Leading with Conversation

Organizations are always transitioning in some way, and even more so in the age of the pandemic. So how can leaders be more mindful of the people in their charge during these times of transition? In this episode, Ray and the JLC team share their own stories of personal resiliency, and discuss how you as a leader can improve and foster your own resiliency, and how that enables your teammates to mov...

What's your day-to-day like? Are you consistently moving forward, growing, and evolving in your roles and relationships? Or are you just "getting it done," and "checking the boxes" as you go through your day? In this episode, Ray, Julie, Colleen, and Vince talk about the importance of moving beyond simply "working on work," and taking actions that give us the perspective to see and experience thin...

How does the story of a runaway farm horse correlate to resilience, and our ability to bounce back from adverse events? Find out in this latest installment of the JLC podcast, as Ray, Colleen, and Bob talk about the importance of taking a moment to pause… assess… reflect… and view these adverse events in as positive a perspective as possible before reacting and responding… The Jorgensen Learning C...

How do YOU respond to a setback? In this episode of our podcast series on resilience, Dr. Ray and the JLC team talk about the importance of the relationships in your life, and how those relationships can help you bounce back from those setbacks. By the end of the episode, you'll learn how to use the conversations from these trusted relationships to help you become even more resilient, so you can b...

In this third installment in our series on resiliency, Ray, Colleen, Vince, and Julie will follow up last episode's discussion on Responding to Positive Events with a conversation about the other side of that equation: the different ways we can handle negative events that crop up in the course of our lives, and how to create self-talk around those events that will help up bounce back stronger. The...

Welcome to the second episode in our series on resiliency… In this episode, Dr. Ray and the team will discuss how you can strengthen your "resiliency muscle" by focusing on the positive events in our life – and recognizing the things that go well. By the end of the session, you'll have a stronger ability to spot those positive moments, and respond to them in ways that make us stronger and more res...

What does it mean to be resilient? In this next series of the JLC podcast, Dr. Ray Jorgensen and the team will explore the facets of resilience… In this episode, the team shares personal stories of resilience, and discusses how things like self talk, and our reaction to the positive and negative events in our life affect that resilience… The Jorgensen Learning Center offers a variety of programs f...

One of the best ways a team can move forward in its directives is to treat one another with Respect. Responding respectfully to your colleagues builds trust, strengthens relationships, and creates a "safe space" in your organization that will help the team move forward. In this episode of the JLC podcast, Colleen, Vince, Nichole, and Dr. Ray will talk about the shared understanding that comes thro...

Join the JLC Team as they talk about the importance of making sure your leadership conversations are disciplined and intentional... The result of continued practice of these kinds of conversations is that your team becomes more engaged, more intimate, and more connected. You'll learn how to structure conversations among your teammates so that you're always thinking about the reasons behind the con...

Self-talk -- both positive and negative -- can influence your performance by influencing your beliefs. In this story, Ray and the JLC team talk about a guy named Cliff Young, a marathon runner who had no idea of the previously-held beliefs about distance running, so he went ahead and won! Great story, and great discussion that follows. Stories and storytelling are an integral part of the learning...

This episode of the JLC podcast is about "leading to a success condition." What does that mean? In part, it means planning for a pre-determined "end state," which you then build your leadership and conversations around as you work toward that outcome.  The Jorgensen Learning Center offers a variety of programs for individuals and organizations to enhance their communication and leadership skills…...

Listen as Ray Jorgensen and the JLC team share a story that Herbie Hancock tells about playing with one of the jazz greats, Miles Davis, and how dangerous it can be to let a person believe his/her thinking is wrong... Stories and storytelling are an integral part of the learning process... Often a story can shed light or land on us in a way that makes a much bigger impact than through other commun...

Ever heard of the Abilene Paradox? It's the situation that arises among a group in which members of the group may agree with a plan of action, even though they may have reservations, but may feel pressured by the group to "go along," despite objections or uncertainty. In the latest episode of the JLC podcast, we'll explore the feelings that come from saying "Yes," when we really want to say "no,"...

Join the team from the Jorgensen Learning Center as they share discussion around a story about Franz Kafka, a distraught little girl, and her missing doll. (Turns out the doll isn't lost, it's out traveling the world!) Guaranteed, you'll enjoy the perspective this story puts on your approach to your business relationships! Stories and storytelling are an integral part of the learning process... Of...

We at the Jorgensen Learning Center are huge fans of the book The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz… It teaches us how to reconcile one of the most important relationships we have: the relationship with oneself. In this installment of the JLC Podcast, Ray, Colleen and Julie talk about different ways to apply The Four Agreements in our effort to have meaningful conversations, not just with our col...

An organization's most valuable asset is its people, and the most successful organizations are the ones who take the time to develop those people, and regularly encourage them to perform at a higher level. In this episode, Ray Jorgensen and the JLC team talk about how creating your own "Personal Learning Container" can help you and your team realize tangible results and desired outcomes. The Jorge...

Have you considered the difference between a "casual" conversation a more formal "leadership" conversation? As we say so often, professional conversations among knowledge workers are a key to success... In this episode, the JLC team discusses the importance of designing a conversation to elicit the outcome you desire… Listen in as the group explores the differences between a "casual" conversation...

Checking Out of a meeting is similar to checking in; its purpose is to continue enhancement of accountability and engagement among team members.  In this episode, your hosts Coleen and Julie illustrate how the "Check Out" can shift your conversations from thinking the team will perform the expected action, to ensuring every member has a clear understanding of next steps. 

People walk into a meeting with many different things going on in their mind; we call this cognitive noise. Studies show the first ten minutes of any meeting are "lost" while people gather their focus and become mentally present. The way to regain this time is to do a simple check-in. A check-in allows the participants to clear their minds of other issues, settle in, and focus so that they are rea...

Conversational safe space is key to open dialogue and trust. People expose their thinking and open themselves up to possible judgment. In this episode of the Everyday Leadership Conversations podcast, hosts Colleen and Vince show you how to create and foster psychological safety in your organization...  You'll learn how to "STEAR" your meetings to create safe spaces for your colleagues, leading to...

Are you trustworthy? Do you trust your colleagues?  The practice of trust is both deeply personal and inherently collective. In this episode, hosts Vince Starks and Julie B. Wise will discuss how environments of fear, trust and trustworthiness can negatively (or positively!) impact relationships and results in the workplace. During this podcast, you'll learn how to establish intentionality to enha...

In this episode, hosts Vince Starks and Colleen Sullivan discuss how human interaction can lead us to a conclusion and a successful outcome or on occasion, slow us down... Talk can be cheap and sometimes distracting. Talk and meetings happen all the time in either our brick and mortar or virtual world. The most impactful leaders work to achieve results through relationships. Once high-quality prof...

Welcome to the Leading with Conversation podcast. This five-part series of podcasts explores the Relationships and Results driven by the conversations we have. Your leadership is revealed through your everyday conversations. Most relationships arise from conversations. The greater the quality of your conversations, the greater the quality of your relationship. Relationships produce desired results...