Monday Mornings with Madison

Monthly Archives:
January 2019

Workplace Communication– Part 1

Business professionals spend a lot of time talking. Interviews. Collaboration. Coordination. Teamwork. Sales. Experts advise. Strategizing. Planning. Goal setting. Indeed, clear communication is arguably one of the most valuable workplace skills. But, while clear communication is an integral part of most any business, can there be such a thing as too much talk? Who’s doing the talking and is it valuable? How does a manager determine which conversations are beneficial, eliminate idle blather and get everyone working on productive tasks? Here’s the natter on workplace chatter. Continue reading

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Broken Promises: When a Brand Fails to Deliver on its Commitments

Every company makes promises to its customers. Those promises are communicated both verbally and in writing through the company’s website or app, brochures, ads, employee conversations, signage, mission statements, corporate filings, and a myriad of other actions and representations. Brand promises are also communicated through professional oaths and written contracts. These promises are sometimes legally-binding, but they are always socially binding. People expect companies to live up to their promises. So what happens if a company repeatedly – or worse, routinely — fails to live up to one or more of your brand promises? Continue reading

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Analysis Paralysis: When Decision-Making Gets Stuck and How to Get Unstuck

Every day, a child makes about 3,000 decisions and an adult makes about 35,000 decisions. Most are ‘remotely conscious’ decisions about insignificant things. But some decisions really matter. As a person’s level of responsibility rises, so does the weight and volume of decisions. In business, leaders and managers must be able to assess a situation and make a sound decision quickly. But most everyone has situations where they get stuck and can’t decide due to overthinking. That’s analysis paralysis and it is quicksand for decision-making. Here’s why it happens and what to do to get “unstuck.” Continue reading

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Why Resolutions Fail 90% of the Time, Part 2

2019 has begun and resolutions are rampant. Did you resolve to do better and be better? And how many of those resolutions have already been discarded, swept away with the confetti? Resolutions often fail because people try to go it alone, set too many precursors to starting, or create goals that are too lofty and/or expensive. Those are common mistakes but there are other obstacles as well. Don’t let these common mistakes trip up your goals for 2019! Continue reading

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