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…
I was at a beautiful coming-of-age celebration this past weekend where one of the most memorable moments was when the father of the woman-to-be shared his words of hope and wisdom for her with the party guests. As I listened to his inspiring advice, I found his message to his daughter to be resonant and…
Right now, this minute ask yourself: What do I stand for? What matters most to me that would give me the moral courage to speak up? Sometimes, it’s easier to answer with the opposite in mind. Fill out the blanks below: Without ________________ life would suck. Without ________________ life would suck. Without ________________ life would…
As we enter this harried, crazed — but also wonderfully sweet season — a reminder to raise our awareness of others and increase our ability to connect and empathize. A short segment from my upcoming book: Connector #8: EMPATHIZING Acknowledges the other person’s emotion Offers compassion Communicates with sensitivity and respect There is a fundamental…
What do you do — what’s the right thing to do — when you’ve messed up so badly and fallen from grace? In the wake of continuing news about people in positions of trust and authority taking advantage of their position of power to harass and humiliate, I want to share a simple and sincere…
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…
Thursday, July 27, 2017. My day is bookended by lucky luxury and painful perspective. I started the day with a skip in my step; entering a Starbucks in Bel Air, I order my usual – A tall Americano with a little room for my non-fat milk – low calorie, high price. Waiting for the barista to…
Hello business world. I haven’t written in a while because I’ve been working with serious clients on some tough issues. I leave intense conference rooms with immense gratitude that I get to play a part in helping partners and teams rebuild, reconcile and repair. It’s also emotionally exhausting. I was describing the experience to a…
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…
Ace The Interview Honored to be featured in GLA ALA’s Fall 2016 Leadership Exchange Magazine.