Rules Without Relationship Breeds Rebellion

Rules, expectations, and guidelines tell us the limits of our behavior. They help us know what is and is not acceptable in the eyes of the people close… [more]

Take It, Leave It, or Change It

Earlier this week, I was in Chicago leading a Bud to Boss Workshop. During the workshop, I told a story I often tell about a situation in my life where,… [more]

Intentions – A Poem That Came to Me While Cleaning

I don't know why this came to mind, but it did. I was helping my wife clean our living room, and I was, as I often am, thinking about what I could write… [more]

Effective Communication Skills: How to Quickly Guess a Person’s DISC Style

One of the most common questions about using the DISC model is this: "How do I know another person's personality style?" Well, the short answer is:… [more]

The 7 Deadly Sins of Conflict Resolution

As I watch and participate in conflict conversations and conflict resolution efforts, I notice patterns of behavior that consistently produce bad results.… [more]

My Most Recent Posts

Don’t Use an Illness Description for a Normal Behavior

Last week, I saw a report on television about the number of children that have likely been misdiagnosed as ADD/ADHD. As I watched the television piece, I was reminded of a common problem I see when people start to apply the DISC model of human behavior. Here’s the challenge: People often use disorder descriptions to speak about normal behavior. The most common misdiagnosis I have observed are: D behaviors described as if they are indicative of Oppositional Defiant Disorder. I behaviors described... [Read more]

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Management Tip Audio Interview with Nick McCormick

I have just returned from a trip to Denver to lead a Bud to Boss Workshop and I spent a good part of last week helping my daughter prepare for and then move into a dorm to start the new school year. In the midst of all of this activity, I haven’t been thinking much about blog posts. I do, though, have an audio interview that I recently did with Nick McCormick over at Joe and Wanda on Management. This is a brief (about 10 minute) conversation Nick and I had around one management tip that I... [Read more]

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DISC Model

Don’t Use an Illness Description for a Normal Behavior

Last week, I saw a report on television about the number of children that have likely been misdiagnosed... [Read More]

Effective Communication Skills: How to Quickly Guess a Person’s DISC Style

One of the most common questions about using the DISC model is this: “How do I know another person’s... [Read More]

Task-Oriented vs People-Oriented: A Common Source of Conflict

In one way or another, I have commented on this common difference between people in this blog and in... [Read More]

Read More About the DISC Model

Resolving Conflict

Conflict Resolution Lesson: Recognize Redirected Aggression

If you look carefully, you can learn lessons from many everyday events. Yesterday, my daughter, Alexandra,... [Read More]

Intentions – A Poem That Came to Me While Cleaning

I don’t know why this came to mind, but it did. I was helping my wife clean our living room, and... [Read More]

Task-Oriented vs People-Oriented: A Common Source of Conflict

In one way or another, I have commented on this common difference between people in this blog and in... [Read More]

Read More About Resolving Conflict

Reflections and Observations

Take It, Leave It, or Change It

Earlier this week, I was in Chicago leading a Bud to Boss Workshop. During the workshop, I told a story I often tell about a situation in my life where, as a leader of a team, I was confronted with large scale changes that impacted me in ways that I could not change or control. Without going into all the details here, the main point of the story came... [Read more]

Some Recommended Reading

What’s Not Happening Today In the last two weeks, I have written so much that I don’t really have the energy, clarity of thought, or focus to come up with something that seems to me like writing about. So, I thought that rather than share my somewhat clouded thoughts, I would pass along some of what I found today as I looked through my... [Read more]

Read More Of My Reflections and Observations