Meaningful Expressions of Care

When my two kids were growing up, we often watched Mr. Rogers on television. He was authentic. He communicated, and expressed care, in his own unique way. He was special. Mr. Rogers The genial host of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” is being celebrated this year on the 50th anniversary of his first broadcast; with a PBS […]

What to do if you are someone who hates to talk about “feelings”?

When I was a young man, I rarely talked ”feelings”. For the most part, I didn’t know how to. My feelings avoidance played itself out in different ways. One way was that, at age 21, I bought a guitar, and took to studying flamenco guitar. My internal thoughts were, “I will learn to express how […]

Difficult conversations go better when you find and negotiate with your feelings

I was a cigarette smoker in my younger days. For close to 15 years, I wrestled with the addiction. When I finally committed to being a non-smoker, I gained a different perspective on smoking. Many years after my last cigarette, I spent several years as a contract business analyst, working on the development and implementation […]

Conflict: Thank you [A poem]

[October 9, 2017 is Thanksgiving Day in Canada. My poem gives thanks to conflict’s role in my learning journey.] Hello Conflict, my trusted friend I can count on you, to put in an appearance, every day A gift, of sorts Thank you. When I work with you, respect you My differences with others turn small […]

Apply a “My 15%” Rule to Develop and Leverage Conflict Competency in Your Organization

The U.S. Army has what it calls its’ “My 15%” rule.  Believing that most people have about 15 percent control over their work situations, the Army asks everyone, no matter their rank, “What’s your 15% of the problem?” “Where do you have freedom to act?”, for mutual benefit. No matter your organization, to me: adopting a”my 15%” […]