Do you really see reality or a Biased view?

So think about that next time you listen to a presenter and hear their position. Now check to see whether you are listening with an open mind. Ask — Is it the position and evidence the presenter is marshaling for their position that bothers you, or is it the biased assumptions you have made about the group you think they represent that upsets and filters your opinion. The question is can you separate the message from the messenger? 

So to get an answer I researched some studies from psychological literature.When the information seems to be coming from or favoring the other side, all bets are off.  Here is one study that points out our inability to listen with objectivity:  

In a famous 1950s psychology experiment, researchers showed students a film of a Dartmouth-Princeton football game in which officials made a series of obvious bone head calls against one team. Asked to make their own assessments of the calls, students who attended the offending team’s college reported seeing half as many illegal plays as did students from the college team that got the bad calls. Controversy  was generated over what actually took place during the game. Basically, there was disagreement between the two schools as to what had happened during the game. A questionnaire designed to get reactions to the game and to learn something of the climate of opinion was administered at each school and the same motion picture of the game was shown to a sample of undergraduate at each school, followed by another questionnaire. Results indicate that the “game” was actually many different games and that each version of the events that transpired was just as “real” to a particular person as other versions were to other people. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)

So if  you unpack the experiment it is saying that our perceptions of the same event our biased by our group affiliations. Now the question arises if the same phenomena happens when listening to and experiencing a presentation from a speaker who is identified with a group you don’t trust or see as credible? 

Part 1: How Negative Perceptions and Bias triggered Zimmerman to shoot?

The real act of discovery consists not in finding new lands, but in seeing with new eyes.”  Marcel Proust

One youth dead, neighborhood watch citizen goes free. Everyone wants to know how and why did this shooting happen? One reason maybe that Zimmerman’s past experiences and his negative perceptions of black youths as thugs and therefore automatically dangerous to him and his gated community neighbors. He never learned how to balance his negative filters that colored his  experiences with black youth. What if he saw black youths in a more bright, optimistic and flexible light.  Instead he focused on the dark, pessimistic and inflexible thinking that constantly reminded  him that black youths are people who were always causing trouble and needed to be feared. 

Almost every creature comes into world more wired for negativity than positivity or optimism. Why? Fight or flight response. Say you’re wandering through the woods and you fail to notice the pretty wildflowers under your feet. Inconvenient perhaps, but not catastrophic. Now imagine that the thing under your feet is a rattlesnake. Fail to notice this, and its good night, Mark. Which is why we give the bad things in our lives so much more attention than the good ones—a phenomenon known as a negativity bias. The more you defy your innate negativity bias, building from your strengths, finding relief by looking at things from a more positive frame, and embracing delight wherever you can, the more you become stronger in controlling your own way in life. The impact of optimism  of one person living in acceptance of good things happening in life are immense. Become that person, and you’ll find that in spite of everything, when their is positivity in your life you will experience more happiness and positive interpersonal relationships.  It won’t necessarily change the reality of the situation, but the positiviness has a strong ripple effect on anyone coming in touch with you.

Most research on perception and thinking show how your memory of the past helps you determine what to pay attention to in the present but does not lock you into forever thinking that way. Checkout the 10 irrational thoughts that cause people trouble by Dr Albert Ellis. Recognizing faces or race is a simple way to distinguish friends from strangers without a thorough background check each time you encounter someone. We all use this function in perceiving our environment so we are not overwhelmed with too much information. We use this discriminating perceptual process to distinguish different types of birds or poison berries from edible ones. This is a good use of this perceptual function but we also use it as a short-cut for identification and discrimination of people and this can be a bad way to us this function depending on the situation an ensuing action.

We unconsciously make unfortunate  emotional investment in things that have happened to us in the past creating a closed, inflexible mindset that all “black youths wearing baggy pants and a hoody” spell trouble. According to Malcolm Gladwell, in his popular book Blink, many of our life decisions and especially social interactions are based on little information that are generalized to specific situations almost in an automatic way.

Almost every creature comes into world more wired for negativity than positivity or optimism. Why? Fight or flight response. Say you’re wandering through the woods and you fail to notice the pretty wildflowers under your feet. Inconvenient perhaps, but not catastrophic. Now imagine that the thing under your feet is a rattlesnake. Fail to notice this, and its good night, Mark. Which is why we give the bad things in our lives so much more attention than the good ones—a phenomenon known as a negativity bias.

