"I can’t believe she wrote that; it’s so unprofessional to speak to me like that,” a young professional named Emma told me, clearly frustrated. Emma was working on an important project, and someone on her team, Jason, was not pulling their weight. A follow-up email led to a delayed and snarky reply, escalating into tense exchanges across emails, texts, and Teams messages. Does this sound familiar? It’s a common issue in the workplace, often caused by miscommunication through email. I advised Emma to pick up the phone and call Jason. Initially hesitant, she gave it a try. During their call, Jason explained he was dealing with personal issues and had misunderstood her tone. Emma shared the urgency of the project. They quickly realized it was a misunderstanding. From that day on, Emma and Jason spoke more frequently, significantly improving their work relationship and effectiveness. What used to take countless emails could now be settled in a quick call. The art of the phone call is dying as we rely more on digital communication. However, if you want to accelerate your career, you need to be comfortable enough to pick up the phone and talk to people—clients, colleagues, and even your boss. A two-minute phone call can save many email exchanges and strengthen relationships. Emma’s story is a perfect example. By simply calling Jason, she turned a potentially toxic work relationship into a collaborative and effective partnership. Is the art of a phone call at work dying? What are your thoughts?

Yes, I said it. New Years Resolutions at the end of July. Why is it that people have to wait until January 1st to make a new commitment or aim to break a bad habit. The answer = it’s an external deadline (date) The world has told you that’s the time to start fresh, make changes and make it your year. Well - they are all lying. You do not need an external date to make changes, you can do it anytime. Even today! To be a high performer and get promoted, you will need to get very good at setting your own deadlines. Whether it’s a personal passion or work project, internal deadlines (the ones you make yourself) are the most important. This week is August 1st, and although we don’t worry about external dates or deadlines, I want to share that I think (no proof), that this is one of the most unproductive months at work for many. Lots of vacation, great weather and this idea that it can happen after labor day (an external deadline). Instead of letting August just slip by, perhaps you tackle something really valuable this month at work. The thing I want you to consider is to select something unexpected that will add significant value to your boss. Think about what she/he may value the most and get that thing done. If you are stuck on what to do, ask them help and say “If I could do one thing this month to make our lives better at work for you and for the team for the next twelve months, what would it be?” We are not trying to ‘suck up’, instead we are showing our ability to be proactive. A concept we will dive into soon. How will you tackle August? Comment below.

Be mindful.

Most meetings suck? Agree? Well, I'm here to tell you that they are a necessary evil when working with people, and with the right frameworks, training and tools you can run meetings that participants want to attend. Can you imagine a meeting that people want to attend, not just because there are snacks, but because it will contribute to their own success. In today's live workshop that will be recorded and available in this community, I am going to highlight the most important parts of a meeting (using the attached workshop) to really elevate its effectiveness. For those that can make it, see you there! Do you have a meeting horror story, share in comments below. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1n8m_W8Xeb1DPZ-7-ExIl8C4G_vPsDUQK/copy

Team - the community is officially closed. The waiting list has begun, and over the next several weeks I would like to make contact with all of you to see if this community is a fit for you. If not, not a problem at all, we will just part ways and I can let another member in. The goal is to have a community of 100 engaged individuals to really understand how best I can add value. At that point, we can consider opening it up to others and grow our collective impact. Our newest members are: @Edward Lewis @Rasheed Asiwaju @Oshiorenua Adams @Denz Gordon @Keith Gilbank @Ds Srikanth @Terry Musch @Muhammad Zeeshan @Meg Shephard @Ai quoc Pham @Dora Vanourek @Nadeem Ahmad @Ashok Pai @Nicole Maurer Please take a moment to introduce yourself in the Introduction area. https://www.skool.com/success-systems-9171?c=d7bfb1bb1ee943e4a7c5207c6fdc5fba&s=newest-cm&fl= and Add yourself to the member map To find your Skool ID, just go to your profile and you will something that looks like this @roger-thompson-2468 type your general (not exact) location and boom. https://map.skool.tools/success-systems (I hope these links work)