Why and how to switch from competitive to collaborative talk
Want to encourage more collaboration among individuals at work? Watch your words! Your language should be cooperative, not competitive, and certainly not violent. The latter is common in "winner take all" cultures, which are less than ideal for both men and women. It...
5 ways to boost your confidence
“I need more confidence.” “If I could be more confident, I’d be more successful.” “We women shouldn’t complain about our lack of confidence; instead, we should just follow that advice to ‘fake it ‘till we make it’.” These are common themes I’ve heard from women at...
How to be relevant while privileged
“I rise to a point of personal privilege.” That sentence was my first formal exposure to privilege back in high school. I was clueless about the broader definition, even though I was a beneficiary. While personal privilege is an archaic practice for meetings today, it...
Reaching a consensus in our fast-paced world requires voices, not silence
We need to take time to listen to team members rather than inadvertently or even accidentally silence them. To say it another way, let's retire the simple rule of “silence means consent.” By doing so, we’ll trade efficiency for a more thorough, inclusive way of...
Why “IH8PEAS” is bad for you and how to adjust
The license plate “IH8PEAS” succinctly states this Jeep owner’s point of view about peas clearly and humorously. Yet, the Jeep owner’s health – including brain health -- may suffer, not only from the lack of vitamins and nutrients from green peas, but also the...
How to be a more inclusive leader with RACI
Do you regularly use a RACI chart, matrix or model in your teams? If not, you may want to start. Here’s why. Whatever you call a RACI, it’s a simple and effective approach for achieving two team goals: keeping projects on track and acting inclusively with team...
Why and how to be an accomplished daydreamer
"Strategic planning is hard. I’d rather do tasks than think about the future and plan for it. Just tell me what needs to be done and I’m on it.” -- a participant at my most recent strategic planning workshop Yet our brain, without prompting, can spend a lot of time...
Why and how to prevent truth decay
“We don’t see things as they are; we see things as we are.” – Anaïs Nin, French-American essayist. After coming across this quote three times over a five-day period last month, I stopped to reflect on its powerful message and relevancy for our times. Nin died more...
Four kind gestures for communicating better in the virtual world
Little gestures -- such as a smile, a head nod, a shared grimace, a touch on the arm, and small movements -- say a lot when you're working with your direct reports, team members, peers, colleagues, bosses and others. These gestures put people at ease as well as...
