It occurred to me in writing this article, that, when it comes to influencing our fellow man, and woman, many of us are masters in the art already. We randomly practice this or that technique and get our way, one way or another, in business and our social lives. And yet, books and self-help literature [...]

We’ve all heard the fable about a certain Pied Piper who played his instrument and effortlessly led the town’s rats toward a swan dive off a cliff.  One goes, the rest will follow.  This social phenomenon has been referred to as “herd mentality,” a type of behavior that savvy businesses and the professions can tap [...]

It used to be that winning through intimidation was the ticket to success.  But these days, intimidation techniques are easily transparent and quickly rejected by whatever constituency resides in your crosshairs.  No, today it’s all about likeability.  Simon Cowell talks about it on his talent shows—he calls it the “it factor”—politicians are elected with it, [...]

Newsflash for all of us lovers of rhetoric and cliché: familiarity does not breed contempt. Quite the contrary, in fact. In the world of business (especially marketing), politics and, if handled correctly, interpersonal relationships, familiarity more often tends to breed success. And, if done correctly, it will every time.
I call it the Visibility Technique. This [...]

Guest blogger Dr. Drew Stephens is sharing his ideas on how executives and managers can contribute to improved morale and productivity in the workplace in this post:
It is amazing how much is written about morale and productivity in the workplace. Prior to the recession, many training firms were using bromide formulas such as rock climbing [...]

I felt like channeling Patrick Henry who famously narrowed down the options for himself to liberty or death in his bid to persuade the Virginia House of Burgesses to commit Virginia’s troops to the Revolutionary War. Not because I’m a history buff, but because a news article I just came across effectively illustrates how media [...]