The more you defy your innate negativity bias, building from your strengths, finding relief, and embracing delight wherever you can, the more you become stronger in controlling your own way in life. The impact of optimism  of one person living in acceptance of good things happening in life are immense. Become that person, and you’ll find that in spite of everything, when their is positivity in your life you will experience more happiness and positive interpersonal relationships.  It won’t necessarily change the reality of the situation, but the positiviness has a strong ripple effect on anyone coming in touch with you.

My hypothesis is that Zimmerman, the shooter, may have used irrational beliefs based on past experiences in his encounter with Travon. When he saw Travon, on that raining night, he inaccurately identify someone as a “no good black youth up to no good” the hoody reinforced his suspicion and led to a self-fulfilling prophecy that this person was dangerous and something bad was going to happen any moment. With this expectation in mind he called 911 and began to actively pursue this dangerous person, even though he was told not to follow or pursue and wait for the police to arrive. He  expected to see danger or a possible attack, just as you do when you look at every plant expecting to see poison ivy or poison mushrooms. Past experience can set your filters up to see in either a positive, optimistic or negative, pessimistic light. Automatic filters are necessary, otherwise, your life would be bogged down in the need to resolve every minute doubt, prepare for every possible situation. But Zimmerman’s maladaptive thinking may have led him to belief that Travon, a young black man, signaled trouble and possible danger to him and his neighbors. These triggers led him to make a snap judgment based on past experiences. For example, when you listen to the 911 audiotapes of  Zimmerman with police authorities you hear his negative triggers and fears at work, he said something like these type of punks usually get away with breaking-in or doing harm and it wasn’t going to happen again on his watch. If in the past he had a positive past experiences with black youths his automatic “fight response” may not have been triggered and his snap judgment and action based on fear might have been stopped. Thus, averting the terrible shooting that left one person dead and the shooters life in shambles. If he had reacted in a more positive automatic filter or perception he might have seen the situation in a different light that would have made Travon’s and his life happier and help him to see the best in a person wearing a hoody and walking down the sidewalk in his gated community in a more neutral way as an ordinary citizen to be respect and treated with dignity.

So how do you in the moment of decision stop or block the negative triggers in your mind from putting you and other people in harm’s way and advert a dangerous encounter. By challenging your negative triggers and past experience which lead to negative stereotypes, poor decision-making and inappropriate actions. It is a thinking process I call the STOP. CHALLENGE. REFLECT. ACT. LEARN. REPEAT. learning cycle that gives you time to overcome your impulses and automatic behavior. I will cover how to STOP negative bias and impulsive actions more on my next post. Thanks and I hope this post provides some ideas on why this tragedy took place in Florida. We can all do better. Just STOP and Challenge our irrational thinking before acting.

Bottom Line vs Power Of Emotional Intelligence: Review 19 Research Studies

“Research by the Center for Creative Leadership has found that the primary causes of
derailment in executives involve deficits in emotional competence. The three primary
ones are difficulty in handling change, not being able to work well in a team, and
poor interpersonal relations.”

This is only one study that highlights the importance of Emotional Intelligence and other factors in being successful in business. To do more investigation checkout the through discussion on why EI is one of the most important elements for any organization in reaching their productivity, profitability and people goals.

The 19 studies reported by Cary Cherniss, Ph.D. at Rutgers University, is part of a larger effort by the Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations 

This report builds an over whelming business  case for how emotional intelligence contributes to the bottom line in any work organization. Based on data from a variety of sources, this report can be a valuable tool for HR practitioners and managers who need to make the case  for more assessment EI in recruiting and Leadership and Manger training using EI has the foundation for improving their business culture.

As you read the Report try to identify three ways that you could use EI in your organization and always we look forward to hear your feedback an insights.

Learn to use the “Ripple Effect” for Unique connections

What is the “Ripple Effect” when it comes to communicating and presenting ideas or a proposal to others.  The Ripple Effect is a simple and practical way to spread an idea virus through your audience and their networks. The ripple effect explains the notion that from small acts we can create big changes In the the book Dragonfly, Andy Smith and Jennifer,  Draggonfly Effect, Part 1 provide a framework and compelling case studies to show readers how to harness social media for change, happiness and positive results.

