“What do you see?” our communications professor asked as he held up a black and white ink drawing. “A beautiful Gibson-style girl with a feather in her hat.” “No, it’s an old hag with a witch’s nose and a scarf tied over her head.” As we discussed this picture, most of the class could shift […]
Category Archive:
Leadership
Find Three Things That Went Well
“If I didn’t have bad luck I wouldn’t have any luck at all.” There are times in all of our lives that we can feel this way. Headed down a bumpy stretch of road, it can seem as if the trip is never going to end. A series of unfortunate or stressful events can create […]
No Quick Fix
We all look for it. It’s human nature to search for the easy way out, the fast buck and the simplest or cheapest solution. In human relationships there is no quick fix. Mutual trust and respect must form the foundation of any successful relationship. Without trust and respect, relationships flounder, and eventually whatever natural bonds […]
Alternatives To Punishment
Six-year old Bobby walks into the kitchen from playing soccer. Bobby’s dad, Tom, had asked Bobby to take off his muddy shoes before entering the house. Red Georgia mud dotted the new hallway and den carpet. When Tom sees the footprints, he is furious about the mess and that Bobby had disobeyed him. ”Bobby,” Tom […]
Five Whys Can Help
”For whatever reasons my eight-year-old, Eric, is critical of everything his younger siblings do. Eric tells his sister that her coloring stinks. He tells his brother that his handwriting is messy. Last night Eric burst into tears because the peas touched his mashed potatoes. Nothing seems to make him happy right now,” Michael told me. […]
Turning Fear Into Love
Fear is a powerful motivator and behavior modifier. Fear, though, does not promote growth. Fear doesn’t promote kindness, caring or compassion in ourselves. Fear doesn’t open our hearts to new experiences. Fear doesn’t connect us to other people. What is the opposite of fear? Love. The opposite of love is not hate, but fear. Hate […]
Use Your Thinking Hats
Some women get rocks set into precious metals for anniversaries, birthdays or Christmas. I get books. Over thirty years ago, my husband presented me with a jewel of a book for Christmas. I’ve used this gift to teach thinking skills to children and adults. The title? Six Thinking Hats by Edward De Bono. De Bono, […]
Sincere Praise Can Make A Difference
One of the formative experiences of my early twenties was taking the Dale Carnegie Course in Public Speaking and Human Relations. Each class we focused on a tenet of Carnegie’s philosophy, one of which is to give sincere, honest appreciation. But giving honest and sincere appreciation can be a difficult skill to master. Some compliments […]
Helping Children Learn To Apologize
Injury occurs one of two ways: accidentally or intentionally. We need to help our children be prepared to deal with the inevitable in their lives. Accidents do happen and we need to show them the way to make amends when things have gone wrong. We need to teach these skills, though, beforehand, versus after the […]
Helping Your Child Change Self-Perception
Labels. We all are labeled by the roles we play or how others perceive us. On the day we are born, the labeling begins. “He looks just like his daddy. She’s an angel. He’s a handful. She’s fussy. He’s scatterbrained. She has no patience. He’s greedy.” Names and adjectives are used to describe children and […]