I See You
“Sawubona.” It’s an African Zulu greeting that means “I see you.” It has a long oral history and it means more than our traditional “hello.” It says, “I see your personality. I see your humanity. I see your dignity and respect.” In the African village context, where everyone knows one another, it’s an exceedingly powerful […]
Who Gets in the Way of Listening?
I pulled out and dusted off a CD from a long time ago – Suzanne Vega’s “Solitude Standing.” Love the CD – took me back about 25 years. Shockingly, it was released in 1987. I was listening to Tom’s Diner. It is a beautiful and poetic song. It is a poem about a moment in […]
What I Heard In Spin Class Today
Whenever I come into spin class, there’s a song playing – often a fairly motivating song. I blog a lot about spin class because it is challenging for me and it hits me frequently that this is what makes it work for me. Because life is challenging as well and often in similar ways. If […]
Your Quote of the Week
“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” –Helen Keller We are a culture of DIYers. We like Do It Yourself fixes. We value independence and hard work and going it alone. And yet, there is a cap on what we can accomplish alone. I don’t care how powerful you are, […]
Styles of Communication as Seen by Dilbert
I teach a class on Styles of Communication. The styles I teach have four different communication types. Here are two, clearly demonstrated. They are opposite styles. What can you see about each one? And, though comical, it is important to really think about how this attitude affects our communication, both at work and elsewhere. What […]
Rainmaking Tips – Tip #2
Treat Your Resources Well Last week’s blog considered where your business comes from. One likely source is from other people – and this is typically from other professionals who know, like and trust you, or from other clients who have found value firsthand in your services. Either way, show your appreciation. Many professionals believe […]
More on Accountability and Choice
Here is your quote for the week: “Our past experiences and our present circumstances have absolutely no power other than [what] we choose to give them.” Bob Proctor, from The ABCs of Success. It is so hard at times for people to see beyond their past experiences and their current circumstances. It is easy to […]
Rainmaking Tips – Tip #1
This will begin a series of tips on what I am going to call “rainmaking.” If you are an attorney, you will know this term. It references the rain dances Native American Indians did to encourage rain to fall from the sky. Modern “rainmaking” is sometimes seen as a similarly ethereal and hopeful process – one […]
Maybe It’s All In Your Head
“When I was a Boy Scout, we played a game when new Scouts joined the troop. We lined up chairs in a pattern, creating an obstacle course, through which the new Scouts, blindfolded, were supposed to maneuver. The Scoutmaster gave them a few moments to study the pattern before our adventure began. But as soon […]
What Gets in the Way of Listening?
What gets in the way of your listening? Really listening. People want to be heard. We need to be heard. It is a part of the human experience. We don’t get it often, though. If that doesn’t convince you to spend some time learning how to listen, consider this: people won’t listen to you until […]