Advice for transforming leadership, culture, Curiosity, and communication from Beth Wonson
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The term “managing up” has different meanings to many people. Most leaders tell me that they wish their staff were more skillful at managing up. Almost every leader tells their team that the skill of managing up is desirable. But in my experience, almost no one knows what exactly they are being asked to do. Many leaders don’t have the focus, time, or even skillfulness to communicate how you can best be helpful to them when it comes to managing up.
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Coaching Peer to Peer
When you hear a peer struggling to solve a problem or make a decision, you can simply ask, “Hey, I hear you are struggling with this. Would you like a little coaching to help uncover a path forward?” And then accept the answer. In a coach:coachee relationship, both participants are equal. You don’t have to be the guru or know all the answers. In coaching, the person receiving the coaching is the expert on themselves. They know what risks they are willing to take, what consequences they are open to (positive and negative), and what actions they are willing to…
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The Power of Gratitude
With the help of a therapist, I started noticing when my thoughts were of lack or resentment, and then pausing to consider what I was grateful for within it all. It was uncomfortable and unpleasant in the beginning. This intentional practice requires new neural pathways and patterns to be built, much like building a new road through uncharted territory. It just isn’t easy. Because this is an ongoing practice, this is the process I still follow.
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How to Turn Around Chronic Complainers
Chronic complainers are exhausting. They deplete the energy of everyone around them. The challenge is that they often don’t see themselves as complainers. But nevertheless, a chronic complainer must be dealt with before they bring down an entire team.
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Recommended Listen — Trauma: The Invisible Epidemic
This week’s post is brief on purpose because I’m sharing a podcast interview that I think is important that we all listen to. The interviewee is Dr. Paul Conti, author of “Trauma: The Invisible Epidemic: How Trauma Works and How We Can Heal From It”. Full disclosure, I’ve not read the book yet, but when the podcast was shared with me, I was enthralled with the words and wisdom of the Stanford-trained psychiatrist. His suggestions felt so relevant, important and doable.
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Are You an Interrupter?
Are you an interrupter? I know I am. I get really excited about my own thoughts, the connections that I make between what someone else is saying and what I’m thinking. I love a fast-paced conversation where everyone is engaged and rifting off ideas. But, guess what. That kind of energy doesn’t work for everyone and certainly doesn’t work in every situation. Often it is interpreted as taking up too much space in the conversation. Here’s what you can do instead.
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It’s the Season for Curiosity
When we are curious, we are better at assessing a situation, seeing what is really happening, coming up with better solutions using all available information, and retaining that learning to apply to the next situation. As you move into this holiday season, I encourage you to find opportunities to open yourself up to curiosity and wonder in your conversations.
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Looking Towards 2024
It is the time of year when we, as a company, and me as an individual, reflect on the accomplishments of the year. A few weeks ago, Beth Wonson & Company had our annual reflection and planning event. As we had dialogues, looked at numbers, talked about impact, and shared what work truly felt impactful, a theme emerged.
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Here Are a Few Communication Tools
I’ve been reflecting on my own experience with NCD and realized that for me, the process and the practice continues to unfold. And every single day, I learn something new about myself, my emotional regulation and self-management, and how I stumble at times when I communicate. Particularly with loved ones and people close to me. NCD is not a one-and-done training, but an on-going practice. With intention and integration, the practice becomes part of your character and how others see and experience you.
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Sharing my Coaching Takeaways
Today I’m sharing my takeaways and learnings from a few weeks of intense client work. I’m hoping that you may find them helpful as you navigate challenging dialogues!
Leveling up Leadership and Culture Through Healthy and Candid Communication
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