After the Midterms
Today, conversations about politics with people on the other side of the aisle from you can be downright dangerous. Some people would advise that we all just stick to the topic of the weather, reminiscent of Henry Higgins' advice to Eliza Dooli ...
The Kavanaugh Crisis
Whenever a political crisis hits our nation, I immediately think of Kellie, my liberal friend in Seattle with whom I founded the Heart Perception Project after the tumultuous presidential election in 2016. I wonder what she's thinking, and I wonder if we ...
Calling Out Racial Bias (Kindly)
Choose wisely. Sometimes we have days, even weeks, to anticipate the choices we will make in a difficult conversation. Other times the opportunity is suddenly before us and we tiptoe trepidatiously into unknown waters. The latter was the setting for K ...
How to Reduce the Cost of Misunderstanding
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 ...
How to Motivate a Millennial at Work
If you know me, you know I’m passionate about helping you become a better everyday communicator, every day. Whether you're a salesperson, a mom, a dad, a board member, or the leader of a study or workgroup, the way you communicate is the lynchpin that de ...
Overcoming the Fear of Making a Mistake at Work
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 wo ...
The #1 Key to Happy Relationships
I looked at the time. 6:13. My husband said he would be home by 6:00. The baby was crying, the toddler was pulling all the Tupperware out of the cupboard, the pork chops were cold, and I was ready to clock out. The front door opened. I stayed in the kitc ...
Inclusive Leadership & the Narwhal
My son raised his hand. “I think our mascot should be the narwhal.” “The narwhal? Now that’s an interesting idea,” Kari Miller, the new principal of a future local middle school, smiled. I try to picture a logo sporting a whale with a 9-foot overgrow ...
Embarrassing Moments: Have Plant, Will Travel
Like many of us, I have a “mobile office.” That means I might meet a client at a coffee shop to design a killer keynote, in his or her office to rehearse a presentation, or on Skype from home to work on improving communication skills. But when I have a pa ...
How do Tough Conversations Make You Feel?
I have always been terrified of tough conversations. Well, I say ALWAYS, but honestly, I don’t think any of us are terrified of tough conversations as kids, because we don’t yet know what a “tough conversation” is. Which is why my kids can very confidentl ...