🧠 I’ve Been Thinking…

…about The Great Polarization continuing in the U.S. I’m suggesting we take a collective page from “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” and step back to understand before seeking to be understood. Let’s commit to that goal, here and now.

I was thinking along these lines when I found this very sensible post from Maria Shriver. She talks about the need to understand others so we can work together to repair our country.

And I came upon this from Grade-A human, Mr. Rogers, who originally shared it right after 9/11. For those who don’t recognize it, tikkun olam is a Hebrew phrase that means “repair the world.”

And yes, we all know those people with whom it is impossible to converse in healthy ways. I’ve got two shares this week about what to do with those folks. They’re the minority, so let’s focus on where we can make progress. Let’s work together to fix what’s broken and improve on what’s already working well.

It all starts with listening to understand…

🚀 Stories to Help You Drive Change

Here are my shares for you this week. This time, I went with quick takes—every bullet leads to an Instagram post. I hope they resonate:

SPECIAL NOTE: If you hit a paywall on any of the stories I share, go to Google Search, enter the name of the publication and something about the story (author, title, subject) to get a natural search link that usually by-passes the pay wall. And hey, if you like the publication, consider subscribing to it—that’s how they keep the good info rolling! I’m hearing some paywalls are impenetrable, so for pubs like The Wall Street Journal and the NY Times, I’ll share a bit more here for those of you without subscriptions.

• Do you get nervous when someone asks your opinion when you didn’t expect it? Or do you find it hard to communicate with executives who want a certain cadence to the information they take in? Try these tips to be more confident when presenting information.

• Emotions getting the best of you? Leverage geometry—here’s how.

• Netflix reminds their managers to keep the keepers with this simple question to build stronger, more motivated teams. What do you think?

• I wasn’t familiar with the term “Maverick Inflection Point” until I watched this video by Christina DelliSanti-Miller. Check out her clarification about going for the best-possible result in the comments section—it’s a “don’t miss!”

• I tend to resist any sales advice that starts with “find their pain point” because it feels predatory to me. That said, this post caught my attention for all communicators, because I’ve learned many people are more receptive to risk avoidance than optimizations. I’m still going to lean positive, but I now see the value in going the other route if it helps someone else progress.

• Had to share! So often, communications advice assumes both parties are rational people wanting to understand each other. For when you are dealing with a bona fide narcissist (if you know me, you know I never use the word “narcissist” lightly), this advice from narcissism expert Dr. Ramani is pure platinum!

• And, sometimes, you’re being crystal clear, and they just don’t want to understand—“understanding” doesn’t benefit them. This is good advice when you’re hitting this wall, too, via Dr. Kemi Doll.

🌟 Do Good Spotlight: Lasagna Love

Lasagna Love helps bring the concept of making the world a better place to your kitchen. Its volunteers sign up to cook and deliver lasagna to a family in need. That’s it. Just old-fashioned love spread through a warm, hearty meal. Learn more about their mission: Lasagna Love.

🎵 On a Personal Note

We elevate by growing together. There’s so much to learn, explore, and understand when we commit to being open to others and their experiences. Let’s take time to ask real questions, listen carefully, and reflect. Let’s redirect our energies to making our world less fearful, more compassionate, and less susceptible to “otherness.”

⏳Until Next Time…

Wishing you the best possible week with lots of ah-ha’s!

Niki