Martha, a young account manager for an electronics manufacturer, struggled to make sales until her manager took her aside and explained that her use of "hip" expressions caused her to lose credibility with customers. "We are selling high-tech products that cost $5,000 or more, and customers don't always understand the technology. When you sound like a teenager, it just doesn't work." Martha took the comments to heart, improved her communication skills, and increased her sales production.

Communication is a key aspect of leadership, and striking the right balance between excessive withholding of information and excessive sharing is an important part of a leader's responsibility.

Business owners and leaders sometimes struggle to balance the needs of work and family. The demands of the job can seem overwhelming, but you can keep your priorities in balance if you will treat your family the same way you treat your best customer. At the end of the day-and from an eternal perspective-which is more important, a customer or your family?

Trying to balance work and family is a major source of stress for most people, especially when both parents work. Some stress is inevitable, but the rest can be managed successfully if you will observe a few basic guidelines.

If Dickens were to have written *A Tale of Two E-Mails,* he might have concluded that "it was the best of communication- it was the worst of communication." Electronic mail is cheap, quick, and easy, but it may also be perceived as impersonal and its ease of use may lead to sloppiness, lack of discretion, and inappropriate expressions of anger. What often spells the difference is a person's willingness to observe some basic rules for e-mail usage.