In yesterday’s post I suggested volunteering locally or running for local office. Here’s a story from a time I did that, in which my high level of communication skills made a difference. The scenario I was appointed by our county government to serve on a committee creating a 20-year plan for the area in which […]
When an idealistic young person brings you their dreams or bright ideas, don’t try to ground them in reality right away. Your attempt to help will most likely be received as a wet blanket and a lack of support. (And you’ll alienate them or crush them.) The best thing you can do is listen and […]
Rather than too much conflict, an even greater problem in the world is the widespread avoidance of conflict. We’re just not good at conflict. So we avoid it, which in many cases creates more conflict. Underneath our conflict-avoidant compulsion is usually a universal need for harmony, along with needs for ease and conservation of energy. […]
The highest leverage point for effective meetings is mature individuals. By mature, I mean people who can self-manage. By self-manage, I mean people who ask themselves key questions before they open their mouth in a meeting. Questions like: Who is this serving? (Am I trying to look smart or impress somebody? Does this serve only […]
Many times I’ve attempted to take a shortcut, and the project, or the route I was taking, ended up taking longer. I’ve noticed the high cost of this approach especially in interpersonal situations. We avoid a conversation because we don’t want conflict, but the avoidance -or the shortcut- ends up costing more in time, energy, […]