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A Personal Tale of Growth and Guidance: Charlie’s Transformation with the Team Dynamics Blueprint
Over the course of the last couple of months, I have been sharing with you the journey that our friend Charlie embarked on when he decided to participate in our Team Dynamics Blueprint program since it provided quick reference information and practical tips and techniques for motivating, guiding, and communicating with his team members, boss, and peers.
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A lo largo de los últimos meses, he estado compartiendo contigo el viaje en el que nuestro amigo Charlie se embarcó cuando decidió participar en nuestro programa Blueprint de Dinámica de Equipos, ya que proporcionó información de referencia rápida y consejos prácticos y técnicas para motivar, guiar y comunicarse con sus compañeros de equipo, jefe y colegas.
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Last month, I had the opportunity to delve into the dynamics of team management through a couple of blog posts I authored, inspired by an unexpected gesture from Charlie, a former client of ours. (You can find those blogs here: Team Dynamics Blueprint – Me and my manager & Team Dynamics Blueprint – Me and the Management Team).
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El mes pasado, tuve la oportunidad de hablar sobre la dinámica de la gestión de equipos a través de un par de blogsblog que escribí, inspiradas por un gesto inesperado de Charlie, un antiguo cliente nuestro. (Puede encontrar esos blogs aquí: Plan de Dinámica de Equipo - Yo y mi gerente & Plan de Dinámica de Equipo - Yo y el Equipo de Dirección).
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Ian's Story
Gary and I are excited to share a bit about our next book project! We’re compiling some incredible real-life stories from friends and clients who've felt the magic of Perceptual Style in their lives. We hope these stories will be sparks of motivation, inspiring others to embark on their own paths of personal growth and development.
La Historia de Ian
¡Gary y yo estamos emocionados de compartir un poco sobre nuestro próximo proyecto! Estamos compilando algunas historias de la vida real increíbles de amigos y clientes que han sentido la magia del Estilo de Percepción en sus vidas. Esperamos que estas historias sean chispas de motivación, inspirando a otros a embarcarse en sus propios caminos de crecimiento y desarrollo personal.
Last month I authored a blog titled Me and My Manager (Team Dynamics Blueprint – Me and my manager) which was prompted by an unexpected gift from Charlie, a former customer of ours.
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El mes pasado escribí un blog titulado Yo y Mi Gerente (Plan de Dinámica de Equipo - Yo y mi gerente), la cual fue motivada por un regalo inesperado de Charlie, un antiguo cliente nuestro.
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Five weeks ago, I found myself in the hospital for a five day stay that was precipitated by acute diverticulitis. It started out two weeks earlier as periodic lower intestinal cramping. I ended up in the ER with almost constant cramping after nothing had passed through my system for 48 hours.
Hace cinco semanas, me encontré en el hospital durante una estadía de cinco días que fue precipitada por una diverticulitis aguda. Comenzó dos semanas antes como calambres intestinales inferiores periódicos. Terminé en la sala de emergencias con calambres casi constantes después de que nada hubiera pasado por mi sistema durante 48 horas.
This past Christmas I received a big box of chocolates and a lovely card from a former client of ours who had decided to retire effective at the end of the year. In the card, Charlie thanked us for providing the tools that allowed him to spend eight happy and productive years of employment.
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Este Diciembre pasado recibí una gran caja de chocolates y una hermosa tarjeta de un antiguo cliente nuestro que decidió jubilarse al final del año. En la tarjeta, Charlie nos agradeció por proporcionarle las herramientas que le permitieron pasar ocho años felices y productivos de empleo.
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New beginnings are a chance to reset. Every fresh start is a wonderful opportunity to recalibrate your focus on what truly matters in your life and let go of what no longer serves you or brings you joy. It’s like giving your life goals a thoughtful, rejuvenating overhaul
Los nuevos comienzos representan una oportunidad para restablecer el rumbo. Cada inicio fresco es una maravillosa oportunidad para recalibrar su enfoque hacia lo que realmente importa en su vida y dejar atrás lo que ya no le sirve o no le brinda alegría. Es como someter a sus metas en la vida a una revisión reflexiva y rejuvenecedora.
The hot topic at this time of year is New Year's resolutions. In the last four days alone, I've received several emails and read numerous blogs on the subject. Friends, family, and clients have asked me about my resolutions for 2024.
El tema candente en esta época del año son los propósitos de Año Nuevo. Casualmete, en los últimos cuatro días, he recibido varios correos electrónicos y he leído numerosos blogs sobre el tema. Amigos, familiares y clientes me han preguntado sobre mis propósitos para el 2024.
The Gift of You
This holiday season, like every single one I can remember, has been accompanied by a marketing frenzy – TV and radio ads, emails from every vendor I’ve ever purchased anything from in my life, and social media campaigns filling my feeds.
El regalo de ti
Esta temporada navideña, al igual que todas las que puedo recordar, ha estado acompañada de un frenesí de marketing: anuncios de televisión y radio, correos electrónicos de todos los proveedores de los que alguna vez he comprado algo en mi vida, y campañas en redes sociales llenando mis feeds.
The late Jim Rohn was once asked by a group of psychiatrists what single thing he thought most messed with the mind. His answer was “not becoming all that you can be”.
Una vez, un grupo de psiquiatras le preguntó al fallecido Jim Rohn qué en su opinión que cosa creía que afectaba más a la mente. Su respuesta fue "no llegar a ser todo lo que puedes ser.
I just got home from my favorite barre class. No, not THAT bar class – although I do love a good martini. This barre class is a wonderful exercise experience inspired by a mix of Pilates, ballet, stretching, and yoga. It's my favorite form of exercise other than walking with my dog, Kinsey.
Acabo de llegar a casa de mi clase de barre favorita. No, no es ESA clase de bar – aunque realmente me encanta un buen martini. Esta clase de barre es una maravillosa experiencia de ejercicio inspirada en una mezcla de Pilates, ballet, estiramientos y yoga. Es mi forma favorita de ejercicio, además de caminar con mi mascota, Kinsey.
So, I am in the middle of an argument with my wife. It is one of those circular ones that go something like this:
Un día me encontré en medio de una discusión con mi esposa. Es uno de esos argumentos circulares que van algo así:
Some days, my head hurts from listening. It's more a feeling of exhaustion than discomfort. I reach a point where I know I need a reset.
Algunos días, mi cabeza duele de tanto escuchar. Es más una sensación de agotamiento que de incomodidad. Llego a un punto en el que sé que necesito reiniciarme.
I have a close friend whose Perceptual Style, like mine, is Activity. He was my college roommate, and we have known each other for 50 years. He lives about 1,000 miles away from me, but he visits me once or twice a year, and we escape to a rustic country cabin in Central Texas to catch up with each other's lives.
Tengo un buen amigo cuyo Estilo de Percepción, al igual que el mío, es Actividad. Fue mi compañero de dormitorio en la universidad, y nos conocemos desde hace 50 años. Vive aproximadamente a 1,000 millas de distancia de mí, pero me visita una o dos veces al año, y escapamos a una cabaña rústica en el centro de Texas para ponernos al día con nuestras vidas.
My husband, Ricardo, is wrapping up several months of work translating Gary and my book, Unlock the Power of Your Perception, into Spanish (we’re targeting the end of this year for publication).
Traspasando fronteras lingüísticas: Cómo confiar en sus fortalezas' se refiere a todos nosotros
Mi esposo, Ricardo, está finalizando varios meses de trabajo traduciendo nuestro libro, 'Unlock the Power of Your Perception', al español (estamos planeando completar la publicación a mediados del nuevo año).
Grief is hard
Losing someone you love leaves a void that's hard to fill. The truth is, you survive the loss one day at a time. It takes time to heal from the pain.
In his book, Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, Yuval Noah Harari presents a powerful thesis that Homo Sapiens came to dominate the planet because we are the only species able to unite and cooperate through the bond of shared stories. We identify with these stories, which form the basis for connecting with total strangers around common beliefs.
En su libro, Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, Yuval Noah Harari presenta una poderosa tesis que dice que Homo Sapiens llegó a dominar el planeta porque somos la única especie capaz de unirse y cooperar a través del vínculo de historias compartidas. Nos identificamos con estas historias, que forman la base para conectar con extraños totales en torno a creencias comunes.
