Search Video Library for: Personal Performance
Overcome Obstacles - A Quick Conversation
Tree limbs grow so that the leaves can absorb sunlight, the energy needed to sustain and create growth. Obstacles never stop a tree from finding the sunshine. Limbs bend around buildings, grow over street signs, and through abandoned structures. In the same way that trees need to be flexible and persistent in their quest to find sunlight, diversity projects need to grow under, through, or around any obstacles that block their path moving forward.
Pay Attention To Nonverbal Communication - A Quick Conversation
While your colleagues in the workplace communicate both verbally and non-verbally, understanding how to interpret their nonverbal communication can be a great advantage. Keep in mind that the meaning behind body language and facial expressions may vary from culture to culture, so it is always good to check for understanding.
See Potential Contributions, Not Limitations - A Quick Conversation
When working on teams, it is important not to look at limitations but instead at the potential contribution that each person can make – regardless of what kind of package that contribution comes in. This will allow you to maximize the skills and abilities of all team members.
Seek Transformation - A Quick Conversation
For weeks after birth, a caterpillar eats continuously; growing nearly 100 times its initial size before it spins itself into a chrysalis. Within the chrysalis, the caterpillar’s robust body completely breaks down into a DNA soup, where it takes several more weeks to reform into a beautiful, adult butterfly. Like the foraging caterpillar, a team spends time nourishing their group culture in order to prosper. However, in order to evolve even further, there comes a time when even the strongest teams need to break down and transform their fundamental team roles, structure, processes, goals, and vision in order to grow.
Teamwork Through Innovation - A Quick Conversation
In the sport of barrel racing, when a horse and rider are working well together, the horse will intuitively move under the rider if it feels the rider start to fall. This automatic response is only possible due to the bond and unspoken communication that develops between a horse and a rider through the many hours of practicing together. When you devote time and effort to communicating with a colleague, especially one from a background different than your own, you can improve the fluency of your communication and eventually be able to detect minute changes in these communications.
Tell Stories to Build a Strong Community - A Quick Conversation
Across the globe, cave drawings thousands of years old have preserved the remnants of ancient civilizations. While the drawings may be scattered over great distances and originate from different cultures, they all have one aspect in common: they tell stories. The drawings recount stories about successes, hunts, trials, and daily life. Storytelling is at the heart of what makes us human and is a universal tool used by groups of people to explain who they are and the experiences that shaped their history. While we might not use cave drawings anymore, we still use storytelling to capture collective histories and lessons learned.
Understand Preconceived Notions - A Quick Conversation
Hear the word flour and what comes to mind is probably baking, bread, and pizza crust. The preconceived notion that flour is only found in baked goods can lead to surprise when it is discovered that it can also be an ingredient in: pasta sauce, hot dogs, salad dressing, soup, taco sauce, and even dog food. Having preconceived notions about other people is like assuming that you know all of the ingredients of an item of food just by looking at it.
Understand Your Significance - A Quick Conversation
Both captains and lighthouse keepers have roles that, although different, are important to the navigation of ships. Likewise, each position within a company plays an important role in helping the company to navigate the global marketplace. When employees understand how their role contributes to team success, they are able to take pride in doing their job well and in contributing to the overall progress of the company.
Understanding Context - A Quick Conversation
When a rubber band is stretched taut it has potential energy. This potential energy is only important if the rubber band is released and the band moves towards a target. A diverse team can also have incredible intrinsic potential. However, if team members do not feel comfortable contributing their unique ideas, they will not release their great potential energy towards the target of innovation.
Understanding From Experience - A Quick Conversation
A documentary about life in the sea will provide knowledge about ocean life. However, that knowledge is enhanced when it is combined with the experience of scuba diving. The combined knowledge and experience deepens your understanding of the sea exponentially. Scuba diving augments book knowledge with a visceral experience. The act of learning about people with different cultural backgrounds can be viewed in a similar way. Learning about a culture by reading a book or talking to people from that culture gives you a base of knowledge.
