September seems to be “the” season for onboarding and orientation. Grade schools, universities, and corporations welcome new students and new employees. Those of us who celebrate Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, in the early Fall are also accustomed to celebrating the harvest and time ...
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Have you come across a Photo Deck or other set of Conversation Cards recently? You know those decks of innumerable glorious and provocative images? Perhaps you’ve seen them and wondered what use they might be. Photo Decks are popular for their huge variety of applications, especially as conver...
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So much has been written on leadership and the qualities of a good leader. While you may find some differences across articles, the basic message is the same — share your sense of purpose; be transparent about your vision and goals; show empathy; empower your team; be flexible; communicate rel...
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Managers work so hard to build effective teams and develop strong working relationships. Communication and Listening Exercises is the #1 post on this blog for good reason. Learning to communicate and listen, however, is only half the battle. Bringing people together also requires sharing vulnerabili...
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We all have a different sense of personal privacy. Five years ago, when I was diagnosed with breast cancer (now cancer-free!), I had no need to keep the news private. To the contrary, I saw myself as part of a community—one that could support me and that I could help by sharing my experience. As�...
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“I can’t talk about that at work.” “My boss wouldn’t want to hear what I have to say.” Employees have so many reasons for not talking about meaningful topics at work. Sometimes, they’re tight-lipped simply because giving feedback is difficult. In other cases...
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One recent LinkedIN discussion that drew a lot of interest asked “Why do we use Training Games?” So many people liked and commented, that I wanted to synthesize the conversation and pull out the highlights. Whether you’re using games to improve communication and listening skills,...
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You already know that learning requires an investment of time and mental focus. Listening to a lecture, reading a book, playing an experiential game, or watching a video can only get you so far. The real learning happens when you apply Thinking Methodologies to digest, discuss, and process the learn...
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Conflict is a part of life. It’s part of sibling, family, and spousal relationships. It rears its ugly head at work when colleagues have different ideas about how to achieve a goal, when they discuss who should do what work and when personalities clash. Conflict is part of friendships and, a...
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On a recent LinkedIN Conversation in the Effective and Fun Training Techniques group, Jason Hughes asked for some recommended icebreakers, energizers, tips or tools for the face-to-face training of his small team, who generally already know each other. Often, he trains just a couple people at a time...
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