My “Expressing Feelings” Algorithm for Difficult Workplace Conversations and Problem-Solving

“Never mind all that feelings stuff, let’s just do it”. Just do it. Just do the work. If only life were so simple. In the workplace, jointly solving problems often involves difficult conversations, and conflicting views. Difficult conversations won’t go well unless feelings are surfaced. We have to have those conversations. Change happens, finding solutions to […]

Seven Tips for Mediators based on insights from the climate change discourse

I was at a social gathering the other night. My conversation partner was lamenting that their message, they work for an environmental agency, wasn’t getting through. Paraphrasing my friend, “All the facts are there. The planet is at peril. People still don’t get it, though.  They carry on, as usual.” Alert to a timely opportunity […]

A Conflict Christmas Carol [A poem]

[Riffing on the basic storyline from A Christmas Carol (Charles Dickens’ novella), I came up with this poem. Happy holidays!] He walked the streets, not seeing Yet, right he was, never wrong Quick to judge, quick to his trigger. At a festive party one day, he was surprised When the other declared, “you are like […]

That Was Picasso! A sports psychology model for mastering personal challenges

The PGA tour, professional golfer’s association tour, is winding down for another year, over the next few weeks. I golf. Not a lot; enough, though, that I’m motivated, after a bad round (not infrequent), to go out, and do it again. No pain, no gain? It’s the psychological side of golf that has me hooked. […]

Conflict Manifest [A Poem]

[Reflecting on the many journeys we all take when it comes to managing interpersonal conflict, this poem morphed its way out of me, today.] Conflict Manifest I was going along, swimmingly Buzzed by my world And then it happened To my surprise My buzz wasn’t theirs Conflict manifest The dawn of conflict reveals itself Out […]