An occupational hazard of being a psychologist is that I watch people a lot. I’m also a vice provost at UT Austin and, as we reach the end of the fall semester, there are a lot of holiday parties that I attend at work. I’ve noticed that a lot of people who go to these parties find a few others they know and engage in conversations. But others seem to be great connectors: They engage with many of the people in attendance, generate conversations, and make them feel welcome.

You would be amazed at how many people go into a negotiation without any pre-planning regarding their strategy. These folks go in hoping they'll land the maximum price, and they'll jump in, and use their gut and intuition to reach their goal. I'm sure some people have had success approaching negotiations this way. Typically, the better-prepared party wins in a negotiation.

Most companies analyze financial performance by looking at geographic segments, product lines, or channels. These perspectives overlook the fact that aggregate revenues are dependent on individual customers, and that’s why analyzing the business by looking at its customers can provide managers with useful insights. This process, called a customer-base audit, can be a tool for businesses as they seek to answer five questions.

Mindfulness meditation practices can be an effective way to reduce stress and improve well-being in certain contexts. But as more and more employers offer some form of mindfulness training to their employees, it isn’t always clear whether these programs are actually paying off. To explore the impact of mindfulness in the workplace, the authors conducted a series of field studies in real-world work environments — and they found that while mindfulness can in fact be beneficial in some situations, it can be less effective (or even counterproductive) in others.

Communication makes the world go round. It facilitates human connections and allows us to learn, grow, and progress. It's not just about speaking or reading, but understanding what is being said -- and in some cases what is not being said. Communication is the most important skill any leader can possess.

As a psychiatrist and neuroscience researcher, I've spent 27 years studying the surprising connections between our mental health, physical health and brain health. I've also learned a lot from my personal journey. In my 20s, I was diagnosed with metabolic syndrome, a combination of disorders that increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

In many instances, your first impression is formed online. When people are researching you in a professional capacity, their go-to resource is LinkedIn. If you want to impress people with your authentic first impression, you need to make your LinkedIn profile congruent with who you are in the real world. That means aligning the bits-and-bytes you with the flesh-and-bones you.

What is at the heart of being a successful salesperson? The answer is simple: meeting the needs and wants of the other person at their level. The "how" is the important part. In many cases, salespeople get a bad rap. And the number one reason most people state for not liking salespeople is that they push their agenda without listening to, acknowledging or meeting the needs and wants of the consumer.

This is a real question and answer from Teaching Startup, where members (startup leaders) ask questions about building and growing their business, and the answers are published in a members-only newsletter so that all members can benefit.

Another sales kickoff season is upon us, and for the first time since 2019, these annual sales events are like kickoffs from pre-pandemic days. But not quite. The virus hasn’t gone away, sales teams are dispersed around the globe, and remote work is here to stay.

Can business leaders learn anything useful from a successful person's list of success tips? I certainly don't think that trying to apply such tips will enable a leader to achieve the same level of success. That's because a successful person has skills that society values. And you may simply lack that same level of talent. But it's possible that following some of their tips could make your life better

It used to be that technical proficiency was the main quality that was desired when it came to leadership. And while technical proficiency is important, it is now considered an entry level skill that is necessary to get your foot in the door. Besides, many jobs are now so complex that we need to rely on a team of competent people.

Managers are really having a moment. Between the Great Resignation, a lingering pandemic, employees demanding flexibility, skyrocketing mental health challenges, a looming recession, and general uncertainty, more and more employees are turning to their direct supervisors for direction and support. Unfortunately, managers aren’t always prepared to meet their moment because they’re woefully under-trained and overworked while tasked with leading their teams during heightened turbulence. To retain your managers — and the employees who report to them — you need to invest in their development.

Inspiration. Collaboration. Authenticity. Engagement and empowerment. It's easy to name some of the qualities of a great leader. Still: Since most great leaders are made, not born, it's a lot harder to possess those qualities when you have little or no leadership experience.

If you could tell your exact buyer motives, you'd have no problem tailoring an effective sales strategy to suit their interests and inclinations. If you could always understand your buyer's motivations, you'd never lose out on a deal. Even though you cannot read people’s minds, there are still ways to get a feel for the underlying buying motives that drive most purchases.

Like it or not, we’re already in Q4. For me, that means doubling down on my efforts to lead my team to meet our sales goals for the year. And I’m not the only one. This is when leaders focus on how their organization can gain the competitive edge and drive performance in this final stretch of the year. That’s why I advise my colleagues to go back to the basics.

Prospective buyers are generally reluctant to speak to sellers, which is one of the most considerable roadblocks salespeople face. And there are many factors that contribute to this reluctance beyond simple disinterest. For one thing, the sales landscape has dramatically and rapidly shifted in recent years. Since the late twenty-tens and accelerating through COVID-19, the sales process has become much more complex.

A client of Ron’s, “Kelsey,” a division general manager of a large food manufacturer, recently told him, “Everyone on my team seems tired…all the time. I ask them how they’re doing, and they tell me ‘fine.’ If someone asks for time off, I say yes. They get the work done, but it seems like they’re in a fog. I don’t know what to do.”

We spend a lot of energy looking for shortcuts to save time, and sure, those shortcuts add up. But when I look back, my biggest time regrets aren’t spending too much time on social media or mismanaging my daily tasks. Those are bad habits, but there are bigger, more systematic time wasters that have really gotten in the way. Fixing these will free up a massive amount of time and energy.

Winston says there ought to be a similar protection for students–and I might add, that protection should be provided for entrepreneurs and aspiring business owners, too. Namely, that no one should go through life without being armed with the ability to properly communicate.