Meet Randi Fine
Gary and I were recent guests on Randi Fine’s blog talk-radio show, A Fine Time for Healing: A Sanctuary for Your Emotional Wellbeing.
Randi is an internationally renowned Narcissistic Personality Disorder abuse expert and sought-after coach. When we first learned about her work, we were intrigued.
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Over the last several months Lynda-Ross and I have been involved in a marketing campaign for our book. We have written guest blogs and participated in radio interviews and podcasts, all to increase awareness and interest in Perceptual Style Theory, the book, and the work we do.
Durante los últimos meses, Lynda-Ross y yo hemos estado involucrados en una campaña de marketing para nuestro nuevo libro. Hemos escrito blogs como invitados y participado en entrevistas de radio y podcasts, todo con el objetivo de aumentar la conciencia e interés en la Teoría del Estilo de Percepción, el libro y el trabajo que realizamos.
Most of us have a pretty active inner voice that’s willing to jump in at any moment with a running commentary about what’s happening in our lives.
Potencie su voz interior: Abrace sus fortalezas personales para tener un diálogo interno positivo
La mayoría de nosotros tenemos una voz interna bastante activa que está dispuesta a intervenir en cualquier momento con un comentario continuo sobre lo que está sucediendo en nuestras vidas.
I have a confession to make. I rarely watch competition shows like American Idol, America’s Got Talent, The Voice, or even Dancing with the Stars when they are broadcast.
Tengo una confesión que hacer. Rara vez veo programas de competencia como American Idol, America's Got Talent, The Voice, o incluso Dancing with the Stars cuando se emiten por televisión.
In a recent blog post, I wrote about a weekend I spent with my oldest friend. In that article, I talked about how we share the same Perceptual Style and how that contributed to the deep connection that we have had for 50 years. But there is more to that connection than shared Perceptual Style.
En una recienteblog, escribí sobre un fin de semana que pasé con mi amigo más antiguo. En ese artículo, hablé sobre cómo compartimos el mismo Estilo de Percepción y cómo eso contribuyó a la conexión profunda que hemos tenido durante 50 años. Pero hay más en esa conexión que el Estilo de Percepción compartido.
Gary and I recently participated in an interview with Nancy Yearout (Hostess of the High Road to Humanity Podcast) and would like to share a video of the conversation with you for our blog this week!
During a recent interview, I casually mentioned that growing up, I often didn’t feel like I belonged in my family. The interviewer immediately identified with what I said and shared that she had experienced similar feelings in her family as she was growing up.
Durante una reciente entrevista, mencioné casualmente que durante mi crecimiento, a menudo no me sentía parte de mi familia. La entrevistadora inmediatamente se identificó con lo que dije y compartió que había experimentado sentimientos similares en su familia mientras crecía.
A common question we hear is, “What's the best romantic match for each of the Perceptual Styles." The assumption is that a person can select someone with a Perceptual Style that is most compatible, thus forming a never-ending, forever-loving relationship.
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Una pregunta común que escuchamos es: "¿Cuál es la mejor pareja romántica para cada uno de los Estilos de Percepción?" La suposición es que una persona puede seleccionar a alguien con un Estilo de Percepción que sea más compatible, formando así una relación interminable y siempre amorosa.
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We’ve often written about communication disconnects that can happen between differences between Perceptual Styles. I’d venture to say that most communication breakdowns, conflicts, and teamwork issues can be traced back to people with different Perceptual Styles interacting with each other without awareness.
Hemos escrito frecuentemente sobre desconexiones en la comunicación que pueden ocurrir debido a diferencias entre los Estilos de Percepción. Me atrevería a decir que la mayoría de los desacuerdos en la comunicación, conflictos y problemas de trabajo en equipo pueden rastrearse hasta personas con diferentes Estilos de Percepción interactuando entre sí sin conciencia.
It’s time to Celebrate YOU!
We are pleased to announce that the newly updated Celebrate You! action guides for each Perceptual Style™ are now available in eBook and paperback formats on Amazon.
The daily news is filled with stories about people misbehaving, being self-centered, and hurting each other. It sells. Probably because reading and watching something negative subconsciously makes us feel better about our own lives.
Las noticias diarias están llenas de historias sobre personas que se comportan mal, son egoístas y se lastiman entre sí. Es lo que vende periódicos y hits de internet. Probablemente porque leer y ver algo negativo nos hace sentir mejor subconscientemente acerca de nuestras propias vidas.
Perceptual Style Theory™ (PST) is about your Perceptual Style™. The key to understanding yourself is to understand your Perceptual Style. The name of the theory says it all!
La Teoría del Estilo de Percepción™ (PST) trata sobre su Estilo de Percepción. La clave para entenderse a si mismo es entender su Estilo de Percepción. ¡El nombre de la teoría lo dice todo!
Have you felt more impatient with yourself or with others lately? If you have, you are not alone!
¿Ha experimentado usted una mayor impaciencia consigo mismo o con los demás últimamente? Si es así, ¡no está solo!
Happy New Year! Those three words carry so much optimism and potential – new beginnings, fresh starts, and possibilities.
¡Feliz Año Nuevo! Esas tres palabras llevan consigo tanto optimismo y potencial: nuevos comienzos, nuevas oportunidades y posibilidades
The holiday season is in full swing here in the US. It may even be a little more active this year than usual as folks attempt to make up for the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021.
La temporada navideña está en pleno apogeo aquí en los Estados Unidos. Incluso podría estar un poco más activa este año que de costumbre, ya que la gente intenta compensar los años de pandemia de 2020 y 2021.
True love is something just about everyone strives for. Wouldn’t it be wonderful is there was a magic key we could use to find and keep our true love?
El amor verdadero es algo por lo que casi todos luchamos. ¿No sería maravilloso si hubiera una llave mágica que pudiéramos usar para encontrar y mantener nuestro verdadero amor?
Gary & Lynda-Ross In Action
Gary and I recently enjoyed a lovely conversation with Dr. Audrey Schnell and we are excited to share a video of the conversation with you for our blog this week!
People often want to know which of the six Perceptual Styles would make the best match for a romantic relationship. Alas, we have to tell them the mysteries of love are just too deep for any one factor to determine success or failure. The truth is that two people with any of the possible Perceptual Style combinations can and do fall in love, stay in love, and create lasting and meaningful relationships.
A menudo, las personas quieren saber cuál de los seis Estilos de Percepción sería la mejor combinación para una relación romántica. Lamentablemente, tenemos que decirles que los misterios del amor son demasiado profundos para que cualquier factor determine el éxito o el fracaso. La verdad es que dos personas con cualquiera de las posibles combinaciones de Estilos de Percepción pueden enamorarse, permanecer enamoradas y crear relaciones duraderas y significativas.
Everyone is Unique, Right?
The simple answer is YES.
Even though you share your Perceptual Style with a lot of other people (as in 1/6th of the world), you are still unique as an individual. Let me explain...
When you meet a person with the same Perceptual Style, there’s an almost instantaneous feeling that “here’s someone who understands me.”
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La respuesta simple es SÍ.
Aunque comparta su Estilo de Percepción con muchas otras personas (aproximadamente 1/6 del mundo), usted sigue siendo único como individuo. Permítame explicarlo...
Cuando conoce a una persona con el mismo Estilo de Percepción, hay una sensación casi instantánea de que "aquí hay alguien que me comprende".
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Early on in the pandemic I realized, in the blink of an eye, the Pandemic brought into awareness two fundamental truths about life that most of us would much rather distract ourselves from: “We are not in control” and “We do not know what is going to happen.” More recently I have added a third: “We are all of us alone.”
Al inicio de la pandemia me di cuenta, en un abrir y cerrar de ojos, de que la pandemia trajo a la conciencia dos verdades fundamentales sobre la vida de las que la mayoría de nosotros preferiríamos distraernos: "No tenemos control" y "No sabemos qué va a pasar". Más recientemente he agregado una tercera: "Todos estamos solos".
What’s the one thing that stops everyone from learning a new skill? Fear of failure! We worry that we might look foolish or feel inadequate, or others might laugh at us.
