Why do we gather together to remember a loved one when they’ve died? Why do we say vows at a wedding? Why do we give toasts at Thanksgiving? These are all examples of rituals we regularly participate in, often without thinking. They are part of our culture and are a physical representation of the psychological […]
Want to Improve Your Work Culture? Adopt a Ritual! Read More »
Getting to know Nonviolent Communication, Part 1 As a conflict resolution practitioner, I regularly see people reacting toward, withdrawing from, or attacking others when they feel they are in conflict. Then, when the other person responds either poorly, or not at all, to those tactics, the conflict escalates. It is amazing how ineffective these approaches
Getting What You Want Through Intentional Communication Read More »
Do you get a gut-wrenching feeling when you know you need to tell someone no? Part of the difficulty in saying no, according to William Ury, a negotiation specialist, is “the tension between exercising your power and tending to your relationship.” It’s a delicate balance to manage. Learning how to disagree without being disagreeable can
Saying No Respectfully, Even In The Face Of Disrespect Read More »
Opening with a deeply personal story of near-regret, one which brought author Greg McKeown to question, obsess, and quest after an “essentialist” transformation, his self-help book titled Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, is written to empower readers to perform to their fullest potential at their highest levels of contribution to the benefit of their
Is “Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less” Essential Reading? Read More »
My ego HATES taking my own advice. To be more accurate, my ego hates taking any advice! Let me start by telling you about my ego. My ego is about 12 feet tall, 12 feet wide, and looks like a very content dragon with small wings and large feet. When it feels threatened, it comes
My Ego Hates Taking My Own Advice Read More »
As Ombuds we have heard from numerous individuals doing their best to navigate these interesting, challenging, unique times. Many have handled the situation with minor setbacks and concerns. Some experienced sadness, isolation, loneliness and frustration while others expressed fear, confusion and forms of grief. Because Ombuds are not therapists, we offer appropriate assistance and refer
Learning From Our Elders Read More »
So much of the world we are experiencing these days is filled with newness, change, and learning. And with newness and change and learning come feelings. We then act based on our feelings. In most cases we act on a feeling before we even understand what that feeling is. This usually leads to arguments, conflict,
What is Going On With Me, Anyway? Read More »
What we can do to acknowledge where we are, get unstuck and work towards moving forward. Currently, we are several phases into the COVID-19 crisis. Even so, the truth is that we are still experiencing a wide spectrum of emotions and thoughts depending on where we are personally at: physically, mentally and emotionally. We may feel
Practicing Self-Kindness in Our New Reality Read More »
We all feel it. We all experience it. In ourselves. In others. Our internal resistance gets in our way. It gets in the way of having new life experiences. It gets in the way of developing new relationships. It gets in the way of strengthening current relationships. It also gets in the way of necessary
Internal Resistance Read More »
William Bridges gives a framework and guidance for teams and organizations navigating changes and transitions in his book, Managing Transitions. I am going to use his framework for looking at the current situation we are in with Covid-19 and the changes in how CU campuses are operating. Bridges highlights that a change is a specific
Be intentional through this transition Read More »