Why the dragonfly? The dragonfly is the only insect able to propel itself in any direction when its four wings are working in harmony. It symbolizes the importance of integrated and insynch effect and is akin to the ripple effect—a term used in economics, sociology, and psychology to indicate how small acts can create big change.  The method relies on four essential skills, or wings: 1) focus: identify a single concrete and measurable goal; 2) grab attention: cut through the noise of social media with something authentic and memorable; 3) engage: create a personal connection, accessing emotions, empathy, and happiness; and 4) take action: invite and enable  others to take positive action to fulfill original goal or purpose.

The Ripple Effect depends on open and two-way communication to connect and convey information, ideas, experiences and knowledge.  To be effective and efficient the “Ripple Effect” in  interpersonal communications needs to be targeted to the right audience, with the right message by the right messenger and at the right moment when audiences are receptive and feel the message is relevant to their needs. Executing the “Ripple Effect” takes strategic thinking, exquisite planning and timing.

Learn to get what you really want by first giving of your time, your talent and your expertise. As you”’ discover, the ROI of selflessness is truly astounding. The Ripple Effect will teach you how to:

• Connect and create more meaningful relationships

• Use new social media sites like Facebook and Twitter to extend your connecting efforts

• Avoid common networking mistakes, both online and in person

• Leverage your network to open new doors and create new opportunities

• Establish connection lifelines that will bail you out when things get really tough

Painting a tantalizing picture of what business – and life can be once you decide to put other people first, The Ripple Effect is an indispensable resource not only for executives, sales managers, customer service representatives and entrepreneurs, but for anyone who wants to leave this world a better place than they found it.

Reflections on American Political Divide and Mass Movements –What would Eric Hoffer Tell Us ?

“A society that refuses to strive for superfluities is likely to end up lacking in necessities.”  Eric Hoffer

” All mass movements generate in their adherents a readiness to die and a proclivity for united action; all of them… breed fanaticism, enthusiasm, fervent hope, hatred and intolerance; all of them are capable of releasing a powerful flow of activity in certain departments of life; all of them demand blind faith and single hearted allegiance. All movements, however different in doctrine and aspiration, draw their early adherents from the same types of humanity; they all appeal to the same types of  single-mind thinking.”

 As an idea, the above statement is a powerful wake-up call for all those who believe so strongly in a cause that they want everybody else to believe in it. The danger and negative effects of  single-mindedness or dogmatic thinking and intolerance of other people’s point of view , is the core message of  Hoffer’s True Believer’s.

what kind of people become fanatics?

The answer is personal, psychological and emotional. Before they believed, Hoffer writes, they felt small, confused, destined for nothing. With belief, they feel strong, certain. Their fanaticism transforms them; losers become winners. “Faith in a holy cause is to a considerable extent a substitute for the lost faith in himself.”  Generally speaking these are lost people search for some kind of relieve or anchor in their life.

The goal of the mass movement doesn’t matter? Not according to Hoffer. He says: the more unrealistic and unattainable, the better. It’s not even important that the doctrine be understood. In fact, Hoffer says, the harder it is to believe, the better. Forget your mind, trust your heart, the true believer  says, and his followers do just that.These people are fundamentally dogmatic and absolutely certain about what is wrong with America. Their dualistic mind-set is dangerous because it provides simple answers for complex questions. “We would all be better off with Government out of our business and personal life..”  You and I know that change is the one immutable law of life, that there are always at least two opinions, that we’ll probably die not knowing the ultimate answers. Not so for members of mass movements. They know it all. (“A mass movement…must act as if it had already read the book of the future to the last word. Its doctrine is proclaimed as a key to that book.”)

Right now, we are seeing the spread of anti-Moslem groups in Europe. (That is textbook Hoffer: “A movement can exist without a God but no movement can exist without a devil.”) Here at home, we have quite a few people  who also have a genius for identifying “devils” and turning them into “the Other. For example, all the comments made about Obama during the Health Care and Stimulus debates.

There will be widespread disbelief when Congress and the White House have another debate that may cause the next Depression. When this happens and the mass media and extremist right-wing talkers like Rush will go on about the failure of Obama and Socialism;,great thinkers  like Hoffer will not be quoted  —because they call-out the real instigators of the causes for our divided nation– inequality between rich and poor.

The major point in  Hoffer’s books and essays is to see beyond irrational individual behavior to patterns of thought and behavior of  fanatical  ”group think” .

Hoffer says on the first page of the “True Believer the following insight:  ”Though there are obvious differences between the fanatical Christian, the fanatical Mohammedan, the fanatical nationalists, the fanatical Communist and the fanatical Tea Party members , it is still true that the fanaticism which motivates them may be viewed and treated as one… However different the holy causes people die for, they perhaps die basically for the same thing.

