There’s something about the word “boundaries” that can conjure up the idea that someone is being difficult or purposely not helpful.The truth is, that’s not at all what boundaries are about. If anything, good boundaries that aren’t squishy can

The 100% Rule

Mar 26th, 2020 7m 31s

Have you ever heard the expression that “perfection is the enemy of progress”? The reality of life is that nobody is ever going to be 100% perfect, and expecting them to be is just setting ourselves up for disappointment. On this episode of th

Filling the Emotional Bank Account

Mar 12th, 2020 16m 50s

As a leader, it’s sometimes easy to fall into the trap of only singling out an employee when something goes wrong instead of making a point to catch people when they’re doing something right. So how do we break that habit and start making a poi

It's Not Personal

Feb 27th, 2020 9m 42s

You may think that including the phrase “it’s not personal” when you’re in the midst of a difficult conversation softens up what you’re saying, but in reality, it’s not doing you any favors. In fact, it can have the complete opposite effect of

My #1 Tip for Speaking Powerfully

Feb 13th, 2020 9m 58s

When you have a message to share, it’s important for you to remain calm, cool, and confident and speak powerfully. If you are stressed and anxious and in flight or fight mode, it’s contagious to those around you. Having people stressed and on

Saying No: How and When To Do It

Jan 30th, 2020 17m 52s

Have you said yes without even thinking and have it followed by regret and remorse? We all know that feeling too well. We say yes without making that conscious decision that it actually is something we want to do. You end up beating yourself up

How to Get People to Listen to You

Jan 16th, 2020 11m 32s

Being raised in a talkative family, I had to shout and talk over people just to be heard. I thought that If I could talk louder and dominate the conversation, people would listen. Boy, was I wrong! It’s something I have to work on because it’s

Why Focus Equals Results

Jan 2nd, 2020 14m 33s

It’s so easy to get distracted with different projects than the one you should be working on. "Oh, I want to do a course on that! I really want to speak on that subject. I can’t wait to read the book about that!" But progress all comes down to

Change Your Story, Change Your Life

Dec 12th, 2019 14m 18s

When was the last time you woke up on the wrong side of the bed? Your mood is already sour, and on top of that, everything you touch seems to go wrong. How can you NOT let it ruin your day? Well, it’s up to you to choose how to change how you

The Courage Challenge

Nov 28th, 2019 12m 4s

Kids are great. They’re fearless. They try something. They fail. They fall. And they keep on trying. It’s like having superpowers! So, what’s your superpower? It’s time to reconnect with that little kid in you and figure it out. So the question

Want More Courage? Try This.

Nov 14th, 2019 20m 32s

What do you think about when you think about courage? Do certain people pop into your mind automatically as being particularly courageous? What about YOU? Are you courageous? We tend to admire courage in other people but forget that we have tha

Detox From Complaining

Oct 31st, 2019 17m 20s

How much more peaceful would your life be if you didn’t find yourself getting caught up in loops of complaining about the little things?The fact is, we have more control over our thoughts than we think we do. However, we can’t start to change o

Free Yourself From Other's Expectations

Oct 17th, 2019 19m 30s

How awesome would your life be if you were free from worrying about what other people think of you? If you were to live life on your terms? But maybe you're thinking "but Diane, there ARE some expectations that have to be met. Like at work, for

Dealing with Rude People

Oct 3rd, 2019 24m 6s

We all encounter rude people in our lives. When we have encounters with people who are rude, the aftereffects can last for a while. Our adrenaline is pumping and we often spend more time than we should be contemplating all the different ways th

How to Say No at Work

Sep 19th, 2019 13m 51s

Have you ever heard the expression “No is a complete sentence”?Sounds great in theory but saying no and leaving it at that can be really challenging for some of us. Have you ever wondered why such a tiny little word can be sooooo hard to say?

When Feedback Makes You Twinge

Sep 5th, 2019 19m 30s

Feedback.We all need it sometimes, and it can be helpful to get a different perspective from someone else.But what happens when the feedback you’ve received is NOT what you were expecting at all and you aren’t really loving what the other perso

Overcoming Avoidance

Jun 6th, 2019 19m 8s

Leaders lead and provide feedback. That’s how someone improves. In fact, that’s how WE improve as well. Without feedback, we don’t know how we’re doing or where we can step up our efforts. We’re in a type of vacuum that does no one any good. Bu

The ABCs of Difficult Conversations

May 30th, 2019 18m 53s

You know what they say about the best-laid plans… No matter how much we prepare and do everything exactly right, our conversations don’t always go as planned or how we want. But it’s important to not psych yourself out of saying what needs to b

Setting Boundaries

May 23rd, 2019 16m 16s

Have you heard the saying: “You to train people how to treat you”? All that’s basically saying is that how you react and interact with people will show them what you will tolerate and expect in your relationships — business or otherwise. In fac

Dealing With Zingers

May 16th, 2019 9m 7s

“That’s not what I meant.” “You can’t take a joke.” “You’re being too sensitive.” We’ve all been on the other side of this conversation where our feelings our discounted. And where does that road lead us to? Shame. It’s time to stop allowing ga

Accepting What Is

May 9th, 2019 9m 41s

Expectations. We set them for all kinds of things in our life: how certain situations will turn out, how someone will react, how something will actually play out, etc. When these expectations are not met, we’re left with all these negative emot

Silence as Your Secret Weapon

May 2nd, 2019 14m 45s

Sometimes, you just have to stop talking. You know when you’ve had a difficult conversation, and once you get done saying what needs to be said, there’s this “pregnant pause” that is palpable? What do you do? You start talking again. It can be

Why Tone Matters

Apr 25th, 2019 16m 55s

As the old adage goes: “It’s not what you say but how you say it.” Miscommunication can wreak havoc on your relationships — both personal and in business. On this episode of the Elephant Conversations podcast, I share why tone can make all the

Say This, Not That: "I Feel"

Apr 18th, 2019 19m 18s

“I feel” is a positive phrase, right? How can you go wrong if you’re telling people how you feel? Because, oftentimes, you’re not. In fact, what you’re most likely sharing are opinions and judgments. The reward? Suddenly, you’re talking to some

Curbing Complaining: Yours and Theirs

Apr 11th, 2019 21m 46s

How much have you complained today? We probably complain more than we’d like to but, in the end, it’s not beneficial to us in any way. In fact, it’s harmful. Don’t worry — you don’t have to quit cold-turkey! On this episode of the Elephant Conv