Randy Wey

A behavior I didn't learn or practice for a long time. Emotional Intelligence starts with "thinking before you speak". Reacting and communicating through emotions, typically calls for a re-do. Work with the facts and the data to communicate. Based on the situation and how emotionally close you are to it, can cause more difficulty when responding and coaching. Mastering the pause here is important. I do like the feel, felt, found method here as well so those you are working with can hear your empathy. I understand how you feel, I felt the same when xyz happened and found that by doing xyz this was the result. Offer solutions with empathy, facts, and manage your tone. That is also important. So much to discuss on this matter! Cheers!

As much as you want to get a professional boxing ring set up in place, that isn't the answer. Tensions typically run high for a few reasons. Nobody is listening, nobody is feeling heard, and too many cooks in the kitchen...so to speak. This is your time to pull back and pause. Emotional intelligence is going to be key here. Start asking questions (open-ended of course) and actively listen. You may not have to fix anything, you may just have to hear the team out. Ask for input to come up with solutions. Gives the team autonomy to help instead of the "leader" telling them what they need to do. Most importantly, DO NOT WAIT. Address it immediately, it will not fix itself.

I'll start by sharing, STOP using the word WEAKNESS. It is a negative word and nobody likes to talk negatively about themselves. This is simply an opportunity for development. When someone asks you, "what is your weakness?", restate the question as, "What I hear you ask, what do I consider an area of opportunity to develop? Let me share". Know what you want to work on. This should be a skill and/or behavior that you are developing to enhance yourself. If you can buy a skill to make yourself better, what would you buy? That is your opportunity you are working on. To many people try to spin a positive to a negative back to a positive. Focus on what you are working on and share that.

Often times you may find, the program is not the problem. I get it, sometimes the tools are not available. Mostly, it's the Leadership team running the program that is the problem. This is an accountability issue. When the program isn't working, reverse engineer until you find the reason. It will normally point to those delivering the message. Taking accountability for coaching and lack of leadership abilities is not a common thing to see. Who is delivering the message, why is that person(s) delivering the message, what training do they have to understand the program to deliver, and lastly, what is the goal with each person. Each plan should be different. You can't build a common goal plan, you build individually. The rest falls into place!

Show up prepared. Bring a note pad and pen. Take notes. Build rapport is important. Find something in common with the person you are sitting across from. You are there to interview the organization fit as much as they are there to interview you. The hardest question: what is your salary/wage expectation. Answer: I am actively interviewing for positions that range between $$$ and $$$. How does that align with your current budget? This way, you are not giving a specific number. Provide a range. Saying you are actively interviewing reminds them you are not going to be around long.

I agree with Eric below. Cannot stress the importance of practice. Remember, the words you say only account for 35% of communication. Pitch, tone, body language, cadence, and words. All part of the communication. Record yourself practicing and do a few things. Play back with no sound and watch your body language. Take notes. Play back again with volume but don't watch. Just listen. Take notes. What can you do different! Practice makes progress!