Upend the drama trianglePosted on November 7, 2016 by Alia McKee Drama in the workplace is exhausting. And it’s one of the main reasons team initiatives falter. Work discussions are not just information exchanges. They are social exchanges, in which participants seek social goals, like acceptance, trust, status and power. Enter in the Drama Triangle — a framework created by psychotherapist Stephen Karpman. This simple tool… Read more
Let’s break bean: Bridging marketing and program teamsPosted on October 24, 2016 by Alia McKee “Let’s break bean,” I said to my close friend and colleague as I set two frothy coffee drinks on our table. He said, “That’s really good. Did you just make that up?” I said, “Yeah – I think I did. Maybe it could become a thing…” He said, “The only issue is that some master… Read more
To Call Out Is Human: To Transcend Aggression is DivinePosted on September 19, 2016 by Alia McKee If the famous naturalist and broadcaster David Attenborough were to do field research in progressive circles, he might document in his curious tone, “The humans I witnessed sat behind their computer screens and typed with aggressive keystrokes. They appeared to be in an agitated state — their heart rates high and their sweat glands activated.”… Read more
Slow it downPosted on September 12, 2016 by Alia McKee Decisive. Active. Speedy. Our culture values these attributes. We want to get stuff done. And we want to get stuff done quickly. I have bought into this “quick to act” mindset for years. And it’s gotten me pretty far. But recently, I’m exploring how and when this doesn’t serve me – or my clients. Sometimes… Read more
How to decide what to ignorePosted on August 29, 2016 by Alia McKee It’s ok to ignore things. I often help clients decide what ideas they need to ignore. They usually already know they should ignore them, but they waver because they worry about missing opportunities. This is a leadership tension. When should you pivot to an opportunity that arises? When should you stay the course with your… Read more
Worthiness: How you feel impacts how you treat othersPosted on August 22, 2016 by Alia McKee I just spent a week meditating and practicing how to create enlightened society with a bunch of Buddhists. Yes – you read that correctly. We are aspiring — in this crazy day and age — to create enlightened society. And we believe the change begins with ourselves. One of those changes is feeling worthy. Few… Read more
Read this before having any courageous conversationPosted on August 15, 2016 by Alia McKee Many people are conflict-averse and do their best to avoid discord. I am one of them. But to be a strong leader, one must engage in courageous conversations — the ones that can be sticky, painful, and uncomfortable. Here’s a process that can make them easier. Heads up to Robert Gass for his insight: (1)… Read more
Make your “not to do” listPosted on August 8, 2016 by Alia McKee Choosing what NOT to do is almost as important as choosing what to do. I’ve seen so many clients overextend themselves and not reach their goals because they were distracted by extracurriculars. What are you not going to do this year? Answer these questions and see what rises to the top of your “not to… Read more
Leadership: What outcomes do you want?Posted on July 25, 2016 by Alia McKee It’s easy to confuse “being busy” with “impact.” That’s why every act of leadership should begin by answering this question: What outcome do you want out of this act? Identifying clear outcomes clarifies whether you are being successful or not. Outcomes for this process can be objective and easy to measure. Or they can be… Read more
It’s Not What You Say, It’s How You ArePosted on July 7, 2016 by Mark Rovner When he received his diagnosis of non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, the doctor told him he had a 96% chance of making a full recovery. Sadly, Nick turned out to be in the unlucky 4%. When it became clear Nick was not going to beat his cancer, he called on several members of the Buddhist community to which… Read more