Managing Conflict Between You and Your Partner: Separate the Solution from the Problem

Managing Conflict: Separate the Solution from the Problem The other day, Cindy called Duncan at work.   Cindy asked Duncan to review a letter that she had just written to one of her clients.  Duncan was busy, however, with his own crisis.  He had two deadlines to make in less than an hour.  He didn’t have the time to help Cindy.  What’s more, Duncan feels that Cindy has a tendency to call him in the middle of the day to make requests like this.  “Cindy”, he said, “I need you to stop calling … [Read more...]

What Would You Attempt to Do If You Knew You Could Not Fail?

By Michael F. Mascolo, Ph.D. Several years ago, I bought my wife a silver bar bearing the question, “What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?” It was meant to be an inspirational gift. Its message, of course, is quite clear: We tend to avoid challenging projects out of a fear of failure. Failing breeds shame, humiliation and other bad things. If we could only get rid of our fear of failure, who knows what we could accomplish? For several years, my wife kept the silver … [Read more...]