Rodger Dean Duncan's Blog, page 11

Anxiety is Contagious. Don’t Be a Spreader

Many people have discovered that, in addition to being a smart way to reduce the spread of Covid-19, social distancing has some negative effects that include feelings of isolation, loneliness, and increased stress.

And that increased stress can cause other problems such as changes in sleep patterns and difficulty concentrating.

It doesnt have to be that way.

The deliberate, mindful choices we make can have a measurable effect on how we cope with stress.

Thats the research-based conclusion of...

Everybody Matters. No Kidding

No doubt about it. Truly successful organizations typically have happy people. Or put another way, to win in the marketplace you must first win in the workplace.

This is not about free lunches, foosball tables, and singing Kumbaya in the company parking lot. It’s about genuinely connecting with people’s heads, hearts, and hopes. Then, and only then, do people devote their full discretionary effort to their work.

Multiple studies show that best-in-class engagement—that is, the top 10% of engaged ...

How to Conquer Workplace Mountaintops

The best views come after the hardest climb.

That truism is embraced by any self-respecting high adventurer. And in this case, “high adventurer” applies to workplace achievers as well as to people braving the treacherous footholds of Mount Everest.

Perhaps more than ever, people in the workplace must learn to expand their comfort zones. Research shows that by 2030 upwards of 400 million workers around the globe will need to change their roles or learn dramatically new skills. Simply put: adapt o...

Is Leadership a Challenge? Crack the Code

Let’s face it. The Covid pandemic has brought more disruption to our lives than most of us could ever have imagined.

Businesses of every kind have been forced to alter their operating models.

Schools at every level are scrambling to serve their students, coping with the tenuous (and ever-changing) balance between safety and effective learning.

Football teams are playing in empty or near-empty stadiums while baseball and basketball is played in front of cardboard cutouts of fans while phony crowd...

What ‘Integrity’ Really Means In Today’s Marketplace

Integrity, it’s been said, is not something to show off to others. It’s what you should be doing even when nobody’s looking. Integrity is the choice between what’s convenient and what’s right.

Along with quality, accountability and trust, “integrity” is one of the most common words you’ll find on corporate values statements. If you listen carefully, you can almost hear the John Philip Sousa music playing in the background.

But the actual practice of integrity requires much more than high-soundin...

Get What You Want By Boosting Your AWE Factor

We live at a time when brash and loud seem to be the norm. Our commerce and civic life—and especially our politics—seem to be dominated by in-your-face noise.

Steve Herz recommends a different approach.

Steve is a talent agent who represents more than 250 of today’s top journalists, broadcast executives, and media personalities at CBS, CNN, MSNBC, FOX News, ESPN and elsewhere. He also provides guidance and coaching to athletes, CEOs, and entrepreneurs. If you assume his clients are not exactly t...

Is Your Path to ‘Success’ Clear Or Confusing?

“Do what you can with all you have, wherever you are.”

Teddy Roosevelt said that more than a century ago, long before Twitter feeds and Instagram memes.

Today, when some people still get sucked into the vortex of victimization and blame, the path to success—and even the definition of success—seems to be up for debate.

But not for J. Douglas Holladay. A former White House advisor, he’s now CEO of a leadership development firm called PathNorth. He’s also a professor at Georgetown University where ...

Need Help? Don’t Be Afraid to Ask

Now, perhaps more than ever, the success of organizations (not to mention entire industries) requires open and honest collaboration between individuals and teams.

That may sound simple enough. But it requires a skill that eludes some people: asking for help.

Mastering the “strategic ask” is critical to solving problems, cultivating breakthroughs, bridging organizational silos, sharing knowledge, and all the other things associated with high-performing teams

One person who understands this especi...

Is Yours a ‘Safe’ Workplace? There’s More to It Than You Might Imagine

In this age of “cancel culture,” many people are reluctant to speak their minds for fear of being ridiculed, shamed, or even banished. A superior, holier-than-thou mindset seems to be the new favorite tool of bullies.

But more subtle versions have been seen in the workplace for as long as any of us can remember.

Here’s an example. A nuclear power plant was in the middle of a planned outage. That’s when the plant is temporarily shut down for routine maintenance. During an outage, a nuclear plant ...

Are You Uncomfortable Negotiating? Ask For More

“Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate.”

If that line rings familiar, you recognize it from John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address. In that speech six decades ago, he was talking about international diplomacy. But that sentiment applies just as readily to business deals and personal relationships.

Nobody understands that better than Alexandra Carter. She’s director of the Mediation Clinic at Columbia Law School where she’s also an award-winning professor and a world...