| I spent the month of January in South Africa, where 11 official languages are spoken.
Something I have tried to do each time I get into an Uber or pay for an item is ask how you say thank you in the language of the person I am interacting with. The look of sheer delight on the person’s face is always worth the effort, even if I butcher the pronunciation. |
I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Henry Winkler, aka The Fonz, at the MJCCA book festival in Atlanta.
He is probably the warmest, most entertaining, and authentic veteran actor out there! Winkler told stories about meeting Robin Williams as a young unknown comedian and how he immediately knew Williams was a genius. He also shared details about his lifelong friendship with Happy Days co-star Ron Howard and how much he enjoyed directing Dolly Parton.
I grew up in South Africa, where the Zulu greeting, Sawubona, is much more than a polite way of saying hello. Sawubona means “I see you.” They are words that embody the importance of recognizing the worth and dignity of each person, something I strive to do in both my personal and professional lives.
I love the concept of seeing people deeply. People want to connect.
What stops you from speaking up in a meeting?
What stops you from reaching out to someone when you need their advice?
What stops you from going up to someone you have never met and starting a conversation?
What stops you from exercising more?
What stops you from eating more protein and complex carbohydrates?
What stops you from waking up earlier?
The ultra-modern convenience of Artificial Intelligence systems like ChatGPT and Waze has taken a lot of complex tasks off our hands, like collating information and writing generic blogs or navigating our way out of a traffic jam. But, however sophisticated and brilliant Artificial Intelligence becomes, there are certain things these systems will never be able to do for you. They are the very human features of interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence as embodied in the following:
Daniel Goleman is a psychologist and author widely recognized for his groundbreaking work on emotional intelligence (EI). He is the author of several books on the topic, including the bestseller “Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ.” So how can you increase yours? In my workshops, keynotes, and coaching, I provide tips and techniques to elevate your overall EQ.
Emotional intelligence refers to the ability to recognize,
Have you ever had the scary experience of changing lanes on the highway and, hopefully, just avoiding side-swiping a vehicle in your “blind spot”?
I’m guessing you are all familiar with that term, but did you know that we also have personal “blind spots”?
Your “blind spot” is defined by psychologists Joseph Luft and Harry Ingham in the often referred to Johari’s window as things that you are not aware of,
Never end your presentation with a question-and-answer session. Instead, ask for questions, comments, and concerns and only then end with a quick wrap-up. The goal is to end with your audience being clear on their next steps.
