Communication

What Is Influencing Your Ability To Discern?

by | Aug 25, 2021 | | 0 Comments

Our ability to discern is an essential skill during challenging times. Surveys and research indicate that many people are in a more reactive mode these days. An experience I had at a conference several years ago taught me a valuable lesson about discernment.

While at the conference, I was able to ski at Snowmass in Colorado with one of my favorite ski buddies. Wherever I ski with Mike, he lightheartedly challenges and encourages me to elevate my skiing skills. And this was one of those times.

A fun lesson

We headed out early one morning to take advantage of about 4 to 5 inches of fresh Colorado champagne powder. Luckily, we were two of the first people on this particular run, dotted with trees and challenging changes in terrain. The only downside was that it was cloudy, which made the light flat. If you have ever skied in flat light, you know how difficult it can be to make out nuances of the run. My comfort level in skiing is for semi-steep, groomed runs so I can tuck and ski fast, being on that edge that if I fall, I might die (well, not really die, but get a good adrenaline rush anyway.) The flat light conditions definitely took me out of my comfort zone.

As Mike and I were skiing this beautiful fresh snow, I struggled with my footing and form. I couldn’t make out the depth of field due to the flat light, so I was stiff and cautious in my skiing. As a result, I was getting frustrated and stressed. My emotions were running high and getting the best of me and I was ready to bail out of skiing for the day.

We did about a half a dozen runs in those conditions, and then on a chairlift ride back to the top, read more…

Harnessing the Power of Courage

by | Jun 29, 2021 | | 0 Comments

Lessons on courage and resilience can come from unlikely sources. Recently, I was blessed to spend some time with my grandnieces and grandnephew, who live out of town. The girls are 6-year-old twins, and my grandnephew is eight years old. Their grandparents and I took them on an adventure to the pool at the rec center. What transpired was an important reminder of the power of courage and resilience.

The pool has a sizable water slide my grandnephew was eyeing upon our arrival. After about 30 minutes, he decided he wanted to give it a try. His grandmother took him over to wait in line and helped him put on a small life vest. When his turn came, he excitedly climbed the nearly three stories of stairs and approached the top of the slide. After a few seconds, he turned read more…

Keys to Effectively Leading People Through Change

by | May 26, 2021 | , , | 0 Comments

Many organizations are looking to bring people back to the workplace in the coming months. Initially, it may be just a few days a week. Amazon signaled back in March that they will be returning to an office-centric environment. These changes will be cause for celebration for many and cause for concern for others. Leading people effectively through change requires several skills. An understanding of human behavior is vital.

The changes people had to implement in their work and their lives in 2020 were unprecedented, disruptive, and unexpected. Most changes were often viewed read more…

How To Make A Meaningful Difference And Live Longer

by | Apr 28, 2021 | , | 0 Comments

 

Are you sensing it? That building feeling of optimism as more aspects of life resume a more normal feel. It depends on where you are looking. Unless you have completely disconnected from the digital world, what you are exposed to daily can be overwhelming and distracting. Sadly, the media machine has figured out that humans have a negativity bias, which means people will tune in more for the bad news. However, that doesn’t have to be your experience. It takes a little more work to find good news, but it is out there. And it is worth looking for positive information if you want to make a meaningful difference and live longer.

Benefits of Being Positive

Research shows an abundance of benefits of being positive. A few of those benefits reveal that positive people are better at: read more…

Is It Time To Reset Your Behavior Standards?

by | Mar 24, 2021 | , , | 0 Comments

 

The human dynamic in organizations can be the most significant contributor to success or one of the greatest detractors. Managing that dynamic is one of the most challenging areas for leaders, often because of the behavior standards they accept. Many leaders and managers of people are intimidated by the human dynamic because behavior can be so unpredictable. Traditional behavior standards or decorum seem to have disappeared for many, given the influence of social media, reality TV, and new social norms impacting the workplace. Whether you are a leader or an individual contributor, everyone plays a vital role in the behavior climate.

What is Decorum?

The definition of decorum is read more…

Your Processes are Dialed In, But Are Your People?

by | Feb 15, 2021 | , | 0 Comments

Proactive Leadership is Key to Recovery

“Unprecedented” is a word we often hear to describe the last year. It will be interesting to see what word or phrase will surpass the number one phrase of 2020, “you’re on mute”? The ongoing stress and trauma caused by the pandemic and high levels of uncertainty are negatively impacting many people. Much of the focus in organizations has been on refining processes. As a result, one of the leading concerns of businesses for 2021 is their employees’ mental health and well-being. It is understandable, given what we have all lived through the last 11 months, making positive and proactive leadership key to recovery.

Why is proactive leadership needed more now?

Even after months of adjusting to the new reality and dealing with the impact on their lives, the American Psychological Association annual Stress Survey shows read more…

How to Build Resilience and Gratitude in 2020

by | Nov 24, 2020 | | 0 Comments

Gratitude is a big topic as we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving in the US. Because 2020 has been such a topsy-turvy year, gratitude may be a stretch for some. But, there could not be a better time to start to build your resilience and gratitude in 2020.

The many benefits of gratitude include:

read more…

How Is Your Organization Rewarding Behavior At Work?

by | Sep 30, 2019 | | 0 Comments

In a recent interview with General James Mattis, he shared what he learned as a leader in the military. He highlighted the importance of trust, calling it the “coin of the realm” in leadership.  And Mattis also spoke about promoting those who demonstrate the behaviors that an organization needs to be successful. One particular quote caught my attention, “Any organization gets the behavior that it rewards”, according to General Mattis. It immediately made me think about many of the behavior challenges with which organizations are dealing and the importance of rewarding effective behavior at work.

What are the rewards for effective behavior?  read more…

How To Be A Memorable Leader Who Gets Results

by | Jul 22, 2019 | , , , | 0 Comments

Leaders can be memorable in more ways than one and they get to decide what that looks like. So much of leadership is about how he or she influences others. Early in my career, I was fortunate to have a great manager. I didn’t know it at the time because I was just starting my professional career in healthcare. I hadn’t had much experience at that point and was unaware of the importance of good leadership on individuals and organizations.

It was my first medical sales position and I was living in the Midwest. Somehow, I was included in the Western Region and didn’t mind at all having to go to Northern California for regional meetings. Greg was our Regional Manager and read more…

Are You A Leader People Want To Follow?

by | May 22, 2019 | , , | 0 Comments

There are those who say that if being a leader was easy, anyone could do it. It takes commitment, skill and consistency to be a good leader, and a leader people want to follow. Yet, human nature can interfere with and derail a good leader, as well as business and personal relationships. Being a good leader takes a keen awareness to manage the responsibility for your actions, and those of your team or organization. The same can be said for having effective relationships.

What do those derailers look like? read more…

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