by Russ Riddle | Oct 6, 2015 | Communication
Why has advocacy morphed into rabid confrontation? To quote one long-time judge in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area – “Being adversarial does not require that you bark like a backyard dog at every little thing.” Acting out is unpersuasive. “Stop stomping your feet and...
by Russ Riddle | Sep 30, 2015 | Uncategorized
“Russ, the lawyer who effectively tells a story almost always wins the verdict,” said the judge. Other judges I’ve spoken with agree. But the advice transcends professions. The same is true for closing a sale. For securing investor funding. For capturing hearts of any...
by Russ Riddle | Sep 25, 2015 | Communication
One unintended, albeit human byproduct of conquering professional curriculum and licensure is we sometimes swell up. We’ve achieved. We’ve arrived. We personify the pomp and circumstance. Both comedy and tragedy. Our message succumbs. Professor Tom Baker warned me and...
by Russ Riddle | Sep 25, 2015 | Communication, Legal
You and I worked hard to become experts in our field. To obtain our professional credentials. Law school’s tough. Medical school’s tough. MBA curriculum is tough. Engineering, architecture, dentistry and psychology . . . tough . . . the list goes on. Not everyone’s up...
by Russ Riddle | Mar 20, 2013 | Communication, Relationships
People instinctively push buttons. I am not sure why. Perhaps we marvel at the results. But relationships can suffer. Our fascination with buttons starts innocently enough. Toddler toys sport buttons of all sorts. Animal heads pop up, sounds abound and giggles burst...
by Russ Riddle | Mar 20, 2013 | Fun, Humor
The human life cycle is ironic. We start out in diapers; we end up in diapers. We eat soft foods as we cut our teeth; we eat soft foods as we lose our teeth. We need caregivers as newborns; we often need caregivers in our last days. My theory is that during the...
by Russ Riddle | Feb 15, 2013 | Humor, Leadership, Motivation
One surefire morale buster in the workplace is expecting your team to perform tasks without providing them the proper tools. Ask any auto mechanic. Without the right tools, a repair is more difficult, takes more time and frustrates the most patient of grease monkeys....
by Russ Riddle | Feb 14, 2013 | Communication, Humor
Miscommunication is epidemic in our society. In past posts we have explored technology as a culprit. But we can never exonerate ourselves, as we choose to communicate unwisely via virtual means. We also sometimes communicate based upon assumptions. The trite saying...
by Russ Riddle | Feb 7, 2013 | Humor
Life throws down many a gauntlet. We enter this world with a spanking and angst begins. On balance, life’s wine glass is half full, but there are hard days on the planet. You know. Ours is an equal opportunity experience. Basking in the pleasant is instinctive. The...
by Russ Riddle | Feb 7, 2013 | Humor
Levity begets longevity. Medical research has long corroborated such. Physical benefits of humor include the exercising of muscles and organs, increased oxygen and blood flow, and release of those God-given antidepressants we call “endorphins.” Physicians also assert...
