I recently read a New York Times article written by a professor of clinical psychiatry bemoaning the increase in incivility in political discourse. Dr. Richard Friedman’s belief is that the increase of negatively evaluative comments coming from President Trump is having a negative effect. Dr. Friedman cites several studies in making his case that using dehumanizing language increases prejudice, decreases sensitivity to verbal aggression over Continue Reading
What Did You Have For Breakfast?
I attended a personal development weekend recently where one of the core teachings was to separate out “What happened” from “The story about what happened.” This skill is something I’ve coached others in conflict to use for years. What was powerful over the weekend, however, was to watch people create magic when they would apply this method to any conflict in their lives. Person after person would talk about issues they were having with loved Continue Reading
Can We Talk Nice to Each Other?
I was having a conversation recently with a supervisor who is having some issues with two of his direct reports who are in conflict. As is the case in many situations I’m called into, the employees are not talking with each other. Not talking with each other seems to be an acceptable way to “get along” in some people’s minds. Although détente obviously provides some temporary relief, it’s not really a workable solution in the long run, Continue Reading
How Do You Want to Play Life?
Today, I joined a local co-working space called Club Kwench. Co-working spaces are a fairly new working phenomenon, intended for people who work from home but may need an office space. What is so delightful about this space, is its owner, Tessa McLoughlin. She has a vision for this co-working space – a place where people come together because we need each other. A place where we can work on our own and at the same time, we can connect. As Continue Reading