The value of conflict
by From Volume 11, Issue 7: On the outside, I’m betting none of my readers would believe that conflict is, in general, productive. And I guess a lot of it isn’t. Let’s look at what conflict works and what conflict doesn’t.
Tag: Corporate CoDriver
Quitting for the Win
From Volume 7, Issue 7:“Quitters never win and winners never quit.”
—Vince Lombardi
“Never say never.”
—Charles Dickens, The Pickwick Papers
I tend to differ with Coach Lombardi and agree with Dickens on this one. Quitting is the tactical execution of the strategic positive power of “no”—in order to make a “no” stick, you have to be willing to quit.
Valentine’s Day
From Volume 7, Issue 2: Let Me Rephrase That
“The more one judges, the less one loves.” —Honoré de Balzac
Love is in the air! It’s that time of year when flower shops do a booming business and chocolatiers guilt-trip us into buying sugary goodness nobody really needs. As I tend to question everything, my thoughts have naturally turned to the question of what love is. In this article, we look at the many faces of love and how we can possibly bring more meaning and clarity to our relationships with our valentines by going beyond love.
A Real Power Trip
From Volume 6, Issue 8:Recently, a client used the V8 palm-to-forehead smash when he realized that people who piss him off are executing their power over him. To rage and attack such people just further proves that the antagonist has total control over him. He gets completely engaged in the game, which is being directed by the other person.
Sound familiar?
In Pursuit of Happiness
From Volume 6, Issue 5:Ever since the tiny country of Bhutan decided its metric would be happiness instead of product, I’ve wondered how happiness is measured. What makes us “happy,” and how can we get more happiness?
If Not Now
From Volume 6, Issue 5:Ever have an opportunity to correct a habit that’s getting in the way of your happiness but for some reason just don’t do it—again? Let me tell you about the habit I’ve been battling for the last three or four decades.
The Power of Choice
From Volume 6, Issue 4:“Want fries with that?” squawked the drive-through speaker.
“Sure,” the driver mumbled, and drove forward to pay at the first window.
He’d made a choice. Or had he?
Clearing the Mind
From Volume 6, Issue 4:Clutter. I have it in my office. I have it in my shop. I have it in my home (although mostly in my areas, not my wife’s). I can live with all that. What I have a problem with is the clutter in my mind. Constant self-talk, thoughts, judgments, predictions.
What does clutter in the mind feel like? To me, it feels like a traffic jam on Times Square, with thoughts and expectations and fears all trying to get through the intersection at the same time. Clearing the mind brings calm and order, a sense of peace, and the ability for me to get where I want to go.
Gambler’s Dilemma
From Volume 6, Issue 3:We hear it in baseball broadcast booths all summer long: “He’s a .333 hitter. He’s gone oh for two. He’s due.” But is this accurate? Should you bet on this? Or are you just wishing for an outcome that has no basis in the data, and setting yourself up to lose? The gambler’s dilemma can teach us a lot about all our interactions.