Posts by Bonnie Artman Fox
COVID-19 Application of the “Keep Calm and Carry On” Poster
During a trip to England last year, my husband and I came upon the Barter Bookstore that houses the original “Keep Calm and Carry On” Poster. In the spring of 1939 when the war against Germany was inevitable, King George VI wanted to convey a message to his people assuring them that all necessary measures were being taken to…
Read MoreLeading with Stability and Hope During Crisis
Dealing with uncertainty creates anxiety for most people. It’s especially difficult when facing a pandemic. Most likely, you are facing tough decisions that impact your company’s bottom line, employee paychecks, and the health of your employees and customers. What your employees need most is for you to lead with a non-anxious presence. A presence of staying calm, not…
Read MoreWhat Does the Coronavirus and Conflict Have in Common…And How They are Different.
As we all face the uncertainties associated with the coronavirus, it made me realize just how much this virus and conflict has in common in at least two ways: 1) Both Perpetutate Fear With the coronavirus, our country and the entire world are facing lots of fears. Fear of becoming infected, fear of how our…
Read MoreAre You a Fixer? How to Know When Helping is Hurting
Are you a “Fixer”? By age 11, Maria was writing checks to pay the family bills, by age 14, she started her first job, and by age 19, she owned her first home. Due to the unpredictability in her upbringing from her father’s alcoholism and her mother’s mental illness, Maria said “I’ve been an overachiever,…
Read MoreThe Keys to Marital and Business Success: How One Couple Successfully Works Together in a Family Business
Family-owned businesses often struggle because sometimes personal conflict spills over into the family business. The result is a work culture with unresolved family issues that impacts how the company runs, its overall productivity, and ultimately its bottom-line results. It’s been no different for married couple, Angelo and Lauren, who are third-generation family business owners and…
Read More3 Strategies for Standing Up to the Office Bully
“He who controls others may be powerful, but he who has mastered himself is mightier still.” ~ Lao-tzu Most people either endure working with a bully or leave their job, even if they love what they do. After all, it’s risky to stand up to a bully due to the possibility of retaliation and…
Read MoreRelease Family Baggage: Walk a Mile in Their Shoes
This month’s story around how family upbringing affects leadership and conflict management explores how Ryan found the gifts of resilience, empathy, and improvisation and uses them to his – and others’ – advantage. He leverages his history to create productive conflict strategies. Ryan tells the story of his upbringing below and then we examine a…
Read MoreWorkplace Conflict Taking Its Toll? 8 Questions to Determine if It’s Time to Move On
Are you struggling to get along with a difficult co-worker? You love your job, yet there’s one person at work who makes your workdays virtually unbearable. On one hand, the job itself is great and you’ve worked hard to attain the position you’re in and the respect you’ve earned. On the other, the physical, mental,…
Read MoreLeverage your Family Role for Career Success
We continue our series of leadership stories, exploring the impact of family dynamics on conflict management styles. Today, we hear from Lee, a team leader who leverages experience from her upbringing to benefit her team by minimizing workplace tension. Have you ever felt like you’re in the same role at work that you were in…
Read MoreDuring Conflict, Do you Give Away Your Power?
Jeremiah could feel the stress building. For months I’d been listening to my boss’s ranting about some production issue that hadn’t gone as planned. I felt responsible as a leader and was genuinely trying to do a good job. I wanted to defend myself and explain my attempt to solve the problem. Suddenly, I realized…
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