Advice for transforming leadership, culture, Curiosity, and communication from Beth Wonson
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I was reminded again today about how much emotional energy gets entangled with our business decisions. I was speaking about Navigating Emotionally Challenging Dialogue at a conference today. What I love about this particular mini-workshop that I’ve created is that each attendee gets to work on a scenario they are struggling with right now. When I asked for a volunteer to share their scenario, a gentleman stepped up and said he was struggling with a potential promotion for a staff member. The person was technically the most qualified for the position, however, if selected, he would also become a member of a…
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Take a load off! Tips for the exhausted leader (or for just the plain human)
Leading (and being a human) can be exhausting, particularly at year-end. To lead with ease, here are some simplistic (as in easy to understand, perhaps challenging to practice) tips to help you have smooth and calm sailing. I encourage you to apply the same techniques with family and friends. Simply substitute the words “family members,” “partner,” “kids,” or whomever, in place of “staff.” Become the observer. Imagine you are watching a play. Sit back and really notice how staff members engage, interact, take initiative, and follow through—all without your intervention. While the path they take may not be the one…
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The Thanksgiving Address
My former boss, friend, and teacher, Mac Hall, reminded me recently about the power and impact of our thoughts on water. He drew my attention back to the work of Dr. Masaru Emoto and his water experiments.Dr. Emoto’s work shows that human consciousness, particularly words and thoughts, has the ability to change the molecular structure of water. He has documented the change in hundreds of before and after images of water crystals that have been altered by nothing more than words and thoughts. Quite a contrary view, as you might imagine, Emoto contends that contaminated water can be cleared through positive human…
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I wanted to be sure of you…
This morning I went to out to breakfast, and as I sat to enjoy my piping hot coffee and eggs, a young man came into the restaurant. He was probably in his 20’s. He was filthy from head to toe with deep settled grime—the kind of dirt that comes not from hard work but from wearing the same clothes for weeks and not washing your body. It was difficult to observe the filth of his fingernails left unattended for months or even years. His face was scarred, and his twitching and wild eyes made it clear that his life force…
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The Echo Chamber
I was listening to Matt Mahan, CEO of the voter-empowerment app Brigade, on Dot Complicated with Randi Zuckerberg. He said something that hit me right in the third eye! He said that one of the lessons of the election is that—thanks to social media— we are all living in an echo chamber where the only opinions, voices, beliefs and perspectives that we read are ones that echo our own.I began to consider how this is true. After all, most of my contacts are people who share beliefs, values, interests, and experiences similar to my own. He went on to say that is…
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Perky. Is it really the secret sauce?
Trader Joe’s has been hiring and cultivating perky new hires for many years. Article after article has been written documenting the success of this philosophy.The exact methods they use to create and maintain perky customer service people is a tightly held secret, however, it is no secret that getting hired at a TJ’s is highly competitive. Salary and benefits are generous compared to most other employers—particularly in the grocery store arena but also in most other corporate markets.I have a love/hate relationship with “perky.” Moving to California from the east coast, the first time my TJ’s clerk asked me, “So…
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Is Judgment Blocking You?
I’ve written about this topic before. It is deep and multifaceted. It has the ability to trip us up again and again. It can be a roadblock or gateway depending on if we are looking inside or outside. I know because I’ve danced with it for years.What am I talking about? Judgment.Someone commented to me recently that I use the word “judgment” or “judge” frequently. I use it as I’m attempting to understand communication and styles. I use it as I’m reflecting on my own willingness to stretch or to take a positive risk. And I use it when I’m…
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On the fly!
Think about all the changes that have occurred in how we work over the past 5 years, 2 years, 6 months, or even since yesterday! Heck, when I started working in offices, “cc” truly meant a piece of carbon paper (nasty stuff) inserted between white paper in the roll of the typewriter so that as each key was struck (manually), an image was created on the second piece of paper. That is how we created copies. Then the documents were put in envelopes and actually mailed through the U.S. Postal Service to their destination. And we waited several days for…
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The Silent Treatment
Note: Everyone we encounter—even those we encounter through the media—have the ability to teach us about ourselves, especially if we can become nonjudgmental observers. This is true with our political candidates too. This is not a piece about who is better suited to become president but is instead about what we, as observers, can learn about how we care and manage ourselves in tumultuous dialogues. I found the September 26th presidential debate fascinating, not because of the content but because of the technique that one of the candidates used so successfully. When I disengaged from the content and became the…
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Where Passion and Purpose Intersect – The Golden Thread
I recently went to Harlow’s in downtown Sacramento to see Café Musique, a self-described gypsy, wild classical band that has been performing together for ten plus years and hails from my former home base of San Luis Obispo County.I’m not a big classical music fan, and I have barely any awareness of the composers or songs that are reworked and performed in their sets. But I am a giant, goosebumps-on-my-arms, shivers-down-my-spine fan of passion and purpose. And passion and purpose make up the golden thread that is the magic of the Café Musique. Each member of the band exudes passion as…
Leveling up Leadership and Culture Through Healthy and Candid Communication
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