One of the biggest stumbling blocks to good communication is the absence of context. Context is defined as a set of facts or circumstances that surround a particular event, situation or communication. At best, that information can help the listener put things in the proper perspective. It can also be a persuasive tool to influence with integrity.
Read MoreI picked up the latest issue, 10/3/11, of the New Yorker today and read Atul Gawande’s article, Personal Best.
He wrote about the reality that all professionals, regardless of their field, reach a plateau at certain junctures in their career. As a surgeon, he realized, that no one had observed or critiqued one of his surgeries in over seven years. He goes on to share the power and benefits of his experience in getting feedback and perspective from outside eyes and ears.
Read MoreModerating a panel can be a great opportunity to enhance your own visibility while managing a dynamic conversation between experts in the field. The role is one not unlike that of a orchestra conductor. You are directing, guiding and getting people to play beautiful music together. Here are a few tips to keep in mind, before, during and after the panel.
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OPINION
What Happened to Obama?
By DREW WESTEN
Published: August 6, 2011
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Drew Westen is a professor of psychology at Emory University and the author of “The Political Brain: The Role of Emotion in Deciding the Fate of the Nation.”
Last evening I ran into my neighbor, Dan, after we had both parked our cars in our respective garages and were making our way through our backyards to the house. Being the friendly neighbor that I aspire to be, I said to Dan, “Hey, how was your day?” He looked at me and said with a straight face, “Well, I’ve been on quite a transformative journey! I have shifted many of my paradigms, increased my intellectual bandwidth, clarified my understanding of our company’s vision and I’m fully engaged and on-board! After a second or two trying to determine if he was for real, we bought started to laugh.
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