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Conversation Critique This week’s exercise is inspired by Stephen Covey's concept of empathic listening. He argues that in any conversation it is important to first seek to understand and then be understood. You know that moment when a conversation takes a turn for the worse? It's when you move from having a discussion to #awkwardsilence or stalemated debate. You aren't quite sure how you got there and or how to move forward. Experts like Covey would say that part of identifying what went wrong is understanding the level of conversation you were having in the first place. Introducing Your Conversation Critique Exercise What It Is A way to analyze your conversations so you can identify better ways to communicate with others. Why We Love It  No one likes leaving a conversation feeling underwhelmed. We all want to be heard, understood and validated by others. This exercise helps you understand the different mindsets you bring to your interactions so you can learn to listen more effectively.  How It Works 1. Recall a conversation you've had recently. Take a look at the following levels of listening and identify which you reached during that conversation: Gist: This is "intermittent listening; listening long enough to get the gist of what the other side is saying before we refocus on our internal voice which is formulating a reaction from our world view."   Rebut: We listen to the conversation long enough to find something we can rebut. "Once heard, we just wait for the other side to shut up long enough so we can tell them how their position is faulty and by extension, how much smarter we are." Logic: Here we try to understand the internal logic behind what is being said and make inferences about the person based on what they're saying. Emotions: At this stage "we listen for any emotions and/or identity issues that may be driving their argument," and we try to understand how important these emotions are to what they're saying.  Empathy: At this level "we filter their emotion and logic through a prism of empathy" with the ultimate goal of "getting beyond the cursory level of understanding to a deeper appreciation of their world view."  2. Now, consider a meeting you have in the coming days and reflect on which listening level you'd like to reach during that conversation. Write out a list of questions you might bring to that chat in order to obtain this level of understanding. 3. After your meeting, reflect on the differences between the conversation in #1 and #2. In which situations might you select one over the other? Are there things you might do differently in conversations moving forward? Source: BSG Want to dig deeper into this topic? To learn more about the habits of great conversationalists, read this from FastCo. To read about a study on the common behaviors of great listeners, check this out from HBR. For tips on effective listening, check this out. Have a favorite trek?  Hit us up at treks@lifetrekkers.me and tell us which one you liked and what you learned! Here's what your fellow trekkers have to say about past treks:   "The Tutu exercise was one of my favorites. Bob Carey's story was really inspiring and the exercise motivated me to reflect on a number of things that I feel vulnerable about in life and the work place." - Alex Farivar, Product Manager @ Google Tweet Tweet Email Us Learn More Copyright © 2018 LifeTrekkers, All rights reserved. Want more information? Drop us a line at info@trekkers.me. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can unsubscribe from this list.

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Leadership Triggers This week's trek is inspired by Dr. Mitchel Adler's work on leading with self-awareness. Academics like Adler believe that "self-awareness, the skill of being aware of our thoughts, emotions, and values from moment to moment, is the starting point of leadership." Are you guilty of throwing too much shade at work? It happens to the best of us. Our teammates do something a little out of line and we find ourselves throwing shade to signify our disapproval. The problem occurs when we do this a few too many times and build a reputation for lacking self-awareness and being hard to work with. Introducing Your Leadership Triggers Exercise What It Is An opportunity to explore your leadership triggers and the influence they have over others.  Why We Love It  We all have our pet-peeves at work and most are founded in what makes for a more efficient and productive workplace. However, if we let our emotional selves govern our reactions to these sticking points, we're creating a lot of energy that isn't so productive for ourselves and our teams.  How It Works 1. Ask yourself what actions or behaviors of your team members make you angry or frustrated? What are the things they do that really push your buttons? Ex. showing up late for a meeting or dropping the ball on a deadline.  2. Consider the physical reactions you have when these triggers occur. Do you squirm in your seat? Sigh loudly? Roll your eyes? Change the tone in your voice? Consider the 'why' behind these physical reactions. 3. Next, consider how those physical reactions influence your team. What do they signal about how your team's behavior might need to change? Is there a better way you could communicate verbally or nonverbally with your team to encourage new behaviors? 4. Finally, consider what you do to cope after a long day of a lot of triggers. Do you exercise, go for a drink, or vent to your friends? Are there ways you can cope that might be more productive for you? *Source: Mitchel Adler Want to dig deeper into this topic? To learn more about how you can become a more self-aware leader, read this from HBS. For additional tips and tricks on how to be more self-aware, check this out. For 9 ways to practice more self-awareness, read these tips from a mindfulness professor. Have a favorite trek?  Hit us up at treks@lifetrekkers.me and tell us which one you liked and what you learned! Here's what your fellow trekkers have to say about past treks:   "Inspiration Reservoir was one of my favorite treks. It helped me understand the many sources of inspiration (many of which are in my own backyard) that I can draw upon when needing to unlock the right side of my brain." -Liz Tverskoy, Account Manager @ Google Tweet Tweet Email Us Learn More Copyright © 2018 LifeTrekkers, All rights reserved. Want more information? Drop us a line at info@trekkers.me. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can unsubscribe from this list.

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Inspiration Reservoir This week’s trek is inspired by creativity guru, Julia Cameron. In her book, The Artist's Way, she proposes a playful approach to tapping into your greatest sources of inspiration to unlock creativity. Want to fire up your imagination? Cameron talks a lot about the importance of inducing your own sense of wonder to unlock creativity. By indulging in the places, sensations, and traditions that intrigue us, we can tap into new ideas and sources of inspiration.  Introducing Your Inspiration Reservoir Exercise What It Is A date with your imagination to tap into your main sources of inspiration and bring about new ideas. Why We Love It  This exercise gets your creative juices flowing in a fun and playful way that is reminiscent of your primary school arts and crafts days. Oh, don't worry, we know your five-year-old self can't wait to wolf down a pint of paste.... How It Works 1. Take 10 minutes to consider the following 10 questions: - What culture other than your own speaks to you? - What age other than the one we're in resonates with your sensibilities? - What foreign cuisine feels like home on your palate? - What exotic smells give you a sense of expansion and well-being? - What aspects of nature intrigue you? - What spiritual tradition intrigues you beyond your own? - What music from another culture plucks your heart strings? - In another time period, what physical age do you see yourself being? - In another culture or time, what is your gender? - If you were to write a film, what age and time, what place and predicament, would you choose to explore? 2. Build a Pinterest board (here's how mine is coming along if you want a sneak peek) with images that correspond to your answers to each of the questions in #1 above. As you build the board, what themes, ideas and feelings arise? Want to go deeper? To learn more about what's going on in your brain when you feel inspired, check this out. For a look at the creative rituals of some of the greatest minds, read this. For some fun infographics on the daily patterns of famous creatives, read this. Have a favorite trek?  Hit us up at treks@lifetrekkers.me and tell us which one you liked and what you learned! Here's what your fellow trekkers have to say about past treks:   "Listen Up was one of my favorite treks. It helped me rethink how I engage in conversations and understand what it really takes to actively listen." - Shankar Desai, Group Manager @ Google Tweet Tweet Email Us Learn More Copyright © 2018 LifeTrekkers, All rights reserved. Want more information? Drop us a line at info@trekkers.me. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can unsubscribe from this list.