Never be defined by your past.
It was just a lesson, not a life sentence.
Archives for January 2020
Row the Boat
On New Year’s Day, I was at the Outback Bowl in Tampa to see my beloved University of Minnesota Gopher football team beat Auburn. The odds- makers rated the Gophers as the underdog and we won the game decisively. I never had more fun at a sporting event!
There were so many Gopher fans cheering at the game that the team said it felt like it was a home field game. At a critical point in the game, the fans loudly chanted “Row the Boat” which is the coach’s theme for everyone working together in the face of adversity.
An important lesson for all teams is that when everyone rows together there is much more success. It will give you the “home team advantage”!
Executive Presence Tip – Carol Keers
Ten Ways to Have a Better Conversation
Celeste Headlee is a radio talk show host and writer. Her TEDx talk has over 16 million views for her talk with the above title. Conversation is critical to all of us in our work and personal lives.
Her recommendations are:
- Be present. (Don’t multi-task.)
- Don’t pontificate.
- Use open ended questions. (What was that like?)
- Go with the flow.
- If you don’t know – say so.
- Don’t equate your feeling with theirs. (All feelings are individual.)
- Try not to repeat yourself.
- Stay out of the weeds.
- Listen. (Most important and takes effort.)
- Be brief.
I would add that the visual and vocal interaction needs to be supportive to the conversation. Appropriate fills and bridging statements really enhance the flow of a conversation and create a stronger connection. We can all be better.
Hatred Container
“Hatred corrodes the container
it’s carried in”.
How can we reduce anger in 2020? One way is to find the fear behind the anger. Fear is the fuel of anger. Ask yourself, “Why does this scare me?” Keep asking the question to go deeper and deeper. This Five Question technique will give you a lot of insight you wouldn’t get otherwise – and it might even change your 2020 awareness level! Happy New Year!
Executive presence tip Carol Keers