Making Conversation

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Whether in a group of three to five individuals, or simply one-on-one, the ability to engage in conversation is a crucial skill. I say crucial because this ability is the beginning step in forming a relationship. Almost all relationships have a communication component, verbal or otherwise. Relationships form the foundation of all meaningful human interaction. The best way to develop the skill of conversation is to start from a common point of reference, for instance, sports, the weather, home towns, cars, etc. Building on that, from a perspective of genuine interest, begin asking questions and sharing from your own experience.

For more on this, check out the short video below:

Economic Awareness

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Pretty much everything comes with a price. That is a truth which is best learned early. Proverbs 21:25 states “Despite their desires, the lazy will come to ruin, for their hands refuse to work.” If you don’t work, you don’t earn wages, and without those wages, you can’t buy food or pay rent or a mortgage. Economics is all about supply and demand. Whatever you desire (demand) has to be met by a limited supply. The more limited the supply, the greater the cost.

For more on this, check out the short video below:

Get in the Right Seat

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Jim Collins in his book, Good to Great talks about the importance of matching your skills and interests with your work. He uses the metaphor of a bus to illustrate the importance of aligning with the right organization and finding the right place within the organization. His metaphor has been used by many to talk about “getting on the right bus,” i.e. make sure you are aligned with an organization or institution which matches your values.

For more on this check out the short video below:

Good vs Great

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Jim Collins in his classic book “Good to Great,” states, “good is the enemy of great.”  He goes on to explain that most people get to the level of “good” in almost any aspect of their personal or professional life, and then tend to slow down on their efforts to improve. There is a sense in some situations where “good enough” truly is good enough, and continued efforts can result in non-productive results.

For more on this check out the short video below:

Leadership Types

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Bob Whitsel in “Preparing for Change” states that there are not only leadership styles, there are also leadership types. These leadership types are much more a part of who you are and are less changeable than leadership styles. Although you likely have a default leadership style, you can change that style of leadership to fit the circumstances or the individuals, you are leading; but not so much your type of leadership.  Below are the basic types.

For more on this check out the short video below:

 

 

How to Treat Each Other

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First Timothy 5:1-2 states: “Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were you father. Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.” This passage resonates with the ramifications of “being created in the image of God.” We all hold this in common, regardless of race or creed. Treating any person in a way that demeans or disrespects them, damages our own personhood.

For more on this check out the short video below:

 

Family Can Drive You Crazy

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This seems to be a universal truth! Family members will irritate, annoy, and just generally rub you the wrong way – sometimes. Parents will nag, siblings will snipe, children will whine, all of it with some seemingly grand conspiracy to drive you crazy. For me that is a relatively short drive anyway. It isn’t just you or your family, it happens to all of us. But, and here is the important thing to keep in mind, at other times they support you, defend you, and encourage you.

For more on this check out the short video below:

 

Stay in Your Box

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I have a friend whose mantra is: “stay in your box.” By that he means to focus on your own area and don’t get sidetracked into other areas which aren’t your responsibility. From one perspective, this is solid advice. The more you focus on your own work, the more likely you are to be able to complete your tasks with excellence. From another perspective, it can be a career killer. If you become the very best in your “box” but never take an interest in other areas, assisting or contributing for improvement, you may find that it becomes nearly impossible to break out of that “box.”

For more on this check out the short video below:

Politics

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No, this proverb isn’t about politics as it is usually discussed. Politics, when boiled down to its essence, is about the structure and functioning of relationships for the mutual benefit of all, usually through laws, policies, or procedures. Realistically, whenever there are human relationships, you also have politics; the two are inseparable. The more people involved, the greater the significance of politics. Of course, people, being people, twist what is supposed to be for the mutual benefit of all, to the benefit of themselves.

For more on this check out the short video below:

 

Triangles

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Triangles, in terms of relationships, has to do with the distribution of power and manipulation. If you are in conflict with someone, the best resolution comes when you deal with that person, and work out the problem directly. A triangle happens when you go to someone else within the same network and present your case in order to get them on your side and get their help in influencing a decision in your favor.

For more on this check out the short video below: