Folks assigned to work on teams may not always be a good fit. An example of this is dealing with a team member who has a reputation of not working well with others. There are two ways to handle it. (Use the method that best suits the culture of your organization.)

One way is for the team leader to have a one on one conversation with this individual about shared expectations and what is the best for the team and organization. The second way is to have a team meeting with an open dialog on the key elements of impactful communications. Outline acceptable methods of how to handle any potential conflict and decide on the best way to agree to disagree.

The most important thing is ensure the team is successful as a group.

When Samantha takes a walk, she always starts full of the potential excitement of her adventure. Her head is held high and her gaze is straight ahead, eyes shining with great anticipation about what she might see. For those of you who know, Samantha is my bison (you can see her picture on the far upper right corner).

Wouldn’t it be great if each time you walked into a room, you had the good anticipatory feeling of exploring something new? It projects in your body, facial expressions and even your walk. It is the aura of confidence and creates a wonderful first impression.

The charm of Facebook is that it helps folks express themselves and engage those with like minds. It can also provide some self-insight:

Dos

• Talk about only positive experiences

• Select profile photos that have a professional, casual, friendly look

• Post pictures that involve others only if you have permission to use them

Don’ts

• Never write anything off-color

• Never post any pictures that are risqué

• Never say anything negative about a product or person

You always want to present positive vibes because what you post has a long internet life. Following these few simple guidelines will help ensure that your Facebook posts will only enhance your image.

Face to face networking is still critical. It helps one get to know about people and people get to know you. It also helps you learn about different industries and who the key decision makers are.

Here are a few tips to ensure you have fun networking while appearing confident, relaxed and engaging.

1. Do research on the event including who is going to be there and the background of the event.

2. Bring a friend with you. Introducing someone helps get you going and plus they can introduce you.

3. Dress for the occasion – slightly underdressing is better than over dressing.

4. Wear comfortable shoes.

5. Eat before the event so you will not be starving. Anyway, it is not about the food.

6. Prepare a personal introduction and an easy ice breaker.

7. Always go up to a group. Never wait till someone comes to you

Keep these tips in mind and you will have a good networking event. Instead of surviving you will be thriving.

Recently, I was at Costco getting my tires replaced and the electricity in a one block radius went down. There was no indication from ComEd when the power would go back up. The registers could only take cash or check.

Within a heartbeat the employees began apologizing. They also offered bottled water and cookies to everyone. The cookies were the big ones in oatmeal/raisin, chocolate chip and toffee. Plus, you could have more than one!

I stayed for about an hour. When I left they were still giving out bottles of water and cookies. The tire folks called me back in about two hours when the power came back on. I was so impressed. They explained and apologized for the inconvenience even though they were not the problem. This is an example of the good customer service.

Now comes the bad. I was traveling for a client and had a 5:15 pm flight back to Chicago. The flight was delayed three times. However, we only found out each time were to board that the flight would be delayed. Finally, we began to board at 11 PM, waited 20 minutes only to be informed that the flight was cancelled.

No warnings or apologies were given. The airline personnel attitude was more like: Why you are bothering us with your presence? I was much more impressed by the passengers who (like myself) never got mad or raised their voices.

It was interesting going from very good customer treatment to bad and ugly in a matter of just a few days.

Often, when I am working with clients on their interviewing skills – it is their body language that negates their professional presence. The On-Line University staff writers have written a blog on this topic. It emphasizes how critical body language is in communications. It points out how perceptions are created: 82% with the eyes, 11%, ears, 7%, smell, taste and touch.

Go to http://www.onlineuniversities.com/body-language to view a graph and article that will give you tips on how to insure that those around you see you as a confident person and to comfirm that you mean what you say with your voice and body language.

Interviews fall into the same category as public speaking. We can be extremely nervous while at the same time, we want folks to know that we are brilliant and belong in that role. Even Jodie Foster, writer, actor and philanthropist hated the audition process, which is similar to an interview.

Breathing is the number one physical action you can take that will steady and help you exude confidence in an interview as well as help you get through a panic attack, should one occur.

Secondly, you want to practice how you will talk in the interview. Remember what it is about your background, life and practical business experiences that puts you over the top for the position.

Keep in mind, though, that a “gotcha” question might be asked. If so, repeat the question and breathe deep to settle yourself. These tips will bring you closer to getting the job you are meant to have.

Unfortunately, it has become very common not to respond to e-mails, phone calls, voice messages and even direct questions. I find that a true professional will respond with one of the following statements:

– I will get back to you when we have an answer.

– I received your message and will get back to you by________.

– I received your message and will get back to you as soon as I can.

A real professional will respond within 24 hours. Become a pro who always gives the courtesy of a response. If you are already responsive, good going and keep it up.

In the book “Shouting Won’t Help,” author Katherine Bouton whose hearing loss began at age 30, lists three tips on how to help someone who has a hearing loss. They are:

– Look at the person you are talking to

– Repeat the question or answer by paraphrasing it

– Articulate using a normal voice and even pace.

It’s all great advice since many folks today may experience hearing loss due to loud noises and ear phone usage. In fact, we are getting used to seeing hearing aids because they are becoming as commonplace as glasses.

Also, if you have a hearing loss – let people know about it in an easy conversation. It will remind them to use the three tips above and help you understand what they are saying.

I just finished reading “Complaint is a Gift” by Janelle Barlow and Claus Moller (It is out of print.). It highlights case studies from companies who have used customer complaints as a tool to strengthen their services and products (British Airlines is one of those cited in the book.)

I believe our customers refer to everyone we communicate and work with. Just recently, I purchased an item that was misrepresented to me. I called the store to let them know I did not like being strong armed into purchasing this product. I was told that the product was better than the one I actually wanted to buy.

Their responsess were text book on what not to do when handling a complaint:

– They never asked my name.

– They never introduced themselves.

– They never thanked me for calling.

– They never suggested that they could have been wrong.

This will be the last time I go to this store. Their products were not less expensive than those at other stores, but their establishment was convenient for me to get to.

So, it’s good policy to treat a complaint as a gift because when it’s handled the proper way, customer loyalty usually remains intact.