Conflict Managment

We can’t alter the fact that there will be conflict. We can only learn to manage it when it occurs.

We are each trapped inside our own way of seeing the world, and our differences create conflict in those world-views. We want others to see the world as we do, because we know similarities will bring us closer to each other. On the other hand, we tend to protect our way of seeing the world with great energy and enthusiasm.

People who successfully handle difficult interactions are aware of how their feelings and attitudes affect their nonverbal messages. They know their listeners will “hear” their tone of voice, vocal volume, rate of speech, and body language over and above their words.

60 Days and Counting...

There are only 60 days left until 2015! With that in mind, this would be a good time to revisit your 2014 goals. So take a few minutes to consider the following this week:

1. What goals have been accomplished this year?
2. What still needs to be accomplished?
3. What actions can you take in the next 60 days to complete or wrap up any loose ends?

Enjoy your week!!

The Right Path for the Right Reason

Mark Twain once said that the two most important days in your life are the day you were born - and the day you find out why. As we rapidly head toward the end of the year take a moment and ask yourself:

1. Am I on the right career path for my life?
2. Am I on the right path for the right reason?
3. Does what I do each day reflect my values?

If the answer is yes then it's likely you have a good level of job satisfaction. If the answer is no, you might want to do a little journaling.

4 Tips to Active Listening

Did you know that an average person only listens at an effective rate of less than 25%? Yet listening is ranked as the most important factor in work, family and social success. This week consider the following to hone this vital skill:

1. Make a commitment to stay in the present and listen to the person speaking
2. Maintain good body posture and eye contact
3. Refrain ...from multi-tasking while listening
4. Stay curious and suspend judgment until you understand the true intention of the speaker

Keep in mind that what you are hearing is not always what the speaker is trying to say. Stay engaged, ask questions and actively listen until the speaker confirms that you really understand the intended message.

3 Steps to Holding an Effective Meeting

How many meetings do you have this week? And how many will you be facilitating? As leaders it's our responsibility to respect people's time and facilitate our meetings to make them effective. That starts with knowing the 3 steps to holding good meetings:

1. Be Prepared: What is the point of the meeting? Who should attend and what should they bring? What's the agenda and the desired outcome?

2. Stay in Charge: Start the meeting on time. Quickly review what needs to be covered. Stay on topic. And don't let your meeting get hi-jacked by somebody else's agenda.

3. Create an Actionable Close: Wrap up with a recap and make sure action steps are written down and time frames for completion are agreed upon.

Do everybody in the meeting a favor and make good use of the time. It's one of the best ways to gain influence and credibility as a leader.  

Holding On to Your Reality

Has the strong opinion of another persuaded you to change your point of view? The tactics of others can move many of us into altering our position. Yet, when is it time to sway and when do we hold on to what is true for us?  It is not an easy question to answer and frankly I'm challenged to do it in just a few short bullets. But here I go. Hold on to your point of view when:

• You have fully listened and remained open to the ideas of others and your point of view still makes the most sense
• The persuaded point of view goes against your core values, ethics or morals
• The losses in the persuaded point of view are far greater than the benefits

Holding on to our own opinion is important to foster the right moves for ourselves and our companies. We need to hear everybody's voice and be appropriate and conscious when choosing a direction.

5 Questions to Ask During Change....

People don't fear change, they fear the unknown.

Managing change and uncertainty has become an essential leadership skill in today's environment. That skill begins by learning how to plan, communicate and follow through to make sure the change is successful. Here are a few questions you might want to ask:

•What is the desired outcome or goal?
•What are the benefits and the losses?
•Who will the change effect and how?
•Who needs to know about the change?
•How will the change be communicated?