Building and maintaining positive relationships take work and intentionality. Needless to say, relationships are easier in the absence of strong emotion and conflict. But when conflict leads to strong emotions, we have a prime opportunity to build trust and strengthen those relationships. On the flip side, when conflict results in emotional flooding, the human tendency … Read more
This is one of the best articles I’ve read on this topic. You can tell it was written by someone with an advanced degree—there is some complexity in the language—but it is all in pursuit of precision, so I can get behind that. Something new I learned from this article: It works to pay managers … Read more
This article from a few months ago continues to hold my interest. Written pre-covid, the article makes this point: Asking, “What’s the ROI?” is dangerous if it’s your only consideration. Big data and the ease of collecting information can woo us into making decisions based only on numbers. Data is important, but values are more … Read more
Phil Hartman was one of my favorite comedians, actors, and SNL players. Over the course of his career, he started playing a lot of characters with radio announcer voices, like Troy McClure on The Simpsons. On a Mother’s Day episode of SNL, Phil asked his mom something like, “Mom, I was wondering, what does my … Read more
Human beings don’t like uncertainty. Uncertainty brings with it a higher possibility of change, which humanity also doesn’t like. “The way it has always been” is a source of security and comfort; it quells our natural anxiety and makes life predictable. Change is difficult, because we unconsciously believe longevity equals good or best. The opposite … Read more
Do you—or someone on your team—say “sorry” a lot? I’m not talking about apologies for infractions. Instead, I’m referring to the reflexive “sorry” uttered habitually when slightly late. Or smoothing the way after a potential minor offense. There is some research that supports the idea that frequent use of the word “sorry” can negatively impact … Read more
Implicit bias is real. But when I see it in action, I feel paralyzed. Because I know I can overstep, with good intentions. When this overstepping happens, it pushes down other voices, rather than lifting them. In this scenario, I’m taking the stage and positioning myself as the savior. I understand I have a propensity … Read more
This final post of our three-part miniseries on emotional intelligence (EQ) concludes with practical ways for you and/or your team to increase EQ. If you missed the first two posts, you can find them here and here. Also, if you are interested in the book which inspired this miniseries, you can download a free copy … Read more
Last week, we talked about why emotional intelligence is important in today’s workplace. We talk a lot on this blog about communication in the workplace and about the diversity of DiSC profiles. If you’d like to brush up on DiSC, check out this post, this post, this post, and this post. So, how does emotional … Read more
This post kicks off a three part mini-series about Emotional Intelligence (EQ). Emotional Intelligence is often defined in three parts:1) one’s ability to recognize and name their own emotional state (emotional awareness).2) one’s ability to use their emotional awareness to complete tasks and manage other life skills.3) one’s ability to manage their emotion (emotional regulation). … Read more