We share stories about our own Pugs, and we have a sense of community and connection through our shared love for these adorable creatures. But what sets Sparky and his Momma apart is the way in which they communicated their story and touched the hearts of thousands of people.

Natural Influencing will only take you so far! Read on to learn about four common mistakes most people make when using intuitive influence.

Most of us have a job where we need to achieve goals and work with other people. For many, the work with other people is both the most rewarding and the hardest part of the job.

At Strategic Soft Skills Institute, we have trained negotiation skills globally across a variety of industries for over 40 years. We like to be practical. We like to make sure that what we talk about is relevant for a wide range of situations, industries, cultures, and skill levels.

Unfortunately, many employees either dislike or hate their jobs, and one of the most common reasons is that they have a challenging boss. Just thinking about a high-stakes salary negotiation, a sensitive year-end performance review, or having to deliver some kind of “bad news” to your boss can raise your stress level. It’s hard to be at your best in those kinds of situations. Fortunately, we have a solution! It will be a lot easier once you’ve crafted your strategic soft skills plan.

Many companies claim that their culture is great and that they have solid relationships between leaders and followers. Take a spin on Glass Door to see how accurate this assertion is, as many companies are simply lacking essential components.

Let’s face it – most people are intimidated by negotiating. They think that some people have these magical negotiating skills that separate them from the rest of humanity – us mere mortals.

When I set out to do my PhD, I originally wanted to conduct research into influence. With all of the required courses that I could customize to influence, I started looking at the available academic literature. To my surprise, I realized that the behavioral work we do all over the world goes way beyond anything I found in the literature.