Category Emotional Intelligence

The Hidden Power of Peer Politeness December 15, 2021 Affective Leadership, Emotional Intelligence, Peer Powered Performance

I would have thought that employees’ communications would show more deference to their superiors but the stats tell a different story. In a yearlong review of email exchanges among employees, peers and supervisors, researchers found that “linguistic markers that convey a willingness to yield to another’s preferences or opinions as a sign of respect or reverence”[i] are more common in peer to peer communications...

Creating a Coaching Community December 15, 2021 Affective Leadership, Emotional Intelligence, Peer Powered Performance, Positive Deviance, Training

I am not a fan of all the trendy new coaches. I was a personal coach long before coaching was a profession. In the seven years I managed athletic clubs our teams were responsible for growing the largest chain of fitness facilities in the Pacific Northwest serving more than 50,000 members. Now it seems you can’t go anywhere without being accosted by a “personal coach” of some kind.

In 2009 I was certified as a coach by the same man who founded Sylvan Learning Centers; but Berry Fowler...

Are you struggling with dissatisfied people or a dissatisfying process? December 15, 2021 Affective Leadership, Emotional Intelligence, Spirit at Work, Training No comments

I was recently asked to perform an “attitude intervention” for a group of VERY unhappy Federal employees. The process began like a James Patterson novel with all the evidence pointing to a single culprit. Team members consistently used words like hurtful, demeaning, belittling, blame, fear, reprisal, micromanaging, dishonest, inconsistent, unapproachable, controlling, forgetful, favoritism and defensive to describe their work experience...

You are the decisive element December 15, 2021 Emotional Intelligence No comments

“I have come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element. It is my personal approach that creates the climate. It is my daily mood that makes the weather. I possess tremendous power to make life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis is escalated or de-escalated, and a person is humanized or dehumanized...

SENT FROM MY DAD December 15, 2021 Emotional Intelligence, Spirit at Work No comments

Recently I overheard a father and daughter in their last moments together at the airport. They had announced the departure.

Standing near the security gate, they hugged and the father said, ‘I love you, and I wish you enough.’

The daughter replied, ‘Dad, our life together has been more than enough. Your love is all I ever needed. I wish you enough, too, Dad.’

They kissed and the daughter left. The Father walked over to the window where I was seated...