By Michael Vitali Editor’s Note: We are pleased to announce a new monthly column featuring inspiring stories of personal change. These stories will be featured in our upcoming book about personal change due to be released Spring 2011. I started smoking cigarettes when I was eleven years old. Since then, I’ve abused every drug on …
Author Joseph Grenny shares crucial conversations tips to ask for vacation time from work. Watch and hear his tips for succeeding in this hard-to-hold discussion.
ABOUT THE EXPERT Neil Staker is founder of PeopleSmart Solutions and a Master Certified Trainer in Crucial Conversations, Crucial Confrontations, and Influencer Training. ABOUT NEIL BOOK NEIL I love the Olympics—hard work, stress, anxiety, competition, disappointment, and triumph—all packed into one crucial moment. I was particularly drawn to bronze medalist, and Canadian figure skater, Joannie …
According to a study we recently conducted, those who surround themselves with friends who actively encourage or support their efforts are 38 percent more likely to keep resolutions, break bad habits, and achieve goals. However, more than 50 percent of people who are trying to achieve a personal goal have one or more active accomplices—someone …
According to a study we conducted, 60 percent of people either overspend or have a spouse or partner who overspends during the holiday season. Yet 78 percent say it is difficult to discuss holiday spending with their spouse or partner. The majority either put it off for months or avoid bringing up their concerns altogether. …
VitalSmarts’ most popular junior scientist, Hyrum Grenny, conducts a playful experiment to solve America’s hand-hygiene problem—a problem that leads to infection and avoidable medical errors. In fact, in America’s hospitals, hand washing compliance rates hover between 30 to 50 percent! Watch as Hyrum teaches strategy and principles to change behavior using a group of 80 …
VitalSmarts has captured vignettes of some of the most sensitive crucial conversations. Watch as one boss is faced with an awkward performance review, or as a couple tries to talk with their elderly father about his ability to drive. Let us know what you think about our latest round of videos. For more humorous videos …
My mother and I have always had a solid relationship and have been very open with one another—except on one point. My mother is a smoker. Although I don’t have strong objections to her smoking habits, I do have serious concerns about her smoking in my home and around my family. I am not the …
Lately it seems the evolution of corporate leadership has come full circle: feared tyrants to spineless pushovers and back again to oppressive leaders. This cyclical trend sparks a timeless debate: which management style is better for business? The “nasty boss” or the “nice boss”? For more than two decades, we have spent more than 10,000 …
Summer vacation time is on its way out and the doldrums of winter are settling in. Have you taken your much-needed vacation yet? If not, you’re not alone. It seems corporate America is experiencing a vanishing vacation pandemic. In an effort to get ahead and secure finance and job security in a volatile economy, managers …
