As professionals we are required to engage in difficult conversations from time to time. Whether it’s a conversation that we initiate or a discussion that is directed at us, chances are, we’ve seen difficult conversations from both sides of the table in our careers. By their very nature, difficult conversations are neither pleasant nor welcoming. […]
“Wow. How do you know that?” My son looked at me, genuine awe on his little 6-year old face. “I’m a mom. Moms know everything.” I had said it so many times that it just rolled off my tongue after a while. I know everything. My way or the highway. Just do as I say. […]
Reasons are many, the result is one! A common complaint nowadays from almost everyone is “I don’t have time” and/or “I’m really stressed out”, and most of the time, not having time and being stressed out are mutually exclusive. So where is time? Where is it disappearing? We often feel 24 hours a day are […]
People generally tend to focus on attending or developing their skills on concepts relating to knowledge or business acumen. However, what we fail to realise is that the most powerful skill to develop in oneself is Soft Skills. Soft skills is a sociological term relating to a person’s “EQ” (Emotional Quotient), the cluster of personality […]
Employers want to select, retain and promote individuals who are dependable, resourceful, ethical and good communicators. Gone are the days when possessing a degree or high technical abilities would act as a gateway to a dream job. Today, demanding employers want more from employees than knowledge and experience. While these “hard skills” can make a […]
Some cities in our part of the world can sweep you off your feet: Beirut reins you in with its mosaical chaos; Cairo charms you with its sea of smiles; Istanbul is magnetic with its spectacular culture; and Medina soothes you with its ambient spirituality. But Dubai? Dubai strikes you with its unparalleled ambition. In […]
Success is a relevant thing, but there is no doubt about one other thing, that the most successful people in life are the ones with the most empathy. Empathy is the art of putting yourself in other people’s shoes. You get to see what they see, and feel what they feel. This doesn’t mean that […]
Hundreds and hundreds of articles are written about communication. In almost every soft skills training, no matter what topic we’re discussing, communication is addressed. Is communication overly communicated as a topic? The answer is a definite NO. Why? I believe lack of effective communication is still the number one reason for most of the problems […]
It was a windy May afternoon in 1954 at Oxford. A far bigger crowd than would normally have been seen at the university’s stadium gathered there because word had gone round lecture halls, coffee shops, pubs and places that something historical was going to happen. An attempt was to be made on the four-minute mile […]
As part of a weekend retreat organized by the Rotary clubs of Lebanon, I once delivered an introductory session on public speaking to a highly energetic crowd of university students. The session took place in a hotel ballroom in the picturesque town of Ehden, it was packed with more than 130 attendees and half of […]
