Preaching Under Pressure: Why We Do It & 3 Better Ways To Manage Stress

Perspective rendering of a playing card with an illustration of a woman in front of a blackboard with an equation on it.

You know those meetings where you feel like all you do is listen? You’d love to get a word in edgewise, but there’s one colleague who just…won’t stop? Maybe their monologue is about “the only way to do something right…” Or a never-ending speech about what will happen “…if we don’t use this exact software…” […]

Are You (Really) A Good Listener?

Being-a-good-listener

Do you want to know something shocking? At least, it was shocking to me. I recently analyzed the data for my Sphere of Influence research on how people use the twelve different interaction styles, and the results were a landslide. Of 6861 people surveyed, guess what the least used style was? You guessed it: Listen. […]

Denial: A Defensive Response to Stress

Rendering of a card with an illustration of a man in a black suit with his hands over his eyes

Do you often shrug off big events, only to regret it later?  Like an angry customer, conflicts at work, or the repercussions of your own mistakes?   Or perhaps you put tasks on the backburner, telling yourself they’ll be fine when they’re really, really very urgent to deal with now?  Being in denial is a classic […]

The Secrets To Effectively and Politely Opposing Others

playing-tug-as-methaphor-for-opposing-others

“Great idea!” “Right on!” Don’t you love hearing that you’re correct? It’s a good feeling when others back you up, share your vision, or can’t wait to implement your suggestions. We’ve all been there! The opposite, however, doesn’t feel as great. Many of us get uncomfortable even thinking about turning down someone else’s idea or […]

Easily Offended? It May Be Stress

Illustration of a Sphere of Influence Stress card showing a man with a blue shirt and dark pants sitting on a chair with his arms crossed.

A man walks into a bar. He looks at you and says: “Cool shirt.”  How would you react? Would you feel great, proud to be a trendsetter, or would you slink out, convinced that you look ridiculous?  If you’re the first, more power to you; if it’s the latter, you may be someone who’s quite […]

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