Understanding Hidden Beauty - A Quick Conversation
The majority of the time, a male peacock looks ordinary and small. However, when given an opportunity to showcase himself, he becomes a world-renown beauty. While he has the beauty every day, it is only when he feels duty-bound to be his best, that it is displayed and appreciated. People can be like peacocks. When they are not given opportunities to shine, they don’t let their true beauty show.
Understanding Impact - A Quick Conversation
A single drop of water splashing against a rock may not seem to have an erosive impact. However, there is power in water drops, for over time water has the strength to wear down stone. The Colorado River, which began millions of years ago as a drop of water, carved the Grand Canyon. Positive every day actions are like water drops. While each act may not seem to have much impact, over time, the cumulative impact of many drops of water can wear down fear, negativity, and resistance to help forge a new path ahead.
Understanding Passion - A Quick Conversation
The energy of a “match on the pitch” comes from a group of people sharing in their common passion. Being in the midst of your passion is an energizing experience. It is obvious when people are in their passion: their eyes light up, excitement fills their voice, and they are “in the zone.” Inquiring about a co-worker’s passion is a great way to gain insight into a person that you work with. Demonstrating a desire to understand a co-worker’s passion enables you to build connections and begin to create common ground.
Understanding Perceived Value - A Quick Conversation
During the Revolutionary War, lobster was considered such inferior food that it was used to feed the British prisoners, and even they revolted against it. With the advent of railroads, trains brought lobster to the Midwesterners, who had no cultural bias, and found it to be a delicacy. Gradually, New Englanders came to the same conclusion. Often it takes an outside perspective to realize the inherent value that is already on your team and within your company.
Understanding the Fear - A Quick Conversation
Jumping out of an airplane might seem insane to some people, while to others it is an exhilarating and often repeated experience. What makes one person deeply afraid may not be at all scary to another person. Much of what causes people to react with fear to a situation are perceptions and assumptions about what that situation will be like. After facing their fears, people often realize that the perception of the experience created more fear than the experience itself.
Discussion Card: After the Conversation
So you've had a difficult discussion with an employee, direct report, staff member... what's next? Things like action items, open issues, follow-up and more! These easy-to-use cards provide a simple model (A.F.T.E.R.) along with thought-provoking questions on effective ways to follow-up with a tough discussions with grace and respect. These cards are great for a quick training reminder, reinforcement or as a conversation generator.
Discussion Card: Before the Conversation
Having a difficult discussion is hard. Though it must be done to get to resolution, you must be prepared. That includes understanding ground rules and preparing yourself mentally (working through a checklist). These easy-to-use cards provide a simple model (B.E.F.O.R.E.) along with thought-provoking questions on effective ways to tackle the tough discussions with grace and respect. These cards are great for a quick training reminder, reinforcement or as a conversation generator.
Discussion Card: During the Conversation
We all know that having a difficult discussion can be hard. It's important to watch out for key indicators during that conversation. This includes ground rules, verbal and non-verbal cues, and so much more! These easy-to-use cards provide a simple model (D.U.R.I.N.G.) along with thought-provoking questions on effective ways to tackle the tough discussions with grace and respect. These cards are great for a quick training reminder, reinforcement or as a conversation generator.
Discussion Card: Purpose of the Talk
It's not always easy having workplace discussions - whether to simply gather information or to tackle a tough situation. Shying away from key workplace topics/issues don't make those problems disappear. These easy-to-use cards provide a simple model (T.H.E.C.H.A.T.) along with thought-provoking questions on effective ways to tackle the tough discussions with grace and respect. These cards are great for a quick training reminder, reinforcement or as a conversation generator.
Discussion Card: Starting Conversations with Grace
Need to have a serious talk with an employee or front-line staff? Having the tough workplace discussions are never easy. These easy-to-use cards provide a simple model (G.R.A.C.E.) along with thought-provoking questions on effective ways to tackle the tough discussions... effectively and with respect. These cards are great for a quick training reminder, reinforcement or as a conversation generator.