Conflict

A few weeks ago, I turned on the radio and heard the announcer say that Vancouver Canucks hockey teammates Pettersson & Miller: “Don’t like each other.” The announcer went on to say even though these two hockey players make millions of dollars every year: “That’s just human nature. They don’t like each other. Money can’t […]

According to a study by Bravely, 70% of employees avoid difficult conversations at work and fully 95% of employees struggle to speak up about a concern. That’s a lot of conversations about meaningful topics that are not happening – a whole lot of bottlenecking going on! Imagine how many conversations we are not having that

Recently, I wrote about how no real good comes from conversations where everyone’s emotions are elevated. I likened it to two people doing a dance with their amygdala, the almond-shaped part of our brains that says things like: “Your hair is on fire! The roof is falling in! This is horrible!” And, usually, it’s not.

Starting last October, I’ve been teaching a 3-month program through the On Conflict Leadership Institute, called LEAP for Collaborative Leaders. Its ambition is to equip leaders who are already collaborative with the mindset and tools to build their own conflict competent culture. It’s a big vision, and I’m incredibly excited to report that the 9

Many people have heard about “I statements.” As someone said to me recently: “It’s counseling 101.”     Yet, I do see many people struggle with expressing I statements, or even having a common understanding of what they are.     So, let’s start with the basics: what do we really mean by I statements?

What if I told you, if you are a member of a team or a group, that holding Circle meetings could up your creativity and innovation? Would you believe me? Let me take you on a journey to show you how I came to that conclusion! Let’s start with a key finding from a leadership

What Is Human Nature & Why Does That Matter? A friend asked me recently if I’d heard of Rutger Bregman’s book Humankind: A Hopeful History. I hadn’t, but my curiosity was piqued! So, I dived into reviews and Goodreads and ordered it from the library (still waiting excitedly!). What I did surmise is Bregman makes

Why Bother Opening a Can of Worms? As a mediator and conflict connoisseur, a question I get asked a lot, when I am encouraging people to talk with each other, sounds something like: “Why should I even bother having the conversation?” “What’d be the benefit in me even opening that can of worms!?” Exactly! That’s

Last month, I spoke about the importance of being able to see multiple perspectives. In an era of information and misinformation, it’s become futile to convince someone of your point of view. There’s just too much data and it can be massaged in various ways to make it support a particular perspective.     If