Daily Quote and Reflection: Listen-up True Believers and Tea Party–See why People get STUCK in their Beliefs

Daily Quote: “Everybody has their own private hell. Getting through it requires awareness, courage and openness to change.  STOP ignoring the facts and evidence and free yourself to see the truth” Mark W.Hardwick, Ph.D. .

Reflection: Why do people ignore facts and evidence that the TEA Party and Rep have it wrong about how to solve economic problems and jobs crisis in U.S.? Because admitting they are wrong even if it is obvious to others. Evidence and facts show they are wrong and still don’t change their minds. Because changing their mindset”  requires them to change their beliefs and view of the world.  These “true believers are emotionally stuck. So the only place they go for information is to Fox News and Rush “baby”.  Loads of research evidence suggests people tend to seek information that confirms their beliefs rather than disproves them. Want more information and detail on research see PsyBlog.

Is there a Group Intelligence Factor and Does it make a difference in Problem Solving?

Quote: “Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results. The achievements of a team are the results of the combined effort of each individual” Vincent Lombardi

For many years there has been an explosion of using teams to increase productivity from software conversion projects to employee problem solving and innovation. Many questions remain about how and why teams are successful and why other task forces or teams fail. For some researchers it is all about team make-up and group dynamics. Many questions remain that need answers. One important experiment was recently completed by Anita Woolley at Carnegie Mellon University to examine if there is  general intelligence in teams. The results of the research suggest that “individual brainpower contributes little to collective team smarts as measured by their ability to solve problems.  Dr. Woolly was motivated to conduct these studies because she felt there is a lack  of agreed to  criterion in predicting which groups will perform well and which won’t. Addition she wanted to test she the hypothesis of whether groups behave as individuals in having the  an underlying factor (intelligence) that seems to drive how individuals perform in multiple situations and different cognitive domains. 

To determine whether something similar also operated in collective minds, Woolley’s team divided 600 test subjects into groups of two to five people, then had each group complete a variety of problem-solving tasks. Afterward the researchers interviewed the groups and each participant. They measured group cohesion and motivation, individual intelligence and personality, and other factors previously associated with group performance. Their analysis was reviewed in Wired Science which reported that researchers found several characteristics linked to group performance — and none involved individual intelligence. What mattered instead was the social sensitivity of individual members, the proportion of women (who tend to be more sensitive) in each group, and a balanced participation of interaction and “air time” for conversing and discussing the problem to be solved and appropriate solutions.  Gender and social sensitivity are linked, said Woolley, making emotional intelligence and conversation balance the most important factors in group performance. Not only was individual intelligence irrelevant, but group cohesion mattered little. Neither did motivation or happiness — a finding that most workers would find disconcerting.

The results for the study are not that surprising for team leaders and experienced facilitators-it’s emotional intelligence and social awareness — the ability to pick up on emotional cues in others — that seems to determine how effective and smart a group can be. What do you think ? Does this research square with your experience? Let us know your thoughts.

 

High Performer and 10,000 hour Success Factor–Apply these three Secrets.

Here is some good news and bad news about becoming successful in whatever field of endeavor you choose. Good news is that it will take about 10 years or 10,000 hours to master the knowledge and experience to make it “big” The bad news is that most be , including coaches and bosses are impatient and don’t want to put in the effort and target practice to achieve at the mastery level. In other words, most of us give up before we have a chance to succeed.

“Successful people spontaneously do things differently from those individuals who stagnate. They have different practice histories. Elite performers engage in what we call “deliberate practice”–an effortful activity designed to improve individual target performance. There has to be some way they’re innovating in the way they do things.”  K. Anders Ericsson, Professor of Psychology Florida State University 

The old struggle between “nurture and nature” goes on, but in his 900+ book and over twenty-five+ years of research Ericsson builds the case for practice, perseverance and patience. He says with the exception of some sports–”no characteristic of the brain or body constrains an individual from reaching an expert level.”  So what are the keys to success–Here is a snap shot of what Ericsson says are the secrets to “Performance Mastery”

1.  Targeted and deliberate practice– they spontaneously do things differently from those individuals who stagnate. They practice differently from average performers–”They have different practice histories. Elite performers engage in what we call “deliberate practice”–an effortful activity designed to improve individual target performance. “   

 2. Being passionate and curious–in other words a live-long student–seeking out answers to questions and looking for innovative ways to capture knowledge and experience. Both theirs and others.

