Why This Nonprofit Culture Consultant Spent Years Avoiding the Word ‘Culture’
A father once threw a chair across my office. He was furious! All he wanted was to send his daughter to college, an opportunity that he never had when he was her age. Without more financial aid, her college education seemed to be slipping out of his grasp. Twenty...
Leaders, It’s Time to Rethink Conflict
Are tensions on your team undermining your mission? Is it time to rethink conflict? In mission-driven organizations, we often believe we’re all pulling in the same direction—until we’re not. Even the most passionate, committed teams can hit a wall when friction,...
When Conflict Hits Close to Home: My Recent Wake-Up Call
Several days ago, I was busy writing about ways to resolve conflict when an email landed in my inbox that made my stomach churn and my heart race. It didn’t say much outright, but the message between the lines was clear: a colleague was upset with me over something I...
The Role of Emotional Intelligence in Effective Conflict Resolution
A few years before I started my consulting firm, I was part of a team where emotions often ran high. Managers would sharply criticize each other, meetings often ended with someone in tears, and tempers flared regularly. It was a tense atmosphere, leading to high...
From Miscommunication to Collaboration: How to Bridge Communication Gaps and Build Stronger Teams
Lately, I’ve been thinking about what helps people communicate more effectively in the workplace. When I work with teams, they usually tell me that communication among team members is challenging. They say things like, “No one is listening; instead, they talk over one...