2005 IN THE NEWS ARCHIVE

See what the media and analysts said about VitalSmarts in 2005.

2003-2004 In The News Archive

The Globe and Mail
December 2005
Crucial Confrontations is named as one of the top reads for managers.

HR.Com
Chief Learning Officer
Do You Work With A Scrooge
December 2005
Nearly three-quarters of respondents say their holidays are more stressful due to four Scrooge-like colleagues. The key to reducing stress is speaking up.

Chief Learning Officer
Are We Really Becoming Better Communicators?
November 2005
As wave after wave of new technology hits, with faster and easier means of communicating, are our communication skills improving—or deteriorating? Kerry Patterson discusses the vital role of a CLO in managing effective employee communication.
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T+D Magazine
Talking Hi-Tech at Work
November 2005
With the advent of new technology, Joseph Grenny addresses the parameters we must use to monitor our method of communication to ensure that it appropriately matches our message.

MSN Career Builder
Five Lessons from Donald and Martha's Apprentice
October 2005
Are Donald and Martha effective leaders? Kerry Patterson pinpoints the five things you should learn not to do from watching the apprentice shows this season.

MSN Career Builder
Smelly Coworker?
September 2005
What do you do when your coworker has a personal hygiene problem? Kerry Patterson provides six tips to help you avoid skirting the sensitive issue and start solving the problem.

AOL Career Builder
What's Better: Send an E-mail or Talk Face-to-Face?
September 2005
In today's well-connected world, when is it appropriate to ditch the hi-tech communication and resort to traditional methods? Kerry Patterson provides five situations that call for face-to-face communication.

Inc. Magazine
Lost in Translation
September 2005
Technology is not inherently evil, but it can be the kiss of death when used to communicate anything sensitive, important, or complicated, says Ron McMillan.

The Wall Street Journal
How You Can Survive the Dumbest Thing You Did to Your Boss
August 30, 2005
Joseph Grenny explains that not only can you rebound from an embarrassing moment in front of a boss, you can also improve the relationship in the process.

The New York Times
The Smallest Raise in the Office Was Yours
August 21, 2005
VitalSmarts' Ron McMillan says that when you feel you've been short changed, you should speak up.
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The Wall Street Transcript
Q&A with Al Switzler of VitalSmarts
August 10, 2005
VitalSmarts CEO Al Switzler tells the company's story, highlights training products and resources, and unveils what is on the horizon for the growing corporate training company.
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Workforce Performance Solutions
A Time and Place for Technology
August 9, 2005
VitalSmarts' Ron McMillan provides appropriate parameters for using technology to communicate.

HR Magazine
Training and Development
July 2005
VitalSmarts newest training course, Crucial Confrontations™, offers employers focused training solutions for confronting chronic management and workforce problems.

Learning & Training Innovations
Five Steps to Better Instructional Design
June 30, 2005
VitalSmarts' Kerry Patterson provides training leaders and managers with five key steps to getting the most out of their training initiatives.
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The National Post
E-mail is No Substitute For Face-to-Face Contact
June 15, 2005
VitalSmarts' Ron McMillan says when casual business conversation turns crucial, people need to meet face-to-face.

Chief Project Officer
Bridging the Cultural Communication Gap
June 2005
VitalSmarts' Kerry Patterson shares seven tips for communicating from afar.

Financial Times Germany
Crucial Confrontations Ranking
May 11, 2005
Crucial Confrontations: Tools for Resolving Broken Promises, Violated Expectations and Bad Behavior is named one of the top ten business books of 2005.

HR.Com
Crucial Conversations: Dealing with Strong Emotions
May 9, 2005
VitalSmarts' Kerry Patterson provides tips and advice on how to face an extremely angry client and still maintain a cordial working relationship.

HR.Com
Leadership Lessons to the Entrepreneur: Lesson Number One, Worry About Culture
May 2, 2005
VitalSmarts' Kerry Patterson looks at the legendary culture established by Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard as a template for the entrepreneur, stating, "As your ideas blossom into products, which further burgeon into companies, if you don't think about your corporate culture, your chances of success are severely reduced."

T+D Magazine
Crucially Stuck? Acquire the Skills That Matter
May 2005
When Lockheed Martin Aeronautics needed "big change, fast!" VitalSmarts intervened to help bring about measurable change.

