We can learn a lot from trees. When we think of strength, we often equate it to something like an oak tree. It’s been referenced as a tiny acorn growing into a “mighty oak” through many childhood stories. When people build, they use oak because it is hard, sturdy, and strong. They’d never consider using… 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
Have you ever noticed when you put off challenging conversations you suffer? One of the best principles I live my life by is to handle things promptly when they go wrong. Whether it’s family, work partners, teammates, employees, friends, or the service professionals you encounter in life, the rule of thumb is 24 hours. Whether… View Article
For most busy people, we justify our actions by the number of items crossed off a list, the number of events attended, or the number of tasks we can complete in a day. While we’re busy doing all we do, we encounter other people. We are multitasking, searching our devices, reading a paper, looking at… View Article
“What will this cost me?” I was facilitating a session with a team and this gem of a question dropped from one of the wise leaders on the team. She was explaining how taxing it can be when people react with high emotion to situations at work. Even when the message is spot on, you… View Article
In the midst of strategic planning and all the things leadership teams discuss and debate, conflict is inevitable. I noted a great quote from one of my leadership teams today, “we debate to learn, we don’t debate to win.” This is a simple phrase which keeps the outcome clear, lets us debate ideas, opportunities, the… View Article
Goals. They’ve seemed challenging to envision this year, haven’t they? When uncertainty prevails, we default to paralysis. We wait, hoping for certainty, familiarity, and what we “knew” to be true. Funny thing is, it wasn’t true, it was predictable. Truth be told, predictability will fail you. When any of us gets too comfortable, we settle…. View Article
Friends for a lifetime. It’s been said before, but those people who you’ve known since childhood – perhaps single digits, you can go months and years without seeing them and when you reunite it’s as if you’ve never missed a day. It’s remarkable really. I had one of these days with my best friend and… View Article
Listening and learning. The two skills partner nicely. It’s refreshing to dial in, listen and be fully present without trying to influence, persuade, discuss or debate. In order to affect change, listening is key. Without deep listening, there can be no understanding. Without understanding, we will fail. Who do you need to listen to today?
Have you ever wished there was less tension during a work meeting? Me too; and after review, I won’t wish it away. Tension is related to conflict and conflict creates clarity. While it may be uncomfortable, that tension is what transforms a problem into an opportunity. It’s also is transformative for learning. We must diverge… View Article
Online Learning Spotlight
Communication Catalyzer Bundle: Winning Strategies for Stress-Free Communication