8 Traits of a Successful Team

Have you ever been part of an extraordinary team? Have you ever been the leader of one? I have been part of one extraordinary team in my career. Yep. One. That’s it.  I’ve been on good teams, bad teams, and okay teams. But I’ve only been on one extraordinary team. The reason the team was

Finding Inspiration with Max Lucado

Closed door. Hushed voice. Gossip. Cornered in an office. Put on the spot. My coworker unloading their annoyances about our coworker. I’m the newest person on the team. Expected to take sides. Slippery slope. Placed between a rock and a hard place. “Conflict is inevitable, but combat is optional.” ~Max Lucado When I came across

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

Are you a bad conversationalist?

Bad conversationalist or good conversationalist? Over and over again on Saturday night my honey Rick and I found ourselves in situations feeling awkward and struggling to connect with other people. This is not usually the case for me! I love people and getting to know them. However, talking with people Saturday night was like driving

Conflict and Perfection: Get it right

Conflict and Perfection: what's it all about?  It's certainly not about the hokey pokey! Welcome back to our final week on conflict using this book …. We end the series with the person whose intent is to get it right because they need perfection.  For these people it is easy to be thrown off when

Conflict and Approval: Getting Along

Conflict and Approval: who needs it?  The answer to that question is ... a lot of people!  Some people, when feeling threatened, are going to try to get along at almost any cost because they really want to feel your approval.  They are wonderful people who really prefer it when things are peaceful in the

Conflict and Appreciation: Giving it

Conflict and appreciation: an interesting pair!  There are people, who when feeling threatened, are going to try to get you to show your appreciation for them, because they have a need for attention.  Lots and lots of attention sometimes!  Brinkman and Kirschner describe this behavior as requiring "a higher level of assertiveness and a people focus, in

Conflict and Control: Dealing with it

Oh, conflict and control. What a task to successfully navigate controlling behavior! The good news is, it can be done!  With the help from this book, “Dealing with People You Can’t Stand,” by Dr. Rick Brinkman and Dr. Rick Kirschner, you can hone your skills when working with someone who appears to be controlling.  Brinkman and