Work and Career - Co-workers

January 17, 2011

Interview with Stephen M.R.Covey, author of the book Smart Trust: Creating Prosperity, Energy, and Joy in a Low-Trust World

________________

Mike Carruthers:
We are probably less trusting of other people today than ever before.

Stephen M.R. Covey:
In a low trust world we tend to become more suspicious, more cynical, more distrusting because none of us want to get burned.
 

December 12, 2011

Interview with Kristi Hedges, author of the book The Power of Presence: Unlock Your Potential to Influence and Engage Others

________________

Mike Carruthers:
Presence it’s a hard concept to define and yet…

Kristi Hedges:
We’re all experts at other people’s presence. We know when someone walks into the room we can almost feel what their presence is and what their command is of a room and the energy that they bring into the room. However if someone says to you, “What’s your presence?” you’re probably going to stumble a little bit in trying to describe it.
 

November 1, 2011

Interview with Dan Roam, author of the book Blah Blah Blah: What To Do When Words Don't Work

________________

Mike Carruthers:
When we’re talking with people socially or professionally our ideas and the stories we tell are simply a string of words.

Dan Roam:
The problem is that unless those ideas are really, really crystal clearly formed they’re just kind of like big fluffy clouds. We talk about this one for a moment and then it passes away and the next one comes along and we completely forget about the previous one.
 

September 2, 2011

Interview with Jamie Showkeir, author of the book Authentic Conversations: Moving from Manipulation to Truth and Commitment

________________

Mike Carruthers:
If you had to describe the nature of the typical boss/employee relationship, it's similar to a parent and child.

Jamie Showkeir:
Because the premise on which our organizations of today were founded was generated well over a hundred years ago by people who were looking at non-skilled labor, as folks who could not be trusted and had to be told what to do.
 

August 22, 2011

Interview with Peter Guber, author of the book Tell to Win: Connect, Persuade, and Triumph with the Hidden Power of Story

________________

Mike Carruthers:
Trying to convince someone with facts and figures will never be as effective as using a story.

Peter Guber:
It’s the way we make sense of things, we’re narrative creatures we’re not digital creatures, we’re analog creatures. And our oral tradition, our ability to talk and communicate goes back 40 thousand years.
 

August 19, 2011

Interview with Michael Gurian, author of the book Leadership and the Sexes: Using Gender Science to Create Success in Business (J-B US non-Franchise Leadership)

________________

Mike Carruthers:
You communicate differently than members of the opposite sex. That just is. However, in the workplace it can become a problem if you're not aware of some of these differences.

Michael Gurian:
A big difference between men and women is that men tend to aggressively self-promote more than women do and it helps them climb ladders. And a lot of this is based in brain chemistry differences.
 

August 17, 2011

Interview with Paul White, co-author of the book The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace: Empowering Organizations by Encouraging People

________________

Mike Carruthers:
Employers pay a lot of lip service to the idea of appreciation in the workplace but somehow we’re missing the mark.

Paul White:
From research we know that 79% of the people that leave work voluntary to go to another position site a lack of appreciation as one of the top 2 reasons.
 

July 8, 2011

Interview with Jeffrey Garton, author of the book Career Contentment: Don't Settle for Anything Less!

________________

Mike Carruthers:
Seeking job satisfaction in your career may be a big waste of time.

Jeffrey Garton:
Job satisfaction is never possible. As we age and our interests evolve we expect more - something new and different. It's in our DNA to complain and even if we're in the most satisfying job, we will find some reason to complain.
 

 June 17, 2011

Interview with Ronald Shapiro, co-author of the book Bullies, Tyrants, and Impossible People: How to Beat Them Without Joining Them

________________

Mike Carruthers:
We all have to deal with difficult people; it's part of life. But to be effective dealing with these people, you have to make sure they don't push your buttons. In other words,

Ronald Shapiro:
Neutralize your emotions. Take control of yourself. Do something physical like put a finger on your lip to remind you it isn't personal and you're not going to get personal. And then you begin to take control of yourself.
 

June 6, 2011

Interview with Doug Conant, author of the book TouchPoints: Creating Powerful Leadership Connections in the Smallest of Moments (J-B Warren Bennis Series)

________________

Mike Carruthers:
Interruptions, you might consider them an unwanted nuisance but actually interruptions have become a big part of our day.

Doug Conant:
Basically the average knowledge worker is interrupted every 11 minutes by some interruption or another. Basically we’re living in the interruption age.