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Dave's Dirty Dozen Email Rules

It’s been four years since we launched Dave's Charm School’s online platform and many people have benefited from the courses, not least of which is the Communications 101 course covering active listening, body language, communicating respectfully, and more.

One of the lessons in the course is titled “Email, IM, Texting Standards” and includes my Dirty Dozen Email Rules. These rules are incredibly helpful for any executive, manager, or front-line employee that wants to present themselves professionally and communicate effectively via email.

Every rule may not apply to you, but most of them probably do. Feel free to copy and edit my list to create your own list that works at your company.

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What Are Soft Skills and Why Are They Important?

Soft skills. It’s a term you’ve probably heard before. From executives and consultants, to Seth Godin and Inc Magazine, people are talking about the importance of soft skills so much it feels like a new diet craze.

However, when you take some time to investigate, it becomes clear that “soft skills” just means “likeable”, “conscientious”, or “admirable”. It’s a broad term used to describe almost all non-technical skills.

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Performance, Company Culture Jeff Russell Performance, Company Culture Jeff Russell

How Often Should You Train Your Employees?

A consistent training regimen is important for you and your team. Effective training provides new hires and existing employees with the skills and knowledge they need to not only do their job but improve their performance. However, like many companies, you may not be sure how to train your employees, when to train them, and when to retrain them on previous skills.

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Performance Jeff Russell Performance Jeff Russell

Desirable Difficulties and the Cognitive Reflection Test

Last year I read 13 books. It was the first year in which I kept track of the books I read. I stacked each one on top of my Ikea Kallax 4x4 shelf until all of them together created an unstable tower of literature by December 31st (ok fine, not that big of a tower, not that unstable).

This year one of my goals is to…

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Performance David Russell Performance David Russell

Achieving Dreams, Not Chasing Them

Last year you were unable to live some of your dreams. 

Hopefully you are thankful for what you were able to achieve.  No disappointment should block out the joy of sincere gratitude for what you have.

However, how can we improve our game this year?

Here is an option for you.

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Start Here. Now.

It’s the end of 2018.  Did you achieve all of your objectives this year professionally and personally? Did you even have objectives for 2018? If you are honest with yourself, the likely answer is no.

The good news is, you get another chance in 2019.

The bad news is, your unproductive habits are ready to sabotage 2019.

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Company Culture, Leadership, Performance David Russell Company Culture, Leadership, Performance David Russell

Weak Debriefs Are Killing You

In the book, Flawless Execution, author and former U.S. Air Force pilot James Murphy describes how the Air Force uses a continuous improvement process to reduce errors, casualties, and losses.

Two of his recommendations struck me – how the Air Force prepares for missions, and how they learn from them – the debrief.  I think the debrief is a serious weakness in most companies.

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Leadership, Performance David Russell Leadership, Performance David Russell

It's Time to Train Your Leaders

Every year the effectiveness of your management team determines your results.

Managers don't just assign tasks and drive them to completion. They develop relationships with their team and counterparts. They comfort, console, instruct, and act as a guide. When your front-line employee encounters a crisis, the first person they turn to is not going to be the CEO, it's going to be their manager. The skills and wisdom of the manager will determine whether the crisis is averted or inflamed, and whether the employee is empowered or deflated.

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Performance David Russell Performance David Russell

The Real Cost of UNengaged Employees

Everybody has them, although a few of you may think you don't.

I'm talking about employees who do less than their best.

There are a variety of reasons for their behavior. It may be a lack of skill, poor communication, limited accountability or training, lack of engagement.

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Performance David Russell Performance David Russell

Your Participation Trophy

Do you have employees who want special recognition, increased compensation, or increased freedom without responsibility or results?

One way to describe this perspective is they have an "entitlement mentality."

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