Wins
In our work with clients, we don’t know all of the answers, but we
can ask great questions for inviting clients to unleash the
brilliance of their intellect, creativity, experience, and risk
taking. Renowned management consultant Peter Drucker reminds us that
“the best way to predict the future is to create it.” Teams are
positioned for incredible accomplishment when they accept, share,
and exploit the brilliance they own.
An Energy Oomph
"Though we can't wave a magic wand and give you extra hours each
day, we can provide some practically "magical" ideas for increasing
your energy, making each day more productive and joyful. Using the
acronym ENERGY, we're giving you 6 powerful ideas to do just
that..."
Faster, More Profitable, and Greater Success with Accelerated Goal
Achievement
"Yes we know. It's a long title and we're making a big claim.
However, we believe that you'll discover the truth of this claim as
you give attention to four key strategies that optimize your
successes. Most of us, no matter our role, could do at least a
little better by focusing on one or two of these ideas..."
Know Your Personal Value Packagesm to Be More
Valu-Able
"A recent statistic tells us that 45% of employees say that they've
never received personal appreciation in the workplace. Are you part
of that 45%? Or do you know someone who is? You can seize a new
opportunity for increased recognition and appreciation by knowing
your value so well that you confidently express it and share it
through your contribution to essential goals..."
Work Smarter, NOT Harder
"Recently, a client called us and asked for a program targeting the
theme, "Work Smarter, Not Harder". As part of our
preparation, we contacted senior managers and executives to survey
their responses to this question: What are your three best
strategies for working smarter, not harder? Responses were specific;
and they fell into three major areas: Focus, Prioritize, and Protect
Communication and Relationships..."
Conversational Peace Can Be Yours
"Our office recently received a question about how to maintain
conversational peace even in the midst of conflict. Read on to
discover the real reasons that we often travel the bumpy road of
conflict and then learn eight strategies for steering our speech in
more powerful directions.."
To Stay or To Go? THAT is the Question! - Powerful questions to ask
when evaluating a potential job change. PLUS Bonus Tip: 7
"cut-to-the-chase" questions to help you determine what you MOST
want, and to ensure that your wants and actions are congruent
"The following question came from a reader who took advantage of
last month's offer for fifteen free minutes of coaching. While she
was asking specifically for advice on a potential job change, the
questions posed to help her evaluate her choice can be easily
adapted to fit a variety of situations. I hope you find them as
useful as she did!.."
The Calm After the Storm - How to restore a sense of equilibrium
after a major upheaval at work
"In our fairly small company, we've had recent upheaval. A senior
level person has been let go, we've lost a couple of key accounts,
and most of us are not certain of where we are headed as a company.
We're stressed. What can we do to get back a sense of
equilibrium..."
The Weakest Link - 14 creative ways to strengthen (or remove!) the
weak links on your team
"The weakest link may often be strong enough to destroy the team.
Often we don't take direct action on the weaker links because we
don't want to hurt feelings or stir up a conflict..."
THAT NAGGING PAIN! - How to keep him (or her) from ruining your
meeting
"I've encountered several "Nagging Pains" over the years and the ten
strategies that follow have worked for me over and over again. The
next time a member of your work team thinks they have all the
answers, carries on side conversations, monopolizes the meeting time
or are just plain disruptive, give these ideas a try..."
Negate Negativity
"Five proven strategies to try when a member of your work team has a
"less than a positive attitude" toward the team process..."
From Pieces of Stupid to
Pieces of Truth
"Ignoring a neighbor’s child because you’re angry with her dad.
Lying through a situation because you don’t want to admit a wrong.
Being unfriendly to a colleague because he was given a promotion
that you wanted. The question to you is, "What do these
examples have in common?" And now, my final answer is: “They are
‘Pieces of Stupid'..."
What’s Draining Your Battery
Pack?
"Here are three questions that we’ve asked of employees to shape the
content that I’ll be sharing with you. Consider what your responses
would be: What depletes your energy? What is challenging to you
about your work-load? What stresses you? By far, employee responses
have zeroed in on two issues..."
Hey, I Can Handle This!
"In just a few
days, I’m speaking with a group about the power of GOMO!®
(Get Over It, Move On!), but this
time it’s with regard to managing change. As is often
the case with real or potential change, we immediately jump to negative thoughts
and feelings. Some have even jumped
to conclusions without substantive information to support their view.
Yes, there is a sense of discomfort when change involving us happens
without our willing cooperation. Often
we feel a sense of betrayal when the change is viewed as unwanted or
undesirable. And that betrayal
leads to a lack a trust- toward individuals as well as a
situation..."
Aretha Franklin Sang the Truth
"Self- respect.
It’s an issue. Two days
ago, a participant from a recent program called to tell me about a strategy put
to work. Apparently, she recently
had received recognition for ten years of service to her firm. A colleague called her within hours of her acceptance of the
award- not to congratulate her, but to complain that she hadn’t received the
same award at her ten-year anniversary. The
participant told me that she was just getting ready to effusively apologize to
her colleague when a blinding flash of the obvious occurred.
She didn’t owe an apology for someone else’s decision.
Self-respect in action."
Putting the GO in your Goals
"From a
business perspective, we know that most people who are directly responsible for
results, find it valuable to set goals. And
truly meaningful goal achievement often means following guidelines for raising
the probability of accomplishment. Read
on for just a few of the ideas that may be different from what you’ve
considered before when setting your goals for a new year..."
Potential Obstacles to Reaching Your Goals
Suppose you know what you want and you are on the
right track to accomplishing your goals. Without warning, you
suddenly face an obstacle that blocks your progress. And then
it is difficult to remain focused and energetic.
Leadership is in
Your Hands
"Though some people still hold the philosophy that “leaders are
born and not made”, there is a strong body of research that suggests
that, with desire, we can choose to learn the leadership skills so
important to influencing and guiding others..."
Bullies, Beware!
"...As unbelievable as it may seem, it is your responsibility to learn
the offensive and defensive skills necessary to deal with meanness
because our laws protect the bully..."
Just
Say NO to the Bully
"Wilson, a local speaker,
consultant and author of numerous articles and books recently
conducted a workshop with 12 seventh and eighth graders from area
schools at ACES Teen Club, using a variety of activities aimed at
"stopping the bully in you and stopping the bully coming toward
you."
Apply the Four C’s of Diamond
Quality to Your Relationships
"Isn’t it
amazing how many organizations have, but don’t address their employee issues?
As long as overt smiles and apparent agreement are in place, we often
feel a sense of satisfaction that, “morale can’t be that bad”..."
Guarantee Your Business
Growth with These Growth Strategies
"...Five of ten businesses fail within a year and nine
of ten businesses miss celebrating a fifth business
anniversary...We’re discovering that applying these strategies makes
business more fun and raises the probabilities for success. And we love seeing
those probabilities go up..."
Higher
Wisdom
This is Susan's story featured in Chicken Soup for the Woman's
Soul (Health Communications, Inc. 1996, pp. 290-292). Enjoy!
Click here for
an expanded list of Susan's articles and interviews!
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