by Franklin Wordsmith | Jan 30, 2019 | Leadership
For months, my client—the CEO of a steel processing company—had been negotiating a joint venture with an international partner. The news release announcing this deal had finally been blessed by countless executives and attorneys. (See “The Hydrant Theory.”) It was...
by Franklin Wordsmith | Sep 15, 2016 | Culture, Persuasion
Maybe you’re like me. You’d rather do it yourself – in part, because you don’t want to ask for something and be turned down. Or owe someone something. Or a million and one other rationalizations for avoiding something that frightens you. But you’re also smart enough...
by Franklin Wordsmith | Dec 8, 2015 | Neuroscience
Have you been shopping this holiday season? Maybe you saw the $150 price tag for a pair of jeans your teenager wants and thought, “That costs twice as much as I used to pay for my jeans at that age. No way I’m spending that much!” I don’t advocate buying high-priced...
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...
