Is your inbox overflowing? Mostly with company internal mail? Yet, you and your colleagues still miss vital information? E.g. a year too late you find out that colleagues in France did the exact same work your team did? That does seem to be a common complaint. Not where I’m working, though. I get maybe 2-7 …
Category Archives: Coaching & Communication
Clean Questions and the Power of Metaphors
A year ago I blogged about Non-Violent Communication as a means to avoid judgement and find needs. Now I think I found something even more radical (once again via Andrea Chiou): Clean Questions / Clean Language. With Clean Language, not only do you forego judgement, you don’t even offer interpretations. It’s a bit like the …
Continue reading “Clean Questions and the Power of Metaphors”
Just say “don’t”
Motivation, willpower and discipline are fascinating to me. How much is within our control and what is not, e.g. because of decision fatigue? I’m equally fascinated with language and how the words we use shape our world. Every once in a while the two spheres intersect: If you had a goal such as “exercise daily” …
Your brain on anger and 3 ways to snap out of it
When we’re angry or scared our bloodstream gets flooded by adrenaline and noadrenaline. Both ready the body for physical activities. Also the cerebrum (‘higher’ thinking, like maths and language) – dials it down a notch several notches and leaves the cerebellum (motor control) in charge. That’s great when the threat is physical. But nowadays we’re …
Continue reading “Your brain on anger and 3 ways to snap out of it”
Body Language – “Fake it, till you become it”
You know that people smile when they are happy. Chances are, you also now that when you smile your mood lifts, i.e. you can change your state of mind by a physical act. It gets even better: You can raise your confidence and lower your stress levels by taking “power poses”, such as “wonder woman …
Continue reading “Body Language – “Fake it, till you become it””
Giraffe and Jackal – Non-Violent Communication
Today my Twitter timeline contained a transformative gem, something that will help me reserve judgement and connect better to others: A 3-hour video of a workshop on Non-Violent-Communication. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBGlF7-MPFI&feature] Normally the 3 hours would have put me off. As would the song within the first 5 minutes and the fact that this guy – Marshall …
Continue reading “Giraffe and Jackal – Non-Violent Communication”
3 Feedback Models
Feedback is important. Only by knowing how our actions affect others do we know what works and what doesn’t. Feedback becomes more effective, when it is frequent, timely and specific. Frequent Giving feedback only at quarterly or yearly reviews wastes a lot of time during which people could already have improved. Weekly One-on-Ones (that I …
One-on-Ones in Agile (Transitions)
Have you ever had regular One-on-Ones (“O3s”)? If not, I think you’re missing out. Mark Horstman and Mike Auzenne describe them as: 30 minute conversation every (other) week Between a manager and one of her team members. (Each team member gets their own O3 each week.) Default time division: 10 minutes team members topics, 10 minutes …
“Verständlich Schreiben” – Workshop am 13. April in Düsseldorf
[English Summary: On April 13th, I’m giving a workshop on writing that follows the tips in this article.] Wir alle freuen uns über gute Doku, wenn wir etwas Neues lernen. Doch wie sieht es mit der Doku für unsere eigenen Projekte aus? Ist sie a) vorhanden und b) verständlich geschrieben? Gut zu schreiben kann man …
Continue reading ““Verständlich Schreiben” – Workshop am 13. April in Düsseldorf”
Story Telling & Product Partnership (OOP 2013 – Day 1)
This week I’m attending OOP in Munich. As Open Spaces / Un-Conferences have become the norm for me it’s strange to be at “real” conference for a change. I have not been “siezed” (formal way to address in German) that often in a long time. Still, the other participants are amiable enough 🙂 Today was …
Continue reading “Story Telling & Product Partnership (OOP 2013 – Day 1)”