BECOME A BETTER COWORKER: Genuine Gratitude (Part 1 of 4)

If I asked the people you work with if you are a great coworker, what would they say? Yes? Sometimes? It depends? No, not really? Would they feel like this? used with permission by Ralph Lazar @lastlemon This month begins a four-part series on how to become a better coworker and it starts

  • Photo credit: Tsahi Levent-Levi

The Importance of Asking Questions: Show Interest (Part 6 of 6)

As the last article in this series of The Importance of Asking Questions, I want to get back to basics. The basics of healthy, helpful conversation. I have become acutely aware of the number of conversations I have that are one-way conversations. The type of conversation that are primarily about the other person. The kind

The Importance of Asking Questions: Empowering Questions (Part 5 of 6)

Without knowing it, we disempower ourselves by placing limitations on our thinking. Our thinking reflects what we know AND what we don’t know.  Inherently, our thinking is then limited.  Imagine it like this.  You are on a scenic drive through the mountains and everything you can see is directly in front of you. You see

THE IMPORTANCE OF ASKING QUESTIONS: Seeking Understanding (Part 3 of 6)

Look above.  Do you find these phrases annoying? Frustrating? Irritating? In my opinion, if you have SAID or HEARD these phrases even once, that is one time too many! It’s like this folks—If you find yourself saying things like the aforementioned phrases, people aren’t doing a very good job of seeking understanding.  And guess what?

THE IMPORTANCE OF ASKING QUESTIONS: Solving the Right Problem (Part 2 of 6)

Hours of meetings, research, and effort ONLY to find out it was the WRONG problem. I remember this happening with a client a number of years ago when I delivered training on employee engagement.  The goal of the training was to “empower employees to work together better by building trust with each other”. Great! I

THE IMPORTANCE OF ASKING QUESTIONS: Connecting the Dots (Part 1 of 6)

A theme popped up this past week when I was teaching classes on Strengths-based Leadership and running meetings that don’t suck. The class discussions led me to pull out Socratic questioning information in all three classes. This was not planned. Then I noticed the topic of questions coming up in my personal life too. Several

  • showing two people who are trying to understand each other

A CALL FOR MORE EMPATHY

Communication is extremely difficult right now. Honestly, the word difficult fails to capture the charged emotions being expressed following the murder* of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. I am seeing, hearing, and experiencing interaction after interaction filled with blame, finger-pointing, name calling, accusations, and assumptions. There are people who want to be heard. They

  • rubik's cube

TENDING YOUR G FACTOR DURING A PANDEMIC (Part 6 of 7)

This week, you don’t need to have the highest IQ to have G Factor. Nor do you have to be able to solve a Rubik’s Cube. That is because Genius comes in many forms. Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines genius as “a person endowed with extraordinary mental superiority – especially a person with a high IQ”.  It

Can I Lead if I’m Not a Leader?

How can I lead and inspire with Generate G Factor? First, you don’t have to have a leadership title to lead.  You don’t have to be the boss, owner, supervisor, team lead, etc.  Ponder this for a moment.  We all lead unintentionally all the time.  Yes, that means people are watching and listening to you. 

Generosity: 5 Side Effects to Kindness

Don't be a jerk at work - bask in the side effects of kindness. Think about the last time someone extended a little generosity your way. They did something for you out of kindness and concern. Maybe they held a door open for you. Or they took time to listen to your frustration even though