This blog entry is intended to be a quick and basic introduction to the theory and practice of Appreciative Leadership as espoused in a recent book by Diana Whitney, Amanda Trosten-Bloom, and Kae Rader. The name of the book is Appreciative Leadership: Focus on What Works to Drive Winning Performance and Build a Thriving Organization.

Office gossip is a term recognized by many. Just hearing this term will most likely result in recollections of conversations you have had or overheard at work. It may even bring a picture of the "known office gossip" into your mind's eye.

Call centers are now a mainstream tool for providing customer service to a very large audience. As a co-host of the Customer Service blog, I’m going to share some useful ideas about how to maximize the performance of your call centers. So what can I tell you about it? I hope to be able to …

The recession may not be feel like it’s over yet but most managers appreciate that Christmas needn’t be cancelled again this year. Boozy parties are probably not the best way to mark the end of a tough year but that doesn’t mean there’s not value in gathering everyone together. As we enter an era when …

Controversial topics can easily lead publications to the need for crisis management. A Marie Claire writer has sparked a social media crisis for the magazine after a seemingly negative article about the “Big Six,” a group of leading women’s health and fitness bloggers, drew thousands of fans to their defense. Ragan’s PR Junkie blog has …

The internet works brilliantly because keywords drive everything. They’re the basis for every search engine that helps researchers and buyers find exactly what they’re looking for.

A thread in a listserve in which I participate addressed the question(s) of Creating-and-Implementing and Finding-and-Compensating a Consultant to help with a Corporation Solicitation Programs. Interestingly, the latter issue stimulated most of the responses/comments, with little attention being paid to the former. So, I’ll address the “more popular” issue first – compensating the “consultant” … …

I heard a man say that he doesn’t like to tell his wife his small concerns because, “I don’t want to incite her creative ways to worry.” When was the last time you took a small thing to worry about and turned it into a catastrophe in your mind? We humans are very creative beings. …

When I first started in the community development field, I was amazed to discover that so many of the target populations that we dealt with really felt they didn’t have a voice and that their opinions didn’t matter or count for anything. At first I had a hard time grasping the concept that someone could …

Here are some popular love/work quotes: “Do what you love and the money will follow.” “Work is love made visible.” “If you’re not in the job you love, love the job you’re in.” How great would it be to love your work?! Do you? I can honestly say I do. I remember knowing what it …