Connecting Off the Grid

 



Funny how sometimes it takes getting 'off the grid' to connect...

Well...

I reconnected with an old friend of mine. He's been wanting to go out camping for a while now, so... 

Off the grid we went for a few days. 

We went up in the Manistee National Forest near Bitley, Michigan. 

It was really good to reconnect and spend some time together. We bonded with some shared adversity in the woods... It was cold and rainy pretty much everyday... However, we had a great time and are looking forward to doing it again!   

Do any of you have a friend who you haven't connected with in a long time?

Sure you do!

Give one of them a call and reconnect with them. Go out for coffee, lunch, dinner, or drinks.

Time moves so quickly! Days turn to weeks, months, years and decades!

Before you know it there is a lot of time in between...

The second thing is that you may have noticed that my last email had a number of links.

Problem is (if you tried them) most of them were disconnected! (oh, shi*t...)

Oops...

Sorry, but I'm still getting used to this new software, so bare with me.

Hopefully, I worked out the bugs... er... ahh... user errors!


DISCONNECTION & CONFLICT MANAGEGEMENT


QUESTION:
What does being disconnected have to do with conflict management?

ANSWER:
Too much to go into here in this one email!

We could start with the idea that much of conflict comes from someone (or a group of someones) being disconnected with a bigger picture.

Maybe they're only thinking of themselves, their relative values, the wants or needs of themselves or their own group.

They've lost a healthy balance.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that sooner or later this will often lead to conflict...

So, how do we teach to separate someone's "life value" from their beliefs and behavior!?

How can we teach others to MANAGE someone's behavior appropriately and still respect them as human beings?

Great question!


Answer...


It's simple, not easy!

One of the best things we can do is to...

MODEL that BEHAVIOR!

LEAD BY EXAMPLE!!


It takes:


The Clarity...
The Skill...

...and The Confidence...

Of a Protector...

Of a PeaceWalker!


WHAT WILL GREATER CONNECTION GIVE YOU?


Some of you might be thinking that greater connection is too soft, 'new age-y' or granola crunchy, tree huggy...
I disagree!

Having greater connection will make you BETTER at everything you do!

If you are in sales, your sales will increase!

If you are a police officer, you will be safer and more effective on the street!

If you are a teacher, your students will learn more, because your classroom will have a better learning environment!

If you are a manager, your productivity will increase, because people will be working at a greater capacity!

REALLY?!?

NO BS?!?

How?

When you are 'dialed in' you will get the essential 'intel' necessary to figure out the problem. (Hopefully even before it is an issue!)

You see treating Conflict as an Opportunity really means being CONNECTED!

We talk a lot about this concept in the PeaceWalker Conflict Communication Course.

The entire course is available to you on the NEW PeaceWalker Membership Site. (Coming Soon!)

Here's a Method to Instantly Connect w/Someone...

Dr. George Thompson (the creator of Verbal Judo) had a great quote,

"The opposite of talking is listening. However, most people aren't listening, they are waiting to interrupt."

If you want to begin connecting with people, LISTEN to what they are saying!

LISTEN in a way that lets people know you are interested in what they have to say.

LEAN IN: figuratively and literally.

Use sounds like: Mmmm. Oh.

Say things like: Yea. I hear what you're saying. Right.

Do things like: Tilt your head toward them and Nod... Lean in...

ASK QUESTIONS to clarify anything you don' t understand 

REFLECT BACK to them what you thought they said.


Try it the next time you have to listen to what someone is telling you something...

You may be surprised what happens!

And YUP...

...you guessed it, we DO have an entire module on the dynamics of reflective listening skills still available on the PeaceWalker Conflict Communications Course!

As I've said, currently you CAN still get that entire course on the membership site!

If you're not a member yet....

Membership is Opening within the next couple week!

Get on the waitlist now!


Have a great day and...


Keep going,
~Craig

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