Blog
How Interpersonal Skills Improve Interpersonal Relationships
Recently, while camping (actually – glamping) with our grandsons, we had a moment that showed how interpersonal skills improve relationships and how important they are for building good relationships. One of our grandsons was playing with the fire, poking it with a big stick and then swirling the stick with the burning tip in the…
The Power of Apology: Restoring Harmony and Making Wrongs Right
Before my current role as an Executive Coach, I was a Marriage & Family Therapist. I worked with individuals, couples, and families to repair long-standing conflicts restoring harmony in their lives. Most often, reconciling relationships was a privilege. This week, leading up to Mother’s Day, I am thinking of one particular client, Jane. Despite being…
Helping Teams Through Transitions: 4 Effective Strategies
Are you in a leadership role where you find yourself helping teams through transitions? Perhaps a new initiative was recently launched and your employees are struggling to adjust. As a result, morale is down and you’re concerned about the success of the new initiative. According to William Bridges, author of Managing Transitions: Making the Most…
5 Steps to motivating abrasive leaders to change
If you are on the verge of losing valued employees because of a top-performing leader’s abrasive behavior, you’ll appreciate the following 5 steps to motivating abrasive leaders to change. Perhaps you’ve heard complaints from employees as they head for the door: TEAM MEMBER A tells you she’s leaving because of repeatedly being yelled at in…
What is a Fixer? The Costs and Benefits of Taking Charge
Have you ever found yourself stepping into a situation at work or at home, and taking on the task of solving other people’s problems? Perhaps at the expense of your time, energy, and even money, you tend to step in to save the day? Do you ever feel overwhelmed by the demands of constantly trying…
Why self-control is the engine of your success
Do you have a goal you’ve been striving for but haven’t yet reached? Whether it’s finishing a project, addressing team dysfunction, or having a tough conversation, self-control is the engine of your success. It’s the driving force that keeps you focused and persistent, and tools like the If-Then Plan can help you harness that power…
How to give honest feedback to an abrasive superior
By all accounts, Jack is a successful leader. He’s an industry trailblazer that others look to for his expertise. Financially, he is doing well and his business is thriving. On the outside, Jack has many markers of success. What Jack doesn’t realize is how abrasive his behavior is to others. What is obvious to others…
How one leader learned to deal with an angry boss
Learning to deal with an angry boss can be challenging, but it’s often influenced by how we handled conflict growing up. For Lee, a senior leader featured in How Did My Family Get In My Office?!, her childhood experiences with an unpredictable and angry father shaped the skills she now uses to navigate workplace challenges with…
Giving Recognition to your “Steady Eddy” Employees
As a leader, giving recognition to your “Steady Eddy” Employees is just as important as putting out fires. So much time goes to dealing with employees who exhibit disrespectful, abrasive, and overall negative behavior. Before you know it, most of your attention has gone to the problem employee and overlook the employee whose behavior is…
Say Goodbye To The Workplace Drama Triangle And Hello To Strong Boundaries
Have you encountered drama in your workplace lately? Let me introduce you to the Workplace Drama Triangle, its roles, and strategies for navigating and resolving conflict efficiently. It may sound like a silly question since leaders often describe disagreements as escalating into unnecessary drama that takes away from getting work done. A conflict resolution called…