¿Cuál es la única cosa que detiene a todos de aprender una nueva habilidad? ¡El miedo al fracaso! Nos preocupa que podríamos lucir tontos o sentirnos inadecuados, o que otros se rían de nosotros.
I know that COVID is still out there and that there is an increase of new cases due to a new, more virulent variant, but I am sensing in my conversations with others that we have entered into a post-pandemic world. What exactly, you might ask, is a post-pandemic world?
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Sé que el COVID todavía está presente y que hay un aumento de nuevos casos debido a una nueva variante, más virulenta, pero estoy percibiendo en mis conversaciones con otros que hemos entrado en un mundo post-pandémico. ¿Qué es exactamente, usted podría preguntar, un mundo post-pandémico?
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In May of this year, Lynda-Ross wrote a blog about Building Relationships and shared the news of the engagement of our eldest grandson. She also shared how understanding Perceptual Style has made it much easier for us to see differences between family members aren’t right or wrong. They just are.
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En mayo de este año, Lynda-Ross escribió un blog sobre la construcción de relaciones y compartió la noticia del compromiso de nuestro nieto mayor. También compartió cómo entender el Estilo de Percepción nos ha facilitado mucho ver que las diferencias entre los miembros de la familia no son correctas ni incorrectas. Simplemente son.
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There are many benefits to learning about Perceptual Style Theory (PST) and knowing your Perceptual Style (PS). Our recent blog posts have highlighted many of them – increased self-awareness, improved communications, and more understanding of interpersonal conflict. One of Perceptual Style Theory’s most important and useful contributions is the concept of “Your Talent Advantage”.
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Existen muchos beneficios al aprender sobre la Teoría del Estilo de Percepción (PST) y conocer su Estilo de Percepción (PS). Nuestras blogs recientes han destacado muchos de ellos: aumento de la autoconciencia, mejora en la comunicación y mejor comprensión del conflicto interpersonal. Una de las contribuciones más importantes y útiles de la Teoría del Estilo de Percepción es el concepto de "La Ventaja que le da su Talento".
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I did it my way
Earlier this month, Lynda-Ross wrote a blog referencing my dad’s passing and the quote, “To live in the hearts of those we leave behind is not to die.” This is undoubtedly true about Papi. Unbeknown to her, this quote rumbled through my head as I looked at his casket during his funeral service.
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Viví a mi manera
A principios de este mes, Lynda-Ross escribió un blog haciendo referencia al fallecimiento de mi papá y a la cita: "Vivir en los corazones de aquellos a quienes dejamos atrás no es morir". Sin lugar a dudas, esto es cierto acerca de Papi. Sin que ella lo supiera, esta cita resonó en mi cabeza mientras miraba su ataúd durante el servicio en la iglesia.
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Life Musings
My father-in-law passed away last month at the age of 96. His was a life well-lived, and he left behind an extended family who loved him deeply. He was our “Papi,” the patriarch of the family.
Reflexiones sobre la vida
Mi suegro falleció el mes pasado a la edad de 96 años. Tuvo una vida bien vivida, y dejó atrás una extensa familia que lo amaba profundamente. Él era nuestro "Papi", el patriarca de la familia.
I’ve been fascinated with the concept of perception since I can remember. How does it happen that two people can be in the same place, see the same thing, and come away with two different versions of what happened?
Me he sentido fascinada con el concepto de percepción desde muy joven. ¿Cómo sucede que dos personas pueden estar en el mismo lugar, ver lo mismo y sacar conclusiones diferentes sobre lo que ocurrió?
In all of our teaching programs about Perceptual Style, we strive to provide specific, practical application actions as well as information-rich content. The combination enhances the learning process.
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En todos nuestros programas de enseñanza sobre el Estilo de Percepción, nos esforzamos por proporcionar acciones específicas y prácticas, así como contenido rico en información. Esta combinación mejora el proceso de aprendizaje.
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Building Relationships
Our grandson recently became engaged, and we are delighted! Ricardo and I celebrated the event with him and his bride-to-be at a special dinner and had a lovely evening, including lots of great conversation and laughs.
Construyendo relaciones
¡Recientemente nuestro nieto se comprometió, y estamos encantados! Ricardo y yo celebramos el evento con él y su futura esposa en una cena especial y tuvimos una noche encantadora, llena de conversaciones interesantes y risas.
We talk and write a lot about the importance of Perceptual Style in understanding conflict. With good reason! Our Perceptual Style is the most important factor in Perceptual Style Theory (PST) in determining how we see the world. Notably, differences in Perceptual Style are often at the core of conflict. However, Perceptual Style differences are not the only contributor to conflict – in some situations, style differences may not be the most important.
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Hablamos y escribimos mucho sobre la importancia del Estilo de Percepción en la comprensión del conflicto. ¡Con razón! Nuestro Estilo de Percepción es el factor más importante en la Teoría del Estilo de Percepción (PST) para determinar cómo vemos el mundo. Es notable que las diferencias en el Estilo de Percepción a menudo están en el núcleo del conflicto. Sin embargo, las diferencias en el Estilo de Percepción no son el único contribuyente al conflicto; en algunas situaciones, las diferencias de estilo pueden no ser las más importantes.
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The Communication Conundrum
Communication – you might say we human beings are obsessed with it. After all, it’s the fundamental action that brings us together or pushes us apart.
La comunicación – podríamos decir que nosotros, los seres humanos, estamos obsesionados con ella. Después de todo, es la acción fundamental que nos une o nos separa.
Whenever Lynda-Ross and I train an “Introduction to Perceptual Style Theory (PST)” seminar, there is always a lot of positive energy and excitement as participants discover their Perceptual Style and what it means for them. Most people experience a huge validation as they recognize themselves in the description of their Perceptual Style.
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Siempre que Lynda-Ross y yo impartimos un seminario de "Introducción a la Teoría del Estilo de Percepción (PST)", hay mucha energía positiva y entusiasmo, ya que los participantes descubren su Estilo de Percepción y lo que significa para ellos. La mayoría de las personas experimentan una gran validación al reconocerse en la descripción de su Estilo de Percepción.
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Last weekend I watched The Adam Project on Netflix. If you haven't seen or heard of it yet, it's a comedy/action/adventure film about a time-traveling fighter pilot who, after accidentally crash-landing in 2022, teams up with his 12-year-old self in a mission to save the future. I really enjoyed it, but I must admit I enjoy just about any film with Ryan Reynolds in it.
El fin de semana pasado vi The Adam Project en Netflix. Si aún no lo ha visto o escuchado hablar de él, es una película de comedia/acción/aventura sobre un piloto de combate que viaja atravez de la arrera del tiempo y, después de aterrizar accidentalmente en 2022, se une a su yo de 12 años en una misión para salvar el futuro. Realmente lo disfruté, pero debo admitir que disfruto casi cualquier película en la que aparezca Ryan Reynolds.
This is my sixth blog in a series of six discussing the challenge of finding and mentoring the right people for our organizations. The interview process is a combination of art and science and often comes down to our gut feeling about someone. The long-drawn-out question and answer process of interviews can be tedious, and it can also leave you with inconclusive results.
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Un placer conocerlo
Este es mi sexto blog en una serie de seis que discute el desafío de encontrar y mentorar a las personas adecuadas para nuestras organizaciones. El proceso de entrevista es una combinación de arte y ciencia y a menudo se reduce a nuestra intuición sobre alguien. El largo y despacioso proceso de preguntas y respuestas de las entrevistas puede ser tedioso, y también puede dejarle con resultados inconclusos.
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What to Do, What to Do
When I was quite young, I had the usual answers to that common question, "What are you going to be when you grow up." Since my mother and father were physicians, I would often as not answer "Doctor" rather than "Fireman" or "Policeman". It was with relief that I would realize I had gotten away again as, with satisfied smiles, people would say, "That will make your father and mother so proud!"
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Qué Hacer con Nuestras Vidas
Cuando era bastante joven, tenía las respuestas habituales a esa pregunta común, "¿Qué vas a ser cuando crezcas?" Dado que mi madre y padre eran médicos, a menudo respondería "Doctor" en lugar de "Bombero" o "Policía". Era con alivio que me daba cuenta de que me había escapado nuevamente, ya que, con sonrisas satisfechas, la gente decía: "¡Eso le dará gran orgullo a tus padres!"
