Good News is Hard to Hear
One of the things that amazes me is the difficulty we humans have with accepting good news. How many times have you found yourself sloughing off a compliment or downplaying an accomplishment? I see this all the time as I coach executives or facilitate conversations. People offer positive comments and the recipients disregard them or [...]
Communication Strategies: Incite or Invite
My recent blog posts have been focused on the receiver of information. This post asks you to look at how you are communicating. What messages, verbal or behavioral, are you sending your coworkers, friends, family and strangers? The past weeks have been filled with examples of public outbursts, from Joe Wilson calling President Obama a [...]
Difficult Conversations: Receiving Information Part 2
As I wrote in my last post about difficult conversations, it’s normal to become nervous or even defensive when someone approaches us with feedback. These reactions can get in the way of listening, however. One technique that can help you relax and focus on the speaker’s message is to assume that the other person has [...]
Difficult Conversations: Receiving Feedback
When someone approaches us wanting to give us feedback, whether it’s a boss or a friend, we often find ourselves getting nervous and maybe defensive. These reactions are normal—and they also get in the way of listening. Instead of getting involved in a number of difficult conversations, you can use a number of techniques to [...]
Difficult Conversations: A Good Lesson for the Receiver
Much of the literature about difficult conversations is written from the perspective of the person giving feedback or directions. It’s equally important to be a good receiver of information. Being willing to listen intently, understand another persons’ perspective and be willing to accept your responsibility in any given situation will enhance your own self-knowledge, expand [...]
Managing Conversations: Use Yourself Well
In my work as a facilitator, consultant and coach I am often in situations in which people want to know how to best manage a difficult conversation either one on one or in a group setting. One essential part of helping to facilitate a conversation is to know yourself really well. One particular piece of [...]