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Turning Potential Into Results
Mirror, Mirror … in my head
On a recent family outing to Santa Cruz’s Museum of Art and History, I played in front of a mirror designed to distort. One side of the mirror gave me super long, thin legs. The other side showed me shorter, rounder. I jumped back and forth to see different images. Walking away from the mirror’s…
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Conflict: A bug or a feature?
There’s an assumption that conflict always involves anger and is always negative. That friction – opposing views, misunderstandings, differences of opinion – between people is to be avoided at all costs. The trouble is that avoiding friction in our relationships is not cost-free. Avoiding friction often erodes and diminishes the very relationship that we seek…
Read MoreLearn to Interrupt (yourself, not others)
Before last month, if you would have asked me if I was a good listener, I would have quickly and assuredly said “Yes.” Now, my response is, “I’m learning to be a better one.” Why the change? I’ve been engaged in dialogues, the art of listening. Dialogue is the discipline of collective learning and inquiry.…
Read MoreThe Canary in Leadership’s No Man’s Land
Last week I learned I was wrong about something I was absolutely, bet-you-$100-sure about. In my 40 years of playing tennis, I was sure “No Man’s Land” on the tennis court was located just inside the baseline and extended through about half of the service box. It’s called “No Man’s Land” because if a player…
Read MoreCubicle Concussions
Remember connecting the dots as a kid and seeing the squirrel emerge? As kids, we had to move our crayon from 1 to 2 to 3 because we couldn’t imagine what the picture was going to be. With more experience, we could “see” the picture without drawing any line. It’s time to connect the dots…
Read MoreDon’t be bored: Gather clues!
When I was a kid (and not damming up Yellow Creek), my brother and I played two board games, Monopoly and Clue. My brother liked (and usually won) Monopoly which probably paid off in his role as a VC. Clue was my favorite. I liked it because I was good at making educated guesses. Nothing…
Read MoreLeaders Come From All Parts of the Orchard
People who want to be leaders often ask me: “Do I have the right personality to lead?” My answer: There’s no personality type that designates someone a leader. This doesn’t mean you ignore your personality, preferences and foibles. It means you become aware of them so you can lead yourself first, then others. To gain…
Read MoreStop Putting up with the Glare
Client story: An employee wanted to move to another workspace because the extreme glare on her desk made it hard for her to work. She was convinced that the glare was coming from a newly painted office building outside her window. To try and solve the problem herself, she put a row of plants on…
Read MoreGot complaints? Replace whines with action!
When a friend’s birthday approaches, I sort through my stash of cards for one that’s appropriate. For the last 6 years (OK, maybe 10), I’ve rejected the same 5 birthday cards. What I thought was funny when I bought them, isn’t funny anymore. The cards in the No pile include an old gal hiking up…
Read MoreIllusions are too cool, until they turn too costly
Optical illusions are a hoot. They work by taking advantage of how our brain’s hard-wiring processes information. Recently, a photograph of a bride’s dress posted online went viral along with the question: Is the dress White and Gold or Blue and Black? Those in the W&G camp are adamant that they are right, just as…
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