Gerry owns and runs a small manufacturing company. His General Manager, Brian, handles the day to day operations—assigning work, managing projects, and billing customers. Gerry and Brian get along well, and in fact, Gerry hopes to sell the business to Brian in about five years. He sees his own younger self in Brian, with similar values and work ethic. Read More
When contemplating having an important conversation, we tend to think of all the things we would like to say, as well as the negative replies we might hear. Important conversations, however, involve two people trying to come to an understanding in a dynamic environment, with no way of knowing how the conversation will unfold. This give and take experience is a process involving many skills: Read More
January-May, 2013—University College of Maine
I’ll be teaching three programs to the new Leadership Hancock County class of 2013. Of course they’ll be focused around communication in the workplace, emphasizing leadership skills development. This is my third year teaching for LHC. We’ve had eager, engaged participants, which makes teaching a real pleasure.
To learn more about LHC click here.
Change is tricky business, especially when it comes to relationships. First, there’s a challenge involved—acceptance, which is about a sober recognition of the way things really are. Acceptance is not acquiescence, but it is a starting point for “real” change. Without acceptance we tend to watch and wait for the other person to do the changing, and when they don’t it fuels our inclination to blame them . . . and blame, of course, does not encourage collaboration toward solutions or resolution. Read More