Hearing is with your ears but listening is with the mind. Make a special effort to listen hard. Opportunity sometimes knocks very softly.          A good listener is not only popular but learns much.          You cannot listen if you are talking and if you are talking you are not learning.          Good leaders know…

Good leaders know how to ask questions and remain silent when people talk.          To gain information, learn to ask simple questions. A handful of tips to improve your questioning skills          Most successful people are usually skilled questioners. Master the skills of asking questions. * To start          Start with a comfortable question to…

To start a conversation you need to go through a kind of ritual. The ritual will vary between races, sexes, and the status of people.          The best thing to wear at the start of a conversation is a smile. Here are a handful of tips to help you establish a rapport and make a…

Your promotion and retention in the workforce will depend on your determination to succeed and your ability to maintain a good work record. A Handful of tips to help you get promoted, to maintain work, and earn more money * GET NOTICED          Get a good reputation       Be punctual for work – (arrive early).…

I have a friend living on a small farm on the Upper Plain over in the Wairarapa. He grows Walnuts and has a scoop to collect the nuts after they drop. He then has a small machine to crack the nuts and to sort the kernels from the shell.      

Resolving Differences – Odds & Ends 52 Most conflicts are usually the result of misunderstandings or poor communication.          Clashes in the workplace are often due to personality differences, or jealousies.          Aim to improve communication. Try to explain and discuss developments before they become a problem. A hand full of tips to help resolve…

WALNUTS – Odds & Ends 51 The last time I visited Taranaki I called in to visit the house I had built on the outskirts of New Plymouth. I was surprised and delighted to see walnuts lying on the lawn. My father had given me that tree when I was living there sometime in the…

Write to be read.           Having 100 editions of my books published by 31 publishers, in 18 countries, and in 11 languages people often call to ask me to share my writing tips. I am always happy to tell people how I write, but we all have different styles.           Never forget most people are…

Nothing really endures except change. Disregard those who say; “It’s been done before” or “It cannot be done!” All the more reason to do it again and do it better – conditions change.           Management is about making things happen and this means making changes.           Changes are seldom smooth. Powerful forces are at work…

        Recently a granddaughter asked me what things had stressed me out the most. This was a good question and one worthy of much thought.         Going into the unknown was a good starting point.         When I first left home at the age of sixteen to work on farms as a farming cadet I…