My friend Dr. Keith Lepak, a board certified emergency room physician, explained how in the medical field the most urgent and stressful events doctors and nurses must respond to are the hospital emergency codes, such as “Code Blue,” which generally indicates respiratory or cardiac arrest. Keith said, “There’s an old saying: ‘during a code check …
We each have many conversations every day ranging from personal to professional. The topics of these conversations vary just as much as the individuals with whom you have them. There are two ways to listen, described as passive and active. The passive listener hears and translates but often has other things taking focus in his or her head. …
I originally wrote and published this article 8 years ago, but given current events, I feel compelled to share it again. ———————————————————— Famous theologian, philosopher and physician Albert Schweitzer once said,“Constant kindness can accomplish much. As the sun makes ice melt, kindness causes misunderstanding, mistrust, and hostility to evaporate.” What a poetic way to express such …
Awhile back I posted the following quote to LinkedIn: “Every next level of your life will demand a different you.” – Leonardo DiCaprio A number of people commented on the post, including my good friend and colleague Marc Gelinas, who said this: “Every level of our lives creates a (hopefully) better us. As we get …
While perusing LinkedIn one day, I came across an article titled “The Very Best Way to Manage Female Employees.” Intrigued, I checked it out. The author of the article, Jeff Haden, began by describing his experience attending a conference breakout session, an executive seminar, and a Master’s level leadership class all in the same week. …
About 17 years ago, after a long and very fulfilling career in healthcare leadership, I chose to retire. I was set up well for retirement and was looking forward to some hard-earned leisure time, so I stocked up my Inspirational Vehicle (a small motorhome), grabbed my digital camera, and took off across America the Beautiful, …
You are getting older. Like it or not, you and I are getting older every single day! Whether you’re still in your youth, middle aged, or enjoying your golden years, there’s no escaping the subtle but steady reality of aging. When we’re young, we tend not to worry about aging. In fact, we often are …
I know even in the midst of the strictest lockdown measures there are a lot of people who must continue to go to work outside their homes—particularly those serving in healthcare. But many others, like myself, have been spending a lot more time at home and away from everyone else lately. I am blessed to …
I originally wrote and published the following article seven years ago. I believe it is highly relevant for what we’re experiencing throughout the world right now, so I am sharing it again today: There are a lot of things in this world over which we have little or no control. We have little, and many …
I recently saw this quote (origin unknown) posted as a meme on social media: “When this is over, let’s remember that it wasn’t the CEOs & billionaires who saved us. It was the janitors, nurses, grocery and food workers.” I understand the intent of that post and I applaud it. If you ever doubted the …
For virtually every person in America and around the world, life has been disrupted in some way by the current COVID-19 pandemic. For some lucky people, the current quarantine measures are mostly a frustrating inconvenience, and their biggest concerns are boredom and running out of snacks. But for most people, we have been shaken by …
As the two-hour flight got underway, Christy waited anxiously for the flight attendants to begin passing out refreshments. Deep, stabbing hunger pains radiated through her stomach. Her hand automatically went to her belly and she rubbed the little baby bump that was just beginning to be noticeable now that she was in her second trimester. …
During these crazy times, we have been hearing stories of panic and selfishness as well as stories of heroics and selflessness. I applaud every single person who in the face of fear and uncertainty has chosen to give and serve and be generous! Today I want to revisit a short article I wrote several years …
Have you ever watched one of those time-lapse videos of an artist creating a piece of art? When they first begin, and even halfway through, it’s hard to tell what the final work will be like. Colors and strokes and shapes may seem random, non-cohesive, and unappealing, but each one has a purpose, and eventually, …
I might be becoming an old man (don’t tell my wife), but I count myself very lucky to have a wide variety of friends from all walks of life! One of my dear friends and colleagues is a mom to three young children. I have had the privilege of knowing and working with her since …
In a 2017 Harvard Business Review article, neuroeconomist Paul J. Zak discusses the importance of creating an “employee-centric culture,” and how doing so can have a significant positive impact on business. But how do you achieve this? Zak writes, “In my research I’ve found that building a culture of trust is what makes a meaningful …
For the sixth and final tip in our Better Communication series, we’re looking at a great strategy for fine-tuning your written and verbal communication skills: teach others. Michael Thompson, author of the excellent article on which this series is based, explains how teaching others as a side gig boosted his career by helping hone his …
So far in our Better Communication series we’ve discussed honing our writing skills, public speaking skills, and conversational skills. Today with Tip 5 we will again focus on conversational skills—because the simple truth is that for most of us conversation makes up a huge percentage of our regular communication! In a way, this fifth tip …
We are now on Tip 4 in our communication series based on the excellent strategies suggested by Michael Thompson in his article, “According to Warren Buffett, Honing This One Skill Can Improve Your Worth by 50 Percent.” We’ve already explored Thompson’s first three tips for improving your communication skills: Develop a daily writing habit Watch …
Continuing with the series on honing our communication skills, today I want to share a third tip from Michael Thompson: observe the strong communicators in your own life. I don’t know about you, but I am a people watcher. I am constantly observing the people around me—and I find that I am constantly learning from …