I’d like to share what DeAnne and I learned at MindLab 2019. We went to Denver a couple of weeks ago to the MindLab conference put on by Wiley. We are Wiley partners, both with Everything DiSC® and The Five Behaviors™. We attended keynotes, breakout sessions, and other events to learn about what’s going on … Read more
We all have our own unique styles of communication. Whether it’s derived from nature or nurture, one’s personality style, or one’s language of appreciation, how we communicate and prefer to be communicated to are different. And sometimes we perceive what someone else is trying to say through the lens of our own preferred style, which … Read more
In times of change, we tend to avoid adapting to others’ personality styles. Our reduced capacity to adapt can cause us to revert to unhealthy habits, especially in conflict situations. If you don’t know your DiSC personality style, use this simple chart to identify where you are. It’s also a good tool to use to identify … Read more
Most of my programs come with a participant follow-up email series that underscores some of the points of a training. Hundreds of these emails go out in any given week, and people read them (or not), then discard. Most of the time. Sometimes, though, they respond. And some of those responses are quite amusing. One … Read more
If we’re not careful, we might let debate become about winning and losing. And when that happens, we are distracted from finding the truth and end up in a political battle.
People who offer more praise look for opportunities to compliment others and recognize their contributions. Some leaders think that praise is a waste of time, or that good work is enough of a given that praising good work will make it seem like acceptable performance is somehow exceptional. But this flies in the face data … Read more
A way-too-common leadership behavior is the opposite – maintain harmony. “I don’t want to sweat the small stuff.” “I hate confrontation.” “They’ll figure it out eventually.” “Maybe a gentle all-staff email will help.” Great leaders develop fantastic relationships and address problems as they occur. A true story, from a tall building in downtown Des Moines: … Read more
People who analyze in-depth tend to perform a thorough examination of facts and details. The alternative is to act on the gut – relying on initial feelings and views to move forward, and simply follow first impressions. This is very common among those who suffer from The Success Deception; when you are smart, and successful, … Read more
People who plan tend to develop an organized course of action, setting clear expectations and deadlines. The alternative is to improvise – figure things out as you go, without much planning and preparation. I used to teach jazz. I assure you that I was nothing like the guy from “Whiplash“. But improvisation is important. And … Read more
People who are initiating often anticipate opportunities and problems and call attention to them. If you’ve ever been a part of a Group Dynamic session, you’ve seen this shopping cart picture. We can spend an hour or more on what it symbolizes; we usually use it to introduce the Four Levels of Maturity. Today, it … Read more