I recently discovered a beautiful poem: When you are in doubt, be still, and wait;When doubt no longer exists for you, Then go forward with courage.So long as mists envelop you, be still; Be still until the sunlight pours throughAnd dispels the mists – as it surely will.Then act with courage. –Ponca Chief White Eagle …
Have you ever considered how the use of pronouns like “you” impact your message? In his book Magic Words, Jonah Berger explains using pronouns like “you” are useful for addressing individuals directly and can enhance communication by making it more personal. However, they can backfire if used insensitively or accusatorily, leading to conflicts or misunderstandings. …
Recently, I created a video for my ombuds colleagues demonstrating how to customize Ombuds Day images in Canva. It reminded me that videos are a versatile and powerful medium for communication. In these digital days, people use videos for entertainment, education, marketing, communication, social media, training, documentation, storytelling, instructional manuals, and more. The use of …
What are three things emotionally intelligent people ask themselves before saying anything? I don’t know about you, but this resonates with me. There have been plenty of times I have blurted something out without much advance thought or consideration. Inevitably, many of those conversations didn’t go well or the other person took offense. A brief …
Communicating well often equates to more desirable outcomes. While I myself often preach that it’s not what you say but how you say it, words have meaning. And by meaning, I don’t just mean a definition. Words have an impact. They affect how we see ourselves, how others see us, our identity, and our perception …
The Perhaps Surprising Influence Nouns Have on Behavior Read More »
Resilience often centers around one’s ability to have a positive mindset about life challenges. Resilience can be natural, based on biological factors, or adaptive, based on learned behaviors. Natural resilience is related to human genes, as recent genome studies suggest that those with two shorter alleles in the stress resilient gene (the gene that is …
How to Be Resilient Without Becoming Positively Toxic Read More »
This summer I noticed myself feeling overwhelmed and burned out. I spoke with many of my colleagues who felt the same way. It felt like I didn’t have enough time and energy to accomplish the many professional and personal tasks. It was starting to feel unsustainable! However, the rational part of my brian knew it …
Ombuzz is all about providing tips, tools and strategies to help people navigate conflict, improve communication and sustain healthy relationships in the workplace. This week I want to take a step back and acknowledge a few truths: effective communication is difficult, conflict is often complicated and relationships are, well, messy! If you are having a …
Recently, while walking through a local bookstore, I stumbled upon a book titled Stoic Wisdom, which piqued my interest in this ancient philosophy. While many believe Stoicism is shorthand for being emotionless, I have learned that it is a vibrant, action-oriented, and paradigm-shifting way of living daily life. As a result of this misconception, academics …
There are many factors people consider when deciding whether to stay in their current job or to quit. There are also many studies out there that highlight why people from different generations leave their job and even how likely they are to leave their job. Regardless of your generation or your reasons for wanting to …