billdurkin

Whenever people work together, there will be differences of opinion, competing priorities, misunderstandings, mistakes, personality differences, and disagreements about what should and shouldn’t happen. However, disagreement isn't the problem. How we handle it is. Too often, when tension first appears, we avoid the conversation. We hope the problem will go away, work itself out, or become easier to discuss later. Usually, it doesn't. Small frustrations grow and assumptions replace...

Successful professionals in any field, value preparation and practice with a coach or mentor. Attorneys prepare before entering the courtroom. Doctors spend years learning and practicing before treating patients independently. Musicians rehearse. Pilots train in simulators. Professional athletes don't simply show up on game day and hope they'll perform well. They spend hours studying film, receiving feedback, and working on the fundamentals of their game. Why? Because no matter how good they...

There is something most of us have in common when we pursue a challenging goal: Our brain often prefers what is comfortable and familiar over what is difficult and uncertain. That's not necessarily a flaw. Our brains are good at helping us conserve energy, recognize potential threats, and repeat familiar behaviors. But what feels comfortable today doesn't always help us create a better tomorrow. Making progress often requires people to do something different and move beyond their comfort...