Communicate to Connect: Kathi’s Blog

Tips, techniques, and strategies to help you succeed and shine every time you communicate.

Engage the Audience: What’s In It For Them?

Ever found yourself speaking in front of a group of people and wondering, Are they paying any attention at all? It’s probably happened to all of us at one time or another. We’ve been asked to speak at a meeting, give a presentation, teach a class, or deliver a speech....

Building Good Relationships at Work

The link between social communication and success in the workplace is important - and sometimes overlooked. It can be easy to get caught up in the day-to-day routine of responsibilities, deadlines, projects, crises, and interoffice politics. Taking a step back to...

Having Tough Conversations

Do you dread having tough conversations? A close friend of mine told me about a conversation she needed to have with her mother-in-law. Grandma was giving my friend’s children overly expensive and elaborate gifts for major occasions like birthdays and Christmas, while...

How to Run an Effective Meeting

Have you ever sat through a meeting and wondered, "What am I doing here?" Or, have you ever left a meeting and thought, "Well, that's an hour of my life I'll never get back!" Meetings are a fact of life in business. Unfortunately, many meetings are poorly run and...

Why Should You Get Feedback on Your Writing?

As writers, we're often very protective of our work. We're personally invested in it, we've spent a lot of time crafting something we like, and we want to think we're putting our best stuff out there. Asking for feedback on what we've written leaves us open...

Team Building: Strategies for Success

Successful team building doesn't come easy, but the rewards are worth the effort. Teams that work well together are more productive and create a pleasant, supportive work environment. Team leaders set the tone for how a group is expected to work together. Having...

How to Resolve Conflict in a Healthy Way

Conflict happens everyday. While we tend to focus on the negative side of this scenario, conflict isn’t necessarily a bad thing. If it’s resolved in a positive way, relationships can grow stronger because the people involved have a better understanding and acceptance...

Negotiation: 6 Quick Tips To Find a Win-Win

Does the idea of negotiating totally turn you off? I used to dread having to negotiate. In fact, I'd avoid negotiating, if at all possible. To sidestep a potential (and most likely imaginary) confrontation, I would just not engage in negotiating. At all. Maybe this is...

Networking: 8 Painless Strategies

Networking – or purposefully meeting new people to build relationships – is an important part of job searching, advancing up the corporate ladder, or running your own business. Networking can benefit your career in many ways. It can also feel awkward or uncomfortable,...

Enjoy the Silence

How do you feel about silence? If you’re like most of us, silence makes us uncomfortable. In our daily lives, we’re inundated with sound. I recently found myself waiting for my car at the local mechanic, and I was amazed at the amount of sound in the lounge area....

The Show Must Go On: The Importance of Preparation

Have you ever had a “show must go on” moment? One of those times where something totally unexpected very nearly derailed you, and you felt like you were scrambling just to keep your footing? One of my hobbies is acting in community theatre productions, and it’s a...

Combat the Negative and Turn That Frown Upside Down

Negative Nellies – we’ve all met them. You know the type. No matter what you say, no matter what you ask of them, no matter how easy or pleasant the situation, they can always find a reason why things are bad, awful, or impossible. If you have to work or live with a...