3. Seek feedback on how they are doing and how they can improve.  Just enjoying what you do makes a critical difference in performance.  

Eliminate Death of Meetings–Improve Communication by Clarifying roles and functions on Team

Facilitators need to possess basic skills to help a group communicate in an open and involved manner.Timely interventions are the key to you success. The tools we are focusing on will be active listening, questioning, and empathy.  Special tools and techniques are utilized to diagnose and address specific issues that face the group. The focus of this blog is to improve your awareness of specific skills such as conflict resolution, reflection of feelings, and honest direct communication. Building interpersonal skills and dealing with problems that block adult learning can dramatically improve the overall productivity of the sessions.Today many organizations are using committees ,task forces and project groups to improve efficiency and effectiveness in operations and functional decision-making activities.  So I thought it would be helpful to dig into two critical Group Processes  ”task and maintenance” roles and functions that if you understood would make your meetings more productive and satisfying experiences.

Group Processes

Task Functions and Roles. Helps facilitator and members understand the purpose and goals of the group. Understanding these roles and functions focus the group on using their time and skills to get the job done. The group will  often need assertive and firm leader-facilitators to keep things moving and on target. They relate to and are passionate about the reasons and purpose of the groups assignment and rationale for existing.

“Maintenance” Functions and Roles. These roles provide the ‘oil’ or “glue” for effective small group discussions. They look at how a group goes about getting it’s work done or decisions made. During this group process the focus is on the emotional life of the group. For example, what helps or interferes in helping to get the work of the group accomplished, consider the needs of individuals or communicates to whom etc.  These roles  open up the channels for two-way communication and problem solving.

Identifying and defining Group Process Roles and Functions of Facilitators

“Task” Roles and Functions of Facilitator

Initiator	Start things off; or helps change direction. Initially often the leader.
Energizer	Provides challenes, inspires and stimulates group to discussion and action leading to accomplishing goals of discussion.
Clarifier of Opinions	Takes individual contributions and clarifies them – encourages people to be specific “are you saying that …”, “it seems to me what you are saying is …”
Information giver/and Seeker	Gives or seeks to find out certain information. It may relate to the exact structure of the task.
Coordinator	Clarifies various suggestions, ideas and opinions and seeks agreement to move group ahead
Questioner/Evaluator	Asks fundamental questions about the task of the group. Main factor is the ability to step back from what is going on and challenge assumptions. Confronts the groups level of engagement or activity level.
Summarizer	Does not add anything but provides the facility of checking and clarifying what has been said and achieved. Provides breathing space.

“Maintenance” Roles and Functions of Facilitator

Gatekeeper	attempts to encourage communication, bringing persons into the discussion who have not given their ideas, keeping the discussion  on track and to the point, etc.
Supporter/ Encourager	Provides warmth to individuals “yes, I think that’s a good point”, “that was really helpful” etc. Recognizes and exhibits acceptance of different points of view.
Harmonizer	Tries to reduce conflict and discord in the group by encouraging members to be respectful and considerate yet allows them to share feelings; such as frustrations or anger at others .
Standard Setter and Role Model	Expresses standards and best practices for the group to attempt to achieve, and applies them to evaluating the group process
Self-Discloser	Shares experience like, “This also happened to me” – helps breakthrough to the personal level.
Process observer	Often shows himself when the group gets stuck. Helps unblock group dynamics and get conversation back on track .

Want more Productive Relationships-Learn about the Fundamental Attribution Error

There’s an interesting social-psychological concept that impacts our daily interactions. It is our tendency to judge others’ appearance and so called inappropriate behavior against our own mental maps that include standards, biases and stereotypes. This concept starts with a negative perception based on our own autobiography. The key word for identifying when this concept comes into play is our use of the word SHOULD. Others’ should act like such and such. Others’ should not do this or that…this is the way they should dress etc.

The social psychological phenomena is called the Fundamental Attribution Error (FAE). In essence, the FAE says:

We have a tendency to over-emphasize others’ PERSONALITY ( i.e., their disposition,  attitude, motives or desires) OR APPEARANCE when we judge or explain their behavior, while discounting their life situation or context as a reason or explanation for their behavior.

Positive Psychology Update: 2 Interventions for Personal Change.

