Communication

Two hands holding coffee cups

Dating dos and don’ts for an online world

By Arden / September 25, 2024 /

Many of my single friends are dating and, yes, yours truly is too. Let me just say, dating is weird at my age. In my before-marriage dating days you just met people and if you liked them you went on a few dates and eventually decided if this was the forever person. There was no…

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Lessons in harmony: How my Slovenia and Croatia tour can inspire a positive workplace

By Arden / June 15, 2024 /

I recently returned from a delightful Rick Steves tour of Slovenia and Croatia. Our group consisted of 26 people from diverse backgrounds with different values, interests, and opinions, yet we all got along wonderfully. This is particularly remarkable given the many hours we spent together each day—whether riding a bus, standing shoulder to shoulder on…

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a child holding a red heart in her open hands

What would Ted do?

By Arden / March 28, 2024 /

I’m a bit behind on my TV series watching so I’m just finishing the third season of the highly acclaimed Apple TV series, Ted Lasso. From the very first show in season one I was hooked. The series is about an American football coach, Ted Lasso, who is recruited to lead AFC Richmond, a fictional…

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“No problem” and other customer service communication problems

By Arden / June 3, 2021 /

A friend of mine implored me to write something about the use of the phrase “no problem.” She was the recipient of the words at her dental appointment. Upon arriving at the dentist’s office, she was instructed to wait in her car until they were ready for her. Because it was hot outside, she started…

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New etiquette for the new work norms

By Arden / March 2, 2021 /

Much has changed in the business world since the pandemic wreaked havoc in our lives. Remote work has become the norm for office workers; in-person meetings have morphed into often mind-numbing virtual meetings and conversation has been replaced by chaterruptions. Business casual is now business sweats and networking is pretty much non-existent. Some of these…

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Zoom video conferencing meeting

Five tips for networking during a pandemic

By Arden / December 30, 2020 /

With the New Year approaching, many of us think about goals for the coming year. If your plan is to find a job, get promoted or grow your client base there’s no better way to do that then to network. However, given the pandemic you might be wondering how you can connect with others in…

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Seven steps for leading efficient, effective and inclusive meetings

By Arden / November 1, 2020 /

Are you getting the most out of your meetings? Are your employees engaged and freely contributing? Are decisions being made in an expeditious way? Chances are your meetings are not accomplishing much. According to a study by Atlassian, people spend 31 hours per month in unproductive meetings. And what do participants do in those meetings?…

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I thought you should know (insert bad manner here)…

By Arden / January 13, 2020 /

A colleague of mine has a podcast called How Can I Say This where she discusses everyday communication conundrums. Beth Buelow, is the founder of the podcast and owner of ZOPA Consulting, Someone submitted a question to her about how to tell someone they chew with their mouth open, so naturally, as an etiquette expert,…

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How to get along with others

By Arden / February 1, 2019 /

People can be frustrating, annoying, difficult – you name the emotion – basically not easy to get along with. Or can they? In our little worlds, as in our minds, when it comes to relationships with others it’s easy to think that we do things the right way and that others are wrong – whether…

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How to succeed as a young professional

By Arden / September 7, 2018 /

Are you a new graduate or young person starting out in the professional world? I remember that time. College was a lot of fun but also a lot of work and I was excited and a little nervous to start working at a “real job.” I’d held many jobs through my college years – scooping…

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