Blog

Terrence E. Deal Leadership Institute

Excited for Friday’s  Terrence E. Deal Leadership Institute’s timely conference on bridging differences in a divided world. For several months I’ve had the privilege to guide and mentor the student fellows’ journey into their personal and professional #soul #stories and look forward to their presentations on #creating #connection. Leadership Conference will be held at TDLI Conference at the Ludwick Center (Sacred…

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End of Year Reflection

As we begin to count down the last few days of the year, here are four powerful and all-encompassing questions we can ask ourselves, our families and our teams. #highperformance #fulfillment #values #success #happiness #positivity #productivity #personal #professional #goals #improvement #development #planning #reflection #communication #management #leadership #training #coaching #organiccommunication #2020 #2021 DOWNLOAD EOY Reflection Graphic

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What Will Replace the Handshake?

Director Fauci recommends we abandon the handshake forever. This is an opportunity to question our cultural awareness, the meaning behind our actions and our underlying assumptions about this long-held tradition. Have a read and share your ideas. #communication #nonverbalcommunication #intention #impact #purpose #professionalpresence #crossculturalcommunicationskills #coronavirus #covid19 #leadership #training #coaching #organiccommunication Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of…

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Assertive Adulting — Creating Connection Series

Here’s part 3 of the Creating Connection Series with “Yes, And” vs. “No, But” approach — Assertive Adulting. So powerful when we put this tool into practice! #communication #author #book #creatingconnection I was coaching an experienced manager at a reputable company undergoing some serious changes. She was sharing her communication frustrations while I was gently…

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Yes, But… The Power of the Conditional Conjunction to Create Clear Communication

Yes, And: For years I’ve been training the concept of “yes, and.” This is when we listen to someone, let them know we’ve heard and understood them, and then use the word “and” to build on their statement or request with our own thoughts and suggestions. We could be in agreement with with what they’ve…

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Double Negative: Meeting Ignorance with Impatience

I’m not the first to say that there is a lot of tension in conversations these days. Whether on social media, at the Thanksgiving dinner table, in office discussions, in political discourse and beyond. I’ve been listening to this dis-course: Listening to the dis-comfort, the dis-ease and to the general dis-content as well-intentioned people enter…

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Falling Forward

I took a pretty bad fall on Friday walking to a meeting in Venice, California. Broke the skin on my knees, sprained my arm, shattered the glass on my phone — but actually bolstered my belief in myself and in how the world works. Rewind three hours. Driving my teen to the school bus in…

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Change Behavior with Five Simple Steps

Many of us want to cultivate change and growth, but think the process is too lengthy and arduous. Not necessarily. I’d like to introduce you to an effective tool I’ve been using with professionals in coaching sessions and with teams in strategy meetings. If you want to change your individual and/or organizational behavior — not…

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Yesterday I was your peer, today I’m your supervisor…now what?

Changing dynamics at work add to already challenging situations. It’s not uncommon that individuals get promoted, and overnight go from being their co-workers’ peer to supervising them. When roles and goals change, the management and leadership style must follow; but tensions and triggers show up that accompany the change and often lead to confusion and…

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SURENESS: Developing a Confident Mindset to Live Life Fully

Sureness (noun) : A state of mind in which one is free from doubt. Synonyms: certainty, confidence, conviction, positiveness, satisfaction Related words: decisiveness, determination, firmness, purposefulness, resoluteness On a recent trip to Hawaii, I walked by a statue of a Burmese standing Buddha. The resort I stayed at was filled with spiritual sculptures and ancient artifacts, but this…

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Communication Cheat Sheet Part 2: Nonverbal Cues

A couple weeks ago I posted an article about the power of listening-–http://bit.ly/1TMLKYt — and stated that the second most significant skill on my communication cheat sheet is the power of nonverbal communication. Of all the intentional tools to master, how we convey our emotions with the use of our voice, facial expression and body language, will…

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Develop Healthy Boundaries: The Problem with Over-Sharing in Organizations

Many well-intentioned professionals have been striving to create more collegial relationships at work, with a focus on positive interactions they hope will boost morale, loyalty and also the bottom line. Unfortunately, opening up is often connoted with over-sharing while friendliness is sometimes mistaken for divulging personal information inappropriately. Where do we draw the line to meaningfully…

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Prepare Your Emotional Strategy for Negotiating

Negotiating is an interpersonal process. Making deals involves individual interests that conflict, oftentimes giving rise to anger and anxiety. Most people prepare a legal and business strategy going into a negotiation that focuses on talking points, offers and counteroffers. Rarely do people plan out their emotional strategy for what is essentially an emotionally charged conversation.…

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Talk-Sick Work Environments Harm Business Health: How to Detox Your Workplace

Gossiping. Lashing out. Undermining. Triangulating. Shooting down. Judging. Criticizing. Chastising. Trivializing. Harassing. Misleading. Deceiving. Lying. Shaming. Blaming. Complaining. Stonewalling. Sadly, the number of ways we create a talk-sick (read: toxic) environment at work is countless. It’s common knowledge these days that putting toxins into our bodies (cigarettes, drugs, refined sugar, alcohol, saturated fats, pesticides, mold,…

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From Awareness to Action: 3 Points of Personal Change

I’ve had some deep and difficult coaching conversations recently. Many have centered on the challenge of personal change. Three points in the change process bring completely different moods/emotions/energies and require varying skills and tools to experience and navigate. Point 1: Unconscious and Unaware This might be termed ignorance, bliss, oblivion, innocence or naiveté. Others tell…

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It’s Not Smart to Make Others Feel Stupid

I sometimes hear about “brilliant rain-makers” who “don’t suffer fools.” These are smart lawyers and executives who behave intellectually superior and are intolerant of others’ “stupidity.” They finish other people’s sentences, know what others are trying to do and say, hate to be bothered and don’t like their time wasted. What their colleagues or clients might…

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Un-Divide Your Attention

Muti-tasking is thankfully becoming a negative term in enlightened, evolved leadership circles. Unfortunately, these circles make up a mere 20% of workplaces. The majority of organizations still revere the so-called multi-tasking “skill,” falsely believing it leads to accomplishment and efficiency. You can’t be a detail-oriented multi-tasker. You’ve observed and participated in this environment many times…

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Defend Yourself Against Bad Year-End Decisions

Year-end and holiday activities are making everyone in the office a tad bit crazy. The pressure cooker environment and the increasingly complex daily life demands we find ourselves dealing with lead us to erroneous actions and wrongheaded decisions. Cognitive overload and an accelerating pace deprive us of the calm conditions we crave to make calculated…

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Law Firm Coaching and Consulting

Organic Communication specializes in providing coaching and consulting services to attorneys, law firm executives and law firms. Lee K. Broekman is an expert in teaching communication and management skills and works with individuals and teams in the legal community to: Develop business and build relationships Manage profitable practices and positive personnel Manage time and stress…

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Past News and Events

Communication Cafe A casual, bistro-style dialogue experience. Here’s a taste of our upcoming group coaching selections and workshop offerings: If they only knew… Bringing your authentic self to work What’s cool about you? The power of acknowledgement What’s your story? Personal narratives and sharing experience Being Right? Or Being Kind? Compassionate communication that works Creating…

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