We all face problems. It's a fact of life. So many times, we believe that the solution to a problem should just come to us. Sometimes it does, and that's wonderful. But, sometimes the solution is more elusive. Here's one way to get to a solution.
As we contemplate the potential of returning to the office in the coming months and all of the uncertainty and complexity surrounding it, one question that's on many people's minds is what it will feel like to be back in the office with everyone? One important element of that question is the age-old topic of corporate culture.
In today's episode, I highlight a couple of research articles pointing to the impact that a single employee's behavior can have on others around them. I pose this question: How might you create your own micro-culture around you that supports the values you want to see in your company?
So many times we point to broader forces that are out of our control as the cause of our own experience. Those forces definitely do play a role. However, many times, we neglect to consider the role each of us can play in our own immediate environment. So, take some time to think about the culture you want to work in. Sit down and craft a description with your team. Then, think about the behaviors you can commit to in order to support the culture you want to create. Be the change.
Research cited in this episode: https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-031413-091225 and https://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/A:1009581330960
Let's be honest...no one likes conflict. BUT, let's be honest again...conflict is inevitable. There isn't a relationship in our lives that won't involve some degree of conflict at some point whether it's a personal relationship or a professional relationship. And, our ability to manage that conflict and come to a resolution is a critical skill for us all to learn.
But how do we do it?!
This week, we're speaking with Jeremy Pollack, a conflict resolution and peacebuilding expert. He is the Founder of Pollack Peacebuilding Systems, an international conflict resolution consulting firm. Jeremy is a regular contributor on the topics of leadership and organizational conflict management to publications such as Forbes.com, Fast Company, Industry Week, and many more. He is also the author of the recently released book The Conflict Resolution Playbook: Practical Communication Skills for Preventing, Managing, and Resolving, Conflict by Rockridge Press.
In this episode, we talk about:
What conflict actually is and how we can reframe it to be more of an opportunity to grow and deepen relationships
Where conflict comes from and why some people are more prone to experiencing it
How unconscious biases play into our approach to conflict
How we can use a set of conversational sequences to better guide our ability to resolve conflict while maintaining our own boundaries and maintaining our important relationships
Learn more about Jeremy's company at: pollackpeacebuilding.com
Work with Jeremy by visiting coachjeremypollack.com
Get a copy of Jeremy's book: https://amzn.to/3eOCSBT
Imagine that your child or a friend or family member whom you love dearly did something that hurt you. When they come to you and apologize, what do you do? In most cases, we're quick to forgive. But, what about when you do something wrong? Do you forgive yourself as quickly?
This episode is my special gift to those of you who find yourself wearing multiple hats. Individual contributor AND manager. Individual contributor AND strategic visionary. It's not easy!
Today, we're speaking with Mark Heydt. Mark has experience coaching C-suite executives, divisional leaders, entrepreneurs, and middle managers. Mark's book Rescuing the Corporate Exhausted Hero is the playbook we've all been looking for to help us move into the strategic leadership role we're seeking without being exhausted in the process.
Connect with Mark Heydt: https://www.gameplanleader.com/
Purchase Rescuing the Corporate Exhausted Hero: https://amzn.to/3CLUgSg
How often do you think about your own diet and the food you eat as a form of self-care? What does that even mean? So much of our understanding of what constitutes a HEALTHY diet is shaped by diet culture and what amount to marketing messages designed to sell products and services. We forget that nourishment is one of the most basic needs our bodies have, and that we're able to be psychologically impacted in the realm of this basic need, just like we are in so many other areas of our lives.
Today, we're speaking with Jessica Begg. She is is a Registered Dietitian and a Registered Clinical Counsellor. Jessica has a private practice based in Vancouver, Canada and has worked in many eating disorders programs in her area for over 10 years. She works now to help people heal from binge and emotional eating and start building a more peaceful relationship with food their body.
We hit on so many important topics in this episode:
The impact of diet culture on our health & wellbeing
The role of our emotion in the way we eat
The impact of all of this on our self-concept and our relationship with our our body
The dangerous link between diet culture and disordered eating
And finally, how to cultivate a healthier relationship with food and our own bodies
This is a topic that impacts each and every one of us on a daily basis, and I'm thrilled to have Jessica here to help us navigate it more peacefully.
Learn more about Jessica and her program at: www.shiftnutrition.com
A cornerstone of both Buddhism and Stoicism is the notion of impermanence. The fact that nothing is permanent. This applies to events and situations we would classify as "good" as well as ones we'd classify as "bad."
One of the most formative experiences of my life was losing my Dad to colon cancer when I was 11. The grief that I experienced at such a young age, coupled with the harsh realization of my own mortality, and eventually, the passion and meaning that came out of his death cannot be understated.
We all will experience grief in our lives. It's a simple fact that we will lose people we love, and our ability to support ourselves and others through the grief process is so important to develop.
This week, I'm speaking with Kimberley Pittman-Schulz. She is is an award-winning poet and author who writes, teaches, and speaks about death and loss, living mindfully, and being a force for change in the world.
We have a powerful conversation about the different ways that grief can. manifest within each of us, and the ways we can support ourselves, depending upon our individual experience. We talk about the critical role that mindfulness can play in our healing. We also talk about grief as a complex mixture of several emotions, as well as the role that joy plays in the grief process.
This is a deep episode but such a meaningful one. You won't want to miss it.
Visit PoetOwl.com/psychologicalstrength to learn more about Kimberley's new book Grieving Us: A Field Guide for Living with Loss without Losing Yourself
Tell me if this sounds like you. You work so hard to achieve a goal or solve a problem, and when you finally do, you move right on to the next big task. Yet, then we wonder why we feel less confident in future situations! If we don't take a moment to be mindful and celebrate our wins and accomplishments, we miss out on the ability to strengthen the trust we have in our own abilities.
Being an entrepreneur or a leader of a team can be so rewarding. It's creative, it's strategic, it's impactful. But....it's also LONELY at times.
Making decisions, dealing with challenges, and heck, even celebrating wins are all inherently collaborative or social activities. But, when we're the sole leader of a team or when we're the sole owner of a company, it can feel very isolating.
Today, we're digging deep into this topic and exploring a couple of ways to help alleviate the loneliness that can come with leadership and entrepreneurship.
It's easy to practice gratitude when life is good. It's easy to feel strong when you're not being tested. However, the real value of psychological strength reveals itself during a crisis. In this episode, I'll share a crisis situation I recently went through and will articulate a handful of ways that psych strength helped me get through it and truly thrive on the other side of it.
If there's one thing we've learned from studying people's subconscious it's that small details in our environment can have a big impact on our mood, the contents of our thoughts, and on our subsequent behavior. Why not use this to your advantage?