Category Archives: Communicating

Appreciate

Any dispute. Any concern. Any dissatisfaction. Any insubordination. Any frustration. Any anything can be solved with a little appreciation.

“I appreciate your” is a great way to start ending all of that stuff above.

What’s your objective here?

Before you start an email, meeting, invitation, task, project, phone call, do this:

Figure out your objective.

You’ll get that thing done so much faster, better and with less friction.

And, who doesn’t want that?

Some people

No matter how easy you make it for them, they’d prefer not to help you.

  • A one-minute email.
  • A five-second text.
  • A two-second mention.

Stop using ease and generosity to convince these people.

Most people like helping.

Some people just like helping themselves.

Words of encouragement

You can deliver words of encouragement.

They’re especially great in defiance of haters.

But, in your words of encouragement, don’t acknowledge said haters. Ignoring their existence is more effective, efficient, and generally, a better method of being a human being.

lenny gale oops

Understanding annoying mornings

If you’re having an annoying morning, ask yourself:

  • Do I perhaps not know everything?
  • Is there a chance I don’t know what’s best?
  • Could I have listened better?
  • Was there a missed opportunity to check in?
  • Did I assume someone should know?
  • Do I sense someone is gonna ignore your advice?

If the answer is yes to any of these questions, maybe the annoying morning is just an annoying you.

Plenty

Your most clever stuff?

Test it.

You might think it’s so true. So irresistible. So perfect.

But if it doesn’t get the reaction you expect, toss it.

Two or three tries is plenty.

How do email anyone cold

If you lookup strategies for emailing someone cold, you’re already screwed.

They’re not replying.

If you try to spark their curiosity by providing vague, but enticing (or scary) details, you’ve already lost.

They’re not replying.

If you carefully describe the problems you want to solve and the benefits awaiting them for replying, you’re done.

They’re not replying.

But maybe, just maybe, if you are so honest, so self-depreciating, so relatable, you might stand out from the crowd.

And then, they might just reply.

I could give you the template that works for me.

But that would render it useless for all of us (see above).

(Unless! Unless I did tell you my cold email method.

Then, I could use the subject line, “My cold emailing method went viral and now using it makes me sound like a desperate moron. But now that you’ve seen my ability to influence the masses, can I ask for a one-sided favor despite not knowing you at all?”)

Moral of the story: Be super genuine with your cold emails. You might get a reply if you demonstrate awareness of knowing how annoying it is to get one.

The Worst

You can usually identify who’s “the worst.”

  • The worst at work.
  • The worst in social settings.
  • The worst amongst a group with whom you have zero personal relationship (celebs, athletes, etc.).

Ugh, they’re the worst.

But when you say that out loud, you instantly become incorrect.

Now, it’s you.

Rhyme requests

In life, there are some annoying requests we have to make.

  • Do this.
  • Don’t do that.
  • Remember to do the thing you’ll forget which will upset me, and therefore, upset you.

So how do we make these requests without sounding annoying (and actually get the results we’re looking for)?

Rhyme time.

(Many of these examples are urine-related. Oh well.)

“If it’s yellow, let it mellow. If it’s brown flush it down.”

“If you sprinkle when you tinkle, please be neat and wipe the seat.”

“If you kill it, fill it.”

Isn’t that more pleasant than nagging and / or negotiating?

What other rhyme requests do you use?