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Happy Spring!

 

As I sit here listening to the birds chirp away outside the window of my office, I think of all the talk that happens in our lives everyday. The talk of daily life -- the weather, weekend activities, logistics for kids' sports, office gossip, work activities, vacation plans, complaints about others, etc. We often mistake talking for conversation.

 

What kind of conversations are you having? What is telling is that many of our conversations do not result in the outcomes that we want. And there are conversations we avoid having altogether that hold us back from getting what we want. With the freshness and new growth of spring, perhaps it is a good time to examine what is holding you back from making an important change in your life and the conversation(s) that needs to happen to foster that change.  

 

A favorite line of mine from Fierce Conversations by Susan Scott is "Companies and marriages derail because people don't say what they are really thinking." In this issue, we share some tips that help get that conversation off on the right foot. We also have a mini-book review of Scott's classic and powerful book, as well as other resources for your consideration.

 

How are your conversations landing with those around you? At Nebo, we know that having an awareness of your communication style can be a powerful tool for leaders looking to connect and influence. Read more about our DISC assessment and debrief offering in the sidebar.

 

Wishing you a spring filled with lively, honest and purposeful conversations!

 

Warmest regards,

  Nancy signature

  

  

  

  

Nancy Lamberton, Leadership Coach
The Nebo Company
nlamberton@nebocompany.com

Mini Book Review

 

Fierce Conversations  by Susan Scott

 

 

Fierce Conversations: Achieving Success at Work and in Life, One Conversation at a Time is a classic that we use with our coaching clients quite frequently. According to Scott, "a fierce conversation is one in which we come out from behind ourselves into the conversation and make it real." 

 

From burnout to leaving our emotional wake, Scott brings light to why we avoid certain conversations and how having authentic conversations can change the results you get -- at work and in your life.  She provides plenty of stories to illustrate her points and practical steps to tackle tough challenges through real and transformational conversations.  

 

Resources and Inspiration 

 

Do you suffer from the confidence gap?

 

Many women do and it holds us back from taking risks and reaching the upper echelon of management.  InThe Atlantic this month, Katty Kay and Claire Shipman write about "The Confidence Gap" -- why women are less self-assured than men.  One example of the gap is that women feel that they need to be 100% qualified for a job before they will apply versus men go after that job when they are just 50% qualified.  The good news is that confidence can be developed once we recognize the gap and its roots.    

Read the article. 

  

End your day on a productive note

 

Kevin Daum in Inc. shares eight tips on how to wrap up your day, so that you have a feeling of accomplishment and can rest easy.  From doing a "brain dump" to finishing one "organizing" task, these ideas are simple, but powerful behavioral practices that can make a difference not only in your mood at the end of the day, but also help you start the next day on a more encouraging note.

Read the article. 

 

 A realistic vision for world peace

Jody Williams: A realistic vision for world peace
TED Talk - Jody Williams
Get to know Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Jody Williams in advance of her upcoming episode on the Visionary Leader, Extraordinary Life radio show hosted by Kate Ebner on May 19th. Jody is a co-founder of the Nobel Women's Initiative, an organization through which the female winners of the Nobel Peace Prize support and strengthen the work being done worldwide to protect women's rights. Hear Jody speak about her inspiring vision live on the VoiceAmerica Business channel at 11 am on Monday, May 19. 

 

April 2014  
Join Our Mailing List
In This Issue
Mini Book Review: Fierce Conversations
Resources and Inspiration
7 Steps to Kick Off a Difficult Conversation
Conversations Matter to Millennials
Looking for insight on communication style?
Try the DISC + PIAV Assessment

Looking to improve your self-awareness?  Trying to adapt to the communication styles of your colleagues?  Nebo offers the DISC and PIAV Assessments along with a 90-minute debrief with a top Nebo coach. These assessments complement each other perfectly, as the DISC describes "how" we act while the PIAV illustrates "why" we act.

 

The DISC + PIAV assessment helps you to understand how others see you and to communicate more effectively with people of diverse styles. Visit our online store to learn more. 

 

Questions? Contact Rachel Wold at

rwold@nebocompany.com

 7 steps to kicking off a difficult conversation

 

When you are faced with having a difficult conversation, the first words you choose set the tone for rest of the conversation.  From Fierce Conversations, here are the steps to craft the opening of this important conversation:

  1. Name the issue.
  2. Select a specific example that illustrates the behavior or situation you want to change.
  3. Describe your emotions about this issue.
  4. Clarify what is at stake.
  5. Identify your contribution to this problem.
  6. Indicate your wish to resolve the issue.
  7. Invite your partner to respond.
 Anne Donovan of PwC: Conversations Matter to Millennials

We recently invited Anne Donovan, Human Capital Transformation Leader at PricewaterhouseCoopers, to share PwC's insights on what millennials care about in the workplace. These insights, based on a multigenerational, international study of over 44,000 employees, showed that millennial workers value open and honest communication. Having grown up with much greater access to information than any previous generation thanks to the internet, millennials appreciate it when leaders tell them what's going on and engage them in dialogue to learn their thoughts. If you're looking to engage your younger employees at work, Anne's advice is "Just start the conversation."

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