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My sister and I have had several conversations about judgement lately. The context has been about the detrimental impact to people and communities— how harsh judgement fractures relationships and thwarts connection.
En estos dias, mi hermana y yo hemos tenido varias conversaciones sobre el juicio. El contexto ha sido sobre el impacto perjudicial para las personas y las comunidades: cómo el juicio severo fractura las relaciones y obstaculiza la conexión.
This is my fifth blog in a series of six discussing the challenge of finding and mentoring the right people for our organizations. The interview process is a combination of art and science and often comes down to our gut feeling about someone. The long-drawn-out question and answer process of interviews can be tedious, and it can also leave you with inconclusive results. I discussed my views on this subject in a blog titled “Getting to Know You…” published last May, in the blog titled “Getting to Know You too..” published last July, in the blog titled “Getting to Know You...Also” published last October and in the blog titled “And...Getting to Know You” published this past November.
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Este es mi quinto blog de una serie de seis que discuten el desafío de encontrar y mentorar a las personas adecuadas para nuestras organizaciones. El proceso de entrevista es una combinación de arte y ciencia y a menudo se reduce a nuestra intuición sobre alguien. El largo y tedioso proceso de preguntas y respuestas en las entrevistas puede ser tedioso, y también puede dejarte con resultados inconclusos. Discutí mis puntos de vista sobre este tema en un blog titulado "Y....mucho gusto en conocerlo...” publicado en mayo pasado, en el blog titulado “Y....mucho gusto en conocerlo...también..” publicado en julio pasado, en el blog titulado “Mucho gusto en conocerlo también” publicado el pasado octubre y en el blog titulado “Y...Un placer conocerlo” publicado el pasado noviembre.
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The If/Then Double Lie
On the first page of our book, Unlock the Power of Your Perception, Lynda-Ross and I point out that no one seeks self-awareness for the sake of self-awareness. People seek self-discovery because they believe that something is wrong, and they are looking for a solution. We go on to point out that there are many things that people feel are wrong about themselves or others, but they all have a common theme: We feel frustrated that something that we want or expect is eluding us.
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En la primera página de nuestro libro, Descubra el Poder de su Percepción, Lynda-Ross y yo discutimos que nadie busca la autoconciencia por el simple hecho de ser consciente de sí mismo. Las personas buscan el autodescubrimiento porque creen que algo está mal y están buscando una solución. Continuamos señalando que hay muchas cosas que las personas sienten que están mal consigo mismas o con los demás, pero todas tienen un tema común: nos sentimos frustrados porque algo que queremos o esperamos nos está eludiendo.
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One of the traditions I grew up with that's still a part of my holiday season is baking cookies for Santa. I was about 5 years old the first time I remember baking Santa cookies with my mom. The last time we baked together was the Christmas before she passed away.
Una de las tradiciones con las que crecí y que aún forma parte de mi temporada navideña es hornear galletas para Santa Claus. Tenía unos 5 años la primera vez que recuerdo hornear galletas con mi mamá y la última vez que horneamos juntas fue la Navidad antes de que ella falleciera.
Our Book is Live on Amazon
After 30 years of talking about writing a book, we’ve finally done it! Unlock the Power of Your Perception is now live on Amazon in eBook and paperback formats!
¡Después de 30 años hablando sobre escribir un libro, finalmente lo hemos logrado! Descubra el poder de su percepción ya está disponible en Amazon en formatos de eBook y libro en rústica!
Many studies in psychology and sociology demonstrate the reality that human beings wither in isolation and thrive in community. The saying, “No man is an island,” is true. Alone we falter, together we can see and accomplish so much more.
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Muchos estudios en psicología y sociología demuestran la realidad de que los seres humanos se marchitan en el aislamiento y prosperan en la comunidad. El dicho, “Ningún hombre es una isla,” es cierto. Solos flaqueamos, juntos podemos ver y lograr mucho más.
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As Thanksgiving approaches here in the U.S., I’m even more excited than usual, which is pretty darn excited because Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday! Great food, family time, football, no gift hassles – what’s not to like?
A medida que se acerca el Día de Acción de Gracias aquí en los Estados Unidos, estoy aún más emocionada de lo habitual, ¡lo cual es bastante emocionante porque el Día de Acción de Gracias es mi festividad favorita! ¡Buena comida, tiempo en familia, fútbol, sin complicaciones de regalos, ¿qué no me gusta?
We are all intuitively aware of what we don’t do, and we admire people who can do those things. So, initially, people who seem opposite from us can be incredibly attractive. This is especially true for people with a Perceptual Style that is opposite of yours. There are three of these Perceptual Style combinations – Activity & Methods, Adjustments & Vision, and Flow & Goals.
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Todos somos intuitivamente conscientes de lo que no hacemos, y admiramos a las personas que pueden hacer esas cosas. Por lo tanto, inicialmente, las personas que parecen opuestas a nosotros pueden ser increíblemente atractivas. Esto es especialmente cierto para las personas con un Estilo de Percepción que es opuesto al tuyo. Hay tres de estas combinaciones de Estilos de Percepción: Actividad y Métodos, Ajustes y Visión, y Fluido y Metas.
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And...Getting to know you
This is my fourth blog in a series of six discussing the challenge of finding and mentoring the right people for our organizations. The interview process is a combination of art and science and often comes down to our gut feeling about someone. The long-drawn-out question and answer process of interviews can be tedious, and it can also leave you with inconclusive results. I discussed my views on this subject in a blog titled “Getting to Know You…” published this past May, in the blog titled “Getting to Know You too..” published this past July and in the blog titled “Getting to Know You .... Also” published this past October.
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Y ... un placer conocerlo
Este es mi cuarto blog de una serie de seis en la que discuto el desafío de encontrar y mentorizar a las personas adecuadas para nuestras organizaciones. El proceso de entrevista es una combinación de arte y ciencia y a menudo se reduce a nuestra intuición sobre alguien. El largo proceso de preguntas y respuestas de las entrevistas puede ser tedioso y también puede dejarte con resultados inconclusos. Discutí mis opiniones sobre este tema en un blog titulado “Y mucho gusto en conocerlo” publicado en mayo pasado, en el blog titulado “Y mucho gusto en conocerlo también..” publicado en julio pasado y en el blog titulado “Mucho gusto en conocerlo también” publicado en octubre pasado.
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Who Cares About Perception
You should! Your perception creates your view of reality. Your perception is what forges your natural strengths and determines how you show up in the world. It’s what drives your relationships, influencing who the people are you enjoy and the ones you can’t stand!
¡Usted debería hacerlo! Su percepción crea su visión de la realidad. Su percepción es lo que forja sus fortalezas naturales y determina cómo se presenta en el mundo. ¡Es lo que impulsa sus relaciones, influenciando quiénes son las personas que disfruta y aquellas que no puedes soportar!
Getting to Know You.... Also
This is my third blog in a series of six discussing the challenge of finding and mentoring the right people for our organizations. The interview process is a combination of art and science and often comes down to our gut feeling about someone. The long-drawn-out question and answer process of interviews can be tedious, and it can also leave you with inconclusive results. I discussed my views on this subject in a blog titled “Getting to Know You…” published this past May as well as in the blog titled “Getting to Know You too..” published this past July.
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Este es mi tercer blog de una serie de seis que discute el desafío de encontrar y orientar a las personas adecuadas para nuestras organizaciones. El proceso de entrevista es una combinación de arte y ciencia y a menudo se reduce a nuestra intuición sobre alguien. El largo y tedioso proceso de preguntas y respuestas de las entrevistas puede ser pesado y también puede dejar resultados inconclusos. Discutí mis puntos de vista sobre este tema en un blog titulado "“Y....mucho gusto en conocerlo..…" publicado el pasado mayo, así como en el blog titulado "“Y....mucho gusto en conocerlo... también..” publicado el pasado julio.
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Exciting News
“So, all this is very interesting, but is there a practical application?”
Lynda-Ross and I have been asked that question so often over the years that we have truly lost count. Even though people have an overwhelmingly positive experience in our “Introduction to Perceptual Style” workshops, it’s a challenge for some folks to know how to apply what they’ve learned in their daily lives.
