by Franklin Wordsmith | Jan 24, 2017 | Leadership
We have a saying at our house: “You can always tell a Franklin. But you can’t tell them much.”When we use words to obscure our meanings, it tells people more about us than our subject – and usually not what we’d like …You Can Always Tell a EuphemismOver the weekend,...
by Franklin Wordsmith | Jul 12, 2016 | Leadership
A friend told me a job search horror story. My initial reaction was “How dare they treat her that way!” Then I started thinking about how I can make similar choices that not only diminish others but me. So I realized it’s time to deal with my own awareness issues. My...
by Franklin Wordsmith | Mar 8, 2016 | Leadership
After giving a workshop on creating elevator pitches, I checked in with people as they left. One woman said, “This was really useful. Except this guy at our table wouldn’t stop talking. So some of us didn’t get the chance to practice.”I knew this guy. (We all do.) I’d...
by Franklin Wordsmith | Feb 10, 2016 | Leadership
Your brain — that powerful driver of your career success — has set you up for failure. Every time you create shiny goals and plans, they likely have some fundamental flaws that will soon tarnish. Here’s what you can do to make the results more useful and...
by Franklin Wordsmith | Nov 17, 2015 | Leadership
A week ago, we had to let go of our dog Ralph.You may remember him from “Communication Lessons from My Dog Ralph” in May (https://yourwordsmith.com/what-can-my-dog-ralph-teach-you-about-communication).Since his sudden loss, I’ve been thinking about ways to become the...
by Franklin Wordsmith | Jul 21, 2015 | Leadership
No one really teaches us how to have difficult conversations. Maybe we ask for advice first—in part because we want someone to be on our side and join us in casting aspersions on the person who created the need for this talk (be honest!). Or we think about how to...
