Listening Skills for Phone Conversations

The listening skills you need for telephone conversations are not exactly the same as what you need for in-person meetings. Since the speaker can’t see you, it’s easy to get distracted and start doing something else when it’s not your turn to talk.

Discover three tips for helping you stay focused so you really hear the message when you’re on the phone.



What do YOU do to keep your attention focused on the speaker when you’re having a phone conversation?

“Boredom is what happens when I fail to make someone interesting.” – Warren Bennis, American author

Life Lessons from The Freedom Writers

If you’re drawn to movies that touch your heart, mind and values – and demonstrate how one person can make a difference in the world – it’s hard to imagine a more powerful story than The Freedom Writers.

In 1994 Erin Gruwell entered her first-year as an English teacher in Long Beach, California, with a cheery disposition and wide-eyed idealism. She was totally unprepared for the attitudes and behaviors of the group of students she’d been assigned to. They lived in a world of racial division, gang violence, drugs and broken homes. They were considered “unteachable” by other faculty members.

The story draws you in immediately, as Erin, played masterfully by Hilary Swank, seeks to understand the fears and challenges that her students face every day. Her amazing commitment to reach these teens, including buying books and other resources out of her own pocket, changes their lives.

Without spoiling the movie, in case you haven’t seen it, you’ll be amazed at the methods she uses to teach tolerance and courage…and the transformation these students undergo because of her leadership, guidance and personal concern for them.

But the real story didn’t end where the movie does.

In 1999 The Freedom Writers Diary was published and received rave reviews. It contained entries from the students’ own diaries along with commentary by Erin. Later she used her experience to set an even more ambitious goal: to help teachers everywhere successfully reach students in similar circumstances.

Today many of Erin’s original students work with her at The Freedom Writers Foundation. Its mission is to "change the educational system one classroom at a time by providing educators with transformative tools to engage, enlighten and empower at-risk students to reach their full potential."

This young woman could have walked out of that classroom the first month in despair and frustration. And no one would have blamed her. She must have experienced self-doubt and lack of confidence at times. But instead of giving in to these feelings, Erin Gruwell became fiercely determined. She tapped into her creativity and passion to find a way to break through to these students. And in the end, she succeeded in helping them overcome the prejudice and violence that had pervaded their lives.

Each of us has an opportunity to make a difference with the people whose lives we touch. We certainly face our share of adversity, even if it doesn’t include standing in front of a group of hostile teenagers.

Whatever your situation, you can draw on your own creativity and passion to create a positive experience for the people around you. If you watch the movie or read the book, I bet you’ll be inspired to do just that.

Discover Your Unique Talent

Your unique talent or gift is obvious to the people who know you well. But maybe you take it for granted or don’t give yourself credit for it. In this video, Meredith Bell shares a quick, easy way to learn what your top strength is – and why you need to do that.



What unique talent or gift do you have that you can use to impact your world in a positive way?

“People of talent resemble a musical instrument more closely than they do a musician. Without outside help, they produce not a single sound, but given even the slightest touch, a magnificent tune emanates from them.” – Franz Grillparzer, Austrian writer

Creating Memories That Stay with Your Children

For some reason, many of today’s parents feel they have to go all-out for their children, whether it’s for birthday parties, vacations, holidays, or celebrations after recitals or sporting events. And later, with engagement parties and weddings.

I’m not sure whether it’s competition with other parents, a feeling of guilt that maybe they’re not doing enough for their child, or something else.

Whatever the reason, it can lead to the development of an entitlement mindset, which does nothing to prepare young people for the challenges they’ll face as adults.

If you find yourself struggling with issues around how much to give to your child, my encouragement is to stop and ask yourself this all-important question:

"WHY am I doing this?"

And then dig deep for the real answer. Because my guess is that your actions have more to do with what’s going on inside you than what your child may need or expect.

My parents with their 6 "kids" at family reunion July 2010
Rob, Jim, Me, Mom, Dad, Lynne, Claude, Phil

I grew up in a family of six children, with one older sister and four younger brothers. Birthday celebrations were pretty simple. We didn’t take many vacations. And looking back, I don’t feel I was deprived in any way.

My parents gave us the really important things – love, discipline, stability and time.

I’ll always cherish the memories of sitting on the floor together playing games and working jigsaw puzzles.

Or the times Dad would take all the kids bowling. I can still see his head shaking when one of us tossed the ball into the gutter several times in a row. (I used to wonder why my mother never wanted to go with us. It was only years later that I came to appreciate this was one of the few occasions she could have some time to herself!)

The fact is, if you have children, you can create memories they will cherish 40 or 50 years from now without showering them with lavish gifts or events.

The deepest need every human being has is to feel loved, valued and understood. If you can meet those needs in your children, they will be better equipped to handle both the difficulties and successes of life.

“Your children need your presence more than your presents.” – Jesse Jackson