One of the signs of a healthy society is that people are able to negotiate their differences in a civil manner. One of the ways to do this is to focus on principles rather that positions. Once you take a position, then it becomes a kind of war because you have to defend your position. Focusing on principles frees you up to consider alternatives solutions, the idea being that, in a successful negotiation, both parties…
My wife and I went to see and hear Phantom of the Opera. We had to wait in the hallway because we arrived early and the seating area was not yet open. There were others there, too. I couldn’t help but noticing an elderly lady standing next to a young lady in her 20s. They looked like they could have been grandmother and granddaughter. I was thinking, what a perfect opportunity to talk, but the…
Do you think leadership involves being a good teacher? How can a leader get others to see a new vision without teaching them about that vision? How can a leader solve organizational problems without inquiring about symptoms, causes, and underlying systems? How can a leader understand people without questioning their underlying assumptions and their own? So among all the skills of a good teacher, which ones do you think are the most important or the…
Words are symbols. They point to something. Meaning lies within the common experience between two agents using the same words to point to that common experience. Insight happens when both parties find a close enough shared experience that meaning is created. Like fiery embers, words burn images into our minds — not images of the words themselves, but of the thing to which they point. Without words, each of us would live isolated within our…
Do not leave this page! How did that feel? If you’re like me, your reaction to the first sentence was something like, “Oh yeah! Just watch me.” Allow me to rephrase it: “If you read the rest of this article, you will find some practical ways to improve the motivational power of your communication.” Communication will be more motivational when it has a clear central point that invokes the inner values and drivers of those…
