Category Archives: Communication

The Dynamics of Non-Adversarial Negotiation

By Daniel Robin Joe had done his homework: "I propose that we put 25% of our training budget to work on giving people listening skills and that we postpone the management training course we've been considering." Joe had worked out a detailed set of arguments about why his was the right direction. As usual, his manager saw it differently: truth was, everyone knew how Continue Reading ...

Personal Growth On The Job

By Daniel Robin Does your workplace support your personal growth? I'm not asking if your boss lets you listen to Tony Robbins tapes or attend EST workshops on company time; I am asking if .... You're rewarded more for learning than for having the right answer You're recognized for handling a personal issue with minimal disruption, rather than being criticized for Continue Reading ...

Building a Workplace Culture Based on Agreement

How to Get There From Here By Daniel Robin "Starting today, I promise to be on time for every meeting, no matter what. Really. This time I mean it." How healthy this sounds, they all thought. Finally ... embracing what they've been wanting for months. Perhaps it's time. Why New Year's Resolutions (Usually) Don't Work A resolution is a decision. A decision on an Continue Reading ...

Reigniting Spirit in the Workplace

By Daniel Robin What you pay attention to, viagra cialis grows. If you happen to notice everything at work that isn’t working, cialis you’d (a) have a long list, decease and (b) probably have a difficult time getting out of bed in the morning. If, by contrast, you decided to look for and highlight everyone’s best intentions, you might notice your morale rising simply 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 ...

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 ...