Communication Blog

Helping a Medical Group Get Its Governance “Right”

Our firm helps organizations of all kinds improve their governance – corporations, non-profits, and public agencies. We typically start with interviews to gain insights into the current ways the organization makes decisions. We then facilitate improvements, typically by sharing examples of effective practices, discussing the pros and cons of different approaches, and building consensus on …

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Managing Hidden Assumptions and Biases

Given the sheer number of decisions we face every moment of every day, we have to make assumptions. Will that driver come to a full stop or run the light? Will my partner show up on time or be late again? Will our kids’ schedules be the same as last month – or different? In …

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Six Competencies of Agile Leaders

Leading and managing an organization through times of uncertainty and unpredictability requires a variety of leadership competencies and skills. Here are six important ones: Situational Awareness Situational awareness is understanding how external and internal trends, such as changes in consumer demand, economic shifts, or new government policies, can impact the organization. For example, leaders with …

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How Leaders Communicate and Manage Decisions

As you rise to higher levels of leadership, your orientation toward the work you do needs to change. For people used to serving in a technical role or a role as an individual contributor, this can be a challenging transformation – because it requires you to change the very model you have in your mind …

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Productive Ground Rules for Collaboration

The ground rules being used by a cooperative housing community in Connecticut caught our attention recently. We are big proponents of using ground rules to facilitate productive discussions. These ones were especially good because they were thoughtful, detailed, and well-organized. They were also handwritten, which gave them a deeply personal quality (similar to how a …

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Issue Mapping: Solving Tough Organizational Problems

Leaders can brainstorm effective approaches to solving these kinds of difficult issues by using this issue mapping tool.

Words of Wisdom

This article was published in 1998 by the SF Examiner… still relevant.

68 Straight Talk Communication Quotes

Here are 68 communication quotes by Eric Douglas, author of Straight Talk.

The Three Elements of Communication

All communication is comprised of three elements: style, intent, and content. Intent is the most basic. It is the underlying force behind every communication.

Resolving Conflicts with Straight Talk

In our research, we’ve found an epidemic of unresolved conflict inside modern organizations. Much of it can be traced back to poor communication.