How to Be: Three Life-Changing Lessons from a Remarkable Woman About a month ago, I lost my mentor and dear friend, Mary Kogen. Mary was, on the surface, my college piano and pedagogy teacher. She taught me technique and chord progressions, how to break the...
What to do When You’re the Target of Anger In my last blog, I wrote about how to manage your anger at work. But (just a wild guess here) it’s not like you’re the only one who ever gets angry. It comes with the territory for humans, which means it’s normal for...
3 Times to Ignore People Your undivided attention is a priceless and meaningful gift. In this age of overwhelming distraction, even a few minutes of focused attention can build rapport, trust, and connection. Because your time and attention are so valuable, be...
5 Tips for Healthy Communication ‘Tis the season for … food. And lots of it. I don’t even celebrate most of the fall and winter holidays, and yet I find it hard to resist the everything-pumpkin and everything-peppermint mountains at the grocery stores. I am surrounded...
3 Times to Shut Your Mouth In many situations, the wisest response is to keep your mouth shut. As the Dalai Lama said, “Silence is sometimes the best answer.” But that’s not what I’m talking about. When I say “shut your mouth,” I actually mean “keep it closed.”...
When & How to Interrupt In general… don’t interrupt. In one-on-one conversations and group settings, listen attentively and take turns talking. Don’t monopolize conversations, speak over others, or impatiently finish their sentences. Sometimes, though, you...
