Winning

Saw this great quote from Jimmy Carter - "Unless both sides win, no agreement can be permanent."

I once heard Carter interviewed about his work as a mediator in such seemingly hopeless causes. The gist of what I remember was that the only outcome he really championed, the "win" he sought, was to get each side to actually listen to their adversary, and find any speck of empathy they could. His main tool? Getting each "side" to actually speak the point of view of the other side, whether they thought it had validity or not. Carter seemed to be saying that mutual understanding was the desirable outcome, the big win.

Healthy Relationships Improve Productivity

It seems to me that the real work of management is relationship -- relationship with vendors, customers, those whom you manage and those who manage you.

Savvy business leaders have always known what scientific research has now proven beyond dispute: from the executive office to the assembly line, employees who have healthy relationships are more productive. What's on the flipside of that coin? The downstream effects of unhealthy relationships include loss of productivity, absenteeism, noxious attitudes and even accidents on the job.

Could your company benefit from a program that makes it possible for your people to get along better on the worksite and, at the same time, enrich their home life?

No one need settle for a toxic relational environment--on the job or in the home. The hazardous waste of noxious relationship dynamics can be cleaned up. Your workplace can become a delightful place to be. This is my specialty.

Contrary to what most people believe, healthy relationships do not happen by chance. They happen when people have the required skills and attitudes, and when they consistently make a choice to speak and act in ways that promote healthy relating. We now know that people can learn communication skills that foster individual and corporate excellence.