Category Archives: Blog Posts

Organizational Pathways: Part 3

Strategies for Leading Change By Daniel Robin This is the third installation in a three-part series on dealing with workplace change. So far we've explored personal strategies (Link to Part 1) and interpersonal strategies (link to Part 2) to help make transitions less stressful and more humane; this article dives into how organizations can use the change process to effectively manage and build Continue Reading ...

Organizational Pathways: Part 2

Resources for Keeping the Peace The Art of Alternative Dispute Resolution by Daniel Robin How can you live in peace and still live in the world? In our litigious society, success can be defined as not having to sue anybody. Conflicts are inevitable, and often act as a mirror of our own lives and attitudes. Using the appropriate tool to address an issue helps us keep differences from escalating Continue Reading ...

Organizational Pathways: Part 1

Waging Peace in the Workplace By Daniel Robin With the increase in work force diversity, emphasis on teams, and the new-world-disorder -- also known as chaos -- sooner or later, we all get into conflicts that just don't resolve, even with a Ph.D. in active listening mode. Calmly sitting down to "talk about it" can be frustrating when there are hidden agendas, turf wars, or fear patterns in the Continue Reading ...

Giving Workplace Negativity a Sustainable Lift: Part 3

Ending the Blame & Shame Game -- part 3 of 3 By Daniel Robin "You did it again! How many times have I told you that it is not okay to socialize with your workers … you’re in charge here, and being seen as ‘Mr. nice guy’ undermines your authority." The boss has spoken. "I don’t ‘socialize’ with them … we just talk, Bob explains. "Plus, you and I go to lunch sometimes … why Continue Reading ...

Giving Workplace Negativity a Sustainable Lift: Part 2

Gripe to Grip --  part 2 of 3 By Daniel Robin Most of the workplaces I’ve known are in a state of perpetual chaos and disrepair … they are immense and never-ending exercises in surfacing dramatic problems and (in some cases) actually solving them. By contrast, highly bureaucratic or rigid organizations simply do not allow problems (denial anyone?). However, allowing personal attacks, emotional Continue Reading ...

Giving Workplace Negativity a Sustainable Lift: Part 1

Containment -- part 1 of 3 By Daniel Robin "You can forget about that project … it will fail like all the rest." "Yeah, our morale has been down so long, even bottom is starting to look like up!" A colleague just got told to "get off it" by his boss. What’s the "it", exactly? He doesn’t really know, oddly enough, because the problem has been undiscussable and undefined from the start. Something Continue Reading ...

Four Pillars of Agreements

In order for people to honor agreements in ways that get the desired result, the following four conditions must be met. If any one of these factors miss the mark, chances are good that something will go wrong. Clarity: clear about the goal and the complete set of "conditions of satisfaction" (values, criteria, expectations) Commitment: Solid "yes" representing Continue Reading ...

The Art and Practice of Agreement

By Daniel Robin This article takes a deeper look at how having clear and complete agreements often spells out the difference between success and suffering. How in the world can we build a workplace based on well-considered agreements when ... Co-workers, employees, and customers quickly knee-jerk into "Yes" or "No" responses — before they even know what's Continue Reading ...

Healthy Boundaries Self-assessment

(c) 2017 Daniel Robin & Associates The purpose of this page is to help you collect information about yourself so you can increase your self-awareness and formulate an action plan.  Use these topics and question to journal, reflect and get clearer about what you want.  We also offer coaching services to assist with this process. Which of these core skills deserve future attention for setting Continue Reading ...

The Electronic Way

This is your Brain on the Internet By Daniel Robin "Outside of a dog, a network is a man’s best friend; inside of a dog it’s too dark to see the keyboard." - Anonymous Those of us who are aware of the dopamine affect of e-gizmos, the powerfully addictive substance contained in the palm of your hand, desktop or laptop computer, find that more of a challenge than the original challenge -- Continue Reading ...