Occasionally, you encounter an idea so profound, so perfectly concise that it stirs something within.

When I’m not writing about music, I work on pieces that consider the challenges of new leaders. Susan Scott’s 2004 book Fierce Conversations: Achieving Success at Work and in Life One Conversation at a Time is a significant read.

The central premise that relationships are built and destroyed one conversation at a time is an arresting idea to share with someone. It’s guaranteed to cut through, though. It simultaneously promotes reflection and optimism, which is valuable, albeit an uncommon experience.

What I find most satisfying about the idea is that it disrupts your current mindset and promotes a reset. It’s particularly good when you provide feedback to someone who may not be pulling their own weight. It encourages a future mindset open to greater possibilities than the semi-rehearsed monologue about to take place.

Our lives succeed or fail, one conversation at a time.

Training Tuesday - The Rise And Fall Of Conversations And Relationships

In a fast-paced, constantly changing, and increasingly complex world, emotional intelligence is a key skill to master. 

Not only will you reap the rewards personally by enhancing your performance and supporting your well-being, but by developing your emotional intelligence, you'll be able to build strong networks and foster meaningful relationships with others. 

So, what exactly does emotional intelligence, or EQ, mean? To answer that question, let’s start at the very beginning.

Training Tuesday - Understanding Emotional Intelligence

Meetings were always highly stressful for me, especially when dealing with a difficult decision and needing other people’s buy-in.
I worried about being unprepared, un-charming, and not knowing what to say when someone asked me a question.

So, I was over-prepared, tried to appear likable, and didn’t allow others to ask questions.

But instead of acceptance, I got resistance. The harder I tried to win others, the more they rejected my ideas and pushed back on my decisions.

My intentions weren’t wrong. I wanted others to believe me, see my ideas through, and vouch for them. But none of my efforts left a good impression. I was trying to make my meetings impactful by following a faulty process. I was focusing on myself instead of focusing on the process.

Once I started paying attention to my process, I discovered four key areas that would make my meetings less stressful and more impactful. Others not only invested in my ideas, but I also got a ton of positive feedback on the effectiveness of my meetings.

These practices are simple yet powerful. They don’t demand a lot of work or preparation, only presence.
 
Paying attention to the participants in the meeting, trying to assess their needs, and shifting the focus from me to them made my meetings an instant hit.

Training Tuesday - Creating Unforgettable Impact During Meetings

Your strengths are great. 

However, focusing only on strengths prevents you from reaching your full potential. Progress will plummet if there’s no willingness to continue going back to the drawing board. Just as fast as we started, we’ll give up on ourselves.

Our perception of growth relates closely to this. People assume it will happen overnight, or at least faster than expected. 

Is it easy? Of course not. If it were easy, everyone would do it. But most people aren’t willing to go back to identify their mistakes because it scares them. And yet, learning by error is a phenomenal teacher.

Training Tuesday - Relying On Your Greatest Weaknesses For Growth Final

We rush because we’re late. We also rush because we want to move quickly away from discomfort. We rush to come up with solutions to problems that would benefit from more sustained consideration. We rush into obligations, decisions, or relationships because we want things settled.

Worrying is a kind of rushing: It’s uncomfortable to sit in a state of uncertainty, so we fast-forward,  accelerating our lives past the present moment into fearsome imagined scenarios.

Training Tuesday - Hurry Up And Wait

Role-playing can seem a bit strange, but the benefits are undeniable. When you know you have to have a difficult conversation, play out the scenario, but don’t go it alone.

Find a partner, work through it together, and see the benefits in the actual conversation.

Bonus points if you record yourself giving the feedback in your practice sessions to critique yourself later, but small steps are best.

Training Tuesday - Tackling Difficult Conversations

Have you ever experienced that while solving a problem, the problem evolves into something else?

When a problem has an even deeper cause, it is necessary to track it down to the root. To accomplish this, there's a great technique known as the “Five Whys.”

Simplistically, the idea is to ask why, maybe up to five times, certainly more than once, until you get right down to the root of the problem.

Training Tuesday - Why

In our rapidly evolving world, the wisdom of unlearning and embracing new thought patterns, habits, and perceptions is even more relevant than ever before.
“The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn,” Futurist Alvin Toffler once said.
Many people hold on to the same mindset and habits for far too long. Sometimes when the same perspective or thought pattern is helpful, it’s still essential to reconsider their usefulness for the life you want in the future.
To take an essential step in the direction of your dreams, it pays to seek practical, intelligent, and new approaches to solve old problems. Make unlearning and relearning a life-long habit.

Training Tuesday - The Wisdom Of Unlearning

When we were in school, we were typically only rewarded for giving the correct answers. That’s too bad because it prevented many of us from learning a critical lesson: the real power lies in asking the right questions.

Over the years, through reading books, talking to my mentors, and interviewing those I admire, I’ve realized that the people with the most meaningful lives are the ones who never stop asking questions — not only to others but, most importantly, to themselves.

This realization led me to develop a practice of self-inquiry, which I now do regularly. At least once a month, I pull up a list of questions I’ve written and check in with myself. The results have been profound. Based on my answers, I’m able to constantly make positive adjustments, check in on my progress, and reflect on my growth.

Tune in to find out the ten questions I ask myself!

Training Tuesday - 10 Questions

Some skills matter more than others in order to do well in your career. They put you in front of others, connect you to them, build trust, and enhance your credibility.

But, building these skills can be challenging. Unlike tasks assigned to you in which you’re expected to excel, no one allows you to practice these skills explicitly.

The burden of learning and mastering them is on you.
Practicing these skills requires initiative. You can’t go about your day unconsciously, moving from one task to another and hoping to get better at it. You need a good feedback loop—you’ve got to experiment, identify what works and what doesn’t, and keep repeating the positive behaviors until they come naturally to you.

If you feel stuck or are putting a lot of time and energy into what you do but not getting the desired results, spend some time building these skills. You will not only achieve great success in your career but mastering these skills will bring a sense of pleasure and fulfillment in all you do.

Training Tuesday - Five Skills To Help Boost Your Career

The Arizona Department of Health Services promotes and protects the health of Arizona's children and adults. Its mission is to set the standard for personal and community health through direct care, science, public policy, and leadership.

The Department operates programs in behavioral health, disease prevention and control, health promotion, community public health, environmental health, maternal and child health, emergency preparedness and regulation of childcare and assisted living centers, nursing homes, hospitals, other health care providers and emergency services.

Training Tuesday - The Wisdom Of Unlearning

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