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¡Noticias emocionantes!
“Entonces, todo esto es muy interesante, ¿pero hay una aplicación práctica?”
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Getting to Know You too
After 40+ years in business, I can say with certainty that many things have changed, not the least of which is technology. But one thing that hasn’t changed much is the challenge of finding and mentoring the right people for our organizations. The interview process is a combination of art and science and often comes down to our gut feeling about someone. The long-drawn-out question and answer process of interviews can be tedious, and it can also leave you with inconclusive results. I discussed my views on this subject in a blog titled “Getting to Know You…” published this past May.
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Después de más de 40 años en el negocio, puedo decir con certeza que muchas cosas han cambiado, entre ellas la tecnología. Pero una cosa que no ha cambiado mucho es el desafío de encontrar y mentorar a las personas adecuadas para nuestras organizaciones. El proceso de entrevista es una combinación de arte y ciencia y a menudo se reduce a nuestra intuición sobre alguien. El largo y tedioso proceso de preguntas y respuestas de las entrevistas puede dejar resultados inconclusos. Discutí mis puntos de vista sobre este tema en un blog titulado “Y....mucho gusto en conocerlo” publicado el pasado mayo.
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When you take our Perceptual Style Assessment (PSA), your results arrive in an action guide titled Celebrate You. We chose that title very carefully – it reflects the joy and excitement people experience when introduced to the concepts of Perceptual Style Theory (PST) and their PSA results.
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Cuando complete nuestra Evaluación de Estilo de Percepción (PSA), sus resultados llegan en una guía de acción titulada Celebre Quien Es. Elegimos ese título muy cuidadosamente; refleja la alegría y la emoción que las personas experimentan al ser presentadas a los conceptos de la Teoría del Estilo de Percepción (PST) y sus resultados de PSA.
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I spent two days this week in the hospital with my sister. One of her hips got old before its time and just completely wore itself out. So, she had total hip replacement surgery. The surgery went well, and her recovery so far has been remarkable. It will be a few months for full recovery, but so far, so good!
Esta semana pasé dos días en el hospital con mi hermana. Una de sus caderas envejeció antes de tiempo y simplemente se desgastó por completo. Así que tuvo una cirugía de reemplazo total de cadera. La cirugía salió bien y su recuperación hasta ahora ha sido notable. Serán unos meses para una recuperación completa, ¡pero hasta ahora todo va bien!
The Joy of Flow
I’m lying on my back underneath my house in central Texas repairing a copper pipe that burst during the February ’21 deep freeze. After locating the leak by pressurizing the pipes with water and finding where it cascades, like a waterfall, through the underflooring, I have removed the appropriate boards, located the burst section of pipe, and cut it out with a reciprocating saw.
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Estoy acostado boca arriba debajo de mi casa en el centro de Texas reparando una tubería de cobre que se rompió durante la congelación de febrero del '21. Después de localizar la fuga al presurizar las tuberías con agua y encontrar dónde cae en cascada, a través del piso, he quitado las tablas apropiadas, ubicado la sección de tubería rota y la he cortado con una sierra reciproca.
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Getting to know you
I am sure you will agree that one of the most challenging tasks we have as managers and leaders is to incorporate new people into our businesses. The long-drawn-out question and answer process of interviews can be tedious and, in some cases, yield incorrect or inconclusive conclusions.
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Estoy seguro que usted estará de acuerdo en que una de las tareas más desafiantes que tenemos como gerentes y líderes es incorporar a nuevas personas en nuestros negocios. El proceso largo y tedioso de preguntas y respuestas de las entrevistas puede ser tedioso y, en algunos casos, arrojar conclusiones incorrectas o inconclusas.
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My husband and I will be celebrating our 35th anniversary this year. It's been a great adventure so far…but as you know from your own experience, every relationship comes with a unique set of challenges. So it's a good thing that we're both willing to tackle those because not only are we life and business partners, but his first language is Spanish while mine is English!
Mi esposo y yo estaremos celebrando nuestro 35º aniversario este año. Ha sido una gran aventura hasta ahora... pero como todos sabemos, cada relación viene con un conjunto único de desafíos. Por suerte, ambos estamos dispuestos a enfrentarlos, ya que no solo somos compañeros de vida y negocios, sino que su primer idioma es el español y el mío es el inglés.
Like many of you, my wife and I enjoy watching series on one of the many available streaming services. Getting involved in a story with interesting characters that develops over time is an enjoyable distraction from life's daily challenges. While we have seen many good series over the last five years, what has become apparent to me is that even though we are sitting on the same couch in front of the same screen, we are watching different shows.
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Al igual que muchos de ustedes, mi esposa y yo disfrutamos viendo series en uno de los muchos servicios de transmisión disponibles. Involucrarse en una historia con personajes interesantes que se desarrolla con el tiempo es una distracción agradable de los desafíos diarios de la vida. Si bien hemos visto muchas buenas series en los últimos cinco años, lo que me ha quedado claro es que aunque estemos sentados en el mismo sofá frente a la misma pantalla, estamos viendo programas diferentes.
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This past February, I celebrated my 70th birthday. During our family gathering, the term “New Norm” became center stage of our conversation. I observed the fact that the term “New Norm,” while absent from my previous 69 years in this world, now appears to be something that should be very important to me, judging from the number of articles on the subject.
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El pasado febrero, celebré mi 70º cumpleaños. Durante nuestra reunión familiar, el término "Nuevo Normal" se convirtió en el centro de nuestra conversación. Observé el hecho de que el término "Nuevo Normal" aunque ausente en mis anteriores 69 años en este mundo, ahora parece ser algo muy importante para mí, a juzgar por la cantidad de artículos sobre el tema.
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For over 12 months now, we’ve lived with global change due to COVID-19, and we have all responded to it with the typical human response to change.
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During my consulting career in corporate America, one of the services I frequently provided was the creation of a Position Portrait. This document contained a list of the behavioral skills that a person needed to be able to perform to be successful in the employment position described.
We love New Year’s Resolutions, making them, breaking them, and making fun of them (it’s the number one subject of the first Sunday comic section of the New Year). Anything but keeping them! Research suggests that about 45% of people in the United States make New Year’s resolutions and 75% of them keep them going through the first week of January (that would get you a C in school!) 46% make it six months, which is pretty impressive given that first week failure rate, but only 8% last the whole year. Not a very good showing.
It is not surprising that meetings have a bad name among business partners and in businesses in general. Much too often, not a lot gets accomplished. They are boring, time consuming and sometimes emotions take over when disagreements come up. And yet, as a coach to businesses I insist that partners meet on a regular schedule and also with their teams.
I have always been fascinated by the intersection of science and spirituality. Not in the way the two clash as in the vitriolic, polarizing, and often political right/wrong arguments over evolution v. creationism, but in the way they come together like in Deepak Chopra’s book The Tao of Physics or the popular film from 2004 What The Bleep Do We Know? I recently had another experience that brought these two seemingly different worlds more closely together.
A question that we usually get during most of our seminars deals with the applicability of the Perceptual Styles Theory to finding the "perfect mate". While there is no one factor or theory that can fully explain why, how, and with whom we fall in love, but the Perceptual Styles Theory (PST) can help individuals understand the challenges we’re likely to face in different types of relationships. This perspective can be invaluable in predicting communication issues, and in smoothing out issues when they do arise.
Have you ever been in one of those social situations in which the conversation is all in one direction? You know what I mean, the people you are talking to all focus on telling you about them and their lives, ask you nothing about you and your life, and generally show little or no interest in anything you have to say.
The Perceptual Styles Theory (PST) describes six distinct ways that different people see the world, what they value, and how they communicate, so—as one of the originators of this psychological theory—it’s only natural that people often ask me which style would make the best match for them in a romantic relationship.
I remember as a child the excitement of waiting for Sunday night television. The sadness about the end of the weekend and another school week about to begin was softened by the start of a tape recorder and the words, “Good afternoon, Mr. Phelps.” It was the opening signature of Mission Impossible.
Sitting at my desk, thinking about what to write for this month’s blog, out of nowhere the song lyric “what’s love got to do with it?” popped into my head.
