Tag Archives: listening

(Issue #558) Curiosity As A Literacy Skill


Curiosity stimulates basic literacy skills, nurtures conversations, builds collaboration, and opens our minds to what could be. This past week, Atlantic Beach Elementary School (Florida) celebrated its annual literacy week. The principal reached out to a few people in the … Continue reading

Posted in Life lessons | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

(Issue #547) Standing With Empathy


“Empathy is seeing with the eyes of another, listening with the ears of another, and feeling with the heart of another.” ~Alfred Adler Notice the common and critical word in each clause above? With. When we empathize we are with … Continue reading

Posted in Life lessons | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

(Issue #544) Themie


When we empower a person, group, or community to tell their story in their voice we help them share and add to their legacy. An online statistic caught my attention: 93 million times per day people snap a selfie. The … Continue reading

Posted in Life lessons | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

(Issue #510) The Third Grader In The Room


Posing questions sets up a vulnerability of sorts. Publicly admitting, “I don’t understand. I need you to help me.” Why? Simple question. Why? Seeking additional information to explain a situation. Why? We have heard young children ask that question as … Continue reading

Posted in Life lessons | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

(Issue #485) Human Beings with Human Challenges


Benefiting from human connections. Effective teachers understand that they never know what questions or dilemmas a student will bring through the door. In addition to academic issues, students (just like the rest of us) always have a bag full of … Continue reading

Posted in assumptions, awareness, Communication, Community, Connection-Disconnection, curiosity, empathy, leadership, Life lessons, problem solving, Reflection, resilience | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

(Issue #475) Purposeful Relationships Require Deliberative Efforts


Consider how you can incorporate deliberative efforts for deeper organizational relationships—one person at a time. I often stressed to my students that strategies for student success would prepare them for life success. My words came back to me as I … Continue reading

Posted in assumptions, authenticity, awareness, collaboration, collegiality, Communication, Community, community development, emotional intelligence, generativity, growth, Life lessons, resilience | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

(Issue #473) Legacy


What is your hope for your community? What do you want to see, and more importantly, what will you do to make it happen? What legacy will you help build and contribute to for the coming generations? Last week, as … Continue reading

Posted in action, amplifying, assumptions, awareness, collaboration, Community, community development, intentionality, leadership, Life lessons, resilience | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

(Issue #467) Listen. Learn. Lead.


To lead, you must first listen (hear; respect; ask authentic questions). Then learn from the exchange (willingness to change). Two experiences. One message. First experience. I helped organize a candidate forum for our beaches in Duval County (Florida). The candidates … Continue reading

Posted in collegiality, Communication, Community, leadership, learning, listening | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

(#442) Community Building: Beyond Why to How


The question, in my mind, moves beyond why we need community to how we go about building and sustaining it. While dichotomies can be simplistic, they can also help frame a conversation. When you seek a community, toward which end … Continue reading

Posted in acceptance, accountability, action, amplifying, assumptions, authenticity, awareness, change management, Communication, Community, community development, confirmation bias, Critical Thinking, leadership | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

(#435) Community Requires Respectful Communication


You better think. A few of the reviewers for my forthcoming book, Community as a Safe Place to Land, noted that a community will be hard pressed to exist without respectful communication. Respectful. Indicative of politeness or deference. Communication. Communication … Continue reading

Posted in accountability, amplifying, Appreciation, Appropriate Behavior, authenticity, awareness, Choice, Civility, collegiality, Communication, Community, community development, listening | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment