Energize & engage your workplace
Here’s the overview of the third part of my book: “Positive Power at Work – How to make a positive difference from any position.” Are you able, willing and ready to be a Positive Agent? Part Three explores the personal preparation that we might need to do before we can make a positive difference. Why is that? If we don’t …
Here’s the overview of the second part from my next book: “Positive Power at Work – How to make a positive difference from any position.” Do you want to have more impact? Part Two explores what the “Positive Mindset of Possibilities” entails – compared to conventional thinking. This is where you start to expand the difference you make! You can …
Welcome to this overview of the first 18 blog posts from my next book: “Positive Power at Work – How to make a positive difference from any position.” You can make a positive difference from any position, without needing permission or resources from others. This book will help you see positive possibilities and (re)claim your positive agency. Unstuck yourself and …
In the last post, we have seen that our behavior follows our questions. For instance, I could complain about the lack of response to my emails. I could ask limiting questions that focus on finding the culprit. Why do they not even have the courtesy to reply? Who ignores my emails? These questions will make me feel annoyed and not …
In our culture of telling, to ask can be judged as ignorance while leaders are supposed to know what to do. Telling is expected and respected. And it feels so good to give advice, thinking we have solved someone else’s problem! But wise leaders use questions to engage people and encourage them to take ownership. Looking at the lack of …
I’ve introduced Geert Hofstede a couple of posts ago, so I’ll share a bit more about his work as an “in-between post” in my Personal Positive Power blog series. He researched national cultures and I admire his work. He offers insights about organizational culture as well: check out his book “Cultures and Organizations – software of the mind – Intercultural …
Humble Inquiry is the art of asking questions to which you do not already know the answer. It is building a relationship based on curiosity and interest in the other person, says Edgar Schein in his book Humble Inquiry. Our culture is biased toward telling. When in telling mode, we hope to educate, impress, or to entertain. Western, egalitarian and …
What kind of interactions are taking place around you? A helpful discernment is whether there is silence, violence, or a natural flow in a conversation – as described in Patterson’s a.o. book Crucial Conversations. In crucial conversations there is a lot at stake and we often hold things inside by going silent until we can take it no longer—and then …
Lately, I discussed communication in my Personal Positive Power series to make a positive difference. But are you aware of how your communication is influenced by the culture you’re part of? Geert Hofstede, the Dutch culture researcher and one of my true gurus (I love his work) says: Culture reproduces itself. You learn when to be proud and when to …
In every interaction there are three levels that influence its effect and meaning: What – the content; the words I say How – the process; how I say it (nonverbal communication) Why – the intention; the meaning, what I am trying to accomplish with this interaction. We tend to focus on What people say and are less aware of the …
“Every professional context is created by the conversations that people have. (..) Every moment of interaction is important. Positive communication can help create positive organizational climates, high-quality relationships, and affect a wide range of outcomes such as health, learning, or morale.” That’s what researchers Julien Mirivel and Ryan Fuller found out. Even something as simple as the absence or presence …
Welcome back, positive people! I hope your summer was energizing! Are you ready to continue your path to being a positive agent and contributing to positive change, regardless of your position? If you’ve been following this book that I blog online, you’ve done your personal preparation and you’re ready, willing and able to be a positive agent. If you just …
Guest post by Graham Williams. “The frames our minds create define – and confine – what we perceive to be possible. Every problem, every dilemma, every dead end we find ourselves facing in life, only appears unsolvable inside a particular frame or point of view”. That is what Rosamund Stone & Benjamin Zander explain in their book The Art of …
Compassion at Work is a really important book for people to read and, moreover, to apply. As Fred Kofman wrote in Conscious Business, “There are no death camps in corporations, but many apparently successful companies hide great suffering in their basements.” Is it really that bad? There are still too many organizations where it is that bad. That’s why the …
What does it mean to Fail Forward? According to quora.com, “Failing forward implies moving forward despite failures.” Failing forward is essential to learn and develop in your life and work. It’s getting out of your comfort zone and trying something new. It is a crucial part of self-development, and it’s embedded in the culture of successful innovative, entrepreneurial, and agile …
