Today is Dr. Martin Luther King day. A day we remember and honor him for his peaceful and hope-filled approach to conflict resolution. His quote “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy” has resonated with…
The last couple of weeks of the year are such a crazy-busy time. At work we scramble to get everything done with “skeleton” crews, and there is so much to do outside of work. Preparing for our holiday celebrations, braving the shopping crowds and, ugh, the traffic! As we all move through the last two…
Have you ever gotten sucked into someone else’s nasty mood? I narrowly escaped catching a bad attitude last week. I was sitting in the waiting room at my doctor’s office, and a woman at the counter was fussing at the receptionist because they called her the day before and left her a message, but she…
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION, UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. As Americans, if we had the privilege to be born here, we learn this pledge as children and recite it all our lives. The…
We all have triggers. today i have a surprising concept for why we can be easily triggered by the behavior of others. Let’s start with what I mean by “triggered”: Agitation, frustration, and anger are a few of the negative feelings associated with being triggered. They bubble up (or explode) when we bump into specific…
I nearly had a full-on temper tantrum the other night. For real, I thought I was going to explode all over everyone, and it was all because of some seriously unmet expectations. It was the fifth evening of a fabulous vacation: Beautiful resort, perfect weather, and lots of exciting fun combined with plenty of “chill”…
As a young, highly motivated, corporate-ladder-climber, I had an urgent desire to establish my credibility as a great manager. As such, I set out to demonstrate my understanding of complex issues, implementing solutions, and getting results. These were reasonable goals for developing leader, but for me that meant I always had to be right. I…
One of my long-time mediation clients loves to argue and tease me about “just wanting everyone to agree about everything.” He usually begins the good-natured ribbing right about the time I offer-up an “Is it possible…” or “What if…” question, which is of course geared toward eventually reaching agreement. This client absolutely enjoys a hearty…
I’ve been thinking a lot about respect, trust, and value this week. I bet, in your own way, you have too. The wake of violence and tragedy leaves us with thoughts we weren’t considering the day before…Even deciding whether to write about my thoughts has been a struggle. I know I don’t have words eloquent…
It’s Memorial Day, 2016. Today many will visit gravesites and attend services to honor our service men and women who served and gave it all, as well as those still with us and even serving today. I hope our veterans and service men and women feel honored today. I hope they feel appreciated by the…
Have you ever gotten angry at home? Me too! Rage Builds from time to time – even in conflict resolution specialists. Although I rarely experience external conflict, I am human and I have my moments! Here’s a recent example from my world: I’ve been ready to get rid of the circa 2000, bigger than two…
Can a turtle safely co-exist with a shark? What about a fox with a teddy bear? I say “Absolutely!” If they are aware of their own go-to conflict style, have a decent understanding of those around them, and realize they have options. When it comes to conflict style, we all have dominate traits, but we…