“I recently had the opportunity, responsibility and privilege of apologizing to a colleague.” “You mean you HAD to apologize to someone, right?” “Well, I didn’t HAVE to, I chose to take advantage of the opportunity to clear things up. It was my responsibility in that I contributed to the misunderstanding at least 50%. It was [...]
The British monarchy is known as a bit stuffy, centuries-old institution that is much revered by the British people. It was almost beyond criticism. But in the 1950’s, the national post-war mood in Britain was shifting. In August 1957, John Grigg, aka Lord Altrincham, published a scorching public criticism in his own National and English Review [...]
Everyone tells stories. Not everyone uses stories. Stories existed long before recorded history. Human life is narratively grounded; we have always had stories to interpret our experiences, construct our lives and shape our world. Stories are universal, adaptive, and foundational to the human experience. We think in narrative structures, remember facts in story form, and [...]
"Leadership involves leading." I read that somewhere and it's true enough, but leadership also involves implementing change. Sometimes (often?) change has a way of generating resistance in people. The best way to avoid resistance to change is to stop it before it starts. Really. You may not be able to eliminate all resistance, but what if [...]
If you change the context, you change the meaning of something. For example, if you desire more clarity, add contrast. Contrast creates clarity. Watch the video. . In Other Words... One should use common words to say uncommon things. ― Arthur Schopenhauer The great enemy of clear language is insincerity. When there is a gap between one’s [...]
Communication is more that speaking words. It’s more than just delivering content. Consider Albert Mehrabian, Professor Emeritus of Psychology at UCLA, who has become known by his work on the relative importance of verbal and nonverbal messages. He drew two conclusions from his research. First, that there are basically three elements in any face-to-face communication: [...]
I won’t say I’ve heard it all, but I have heard a lot when it comes to “Why I don’t give much praise.” It’s interesting that praise (positive reinforcement for behavior/results that you want repeated) works and is free, but some still resist. Here are a few examples of the “logic” involved: The Excuses The [...]
Solid self-esteem does not negate the need for outside affirmation and praise. It’s the feel-good reward for the do-good activities and results. Affirmation is asserting the truth or existence of something. Praise is an expression of approval and commendation. The nexus of these two involves truth-telling approval and favorable expression about something another person has [...]
One of the secrets to human performance is hidden in plain sight. That is, most don’t see it or they ignore it. The amazing part is that it’s free and it works. Here’s the secret: in a given role, people deliver their best performance when they feel valued and respected, no matter what the conditions. [...]
Are not. Am too. Are not! Am too! That's an argument no one wants to have. With good reason. It's going nowhere. Good arguments, or passionate debates, are necessary for great relationships to grow. Look into any meaningful relationship – marriage, friendship or business – and you'll find productive conflict. Conflict is a reality. It simply [...]
