I've spent 20 years teaching people to communicate. Phone anxiety has never been worse. I see it most often among younger employees entering the workforce, and the issue is more complicated than it seems. Find out more.
job search
There’s a four-letter word that slips into our sentences far too often. It’s small, polite, and seems harmless. But it quietly undermines our confidence every time we use it. That word is “just“. “I’m just checking in to see if you got my email.”“I just want to ask if you have … Read more
This week’s blog post author is Jennifer Doherty, who provides her perspective on the connection between career growth and phone communication. Jennifer holds a Master’s in Industrial Relations and Human Resources from the University of Toronto and is the founder of JSD Human Resources. I’m delighted that she’s chosen this … Read more
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been thinking about the word ‘comfortable’. Over 10% of the CEOs and senior executives who responded to the 2024 Report of Phone Communication Trends included this word in their comments. Here are a few examples of how the word was used: “Employees are often … Read more
Whether it’s part of your work in sales or customer service, or phone conversations are part of your job search strategy, you want to continually practice the skills for creating a great impression. You also want to know ways to deal with a wide variety of communication hazards, such as … Read more
Summer officially started this past Wednesday. There are very few places in the world as delightful as Atlantic Canada in the summer and I’m aiming to take full advantage. As I was thinking about the time I will spend with family and friends over the next two months, I was … Read more
Since March 30 I’ve been constantly thinking about an email I received from my dear friend and colleague, Natasha Marchewka. Natasha is definitely one of life’s constant learners and she’ll often send me things she’s discovered. In this case, it was a quote from James Clear, author of the best-selling … Read more
Both making and taking phone calls require skills. Whether you are managing a team responsible for these tasks, or you’re coaching yourself, you need to be able to distinguish between phone phobia/fear and phone anxiety. According to Harvard Health Publishing, a phobia is a persistent, excessive, unrealistic fear of an … Read more
“Communication is not saying something; communication is being heard.” – Frances Hesselbein We’ve all had the experience of speaking to someone and, much to our surprise and/or frustration, they don’t hear us at all. Even in a quiet setting, when we’ve chosen our words carefully, they seem to go missing … Read more
One of the things I love about my work is its diversity. This past week I delivered webinars to global, North American, national and local audiences. Fun, right? What stood out for me was the similarity in the feedback on all of these presentations. The same word was used time … Read more
In Canada this is Thanksgiving weekend, a holiday also celebrated by our US neighbours (in just over 6 weeks) as well as in Brazil, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Liberia, Leiden in South Holland, Norfolk Island and Puerto Rico. It stems from a tradition of celebrating and giving thanks for the harvest, … Read more
It’s happened to all of us. We’ve called somewhere, perhaps a customer service centre, or a government department, or a company we are thinking about hiring. A person answers, or we reach their voicemail, and their name is so muffled, said so quickly, that we have no idea what we … Read more
Early in my career, I had very little interest in creating a LinkedIn profile. With Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat already on my phone, I felt like my social accounts were taking up enough of my time and I didn’t quite understand the value of LinkedIn. When it was time to … Read more
Picking up the phone and speaking with the appropriate managers and supervisors at the companies you’ve researched is the best way to tap into the hidden job market. But it can be a big challenge. When I send texts, emails and DMs, not only can I write and rewrite a … Read more
Dear Readers and Phone Lady fans: First, thank you so much for taking the time each week to read and share this post. It is an amazing gift that I don’t ever take for granted. That’s why I need to update you on a change that’s been gently brewing in … Read more
When looking for a job, listing companies of interest is a great start. Then you need to move to the next step – phoning them. But the next question is… who ya gonna call? In my last post, we got started on your research journey. With most companies being online, … Read more
Can you think of a company that is not yet online? Neither can I because very few exist. And this is good news because you can now easily gather all the necessary details to craft the perfect pitch for when you call your potential employer. How does a company website … Read more
It was October 13 – my birthday. I was seated at a candle-lit table at the rotating restaurant in the Calgary Tower with my beautiful mom and a view of the entire city. The next day she would be dropping me off at a huge trade centre, where I’d set … Read more
“Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”― Mark Twain As a child and adolescent, I must have had the same conversation with adults hundreds of times. You know the one: “What are you going to be when you grow … Read more
You may not be on the search for a job, but the truth is … we’ve all been there at some point in our careers. Whether you’re fresh out of school, leaving a job, looking for something more, or maybe unexpectedly finding yourself out of work, there is an often … Read more
At a recent workshop, I was asked for advice on a challenge I’ve never encountered. While I certainly have some thoughts and suggestions, I’ve decided to share this challenge with you. Have you also experienced this challenge? Please share your ideas and feedback in the comments section below. Two people … Read more
“People hearing without listening.” Simon & Garfunkel, The Sound of Silence This is something we all do – every day. We hear the people around us speaking – family members, co-workers, customers, prospects – but we don’t really listen to what they are saying. Why do we do this? The … Read more
For this, my 174th blog post, I am delighted to introduce my first guest writer, Maureen Farmer of Word Right Career & HR Consulting This is the story of Hanipe. Originally from Africa, Hanipe came to Canada after completing her combined business and IT degrees in the U.S. With good … Read more
When I started my first company, at the tender and overly self-confident age of 28, one small word got in the way of my increasing revenue consistently. That word was “just”. I used it in my telephone conversations, like most people do, to be polite, to imply I would take … Read more
To celebrate 20 years of The Phone Lady, we're revisiting what truly makes communication meaningful. Every second week, we'll share a bit of wisdom to remind us that small shifts in how we speak, listen, and connect make a big difference. (You'll also receive access to our Exclusive Resources, including 4 ebooks.)
Remember party lines? Switchboards? Yellow Pages? The traditional telephone is almost gone, but its cultural impact deserves a ringing endorsement. Mary Jane weighs in.
A fresh phone hell in the office: Younger workers who don’t say hello when they answer a call need to know it’s a problem. Mary Jane weighs in on generational phone challenges - read here.
Bosses and employees are wrestling over whether voice calls have a place in the hybrid era. The Wall Street Journal recently spoke to Mary Jane. Find out more here.
22 Minutes correspondent Brandon Hackett figures out which end is up on this thing called a telephone, with help from The Phone Lady. Watch Telephone Lessons for Millennials.