Summer is always a good time to vary perspective. On the book front this summer, “Conversations With Wilder“, by Cameron Crowe, offered me some new perspectives on story. Billy Wilder (1906-2002) was a legendary Hollywood movie writer and director. (Double Indemnity, Sunset Boulevard, Some Like it Hot, The Apartment and many more). Conversations with […]
Offering a Continuum of Choices is a Trusted Collaborative Problem Solving Technique
August 25, 2014 by · Leave a Comment
When we’re stuck on a problem, and filled with negativity, the options lean to either/or. When we articulate the spaces in-between, new possibilities emerge, a continuum of choices. A continuum of choices reduces the risk of either/or, win/lose, and encourages collaborative problem solving. Offer a continuum As a contract court mediator with Mediate BC, […]
3 Preconditions for Effective Communications
August 21, 2014 by · Leave a Comment
Ever reached out, across the virtual divide, and found your communications efforts less than stellar? (Yep.) Somehow, the conversation seems to have barely begun, before the scene deteriorates and communications fall apart. Puzzled as to why things unfolded that way? Maybe, the conditions weren’t in-place to begin with, for effective communications to […]
Communicating With Your Audience in Their Culture
August 14, 2014 by · Leave a Comment
To communicate effectively we need to already have some areas of commonness between us. Culture is one of those areas. When facilitating virtual teams or in local cross-cultural contexts, I sometimes underestimate the differences between cultures. It’s easy to auto-pilot into my culture’s way of doing things. And, that’s not always a good thing. […]