In the 50s, 60s, and at least the early 70s the concept of finding a good job with a good company and having a career in which you worked your way up the corporate ladder was a mainstay of the image of American business. Throughout my childhood most of the fathers (mothers mostly still stayed at home) of my friends worked for the same company their entire career. Jokes, TV sit-coms, and popular movies alluded to the 25 year career followed by retirement with a gold watch and a pension.
Have you ever solved a problem for someone and instead of saying “thanks” the other person reacts with hurt feelings, leaving you baffled as to why they told you the problem in the first place?
How Do You Define Success?
I recently attended a conference for entrepreneurs and small business owners. As you would suspect, the main topic of discussion was how to be a success. It was clear to me that everyone who attended the conference did so because they want to be successful. The interesting thing to me was that while the speakers were all talking about how to be successful the term itself was left open.
In the first two parts of this five part series on PST and leadership we looked at the nature of leadership and the five qualities of leadership affected by PST. In the last three articles look at how each specific PS leads. Each article looks at two PST based opposite PS and provide real world examples of each style*.
In the first two parts of this five-part series on Perceptual Styles Theory and leadership, we examined the five qualities of effective leaders, regardless of Perceptual Style. In these last three articles, we’ll look at the unique leadership qualities of each specific Perceptual Style, along with real world examples of each.*The Activity Leadership Style
In Part 1 of this five part series on leadership and PST we defined leadership as a reciprocal relationship in which one person points in a direction and others follow.
Leadership is a complex skill that is difficult to pin down. Much of the research on the subject has focused on obvious traits such as command, decision making, risk-taking, etc. While these definitions capture much of what is widely recognized as leadership in business and politics, it limits leadership to one or two of the six distinct human Perceptual Styles. On the surface, it’s true, some of these psychological styles look more like natural-born leaders than others—but leadership is not a Perceptual Style quality; it’s a human quality.
Leadership Isn’t Always Easy
Developing your leadership capacity requires that you take a step beyond your own talents and begin to not only understand but value and support the talents of those around you. It means that you have to step beyond your own natural desire to be seen, understood, and appreciated and become the one that does the “seeing” the “understanding”, and the “appreciating”.
Limitations – What, Me?
“Which is harder, do you think, owning your strengths or accepting your limitations?”
Claiming your Talent Advantage and using it to Live Your Talents are more than theoretical concepts for me. I believe that Your Talent Advantage is not only your birthright, but the road to a more fulfilling and meaningful life.
Partnerships, whether personal, as in a marriage, or business, as in a joint venture, are an important part of working and being with others. They allow us to accomplish more together than any one of us could individually.
How did you choose your career? For most people it was not really a choice at all. Far too many people grab the first job they are offered that sounds good when they are looking for employment. Some are groomed for a specific profession from an early age because it has prestige or promises opportunities for wealth and status.
Using the 2012 general election as an example, if your party won, you were feeling excited about the changes a second term for Obama would bring about. “Now he would be able to really make some changes!” If your party lost then you despair at the changes you fear Obama would make and mourn the changes you hoped a Romney administration would have spearheaded.
Change is a fascinating subject, and as a young psychologist, I thought I had all the answers. I had a model of ideal health in my head and techniques to get you there. The only trouble was, it didn't work!
Partnerships, affiliate agreements, or joint ventures – it doesn’t matter what you call them, they are all part of successful internet marketing. My company is a partnership and we have on-going partnerships with others that work very well for both sides.
“What do you want to be?” A common question asked by solicitous adults of bewildered children throughout their early years. I always solved the problem by jumping on my parent’s bandwagon.
“A Doctor!” I would proclaim boldly and realize I had gotten away again as, with satisfied smiles, they would say, “That will make your father and mother so proud!”
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Have you ever sat down to write an article or prepare a presentation on a subject you thought was going to be a snap only to discover more complexity that you first suspected? This happened to me recently while I was preparing my presentation on partnerships for my first conference appearance of the year.
Not long ago, a friend of mine – let’s call him Tom – asked me to look over an email exchange he'd had with one of his suppliers. You see, Tom owns a retail business, and he had recently produced a marketing campaign that his supplier felt was an attack on his products.
There is an old Chinese proverb from Lao Tzu that says “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” My version would read “Give a man most vocational inventories and it will tell him to become a forest ranger. Give him the Your Talent Advantage assessments and it will reveal the natural skills that a job must have for him to be occupationally fulfilled.”
Just before Thanksgiving last year my son and his wife announced at a family dinner that she was expecting. Sometime this summer my wife and I will become grandparents!
We knew that they had been focused on starting a family, and my wife and I were both anticipating an announcement. But anticipation didn’t take anything away from the magic of the announcement.
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What Are You Thankful For?
I love Thanksgiving. It’s my favorite holiday. What can be better than being with friends and family watching football, sharing a wonderful meal, playing games, singing, and dancing? From the time I was a young girl I’ve always pictured Thanksgiving as the scene from A Christmas Carol with the Fessiwigs hosting the perfect holiday gathering with joy and great food shared by all. In my heart, at Thanksgiving, I’m Mrs. Fessiwig.
Ever wonder why your work tires you out so easily, or why you have no excitement for the career you have chosen?
Are there certain tasks that initially felt like an exciting challenge but now feel like drudgery?
Do you feel trapped in the work you do with no sense of accomplishment or meaning?
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In the recent Spotlight U program, Nancy Marmolejo and I introduced the concept of Spotlight Style. As internet marketers, we draw people to our offerings by shining a spotlight on ourselves, our personality and our unique gifts and talents. The way we do this is by utilizing our Spotlight Style. The key to effectively promoting ourselves and our businesses is to build on natural skills – and that’s where Spotlight Style comes in.
We all know that different people see the world differently. Sometimes we find those differences appealing. At other times, the differences between ourselves and others are an irritating source of conflict. But rarely, in either case, do we take the time to understand just what it is that accounts for the fundamental diversity of human perspectives. Psychological style theories were designed to help us make sense of this diversity by grouping people by commonalities according to their habits, behaviors, and priorities. This, in turn, can help us to increase our appreciation for the differences between ourselves and others and decrease the amount of conflict we experience as a result of these differences.
Google the term “happiness studies” and you'll find a wealth of information on everything from the strength of our social networks to the number of parks within walking distance of our homes. But the simple fact is, most of us don't spend the better part of our days communing with friends or ambling through the neighborhood, however much we'd like to. We spend our days at work.
Often, when people talk about introverts and extraverts, they think in terms of whether people enjoy social interactions. In fact, the true definitions of introversion and extraversion have to do with where a person finds meaning – and for this reason, knowing which you are can help you make life decisions that leave you happier and more fulfilled.
The Value of Conversation
"These people are just making it so difficult" said my friend. We met for coffee last week just to catch up and as she was telling me about some challenges she was facing at work. "Everyone wants a voice, everyone wants to be involved, everyone wants to be "in the know" so we have meeting after meeting and nothing seems to get done".
Learning who we are and where we fit in is one of life’s biggest challenges, and in business, it’s essential to success. Where do you fit with your business? And how does your business fit in, in terms of the world at large? In this article, we explore the process of self-discovery as it relates to business, team-building and branding.
Out of the Human Potential movement came the idea that people can do anything they want if they just put their minds and efforts into it.
The Extraordinary Ordinary
In the documentary, The Man on the Radio in the Red Shoes, Garrison Keillor describes the experience of first seeing his newborn daughter by saying he was “stunned by the fact that what he had seen was so utterly ordinary.” In so doing he poignantly points out that while the experience was extraordinary for him, it was an ordinary everyday experience that occurs thousands if not millions of times a day.
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I believe that everyone has innate talents – skills for which they have innate capacity, but “I’m not particularly talented at anything,” is a phrase that I frequently hear from my coaching clients.
The human soul yearns for light, both literally and metaphorically. The light of life is not just a part of the holiday season, but a part of us that burns throughout the year.
Many entrepreneurs see themselves as soloists, single individuals boldly taking risks by themselves. What many have learned the hard way is that success requires a team of people who can add their unique talent and skill to the mix. Every entrepreneur needs to understand their own skills and talents, and also know what skills and talents are needed in other team members.