The Boston Herald
Restoring Lines of Communication: Face-time Counters Workplace Technology Ills
April 10, 2005
Ironically, technology has brought us improved ways to miscommunicate in the workplace. A classic example is the manager who uses modern technology to deliver bad news. VitalSmarts' Kerry Patterson proposes face-time. "Yes, face-time, where you can read each other's reactions and you can have a real dialogue."

Christian Science Monitor
Only the Ethical Need Apply
March 30, 2005
As corporate America experiences the "great global brain drain," a trend where technology takes over routine work tasks, a focus on ethics will intensify. VitalSmarts' Joseph Grenny says we must either resolve the weaknesses ethically or suffer more acutely.

The New York Times
When a Subordinate Goes Wide to the Boss
March 6, 2005
What do you do when an ambitious employee goes to your boss behind your back to pitch an idea you originally rejected? According to Grenny this situation may illustrate your tendency to micromanage and not give people opportunities to vent their ideas.

Australian Financial Review
How to Pick Your Fights Wisely
February 8, 2005
There's a way to have constructive confrontation in the office. VitalSmarts' Joseph Grenny says maintaining the status quo might look like the best option but leads to lost productivity and profits and causes great personal frustration and stress.

The Globe and Mail
Conflict Resolution: Why It's No Fairly Tale
February 2, 2005
Rather than providing instructions on how to deal with fictional problems and fairy tales, Crucial Confrontations is a book that provides real solutions.

Training Magazine
Book Review: Crucial Confrontations
February 2005
"Crucial Confrontations provides a refreshing approach to handling unpleasant conversations and confrontations in the workplace. This enormously readable book addresses issues never before considered and, with a hilarious twist, provides serious advice on how to confront life's most frustrating and confrontational situations. Here is a book, finally, that may give managers the encouragement, the tools, and—in some cases—even the words to address performance problems and other touchy issues head-on."

Toronto Star
Uh, Oh, 80 Percent of U.S. Doctors Witness Errors
January 28, 2005
Eighty percent of doctors and half of nurses see colleagues make mistakes, but only 10% ever speak up, according to a new U.S. study. These mistakes are undoubtedly contributing to the deaths of tens of thousands of people who die from medical errors each year, researchers said.

WebMD.com
Better Communication Needed to Reduce Medical Errors
January 27, 2005
Healthcare organizations trying to reduce the rate of medical errors frequently overlook a common but important variable—candid communication. Too often, medical professionals avoid having "crucial conversations" when they observe problems that can lead to unacceptable error rates, according to a new study.

The Washington Post
Health Workers Are Urged to Report Others' Mistakes
January 27, 2005
More than 80% of doctors and half of nurses see colleagues make mistakes, but only 10% speak up. Joseph Grenny says healthcare workers who speak up are not only able to stop problems, but are also happier in their work.

Scripps Howard News Service
Medicos Seldom Call Colleagues on Mistakes Over Patient Care
January 26, 2005
Doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers seldom challenge colleagues who make mistakes, according to a new study from VitalSmarts and AACN. Overall, researchers discovered seven conversations healthcare workers are reluctant to hold with colleagues.
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Reuters
ABC News
MSNBC
Survey Finds 80 Pct. Of U.S. Doctors Witness Mistakes
January 26, 2005
Eighty percent of U.S. doctors and half of nurses see colleagues make mistakes, but only 10% speak up, according to a study from VitalSmarts and AACN. These mistakes are undoubtedly contributing to the deaths of tens of thousands of people who die from medical errors in the United States each year.
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The Chicago Tribune
Call Waiting: Not Hearing About Job is A Maddening Endeavor
January 16, 2005
So you've interviewed for a job and want to know where you stand? What is the proper protocol for following up on your job status? VitalSmarts' Kerry Patterson advises readers to be aggressive and direct with their intentions.

The Salt Lake Tribune
Job Goals On List Of Resolutions
January 2, 2005
In a poll of more than 200 people, VitalSmarts determined 69% of people set New Year's resolutions related to things they want to change at work. VitalSmarts' Joseph Grenny provides several keys to meeting goals at work: preparation, defining the goal, creating safety, and dealing with facts rather than accusations.

T+D Magazine
How to Deal: Crucial Confrontations
January 2005
"Just when you thought Crucial Conversations had said it all, along comes Crucial Confrontations. The content and subject matter of this sequel adds support and additional steps to take crucial situations one step further. Supported by extensive research, Crucial Confrontations will improve productivity, retention, quality, employee satisfaction, and relationships in the organization."
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