Have you ever felt inadequate to respond when someone has opened up to you about their feelings? I know I have. But after I get past the awkwardness, I always find the profound connection makes the discomfort worth it. I had been working with Elizabeth (not her real name) for about six months. She joined
This year our family spent two weeks together in hotel rooms and friends’ houses up and down the coast of New England. I loved the togetherness. And they also got on my nerves. The hot buttons and shortcomings that we know so well about each other were on full display as we debated directions and
The tension was heavy in a recent meeting. The participants had competing agendas, different personalities and diverse perspectives. Being privy to side conversations before the meeting, I knew that they were making judgments about each other. Instead of coming together as “we,” they were defending and protecting the “me.” In his classic book “Nonviolent Communication,”
Have you ever written an email while feeling angry or upset? Have you ever read an email that made you feel angry or upset? Last week my wife and I got an email from a company that we hired to help us with work at our house. The work we agreed to cost $1,000. Their
I attended a leadership conference several years ago, and two things I heard still stand out. One had to do with parenting; the other was one line: Leadership is influence. The reason that line was memorable is that the speaker, an executive from a large, well-known company, repeated it many times throughout his presentation. And
The past week brought communication of conflict and crisis. I read news of human violence, learned about friends in difficult circumstances, and I had hard conversations. My mind was on high alert. As situations arose, I was one part anxious, one part awkward, and one part focused. Have you been there? Where I was directly
People like me. OK, not everyone. And it’s not that I’m a “big deal.” But for the most part, I’m seen as a likeable guy. But why? It’s something I’ve been wondering about recently. Throughout my entire life, I’ve always had strong relationships, and I continue to maintain meaningful and helpful relationships with people I’ve met
Most of us have far more courage than we ever dreamed we possessed. – Dale Carnegie One of the hardest things I’ve done at work was firing a customer. Oh, man, it took courage. We’d had a good relationship for many years, but then the company hired a new leader to manage the work with
A few hours after a meeting, I received a call from one of my colleagues. “Hey,” he said. “I was a jerk to you in that meeting. I was feeling insecure and protective. I shouldn’t have taken it out on you. How are you feeling about it?” His courage to have a hard conversation and
Our boys have been working hard at school. After seeing their recent report cards, we wanted to affirm and appreciate them for their good work. We understand basic psychology well enough to know that appreciating their behavior will likely result in more of that behavior. But we’ve also come to realize that placing our appreciative
Matt Norman is president of Norman & Associates, which offers Dale Carnegie Training in the North Central US. Dale Carnegie Training is a global organization ...READ MORE