Influence, Power, & Politics

There’s no doubt that encouraging girls to take STEM courses is imperative to their higher representation as women in those fields.  But a recent Catalyst study of 6,000 MBA graduates […]

There’s a tendency to think of body language as an aspect of communication that gives us away – reveals our true meaning.  We consider words more manageable, more under the […]

Imagine these separate scenarios happening in one week at work: This is the third time you’ve been interrupted by the same person during a single meeting… You offer a suggestion […]

There’s no way to live in this world and avoid politics.  It’s in our homes, schools, workplaces and just about anywhere else we turn.  While there’s no shortage of people […]

Most of us have been advised at one time or another to choose our battles.  We know it’s good advice, yet rarely stop and think about the criteria for passing […]

The harmful baggage attached to the term “feminism” over the years came into the spotlight again on Sunday, as the acclaimed young actor Emma Watson spoke at the United Nations’ […]

Framing influences our choices every day.  Why are we willing to pay $10 for a glass of wine at a fancy restaurant when we could buy a bottle of the […]

To reduce or undo someone else’s power, observe carefully those who have it and how you’re helping them keep it.  Then consider how to alter that pattern with the person in question. 

People often think of one great strategy or compelling argument as an effective means of persuasion.  In actuality, persuasion of any import is rarely accomplished by a single argument.  If […]

We often think of power as a possession rather than a function of the relationship between people.  The problem with this formulation is that it gives the impression that the […]

We learned yesterday that Robin Williams was in the early stages of Parkinson’s disease when he died.  This information has led to much speculation about whether his diagnosis or depression […]

Last week, University of Southern California University and Distinguished Professor Warren Bennis, known as the father, dean and guru of leadership, passed.  He was a dear colleague and friend, an […]

All day every day, people accidentally offend each other.  If you slip easily into defensiveness whenever someone accidentally offends you, life becomes like old Dodge City on a bad day. […]

As I watched the televised World Cup Final surrounded by people from a variety of countries, the camera focused briefly on young fans, their faces painted in bright colors representing […]

Years ago I read an article by Harvard business professor Chris Argyris whose message stuck with me.  “Good Communication that Blocks Learning” was about the mental models we develop early […]

No matter how many times those who study power tell us that it is a negotiable — not static — thing, far too many people allow power to emerge and […]

The East Japan Railway Company hasn’t forgotten customer service.  Foot baths and sake are an available courtesy to customers traveling on their new bullet train two-hour service between Shinjo and […]

At the White House Summit on Working Families, President Obama made this distinction: “Family leave, childcare, flexibility and a decent wage aren’t frills. They’re basic needs. They shouldn’t be bonuses […]

Why do we so often attend to bad news?  Network news shows regularly end with a feel-good story about someone who overcame nearly impossible odds or rose above adversity to […]

How many people put off delivering the bad news to senior management at General Motors while the now infamous ignition-switch problem festered?  The same question can be asked about the […]

An important difference between persuasion and manipulation is that persuasion is done with people and manipulation is done to them.  Like all dishonest people, manipulators habitually underestimate the people they […]

Maya Angelou left us with words of beauty and a reminder of how the best in each of us might rise above the worst.  She was a person of remarkable […]

I was recently (not for the first time) in a conversation where a woman said she never again wants to work for another woman.  When I asked how many female […]

Patients often fail to remember what their doctors say to them, a physician reminded me this week.  Research supports his observation.  Yet only rarely do doctors actually write down their […]

Self-praise is a challenge for most of us.  Women find it particularly uncomfortable and are inclined to give away more credit than is necessary — or even accurate.  But if […]

Persuasion research indicates that verbal and rational (as opposed to emotional) human influence appeals focus heavily on appropriateness, consistency and effectiveness of proposed ideas and actions. Appropriateness appeals, based on […]

My copy of Elizabeth Warren’s A Fighting Chance couldn’t arrive soon enough.  Since Warren has repeatedly gone up against the most powerful of old boy networks with both public setbacks […]

This is Parkinson’s Awareness Month.  It’s a time to celebrate what has been learned and to push the process further along.  There is no screening test to diagnose Parkinson’s disease […]