About Me
My more than 30-years of professional experience includes a variety of customer-facing and internal roles, including but not limited to leading client solutions teams for software companies, teaching math at several universities, developing spreadsheet and database solutions to automate reporting, designing bespoke software solutions for clients based on their needs, guiding customers through the arduous processes of air and water quality permitting, and developing and delivering weather forecasts as a broadcast meteorologist.
As a scientist and engineer, I have naturally spent many years honing my analytical and technical skills. Along the way, I have also had countless opportunities to witness team interactions, customer interactions and workplace dynamics. I have both been on teams and led teams. I have watched well-oiled teamwork make the difference between having clients and not having them. I have witnessed intelligent, amazing people who know their content forwards and backwards fall short when it comes to communicating with their colleagues , their customers or just each other. These miscommunications sometimes result in conflict and even in ruptured relationships.
It is clear to me that our beliefs, or the stories we tell ourselves, about ourselves and the people around us impact how we interact with others, whether it be customers or colleagues, friends or family. Transforming these beliefs can lead to healthier interactions and clearer communication. Mastery of the soft skills required to communicate clearly, listen to understand, and build relationships with others is often undervalued and misunderstood. Therefore, these skills are seldom taught.
Listening to understand is different than simply hearing words.
Listening to understand requires a careful look at what assumptions you bring into the dialogue. Once you recognize the assumptions, you can work to clarify them, or even fully transform the beliefs that seeded those assumptions.
This clears the way for more authentic, more vibrant, more productive conversations.
