In almost every class we teach on Conflict Resolution, we run into many participants who loathe the idea of dealing with interpersonal conflict. Inevitably, the class conversation circles around participants’ fear of conflict, with most disclosing they would rather ignore it, hoping it will just “blow over.” When we ask the class how this strategy […]
5 Tips for Leaders’ Mental Health in 2020
October is Mental Health Month. Social media is full of advice on self-care and how the stress of COVID demands we pay more attention to taking care of ourselves and others. Leaders, in particular, are challenged right now. Sandwiched between supporting extra-vulnerable and less-resilient staff, and organizational pressures to boost productivity from a remote workforce […]
Mental Health, Let’s Talk About It
October 10th marks World Mental Health Day. A day to raise awareness, have meaningful dialogue and increase efforts to support our global mental health. While there is a different theme each year, 2020 seems to have brought much to the surface for many people. As we adjust to an ever-changing environment in a climate fraught […]
Communicating in a Virtual World Part 3: Emails
With the onset of a worldwide pandemic, employees were sent home to work in an attempt to flatten the contagion curve. People have learned to work remotely, utilizing online tools and changing the way they communicate. Person to person contact became a rare occurrence, Zoom replaced meetings, and emails have transformed our workplace communications. Working differently […]
Communicating in a Virtual World Part 2: Social Media
Has social media at work become a medium for communication amongst your colleagues? With the onset of a worldwide pandemic, employees were sent home to work in an attempt to flatten the contagion curve. People started learning how to work remotely, utilizing online tools. Person to person contact became a rare occurrence. Working differently in this “current […]
Communicating in a Virtual World Part 1: Virtual Meetings
With the onset of a worldwide pandemic, employees were sent home to work in an attempt to flatten the contagion curve. People started learning how to work remotely, utilizing online tools. Person to person contact became a rare occurrence. Working differently in this “current normal”, we started to notice challenges in keeping teams together and […]
4 Steps to Make Difficult Conversations Easier
Let’s face it: difficult conversations, when we have strong feelings about different points of view in interdependent relationships like those we have at work, are tough. But if issues are to be resolved effectively, we can’t avoid having tough talks. These conversations require an artful balance of clarity and tact, asserting and listening, and focusing […]
Stressful Situations: 3 Tips to Focus
Stressful situations affect people both at home and in the workplace. Statistics Canada has found that people who rate themselves as highly stressed are nearly 2.5 times more likely to go on sick leave than those who report lower levels of stress. A major contributor to stress and anxiety is the level of control people […]
3 Tips to Combat Bullying in the Workplace
The most common question we get about bullying is: “How do I deal with bullying in the workplace?” Bullying is always about power. The strategies you use on a bully should directly connect to the level of influence you have with them, which often feels very little. While dealing effectively with a bully is always […]
Under Cover: ‘Made to Stick’
If you must communicate in your job to inform, explain, build buy-in or motivate others, have a look at Chip and Dan Heath’s book Made to Stick. The Heath brothers have identified six critical strategies for ensuring your communication sticks in people’s minds, making your message SUCCESsful: