Once there was a carpenter who decided to retire after a long and storied career. When he told his boss, the builder, of his intentions, the builder asked the carpenter if he would do one last job. The carpenter reluctantly agreed. He approached this project like none other. In the past, he had always given Read More
Just before dusk, on the last night of an end-of-summer camping trip, a young boy and his father were walking through the woods. They walked and talked together for some time until they came across a fallen tree branch on the ground in front of them. The boy cheerfully ran ahead and called back to Read More
This is a Guest Post by Ben Martin, Thera Rising We’ve talked a lot lately about the power of reciprocity. (Remember, reciprocity is the human tendency to reflect the attitudes and behaviors of others.) Today, we’ll give you a simple model for using reciprocity to defuse anger and hostility. But first, let’s do a quick Read More
There have been violent rain storms across the country recently. The photos of flooded streets, twisted trees, and roofless buildings serve as a reminder of the destructive power in nature. We would do well to remember the destructive power within us, as well, when we lose our temper and act out against others. Often, the “others” Read More
In one of my favorite books, the authors Kathi Elster and Katherine Crowley write, “Let’s face it, the relationship at work between a boss and an employee often becomes a minefield of emotional misinterpretations.” I couldn’t agree more, and it’s not just between the supervisor and their direct report, it is between employees at all Read More
I’ve noticed how often people play the blame game lately (think political ads) and wanted to repost this from a few years ago because I think it is as relevant today as it was then. — Since work involves other people, it is easy to look around at those people and place blame on them Read More
Several years ago, a colleague had a sign in her office that read something like, “I get plenty of exercise jumping to conclusions, pushing my luck and dodging deadlines.” People always got a good chuckle after reading it, mostly because it wasn’t true – especially the part about dodging deadlines; she always had tasks done Read More
Recently, I heard about an episode of Shark Tank where “the sharks” funded an entrepreneur who developed a dating app that brings people together around what they dislike. “Hater is the app that matches you based on what you hate.” This is the description about the app on the App Store. The App Store Editor’s Read More
I recently volunteered to be a part of a group dialog with other business professionals about leadership, management and accountability. As part of the process, my staff were invited to give anonymous feedback in 10 different areas. I also ranked myself in the same 10 areas. The group’s facilitator then recapped all the information into Read More
Earlier this week, I listened to my friend, Anna Maravelas, speak at the Conflict Savvy Leader event that EAC hosted in partnership with Davenport University’s, Institute for Professional Excellence (IPEx). One of the concepts that Anna talks about is how we respond to frustrations. In his work, Charles Stroble, MD, talks about the fact that Read More
