Lately I have been thinking a lot about the difference between collaboration and cooperation as it pertains to teamwork and collective excellence.First of all, what is collaboration anyways?Wikipedia defines collaboration as occurring "when two or more people or organizations work together … [Read more...] about Collaboration Versus Cooperation
Apologizing for Realz
There have been a lot of apologies in the news recently (mostly from men, but not all) and it has gotten me to think a little about what makes a good apology. To be clear, this isn't a post about how to get out of jail by apologizing really, really well. This is about what does it actually … [Read more...] about Apologizing for Realz
Intention vs Impact in Communication
Have you ever had the experience of your impact not matching your intentions?The more aware we are about how we are being received and what we actually want people to hear when we speak, the less likely we will be hijacked by subconscious intentions or misaligned impact.Join me in a short … [Read more...] about Intention vs Impact in Communication
Two Ridiculously Simple Ways To Communicate Clearly
Cultivate the Weirdos
What do Ann Richards, Rodin, Hamdi Ulukaya, Wilbert L. Gore and Maria Grazia Chiuri have in common?Answer: they are all weirdos.(Oh, and John Ritter. He's a weirdo, too.) Or at least they are all different from the society around them.The key is that they were able to take that … [Read more...] about Cultivate the Weirdos
Get A New Story
You might not realize it, but you spend a lot of time broadcasting your story to the people in your life.Every time you share that you are "not good at" something like public speaking, taking risks or being courageous, you reinforce a narrative about yourself and how you want people to receive … [Read more...] about Get A New Story
“Expectation Is The Root Of All Heartache” – Shakespeare
What do you do when you have to speak in front of a large group of people or when you are expected to present information at a high-stakes meeting?There are three basic steps that everyone has to do in order to prepare themselves to be at their best when presenting in front of a group:Know what … [Read more...] about “Expectation Is The Root Of All Heartache” – Shakespeare
Worrying – Would It Help?
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVZRVi-KNog[/youtube]This is a clip from this summer's Spielberg movie, "Bridge of Spies." If you haven't seen the movie, the clip takes place during the trial of a Russian spy Rudolf Abel (played by Mark Rylance) and captures his conversation with his … [Read more...] about Worrying – Would It Help?
Give ‘Em Space (To Earn Trust)
Have you ever been in a situation where you are trying to communicate something important to another person, only to find that the more you talk the less they understand?If your answer is "no" then I'm going to assume that you have never tried to teach a teenager how to drive a car.No matter how … [Read more...] about Give ‘Em Space (To Earn Trust)
You Have A Choice
You have a choice. How often do you hear people say, "I'm just not a public speaker" or "I'm just not wired that way" when they are asked to do something outside their comfort zone? How often do we feel helpless in the face of our own perceived limitations? While I know that personality traits and … [Read more...] about You Have A Choice
You Have To Go Through It.
There is this moment in theater and in film where the actors and the director get together for the first time as a group to read through the script out loud. It is very chummy and people are often excited and a little nervous. They ask questions and talk and talk and read and talk. It's probably the … [Read more...] about You Have To Go Through It.