Resisting Hurtful Messages with Counternarratives
We get messages from all around us in many different forms – from words, behaviors, images, books, television and more. Negative messages can leave us feeling that we don’t belong, we’re not enough, we’re too much, we’re unlovable, or we’re undeserving. This post provides some tips for resisting and countering those messages. Read on for ways to support young people, adults, or for your own self-care. When my child was growing up, he was teased a lot and I worried that he would feel terrible about himself. Years later, I found...
read moreSix Practices for Building Staff Morale from the Inside Out
Non-profits are magnets for people who want to make a difference in the world, yet many people who start out with high ideals end up down and discouraged. There is often one big obstacle to staff morale – the morale of the leaders themselves. When leaders are deflated, overwhelmed and/or on survival mode, they aren’t good morale boosters for the organization. This is why attending to the morale of leaders is often a good starting point. We humans have basic needs in our lives that are directly related to morale. We want to grow...
read moreWhen Your Buttons Get Pushed: Cultivating Self-Empathy
“Someone said something that really pushed my buttons. I was too upset to use my listening skills or respond in a positive way. What can I do to deal with my own feelings when I’m triggered?” This topic comes up often in my Authentic Communication workshops. Here’s a response based on tools that I have used in my own life and in coaching others. If you are getting triggered you probably have a need that isn’t getting met. One way to get in touch with that need is to practice self-empathy, based on principles of Nonviolent...
read moreSelf-Care for Sustainability and Social Change
As we enter a new era and a new year, I am dedicating this blog to all people who work to make a difference in the world. The topic I chose, caring for our selves and each other as we work to make a difference, is in keeping with the theme of transformation and renewal. Many thanks to Lea Arellano,of Human Solutions Consulting and Training, for her coaching and feedback in writing this blog. Passionate People Losing Passion For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to make a difference. As a girl, I gave money to the United Farmworkers,...
read moreFinding Freedom from Self-Limiting Mindsets
Recently, while facilitating a workshop, I handled a participant’s question in a way that was experienced negatively by the participant and others in the group. My immediate reaction was that I had really blown it, harmed another person, ruined my credibility and damaged trust. My fall blog is about making a difference by choosing our “mindset” in responding to our circumstances. In this situation, I wished I could turn back time and have a second chance at answering the question. I could not change what had already happened,...
read moreTransformation and Multicultural Organizational Development: What’s the Connection?
Greetings and Happy Spring! Today’s blog was inspired by a conversation with a potential client. The potential client was grappling with how to support organizations that have already done some work around cultural competence and want to engage in multicultural transformation. I hope you enjoy reading and welcome your feedback! How can leaders who want to build transformed, multicultural organizations conceptualize and approach this process? Many organizations have engaged in work to improve their services for diverse populations....
read moreTransforming Communication: When Breakdowns Become Breakthroughs
Dear Friends, I didn’t start out my consultant business with a focus on communication. This focus grew as a result of a steady stream of communication breakdowns over the years: conflicts with people being targeted and blamed, people complaining that they weren’t being heard, concerns about lack of transparency, people avoiding difficult conversations, tensions resulting from different communication styles…and so on. I saw that these breakdowns could have a devastating impact on the people, their morale and their work. I also...
read more