Just Saying - The BRIEF Lab

You can’t lead effectively if you’re always getting interrupted. In this episode, I share a recent conversation with a rising leader and one from my days as a marketing executive to shed some light on how ineffective leaders believe that they need to always have an open-door policy and can never turn people away when they come calling. The post Ep. 241 – Feeling obligated to always be available ap...

Whether you’re the decision maker or someone recommending or influencing decisions, there’s a hidden reason why people make poor choices. In a fast-paced, noisy world, people invest little or no scheduled quiet time to carefully consider the decision in solitude. What’s more, they don’t find someone to share it with to shoot holes, and then impulsively just pull the trigger. The post Ep. 240 – Why...

Call back EP Episode 126 – NOISE Filter: Our 1st and last thought of the day Preparing what we think at the start and end our day not only serves as a powerful bookends to manage the noise but also sets the tone for us to be more intentional. The post Call back Episode – NOISE Filter: Our 1st and last thought of the day appeared first on Just Saying .

What is the personal cost of a distraction and disruption? How do you value when and where you pay attention? If attention is your most valuable resource, how do you react when it is stolen and squandered throughout the day? In this episode, I challenge you to consider the return on attention (ROA) you are getting, how to minimize losses and maximize gains. The post Ep. 239 – Mental theft appeared...

In this episode, I introduce a new initiative called The Quiet Workplace and related Quiet Works principles, practices, programs, and products. After nearly a year of planning and development, I have decided to introduce simple, practical, and powerful ways to make silence a secret ingredient in professional life. In fact, our intent is to change the conversation about the fundamental role of quie...

Most of us don’t frequently give presentations. In the rare times that we do, we may seem rusty, nervous, and out of sync. In this podcast, I will provide a few simple considerations for you to approach these moments professionally and deliver information comfortably and confidently. The post Ep. 237 – Simple presentation practices appeared first on Just Saying .

The words we use can be incredibly helpful, or hurtful. Whether we like to admit it, we choose to say what we say. Many people, however, are not self-aware in their conversations and their comments can be deeply damaging. In this episode, I highlight six different comments to shun. The post Ep. 236 – Six comments to avoid appeared first on Just Saying .

To influence is to exert a powerful force to shape people’s thoughts, feelings, opinions, and actions. In what way can we influence others by saying less? Is the absence of words strong enough (or not enough) to change the outcome?  What is the right balance to achieve? The post Ep. 235 – Is brevity a better way to influence? appeared first on Just Saying .

During a typical day, can you count how many different screens compete for your attention? Technology isn’t only pervasive but also a source of constant distraction. In this episode, I challenge the fallacy that to work means to be with technology. We need to find simple ways to avoid them when they aren’t needed right now. The post Ep. 234 – Noise management: No screens needed appeared first on J...

Imagine if you’re at an event, party or hanging out after a meeting and the person you’re talking to won’t stop talking. What can you do? Do you find a way to make a quick escape or stick it out patiently and painfully? This may happen frequently to us, and we feel like we’re being held hostage with little to no recourse. There are some things to do, and the choice is entirely yours. The post Ep....

Recently, I got two different messages that referenced the same topic: what happens when my boss is or isn’t clear and concise. In one, the sender laments the pain and confusion caused when her boss is all over the place. In another, he praises how his boss made brevity an issue for the entire team to tackle. In this episode, I provide some advice on what to do when brevity is becoming a serious l...

For any team or organization, it’s critical to find the right time and place to getaway. Offsite meetings can be incredibly rewarding or disappointing depending on how they’re prepared. To get the maximum value, you need to take some time to carefully consider the right location, attendees, agenda design, and the overall experience you intend to achieve. The post Ep. 231 – Making the most with off...

With the hurried pace of day-to-day life filled with so many competing priorities, everything can quickly become a blur. It’s up to you to choose to stop to take a break, yet we don’t. Whether it’s just for a minute or half a day, we need to periodically pause. In this episode, I lay out a series of moments where we need to allow ourselves a time out. The post Ep. 230 – Permission to pause appeare...

When the meeting isn’t yours, you may feel like you have no voice. The reality is that there are a number of things you can do to turn bad meetings into ones that are more effective and efficient. It’s time to start speaking up and stop feeling helpless and stuck. The post Ep. 229 – Meeting attendee bill of rights appeared first on Just Saying .

Do you work for your smartphone, or does it work for you? There may be a powerful temptation to always have your digital device on and nearby, checking it constantly and feeling helpless when it comes calling. In this episode, I ask you to consider what your personal relationship is with your smartphone and why it’s so hard for you to say no to it The post Ep. 228 – Resisting the temptation to che...

In this episode, I provide some simple and straightforward advice to help you gain (and regain) focus when your world might be seeming to be turning upside down. Though it’s incredibly easy to lose focus and feel scattered, flustered, conflicted and confused, there are things to do to rise above. The post Ep. 227 – Clarity at work (in times of crisis, chaos and change) appeared first on Just Sayin...

Call back Episode 106 Season 3 Most leaders communicate confidently yet aren’t clear or concise. How can you step up and help them when they don’t think they need it? The post Call back Episode – Providing senior leaders communication counsel appeared first on Just Saying .

Call back episode Episode 103 Season 3. Those periodic updates can be a burden no matter what side of the desk you’re on. The post Call Back EP – Why 1-on-1’s are mutually painful appeared first on Just Saying .

Presentations can be effective yet are often lacking, too polished and impersonal. In this episode, I share some personal perspectives on an overlooked format that is ideal for disseminating knowledge, experience, insights and wisdom in a more personal and practical way, one that really gets people talking. The post Ep. 226 – Giving a good talk appeared first on Just Saying .

It’s easy to occupy an enormous amount of your day in mindless motion, running from one task to another. But have you stopped to think about how much thinking you do every day? In this episode, I plant a seed to get you to consider increasing the amount of time you spend thinking every day. The post Ep. 225 – How much thinking do you do? appeared first on Just Saying .

In the last episode, I encourage you to talk to lots of people along the way to your next job. People tend to focus all their energy on the interview and fail to gain valuable insights, encouragement and guidance in the scores of small conversations they have with family, friends, colleagues and contacts. The post Ep. 224 – Lessons in transition (part 3) appeared first on Just Saying .

In this second installment, I provide some recommendations on how to clarify your vision of yourself professionally down the road. For many of us, it is hard to describe what you want to do in the future and why. In this episode, I give a few practical bits of advice to make this less daunting. The post Ep. 223 – Lessons in transition (part 2) appeared first on Just Saying .

When you are ending a career and starting a new one, or simply changing jobs, you need to be able to succinctly explain your value. Defining what you had previously done in clear and concise terms (i.e., your value proposition, or elevator speech) will be the bridge for you to help people refer, connect and even hire you. The post Ep. 222 – Lessons in transition (part 1) appeared first on Just Say...

For many of us, expressing emotions feels treacherous. In this episode, I share a few practical ways to make this feel easier and serve as a better way to start longer, clarifying conversations with someone else. The post Ep. 221 – How does that feel? appeared first on Just Saying .

Great courses are not only filled with wonderful and practical experiences, but they are also led by selfless and authentic instructors. In this second installment, I talk about the critical role of the instructor to serve as a facilitator of learning, not a self-absorbed lecturer. The post Ep. 220 – Breaking bad teaching (part 2) appeared first on Just Saying .