Archive for Goals, Values, & Strategies

We can make better decisions when we separate things into two steps: 1) Becoming aware of our needs and values and, 2) Choosing a strategy to satisfy our needs and honor our values. We often rush into action and collapse these two steps into one fast reaction. Taking the time to get clear about our [...]

Here are some ideas in addition to those I have given in other Tips on how to regain our focus once we have lost it. When we respond to a stressful situation, we sometimes lose self-control as our amygdala takes over. The amygdala is a primitive part of the brain that recognizes threats and instantly [...]

How can we regain our focus once we have lost it? The problem in some stressful situations is that our amygdala, a primitive part of the brain, hijacks the reasoning part of the brain and throws us into a fight or flight response. In the office this usually means being overly aggressive or withdrawing. We [...]

Once we know what we really want in a given situation, the trick is to keep our focus when we encounter difficulties. If our goal is difficult and complex, we will encounter difficulties and need to handle them through crucial conversations. If we don’t handle them well, they may throw us off track so that [...]

What happens when we lose our focus and how can we regain it? Brain neurological studies now give us a clearer picture of what happens when we lose our normal self control. A primitive part of human brains, called the amygdala, is the equivalent of the lizard’s brain. Its main function is to insure our [...]

The following case was offered by a participant of my company-sponsored Virtual-Workshop series, Leadership Communication™. I, Sally, (not real name) am a project manager in packaging. A team member named Jane has not given me contact details for an external supplier despite numerous requests. I am not sure what the reason is for her refusal. [...]

Knowing “What Really Matters” is part of emotional intelligence. It is important to always know what really matters to us. We need to know this in a broad general sense and be conscious of this. It’s best to write this out in a personal mission statement. I have assisted over 100 people to write one. [...]

When I was a student at Harvard Business School, our professors kept telling us that the technical things we were learning would be obsolete in no time at all. They said what they were really interested in teaching us was how to make good decisions. HBS Professors emphasized that the case method was an excellent [...]

Stephen Covey, in his book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, advocates strongly for writing a personal mission statement. Then use this as a compass in specific situations. He gives many reasons why having a personal mission statement is a crucial ingredient for highly effective people. I have twice attended 3-day workshops sponsored by [...]

Collaboration can help you be more emotionally intelligent and resilient. One way to encourage collaboration is to ask the other person what they really want. And you need to tell them what you really want. If you can create a sense that both of you are a team facing a problem together, success is more [...]