December 2, 2015
“But words are things, and a small drop of ink, Falling like dew, upon a thought, produces That which makes thousands, perhaps millions, think.” ~George Gordon Byron Words are powerful. What we say reflects what we think. Our spoken word originates in our thought. Typically, most people don’t think consciously. Long established habits that have formed hard wired neural networks […]
October 11, 2015
Ever since I began to work in the business world, the term “soft skills” always felt off to me. The more I come to appreciate the complexity of human dynamics, the more off it feels. In my experience, there is nothing soft or easy about mastering people skills. In fact, when I look around, especially in the workplace, clear and effective […]
July 14, 2015
What we are today comes from our thoughts of yesterday, and our present thoughts build our life of tomorrow: Our life is the creation of our mind.” ~ The Buddha (maybe) While the Buddha may have said that over 2,500 years ago, today’s neuroscience is helping us to understand the mind’s complex hard-wired mechanisms with stunning speed. A study, conducted […]
June 11, 2015
I once heard someone say that if we overheard a conversation at the next table in a restaurant with people talking to each other the way we talk to ourselves – we’d get up and leave. Know what I mean? This statement has stayed with me for a long time, especially when I am judging myself harshly or listening to […]
May 22, 2015
“I feel the capacity to care is the thing which gives life its deepest significance.” Pablo Casals The more I see others from my heart and not my judgment, the more compassion I have for my fellow human beings. Admittedly, this is a work in progress. There’s something poignant about pilots reporting their final passenger count as having a […]
May 13, 2015
Underneath every communication is a feeling. This feeling drives your communication. How conscious are you of the subtext of your communication and the impact it has on others? Every time we do a seminar or facilitate a meeting, people say they want better communication in the workplace. What most people are hungry for is communication that is real, honest, clear, concise […]
April 28, 2015
“I now realize I have been working with my eyes closed. I appreciate even more a professor with whom I work occasionally: he always makes the point that leaders, managers — everyone in fact — should never underestimate the importance of kindness at work.” Gill Corkindale, Harvard Business Review An article in the Harvard Business Review (HBR) by author Gill Corkindale, “The […]
January 26, 2015
In his book, Your Brain at Work, author David Rock gave organizational leaders an essential model for understanding human dynamics at work. Forget the “toolkit.” This model is the foundation that holds everything affecting performance in place. Leaders and co-workers entering the brave new world of business in the 21st century who ignore this knowledge face a serious uphill climb. […]
January 24, 2015
I used to facilitate a three-day seminar I had co-developed for the American Management Association on conflict management. From San Francisco to New York, I heard an endless array of workplace “war stories” over five years. One woman’s experience remains with me today. (Sara) was distressed and sought out my advice at the end of the first day of the […]