Generational nicknames annoy me. Creating one label for a vast range of people sets all of us up to make incorrect assumptions and communicate ineffectively. Recently though, a client specifically requested I include more information in a workshop on how Millennials use the phone. How do Millennials use the phone? How can this communication...

Anxiety or fear of phone calls is not new, but is more pervasive as we spend less and less time using our phones to talk to people. One of the main reasons for this anxiety is: "How will the person I'm calling react when they pick up the phone?" In the 30 years I've been making outbound calls, I've had perhaps 10 *difficult* calls. One of them ...

This past weekend my flight to Toronto was cancelled. Not delayed. Cancelled. Staff at the Departure gate announced that we could pick up our luggage and make our way to the customer service desk in Arrivals. As I watched the crowd of passengers from the fully booked flight follow these instructions, I hesitated. A lengthy lineup to book a ne...

Last week I baked a cake to celebrate a friend's 90th birthday. While I was decorating it, I realized that my ability to create a CHOCOLATE PECAN TORTE recipe and my phone skills have something in common, something simple that anyone can do to give themselves both confidence and positive, reliable results on the phone.   What do bak...