Any parent can tell you the most annoying question kids ask is, “Why?” Why is the sky blue? Why is the grass green? Why do I have to take a bath? Although it may sometimes feel like kids ask these questions merely to annoy us, kids ask them because they’re trying to understand their world. […]
When you were a child and were angry, upset, hurt, or frustrated, you probably didn’t have the words to express your emotions. It’s a rare kid who can say, “Mother, I’m infuriated and disillusioned with your decision to deny me that chocolate torte for my midday repast.” Instead, a child will huff and puff, scream, cry, throw things, and […]
The first step in bridging the workplace generation gap is understanding that you have one and how extensive it is. By identifying your employees’ generations (no, don’t ask how old they are), you can take the first steps toward bringing your team together. Next week, we’ll identify specific steps for bridging the generation gap at […]
I wrote this blog post when my daughter, now a rising junior, first went off to college. For those whose children will be going off to college in a few short weeks, it’s important that you establish communication expectations in advance, to avoid anger, frustration, and damage to your fledgling long-distance relationship. However, these tips […]
Last week, I discussed the evolution of criticism, constructive criticism, and constructive feedback. I also outlined the benefits of perceiving and presenting feedback as “performance improvement feedback” as opposed to constructive criticism. So how do you provide Performance Improvement Feedback in a way that will help ensure it is perceived as the gift you intend it to be? The […]
Over the years, I’ve seen an evolution in terms used for negative feedback. The first term I remember hearing is “constructive criticism.” The problem was, most of the criticism wasn’t constructive, so it was really just criticism. Then someone decided to soften the term and call it “constructive feedback.” However, once again, it wasn’t very constructive, so […]
Last week I wrote about the importance of apologizing when you’ve wronged someone. However, there are times when an apology can actually make the situation worse, such as when the apology is insincere, sarcastic, or flippantly delivered. To ensure your apology is accepted in the spirit with which you intend it, be sure to follow […]
Last week, I posed some questions you should ask yourself before initiating a challenging conversation. Now that you’ve had some time to prepare yourself for the conversation, here is a four-step process that will help you navigate through the most difficult conversations to a successful conclusion. However, keep in mind, no conversation will be successful if both parties aren’t […]
If you’ve ever seen one of those “When Animals Go Bad,” reality T.V. shows, you know they’re based on stories and sometimes graphic video footage of animals attacking people. Sometimes the result is humorous, with the human simply being embarrassed by the encounter. Other stories end in tragedy. Many who watch these shows walk away concluding that the animals […]
A friend recently shared this picture of the two of us at her high school graduation (Aaacckk). It was a little shocking to do the math and realize how old the picture is. It got me thinking about what the girl in the picture has learned in the years since the picture was taken. The first two […]
