Reprise: A critical influence lesson inspired by my elderly Mom

This post is part of our Monthly-ish Tips series.

I was reminded about this post the other day (first shared in 2020) as I have been speaking lately to various business developer audiences about a critical influence lesson. The original post was inspired by interactions with my then-93-year-old mom, reminding me of what a mentor of mine once labeled, “Being committed, not attached.”

Reprise: Don’t let your egocentric bias stop you from this simple relationship-building practice

This post is part of our Monthly-ish Tips series.

I was listening to a podcast the other day that referenced research I had shared with Monthly-ish Tip subscribers in 2018, which inspired me to reprise the old tip. The research was cited in a New York Times article (sourced by the journal Psychological Science) and points to ways we can all benefit from a variation of a practice that my mom taught me—provided we can get past our misguided assumptions.

A small gesture (and related risk) with big trust impact (Part I)

This post is part of our Monthly-ish Tips series.

I’ve been reminded about the power and importance of small gestures—not just grand ones—in the face of big challenges. This extends to trust-building. There are small acts of inclusivity and kindness that we can make a part of our everyday—things like being sure to call people by their name as they wish to be called.