It's no secret: to learn new things is not only critical to your success in business, it's critical to preserving your mental health as you age. But not everyone has positive associations with learning new things. If you’re like many people, you went through a lot of school growing up, sat in a lot of classes, listened to a lot of lectures, and did a whole lot of homework. Maybe along the way you even learned something.
The Ripple Effects of Change
Have you ever worked with a client and seen clearly the changes that would allow them to become more successful only to meet resistance when you outlined an action plan? I know that it has happened to me many times, and it has often been the source for contemplation on the nature of change and why it seems to be so difficult.
I’ve been doing a lot of business traveling over the last few weeks. In fact I’m heading out to a client site again this week. With last month being a holiday week in both Canada (July 1st) and the US (July 4th), I’m sure there will be more than the usual number of travelers at the airport and on the plane.
When I was growing up I used to love to build things. I would design them in my head and then try to turn my designs into reality. Unfortunately for me my parents only half-heartedly supported my interest, and as I grew older it faded into the back ground. I know now that this activity is one of my natural talents, but the lack of support transformed a developing natural talent into a dormant opportunity.
Making it Happen Anywhere
After years of being on the road and working from hotels and client sites, I basically have a love/hate relationship with technology.
Recently a friend of mine who runs a retail business asked me to look over an email exchange that he had with one of his suppliers. My friend had produced a marketing campaign that the supplier felt was an attack on his products. My friend wanted me to analyze the interaction and tell him what was wrong with the supplier.
My wife and I were invited to a party to celebrate the beginning of the New Year. On the face of it, it was a pretty homogeneous crowd. There was little racial, ethnic, or cultural diversity to be found. But talking to my fellow guests revealed a great difference in our views and beliefs regarding subjects such as schooling, the economy, politics, etc.
Have you ever offered to help someone with something they had just complained about and had them completely miss the offer? I really know better than to “coach” on the fly, but when a choice opportunity came my way last week I couldn’t help myself even knowing beforehand what the outcome would be.
When your natural gifts and skills lend themselves to a moment of grace, you experience a profound change. It can feel mysterious and awesome all at the same time. The key is to discover and nurture your natural gifts and skills so you are open to these breathtaking moments of grace.
There, I’ve said it. It’s out there in the universe now and it’s real. My decision wasn’t made in haste, it’s based on a recent purchasing experience, and grounded in the belief that as a consumer, I don’t have to settle for less than the best. For me, sending a gift of flowers is a planned purchase.
Collaborative Leadership: of the six different leadership profiles described in Leadership Strengths Profiles, this is the one most commonly misunderstood. This is not surprising as the hallmarks of Collaborative Leadership, subtlety, refinement, nuance, elegance, and unobtrusiveness are the exact opposite of the stereotypical descriptions of leadership – boldness, daring, visionary, and audacious.
Usually when I sit down to write an article about perception, it is to highlight the ways perception differs from person to person. These differences are, after all, at the heart of what I am most passionate about professionally. Recently, however, I had a very interesting experience.
In our businesses and careers as in life, each of us has a unique Talent Advantage. But all too often, we fail to develop our natural talents. Why? Call it unintended consequences. Call it “least common denominator syndrome.” The simple truth is, many of the institutions we move through in our lives focus more on bringing everyone up to the same (average) level than they do on nurturing our exceptional talents and abilities
In previous posts we’ve talked about two major camps of leadership theorists: those who believe leadership is all about a handful of universal traits, and those who believe it’s all about a handful of different leadership styles. Both of these approaches clearly have merit. After all, there are certain traits that effective leaders seem to share, and yet, experience shows us that leadership is not a “one size fits all” proposition.
Do all leaders possess the same key traits? The ancient Chinese general Sun Tzu thought so. In his famous book on leadership, The Art of War, he proposed that all effective leaders possess the same five characteristics: intelligence, trustworthiness, humaneness, courage, and discipline.
One of the classic schools of thought on the subject of leadership holds that leadership – whether in business, politics, or other areas of society – consists of a collection of traits. These traits can be cultivated by anyone who wishes to become a better leader.
Human beings have a difficult time with the idea of limitations. We don’t want to be told there are things we cannot do, which is why we hold stubbornly to the idea that “if we really put our minds to it,” there’s nothing we can’t accomplish.
Celebration, recognition, transitions, ritual. If you are like us, the next couple of weeks are filled with milestone occasions. For Gary and his wife Sarah, it’s the celebration of her mom’s 90th birthday. For Ricardo and me it’s the high school graduation of our oldest grandson. Family celebrations have such potential for joy, but they also have equal potential for a lot of stress.
I had a professor in graduate school who defined the difference between counseling and therapy this way: Counseling consists of “technological input to help people readjust their behavior so that they can effectively function in the predominant society.” He defined therapy, on the other hand, as the process of “altering the underlying foundation of the individual in a way that sets the person into a new world.
A couple of years ago, I presented Your Talent Advantage, the psychological assessment and business development system I helped to create, to a networking group. I thought the focus of the talk was pretty straightforward: the major points behind Perceptual Style Theory (on which our assessments are based), the six innate Perceptual Styles, natural skills versus acquired skills, and how you’re more likely to succeed when you focus on the former.
When I began my career as a psychologist, I was twenty-five years old, having completed my doctoral degree after twenty-two straight years of schooling (pre-K through to my Ph.D.). To say that I was a bit arrogant is probably understating the issue – I was convinced that I could “fix” any issue that any client presented.
We receive a lot of input from many sources in life that focus on who is better, richer, stronger, most beautiful, most talented, most athletic, etc. – which puts the emphasis on superlatives and its inherent competition. There are those who believe this contributes to people feeling isolated and ‘less than’.
After a wonderful vacation hiatus, I’m energized and excited to be back in the office. I hope your holiday plans allowed you time to rest and rejuvenate! Gary and I have been focused on the topic of leadership the last few months in preparation for our all new Leadership program (more on that later this quarter!). Today, I want to share some interesting items from some of my research.
I receive a lot of interesting and entertaining emails from friends of mine. Some I delete, and others I pass along. Every now and then, I get one that contains important public service information that should be passed along to everyone.
“Adjust your approach.” As a coach, you’re probably familiar with this concept, as different clients need different tools – and different types of communication – to achieve the results they’re looking for. But most often, these adjustments are based purely on intuition; sometimes they make a difference in the client relationship, and sometimes they don’t.
What do you do when you’re confronted with something you’re not good at? Some people get discouraged and quit. Others keep doggedly working to get better at it, and in the process become more “well-rounded” human beings. Conventional wisdom says that the second response is the healthy one. But the empirical evidence suggests that it’s people who specialize in an area of aptitude who are successful and happy, not those who focus their energies on becoming “well rounded.”
He said his name was Craig and he sounded very distraught because his business partners were having a meltdown. After 12 years of getting along well in a successful business, they were blindsided when they lost their biggest client. Worse was that the 4 of them, usually friends, were blaming each other, getting into yelling matches and behaving in ways that until now had been totally foreign to this "ideal partnership". Could they be rescued?
As one of the originators of a psychological assessment program (Your Talent Advantage), I’m often asked this question: How can an assessment that fits people into a finite number of “types” claim to reveal what’s truly unique about us?
Have you ever had the experience of being so deeply immersed in a project that you lost track of time? Research shows that those are the times when we’re happiest- when we’re engaging our natural skills and abilities. As a business coach with over thirty years of experience, I’ve seen it in action, over and over again: people succeed when they put themselves in a position to truly use their natural skills and abilities.
Why did you get into coaching? One of the most likely reasons is that you wanted to have a real, positive and lasting impact on the lives of your clients. Unfortunately, many of the approaches that coaches currently use in their work don’t have this kind of lasting effect, for the simple reason that they focus on what clients currently don’t do well, as opposed to what they do.
When you were a kid, what did you dream of growing up to be?
It may sound obvious but before you can find the job you really want you have to know what you’re looking for.
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Learn How to Celebrate You!
Why do so many people go through life feeling unhappy, dissatisfied, and unfulfilled? I believe that, in many cases, it’s because they’ve been taught to suppress their core being – the unique traits that combine to make them who they really are.
