Complaining reached its peak in our house recently. Kids complaining about food, about homework, and about each other. Us complaining about kids complaining. Us complaining about work, about how busy we are and about something the other did or didn’t do. We have a lot of happiness and love in our family, but we’d slipped
I often wonder what meetings would be like if there were time limits on each person speaking. In professional basketball, for example, they allow each team 24 seconds to take their shot at the net. The clock resets only after a team has attempted their shot or turned the ball over to the other team. Think
I was part of an ugly exchange a few weeks ago with a delivery driver in my neighborhood. One that taught me the importance of being better instead of bitter, a phrase you may have come across before but paid little attention to until a certain scenario brought it to light. I’m embarrassed to tell
(Guest post from my good friend Isaac Vogel) Do you ever find yourself wanting to find personal freedom from the pressures and challenges of life but don’t know where to go? This past fall, our family made the pilgrimage west to South Dakota, aptly dubbed a state of “Great Faces, Great Places” in homage, of
Got issues? I admit it: I have plenty. I tend to be overly anxious, obsessive compulsive, controlling, self-focused, too much of a people-pleaser and defensive when criticized. And that’s just for starters. It’s not only OK to own up to our issues, it’s important. Step four of Alcoholics Anonymous’ famous 12 steps refers to making
Recently, some friends and I were talking about our relationships with our wives or girlfriends. One friend mentioned that he’d just gotten feedback that he doesn’t communicate well. “Did you get defensive?” I asked. “No, not at all,” he said. “I am meeting with a therapist to work on this. It’s my issue, not hers.
My biggest anxiety entering this past weekend was coach-pitch little league baseball. I am the head coach for my son’s team because no other parent volunteered. It’s not that I was reluctant to help out. I’m not terrible on the mound. I just know that pitching baseballs to nine year olds with dozens of parents
At a recent company meeting, one of the people on my team announced that she was “the most engaged at work” that she’s ever been. She’s worked on our team for several years, and this hasn’t been the easiest of them. Yet she is on fire. Imagine the impact her enthusiasm for work has on our
As I listened to a senior leader from a well-respected company review the findings of its latest employee survey, I wondered: Do people do this type of self-confrontation often enough—like, really dig into the brutal facts about themselves? Confronting your own weaknesses requires substantial humility, courage and insight. In the book Good to Great, Jim Collins
A friend of mine, John March, caught up with me recently to pick my brain about the connection between leadership and values. The topic, which is personal for both of us, led to interesting insights and self-awareness. I’ve captured a bit of our discussion below to share with you in the hopes that his questions
Matt Norman is president of Norman & Associates, which offers Dale Carnegie Training in the North Central US. Dale Carnegie Training is a global organization ...READ MORE