“That which is unigue and worthwhile in us makes itself felt only in flashes…catch and savior these flashes, for more growth and exhilaration.” Eric Hoffer

The major question being examined in Happiness research is how can modern psychology help us become happier? One of the areas for research is to identify in a scientific way what interventions can promote more constructive and positive life habits.

We focus the rest of this article on the efficacy of positive interventions and exercises to increase individual happiness, in many ways the bottom line of work in positive psychology.

90 Day rule for Job transition: Be an Anthropologist

“Do you know the reasons why you were hired? What is expected ? By asking Why?  We are taking time to observe, listen and discover opportunities and issues that might limit our ability to perform and contribute to our new organization.”  John Murphy

Today, in reading the NY times business section I had my 90 day rule for job transition validated by Linda Heasley, President and CEO of the Limited. What is the 90 day rule? It is providing a new person in an organization 90 days to play anthropologist in assessing the expectations, goals, strengths and weaknesses of the new culture they are entering.  Anthropologist is defined as a person who studies the origin, behavior, and the physical, social, and cultural development and interactions of humans. During my recruiting and job coaching I adopted this practice of the anthropologist by advising new reports and hires people to a job to take 90 days to evaluate the change before deciding if it was a good or bad decision. The 90 day rule provides the newcomer with time to observe, ask questions and listen.  The role I ask them to play is one of anthropologist. The critical obstacle to overcome is that you need to show how smart you are or why you deserve to be in this position. As an anthropologist you have the opportunity to be a participant-observer not a hard charging doer. The 90 days provides time to assess what was promised during the recruiting dance and what is really happening in the organizational culture and work teams. You have time time to identify needs, problems and expectations for the new job.

Today in reading the NY times business section I had my theory validated by the CEO of the Limited.

Art of Facilitation–Understanding Group Dynamics

Group Dynamics and the Art of Facilitation

1. What is group dynamics?
2. How is facilitation defined ?
3. What are the Roles and Critical Success Factors for Facilitators
4. How do groups get started and evolve?
5. What helps and hinders interpersonal communication?

Internal Group structures and Methods for Operating

Goals—What does the group want to accomplish or your mission as a group

Roles–What part will you play on the team; everyone understands their own job and responsibilities

Norms--In group dynamics a norm, is a social rule of how team members need to behave in order to be accepted by the group. If norms are broken conflict will develop and consequesnces can be poor group productivity or individual isolation or shunning.that is socially enforced.

Methods or procedures-How is the work going to get done? Who is going to record the group recommendations. Procedures and methods for discussing issues are clear to everyone. The procedures are flexible and easily adated to different situations The methodsare consistent and viewed as fair so that everyone can carry out roles and achieve group goals.

Studies would indicate that groups that have successfully achieved goals over an extended period of time are the groups that have members perform task, process and maintenance functions. Here, the group effort is not only directed by its immediate work objectives (task,) but it is also building its own resources and stability for members working together (process and maintenance.) Such a group is able to observe its own process, modify its procedures, and take immediate action to provide relationship or task functions as needed. A group that limits itself only to task functions, however, is often found to be high producing for a short period of time. Such groups, if they fail to deal with the “people” value and concerns, as well as the task itself, soon lose their commitment to achieving the work goals.

Unique Connect

“Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.”  Carl Jung

 

 

How many people are able to connect very quickly with others? I am sure that at times you wonder why is it difficult to communicate and feel at ease with some people. On the other hand what are the reasons we instantly connect with others?  The answer is all in your style of communicating. How many of us are capable of diagnosing our own style? Not many.  So what can we do to relate more effectively with others? The secret is to become more adept at reading others and reflecting on our tendencies and approaches in communicating.

The secret was initially unlocked by C.G.. Jung, a Swiss paychologist who in the 1920′s wrote the book Psychological Types. This book was started to be translated in 1922 but was translated in its entirety and published in the U.S. around 1975. 

I would recommend this book for anyone who is trying to become more effective in communicating and interpersonal relationships.

Examining Obama’s and Republican’s Problem Solving Approaches: Open-Minded, Dogmatic and Experimental

“We connect with others  in an inescapable network of mutuality, woven into a common garment of destiny.” Martin Luther KIng

To weave this “garment of destiny” we must work together to find  common ground and be open to new ideas. We must look at where we are, see things as they are and then make plans and decisions to act.  

So what is going on between Congress and the new President who would like to change the “Win-Lose” culture of Washington D.C.  to a Win-Win for all Americans.