Addicted To Being Right

Have you ever known someone who can’t stand being wrong? Are you one of the many who is addicted to being right? Judith Glazer says on PsychologyToday.com that this addiction is real.

In situations of high stress, fear or distrust, cortisol – a hormone and neurotransmitter – can highjack the brain. She says it shuts down one’s ability to think strategically, build trust and compassion. Instead, the person becomes intent of protecting herself against shame and the loss of power associated with being wrong.

Glazer offers these tips to spur the production of oxytocin – which increases our ability to trust and share openly. Set the rules of engagement for group gatherings. Invite others to suggest ways to make the meeting productive and stick to them. Listen with empathy. Consciously choose to speak less and listen more, and avoid that judgmental stance we take when obsessed with our position being heard.

Building Follow Up Into Your Communication Strategy

One of the most important responsibilities of anyone who leads a team is follow up. In his blog, “You Spoke, But No One Listened,” Executive Coach Marshall Goldsmith points out that managers often put out memos or make announcements about something they believe is important. In the manager’s mind, they’ve done their job, checked the box and moved on. But then they are surprised when no one buys in.

To be effective, Goldsmith says you must build follow up into your communications strategy. For instance if you’ve explained the company’s mission and goals in an email, create opportunities for your team to live the mission. At regular intervals allow team members to share how they’re incorporating the mission into their every day workflow, or let them explain what the mission means to them.

Follow up means revisiting that which you deem important often until you begin to witness the change you want to see.

Honor & Value Who You Are Now

The late great Muhammad Ali said, “A man who views the world the same at fifty as he did at twenty has wasted thirty years of his life.”   We celebrate youth so much that as we age, we lose site of how valuable our hard-earned wisdom and resilience are.

Take stock. How have you changed, grown and evolved? This question applies whether you’re in your twenties, sixties or eighties. Think about what your life is asking for from you today. About what are you dissatisfied, annoyed or disappointed?

Your answers to these questions will reveal a message from your inner-self. It may be telling you it’s time to make a shift.   It’s never too late to shift to the new. This could mean a new job or career, a new city or country. Or it might be time for a new hobby or to begin volunteering with a cause that speaks to your soul. You’ve grown. Now, give yourself permission catch up with who you are today.