I've got a client (we'll call her Jenny) who's got some real people problems. She believes her boss is threatened by her and most of her direct reports want her job. Based on what she's told me, she has reason to believe that these people would all love to see her fail. But Jenny had another...
If you pay attention to your language it will provide you insight and power over your subconscious – “natural” – InPower stance. As you practice obtaining and maintaining InPower balance, your language – internal and external – will begin to shift and change, becoming a source of your power. But first you must learn to “hear” yourself from an InPower perspective and listen for your InPower and out-of-power voice. In another post we’ll talk about what you are saying, but for now, just learn to listen to how you are saying it. When you speak – to yourself or to others – your choice of words can quickly tap you into your current power stance. Here are some examples.
Language is important indicator of everyone’s InPower stance, but it may be especially important for women, based on a new study by Judith Baxter.
Sometimes when we begin to refine our understanding of power, and consciously work to bring more of our own power to the fore in our lives, it creates discomfort with – or for – those close to us, including colleagues, employees, friends and even spouses and children. If others have become used to you giving your power away, when you take it back this can surprise them, and sometimes even threaten them. This can be true when you are granted external power as well, and those around you are not used to the new level of responsibility you now shoulder. As I launch into the Take Back Your Power series of blog posts I think it’s important to acknowledge this dynamic and prepare for how to handle these situations.
With the number of devices, apps and websites we use to communicate with each other—in life and in the office—it seems easier than ever to screw up even the most innocuous message. This tech-infused reality seems to go hand-in-hand with complaints about the tech savvy, particularly the millennial...
Effective listening skills are some of the most important aspects of communication. Sadly, it’s an aspect that we spend little time learning. I gave a presentation this past summer about how to be an effective virtual team member. The first issue I identified for success was effective...
As we approach summer, I'm reminded of the family road trip. The kind with screaming kids, barking dogs and parents hoping they don't harm one of those screaming kids. The family road trip seems an apt analogy to end this month's theme of preserving your mental health with emotional...
When I was a kid I loved action movies and magic. I sprained my ankle jumping off a roof as a member of the Three Musketeers (not sure which one since we all thought we were D'Artagnan.) I read comic books and even wrote a fantastical story of star voyagers to mars. I had an imagination run wild....
Throughout my career I’ve had experiences with government, nonprofit and corporate cultures, and I’ve noticed a leadership pattern in all three that leaders can learn from. Consensus means different things to different people. Be brave. Do Your Job. Don’t take the ”easy” path. The word consensus...
How many times have you had a conversation with a colleague who carries on about a topic and you never get to say a word – nevermind ask a question? One-sided conversations can get tedious – quickly. And I’m sure if you have experienced this, you hide from the person when you see him coming down...
You might not know it, but you negotiate all the time. We all do. Our negotiations might be small or insignificant, such as negotiating with your roommate or partner which chores you will own each week. Some are quite significant, such as negotiating the terms of a year-long contract with a client...
