Social Isolation and Loneliness- The Power of Connection
A few days ago, I talked to a client, and we discussed the frenzying pace of… the fourth quarter the election COVID-19 working from home kids at school the holiday season with family and friends In all of our lives, there is a crazy contrast between chaos and isolation. I was reminded of the Stockdale […]
Doing Something Difficult
When was the last time you tackled something difficult? We all know that doing something difficult is not only challenging but requires 2 things: Motivation A deep desire to change Do you have someone in your personal or professional life that pushes you to do the hard things? If you do, you are blessed. My […]
Hot Questions and Hot Wings
After reading the title of this blog, you may be asking yourself a great question. “When I think of myself as a professional communicator, what does this topic have to do with anything?” Well, let me tell you. In my years of practical experience, academics, and consulting at Braintrust, my observation is that the concept […]
Fourth Quarter Mindset
On January 26, 2020, I was stepping off an airplane in New York City while returning from a great trip to Europe. While I was there, I had the opportunity to both work with one of our global partners and present my research at Aalto University just outside of Helsinki, Finland. The trip was one […]
Finding Hope at 30,000 Feet
In a recent conversation, a colleague and I were discussing how unbelievable it is that we haven’t been on an airplane since February. In 30 years of business, I can’t recall a six-month period that I went without flying. There is much about traveling that I don’t miss, but one component that I always enjoyed […]
Walk the Talk
When someone says “Walk the Talk”, what does that mean to you? For most individuals, it means backing your words with the action to accomplish whatever the goal/task you said you’d hit. However, many of us have opened our mouths, talked a mean game, and never finished what we said we were going to. So, […]
Blocking The Noise
Finally, last week our family excitedly drove our son back to college at “The” Indiana University in beautiful Bloomington, IN. We were thrilled that he got the opportunity to return to some piece of normalcy to hopefully enjoy his final year. To move him back in, we decided to load up his Jeep and rent […]
“Is All Feedback Relevant?”
A beloved mentor of mine once asked me, “Franc, is all feedback relevant?”. My initial answer was “I think some is and some isn’t”. He then challenged me on my answer… “Why is some feedback not relevant?” he asked. “Some feedback is not always given with full context or might not be right” I answered. […]
Active Listening vs. Hearing – Do you know the difference?
Does the title of this blog capture your attention? There is no doubt that this is a tough one for me. In the essence of humility, I have often struggled with the difference between listening and hearing. People have asked me the question, “Are you a good listener?” and I would answer yes even though […]
Keeping Your Eyes on the Horizon
This past weekend, my wife and I had the opportunity to spend a few days at beautiful Lake Oconee in Central Georgia with dear friends of ours from Cincinnati. If you have never been to Lake Oconee, I highly recommend it. Our weekend was filled with relaxation, laughs, reading, great food, euchre, and outdoor activities. […]