I love New Year’s Resolutions. Writing down my wide-eyed dreams for the next 365 days gives me great hope. But then, I hate New Year’s Resolutions. Because around the middle of April I realize just how pie-in-the-sky they really were. Take my recurring annual goal, “Get Organized.” I’ve learned it’s about as easy to accomplish as shoveling snow in the middle of a blizzard. At some […]
11 Upside-Down New Year’s Resolutions Read More »
“HATE HAS NO PLACE HERE,” their buttons blared from their jacket lapels as they stood at Kellie’s back door. I recoiled. Clearly, the liberal couple wore the buttons to make a statement against me, the conservative guest who voted for Trump, right? I resisted my gut instincts that told me to bolt and opened the
Dinner in the Liberal Lion’s Den Read More »
I thought about abandoning the audition and going home. We had already waited for an hour in a lobby full of other little boys outside a meeting room in the Nashville Hutton Hotel, and I had a crazy night ahead of me with 3 other boys’ activities back in Nolensville. And, along with my angst over the recent firing
Justin’s Cracker Barrel Commercial – The Rest of the Story Read More »
With our Thanksgiving holiday this week, you might be anxious about sharing the same space with family and friends who hold different political views. Certainly, emotions are running high on all sides after the recent election. For my communication advice, I considered telling you to, “Just stick with the weather and the turkey,” but that really depends
Communication Advice for Your Thanksgiving Holiday Read More »
Her eyes are piercing blue, an azure mix of intensity and compassion. I watch as she engages with my tribe- a tribe that holds a worldview so unlike her own, asks, listens, wonders, seeks, probes, gives. Kellie had arrived the day before, smiling and hopeful, flying in from her blue-state Seattle to my red-state Nashville.
Kellie’s Visit to Nashville Brings New Perspective Read More »
In my last blog post, “11 Upside-Down New Year’s Resolutions,” the final resolution was “SCARED- Because then you might be trying something that feels waaaay bigger than you.” I’ve heard from many of you that you are tackling something big this year. From moving across the country to starting a new business, we are all living
7 Steps to Handle the Tension of Inauguration Weekend Read More »
Reconciliation. Not an easy word. It’s long, tough to get your mind around, and even tougher to get your arms around. In fact, if you listen to it, it has the word “silly” in the middle. Sometimes our attempts at reconciliation seem downright silly. Preposterous. Crazy. That’s what I feel some days on this journey
Rosemary Khamati Helps Warring Tribes Reconcile Read More »
After my post-election blog entry, I’m Not A Hater, received a firestorm of comments last week, I fully expected to be unfriended by one old high school friend in particular. However, my Democratic friend completely surprised me by instead writing a message over the weekend to ask if I would be interested in hosting a workshop with
Thoughts on my Upcoming Conversation with a Democrat Read More »
What are you most afraid of at work? A new poll from Accountemps, a staffing services firm, found in their study of 420 employees that the top fear was making a mistake on the job, even more than being afraid of getting fired. When you’re called out at work for making a mistake, it brings
Overcoming the Fear of Making a Mistake at Work Read More »
Hi. I’m Dr. Heidi Petak. Senior Creative with Hippo Solutions. Did you know misunderstanding is expensive? A few years ago, Cognisco asked 400 organizations in the US and the UK to add up the actual cost of misunderstanding in their workplace. It totaled 37 billion dollars! That’s a hefty price tag for not communicating clearly.
How to Reduce the Cost of Misunderstanding Read More »