If you are like most people, every January you make a few New Year’s Resolutions: “This is the year I am going to. . . lose that extra 10 pounds, finally get organized, stop watching so much television, etc., etc.” But if you are like most people, by the time you get to mid-February (or even earlier) all of your good intentions, dedication, and will power have succumbed to the relentless force of your daily routine.
What does it take for 800 people to work together on a project with a minimum of friction? Back in 1983, that’s exactly what my partner Lynda-Ross and I were aiming to figure out. When I fist met Lynda-Ross, she was managing a very large multi-year systems development project for a major corporation and she was searching for tools to help the people working on the project stay motivated, reduce conflict, and perform to the best of their capability.
Why do some people thrive in the work they do while others seem miserable? Throughout my years as a business coach and a consultant, this question always fascinated me. On a practical level, I always tried to place people in the “right” job for them. But uncovering “right” was a trial and error process of soliciting input from people about what they wanted and then observing their performances. It wasn’t until my partner Gary and I developed the Perceptual Style Assessment that I discovered a reliable way to help people match their talents with the tasks at hand.
It sounds easy – knowing who you are. It should be a given, right? Knowing and understanding who you are is a lifetime process that begins in childhood, on the playground, when you begin the process of learning just where you fit in. But where you fit in as an entrepreneur is a whole different question! Most people start a business because they have an area of expertise. If they’re in tune with who they really are and what makes them happy, chances are, this area of expertise is also an area of deep personal passion.
Coaches have the honor and privilege of working with a broad range of clients in a variety of different contexts. Whether the context for that coaching is professional or personal, clients reveal what life is like from their unique perspective. What might come easily for one client is a constant struggle for another. What feels like an opportunity to one client feels hugely intimidating to another… and the list of differences goes on and on.
Most of you, I am sure, know the scene: As December marches on we prepare ourselves to gather with family members to celebrate the holidays. You may prepare for it with dread, with joyful anticipation, or with a mixture of the two, but we do it every year and rarely ask the question, “Why”? I was confronted with this question recently by my 21 year old nephew, and I have become quite intrigued by my quest to find an answer.
I love the fall. There are so many reasons – the weather, the trees, the food, the sports, special birthdays, and Thanksgiving (my favorite holiday).This year the fall season is even more special for several reasons. I haven’t been on the road as much as usual, so I’ve been enjoying more than my fair share of gatherings with friends and spur-of-the-moment family get-togethers. And we are experiencing a burst of energy in our business – a renewed focus within our team, great clients and outstanding affiliate partners.
Marketing was never my forte. Recently, I was talking to some people about my struggles with marketing before we discovered natural marketing styles (more about that later). Before I finished my sentence, one of the people I was speaking to said:“ I can tell you how to do that. Here’s all you have to do. First you do this… Then you do this … It’s that simple. You can do it, but you have to want to.”.
I have several friends who send me interesting emails. You know the type, You Tube videos, jokes, stories – you probably get a few of these, too. Recently, I received one that got me to thinking about its message, which was “Change your words. Change your world.” It’s a message that really hit home for me, especially within the context of human Perceptual Styles. How you perceive the world – how you make meaning out of what your senses experience – really does determine your world. This means that the words you choose to create meaning and share your experiences with others have a powerful impact on your life.
It seems to go without saying – people are the most important part of any business. Their strengths, their contributions, their ideas, are essential. But working with those strengths, recognizing those contributions and ideas, isn’t always easy. Every person is different, but when it comes to business, we all have the same goal – to succeed.
Just as in the human body, the strength of a business comes from its core. A strong core facilitates growth and endurance, and in business, that growth equals success, and that endurance equals longevity. Naturally, a successful, long-living business is what we all want and strive for!
Marketing was never my forte. Recently, I was talking to some people about my struggles with marketing before we discovered natural marketing styles (more about that later). Before I finished my sentence, one of the people I was speaking to said:“ I can tell you how to do that. Here’s all you have to do. First you do this… Then you do this … It’s that simple. You can do it, but you have to want to.”.
What do you think of when you think of the word 'networking?' If you're like most people, what comes to mind is a room full of strangers with their business cards in hand, trying to sell you on what they can do for you. The sort of place where you're likely to hear one 90-second elevator speech after another, but have very few real conversations.
Leadership development is defined by Wikipedia as “any activity that enhances the quality of leadership within an individual or organization.” As one might expect from this definition, what constitutes leadership development is highly dependent upon the definition of leadership.
When I worked in the corporate world I learned to appreciate that people perceive things differently. By understanding the differences in the way people see the world, what is important to them, the conclusions they draw, and the actions they take, I was able to put people in positions that used their natural skills, surround myself with people who complimented rather than mirrored my skills, and assemble teams that had both the right amount of creative tension and synergy.
When I speak to groups about Talent Advantage I always begin by clearly defining everything the concept encompasses. Simply put, Your Talent Advantage is the idea that each of us is born with a unique set of natural skills. When we recognize and develop these skills into their full potential we create our “Talent Advantage.” When speaking, I always receive smiles and knowing nods from the audience. It seems that we are all familiar with the concept in some shape or form, and more importantly the concept resonates with what we know to be true. Yet the amazing thing to me is how many people “understand” the concept and yet fail to truly live it.”
You have worked hard to build something of value and meaning – a thriving business, a successful partnership, a well running organization – and one day you realize that it is time to move on to other pursuits.
So, you’ve got something to say that you think others will find valuable. You’ve created an information based product and coaching services to enhance and optimize its value. And people are knocking down your doors to buy! Unfortunately, while the first part may be true, without a lot of effort the second rarely is.”
After thirty years in business coaching, there are a few things I know to be true: 1) different people have different innate skills and abilities, 2) most people are currently performing jobs that are not supported by their natural skills and abilities, and 3) when people connect with jobs that are supported by their natural skills and abilities, they shine. All of which I’ve always found reflected in the following quote from Confucius: “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”
In the first two parts of this five part series on PST and leadership we looked at the nature of leadership and the five qualities of leadership affected by PST. In the last three articles look at how each specific PS leads. Each article looks at two PST based opposite PS and provide real world examples of each style*.
In Part 1 of this five part series on leadership and PST we defined leadership as a reciprocal relationship in which one person points in a direction and others follow.
Each Perceptual Style supports a large number of natural talents that people with that Perceptual Style find easy to learn, hone, and perform. In this and the following four articles I will explore how the natural talents of each of the PS support different ways of leading.
Owning your own business can be an exciting and rewarding experience that provides you with freedom from the 9 to 5 daily grind and gives you the lifestyle you want. It can also be a 24 hour-a-day source of stress and exhaustion. If you find yourself experiencing more of the latter than the former, you may be suffering from Resourcing Burnout.
There are six distinct Perceptual Styles that characterize the ways the different people see the world. On the surface, some of these styles look more creative than others—but creativity is not a Perceptual Style quality, it’s a human quality. Often, when we hear the word ‘creativity’ we think of artists and art in the broadest sense of the word—painting, sculpture, composing, writing, etc. But creativity is not limited to the artistic field, and entrepreneurs and other professionals do themselves a great disservice when they dismiss the notion that they have natural creative abilities.
I first encountered the concept of mastermind groups reading Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill back in the early 80’s, but it wasn’t until recently that mastermind groups really took off. Now they’re everywhere, and they have become an essential part of business development for internet marketing. Why?
The numbers are daunting: one third of all small businesses will fail within the first two years and only one half will make it to year four. When it comes to internet businesses, though, those statistics look positively rosy. According to Sean Donahoe of the ADD Marketing Group, 95% of all internet marketers fail to make any money at all online.
The six Perceptual Styles describe six psychologically unique ways of perceiving the world. The theory behind Perceptual Styles states that certain Styles are more similar than others. These “neighboring styles” may use similar types of language, but that doesn’t mean they mean the same thing.
Have you ever had the experience of speaking to someone and, in return, getting either a blank stare or a complete non-sequitur? The easiest explanations are often, “they didn’t hear me”, “they didn’t want to communicate with me”, or “they don’t speak my language.” But in reality, this type of communication disconnect occurs most often between people who have no common perceptual ground in their relationships.