When you have a challenging message to deliver, a sensitive conversation to have, a crucial conversation waiting to happen, it’s better to ask yourself how much trust you have in the relationship than plan the right words to say. If trust is high, you can use the wrong words, muck up the details, and basically… View Article
What if you treated every conversation as if it were the last opportunity you had? How would you relate differently to them? How would you listen? What difference would it make in your relationships? As I worked with a team recently about communication, I was reminded of how challenging it is to balance the demands… View Article
Changing behavior is challenging. When your habits have led you to success in various forms as a direct result of those habits, they’re doubly hard to break. When I think of being productive, it’s in my nature to use as many minutes of my waking hours as possible to create results. This leads me to… View Article
If you’ve heard the saying “absence makes the heart grow fonder,” you might apply it to being away from your loved ones and teammates as your longing for them increases while you’re away. However, there are situations where this phrase does not always apply. When you’re absent, physically, mentally, or emotionally from teammates at work,… View Article
“What can I help you with?” What a great question. It opens the door to learning, partnership, and collaboration. Many years ago, when I was in a state of overwhelm, I called a friend to talk and in the process of doing so I broke down in tears. She patiently listened and when I finished… View Article
Transitions. They’re challenging. Transitions require you to let go while you are also fumbling to embrace the emerging space of what’s next at the same time. Transitions are neither here nor there. Both places are uncertain. One is about completion, one is about possibility; and either way, you don’t know for sure. Like the acrobat… View Article
I have a love-hate relationship with new technology. Prior to purchase, I look forward to it and the results of what it enables are seductive and motivating. If I find a deal online, it moves me to act. Whether I contemplate for a minute or a month, I am excited to be more efficient and… View Article
When you have the gift of time, with no schedule and nothing pressing you to get ready, what do you do? For me, my mind can race with possibilities. I feel an urgency to do the things that I’ve been procrastinating, to be active and exercise, to cook and hang art, change the décor of… View Article
Curve balls. They happen. It’s when the stuff you couldn’t imagine or wouldn’t know was coming shows up and interrupts the previously scheduled plans you’ve had. They happen in small ways every day. If you’re over-scheduled, there’s no room for them and they result in anxiety, stress, and broken promises. There’s a simple fix for… View Article
Are you experiencing stress right now? Is it more than your usual amount? Have you tried all the self-care options you can? If not, try some. Have you talked with friends, family and anyone who’ll listen, and you feel a bit better, but it’s only a short while? Did that bottle of wine help, until… View Article
Online Learning Spotlight
Communication Catalyzer Bundle: Winning Strategies for Stress-Free Communication