by Larry Dressler | Jul 29, 2022 | On My Mind
It’s not easy to give critical feedback. Especially when the person on the receiving end gets defensive. Here are five common types of defensive responses. How many have you encountered (or perhaps even caught yourself engaging in)? Deny or Argue Intent: Cause...
by Larry Dressler | Jul 15, 2022 | In My Tool Bag
Lately I’ve been yearning for reasons to feel hopeful. Our country feels more polarized than ever and, regardless of political affiliation, people seem less interested in listening, more self-righteous, and quicker to dismiss and label the “other” as the “enemy” or...
by Larry Dressler | May 13, 2022 | In My Tool Bag
For many years I’ve been asking my coaching clients to complete a free online self-assessment instrument developed by Shirzad Chamine, Stanford University lecturer and author of the New York Times bestselling book Positive Intelligence. His assessment helps identify...
by Larry Dressler | Apr 22, 2022 | From My Bookshelf
After my early February blog post about the “busyness” epidemic in our culture, I received emails from some of you. One particular email captured a common sentiment: “How can I flourish in a culture that tells me I can’t succeed unless I surrender to a constant and...
by Larry Dressler | Mar 10, 2022 | From My Bookshelf
Not asking for help is one of the most self-limiting, self-constraining, and even self-destructive decisions we can make. – Dr. Wayne Baker About eight years ago, while I was having coffee with a Denver-based client, I mentioned my desire to reduce work-related...
by Larry Dressler | Feb 24, 2022 | On My Mind
The mind is amazing in its ability to process information and also the speed at which it reaches conclusions. The problem is: such conclusions are often based on judgments or attributions that are inaccurate. We see things only from where we sit, filtered – often...
by Larry Dressler | Feb 9, 2022 | On My Mind
An excerpt from Parker Palmer’s book, Hidden Wholeness, chronicles the ways in which blizzards – like life – can be overwhelming and disorienting. It’s a reflective piece about how swirling events and social forces can pull us farther and farther away from...
by Larry Dressler | Jan 28, 2022 | On My Mind
In our work and volunteer lives, meetings tend to get a “bad wrap”. But, bringing people together in person – and virtually – is still the most powerful way to accomplish shared goals. When we participate in meetings, we want the time spent to feel important,...
by Larry Dressler | Jan 6, 2022 | On My Mind
I think about ego as the idealized or overinflated story each of us tells about who we are – a story that is like a shield. It provides protection, but also blocks our view and it is very difficult to put down. Do you have an ego story? It might be the story about how...
by Larry Dressler | Dec 24, 2021 | From My Bookshelf
“Taking life personally, whether you’re aware you’re doing it or not, is a lose-lose situation. Either you’re blithely unaware that you’re deep in victim mode and taking it out on the world around you, or you’re highly aware that you are trapped in an emotionally...
