assert, assertiveness, speak, listen, feedback, manage conflict,
Have you ever said or done anything you regret? I am not talking about a fumble mumble or tripping over the front hall rug. Rather, I am referring to disrespecting someone, emotionally wounding another, or crossing over a personal boundary. I’ve done my fair share. For example, I have: Acted disrespectfully. Years ago, I invited […]
When it comes to building strong, healthy relationships, two fundamental skills are often overlooked: speaking with courage and listening with compassion. Whether you’re having conversations at home or at work, developing these skills can lead to more meaningful interactions. I often see clients in my counselling therapy practice who wither away in silence of erupt […]
It was several years ago that our son, Benjamin Morgan, principal of the Canadian based Centre for Crisis and Risk Communication introduced me to Dr. Vincent Covello. I soon developed a deep curiosity about his informed perspectives and his work in high-stress situations. Here is a summary of his biography: Dr. Vincent Covello is a global […]
Many people believe they are listening when actually they are not. Basic listening skills only require a commitment, care and a wee bit of practice.
How do we begin to listen with empathy, not with apathetic uncaring demeanor nor with smothering, “poor you, pity you” messages? First, we can begin with Stephen Covey’s most quoted phrase of “seek first to understand the other.” It is the seeking that is key to offering our attention and presence.
When challenged or feeling stressed most of us have a tendency to react in a passive, aggressive or passive/aggressive manner.
I add; it is about kindness and seeking to understand. My own experience with our daughter Kelly, who spent a great deal of time in jail over an eleven year period, is love draws a circle that takes the other in. One of the best ways to demonstrate that care is to seek to understand with out judgment.
Oftentimes people are attacking out of their own hang-ups and it has little to do with us.
Taking an assertive stance seldom fails. To avoid speaking passively or an aggressively discover basic assertiveness training skills.
Personal boundaries provide an effective strategy to handle many different external woes or adversities. Survey respondents quoted in my book, From Woe to WOW, indicated such. An outreach worker wrote, “I wish I’d stood up to her,” an office receptionist wrote, “I should have stood up for myself months sooner,” and a nurse wrote, “I didn’t make the world a better place by running away.”
When we ask the questions, we have a sense of being in control. Ask the open-ended questions to bring you resilient insights, understanding, and conclusions.
During covid many of us isolated with family or others, and conversations may have gone sideways. Here are tips to transform our communication.