Hi All, Read this excellent article from the Harvard Business Review entitled, How to disagree with someone more powerful than you. Life is brief. Make a difference. You’d better make it now, as your life may be gone any minute. If you don’t speak up (appropriately & effectively) to stop the train wreck, the train may indeed wreck. Ego (that whispers in your ear to … Continue reading How to Disagree with Someone more powerful than you
Hi All, See this quote by Robert Greene: In our own inner turmoil, we tend the exaggerate the negative intentions of our opponents. In general, we take conflicts far too personally. ~ Robert Greene In life, such as the workplace, it is often the case that people presume the worst intentions of others and thus contribute to their very own hostile work environment (in their … Continue reading Taking Things Too Personally
Go here for a nice post on LinkedIn. The folks over at Leadership First always put out great posts in reference to leadership. Seek them out. Now let me add another side to this particular image. Certainly, when someone is being inappropriate, mean, rude, or belittling, you need not listen, unless it is your duty to do so. If it is your duty, then, as … Continue reading Be on the Lookout for Ways to Help Others
Hi All, Contact Professionals familiar with the teachings of Verbal Judo should immediately reflect on George Thompson’s great teaching on this point and the difference between respect and RE-spect. If you’re not familiar with it, go here for a perennial classic. If you actually follow the discipline of Verbal Judo, then you know that there are, literally, no times in life when you’re not showing … Continue reading Respect at all Times
Kindness is strength. This is so very true! One would find it difficult to source a better summary of strength of character (for anyone and especially leaders) than that of The Meditations by Marcus Aurelius. I said difficult, but not impossible, as a book fit to sit directly next to The Meditations is It Worked for me: In Life and Leadership, by Colin Powell. One … Continue reading The Dialectic of Creating Healing & Safe Healthcare Environments
Hi All, Not much needs to be said in words by me here. Simply read this post’s pic wherein Morgan Freeman outlines major principles of conflict communication, aka de-escalation. This highlights the fact that conflict communication (popularly known as de-escalation) is as much psychology as it is anything else. Conflict communication is not simply a grab-bag of disparate techniques! Don’t ever minimize the value of … Continue reading Morgan Freeman on Conflict Communication (aka: De-Escalation)
There are no innocent bystanders. When wrong-doing occurs in your presence, your silence is tacit approval. If you witness inappropriate actions, you must: Assist others. Fix something when it is going wrong. Stop something that is wrong. No matter what, tell the truth. LIFE needs people who adopt a protector mindset. One does NOT need to be a Police Officer, Law Enforcement Officer, Security Officer, … Continue reading Mobilize Yourself for Others
When dealing with others (loved ones, co-workers, customers, C Suite executives, absolutely anyone), it’s very useful, indeed vital, to see as they see. It doesn’t matter if you agree with them. It matters, however, that you strive to see matters as they see them. This is empathy. Don’t confuse empathy with sympathy (many people do); the two are different. When dealing with someone who is … Continue reading Look Behind the Anger (and other emotions)
See this excellent post from Shane Parrish. His thoughts and observations are highly recommended for all who wish to explore things off the beaten path. When we communicate with another person, and we disagree with them, particularly about some sensitive and/or emotion-provoking subject, we may be inclined to then label the person as “stupid,” “ignorant,” “backward,” etc. We then mentally exile them and view them … Continue reading For the Love of Humanity, Communicate Well
Conflict Transformation & Ethical Guardianship 