Winston Churchill is often credited with saying, “A fanatic is one who can’t change his mind and won’t change the subject.” You know people like that. We’ve elected way too many people like that. Actual or presumed expertise often results in confidence – certainty, but that certainty comes with a ...
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Normal people tend to avoid conflict like explosive diarrhea. It’s really difficult, messy, and makes your stomach hurt. So, most people do what they can to pretend it’s not that important or that bad or, failing to justify it away, they defer it to somebody else or they kick the ...
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Can’t you apologize too much? Good question. It came from a client recently and it prompted a lengthy conversation starting with what constitutes a good apology. We all agreed that “We are pleased to have reached a settlement of our dispute with Dominion Voting Systems. We acknowledge the Court’s rulings ...
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We’ve always said there are no magic answers for broken relationships, but there are a few things that are pretty close to magic. When a wrong needs to be righted, the only possible solution is a well-crafted, utterly sincere and skillfully delivered acknowledgement and apology....
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As you’re reading this, the fall campaign cycle in the U.S. will be in your rearview mirror, although I’m confident we’ll still be knee deep in the nasty aftermath. This will likely go down as the ugliest, most vitriolic campaign cycle in recent memory and it’s widened the gap further ...
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As a confessed news junkie, I have learned to moderate my habit out of the need to maintain some level of sanity. I have friends who might challenge the sanity part, but they’re the ones who drink cheap beer. I digress. It’s easy to get sucked into the vortex of ...
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Why anyone in their right mind would oppose eliminating urban blight is beyond comprehension. Who could possibly protest building a park in their neighborhood? What would possess anyone to push back on making their lives better? All questions from clients that we run into on a regular basis. Here’s why...
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Henry Ford once said, “If I’d asked my customers what they wanted, they’d have said ‘Don’t change anything.” He’s right. Most people want things better but hate the idea of change – particularly having to change anything in themselves. Those who do what we do for a living are in ...
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Cable and online media have created a culture where everyone talks – or yells, and nobody bothers to listen. It’s as if the last person standing – talking … wins. Empirical evidence and research has taught us that one of the most effective first steps in dealing with adversarial groups ...
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In our coaching classes, we frequently talk about dealing with highly agitated, angry people and their aggressive behavior in public meetings and other settings. One of the strategies we employ helps facilitators and clients make sure that they do everything possible to preserve their relationships with those people. Anger escalates ...
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