by Lorraine Segal | Oct 19, 2020
A fictional voyage to Mars offers valuable lessons about resolving conflicts across differences. I recently watched Away, a beautiful miniseries about a near future journey to Mars. It was a suspenseful adventure drama, and, an inspiring model of effective...
by Lorraine Segal | Nov 18, 2019
Culture clash in conversations at work. Is it an interruption or a cultural difference? No one likes to be interrupted. But what constitutes an interruption can vary greatly by culture. If two people are relying unconsciously on different rules, it can lead to...
by Lorraine Segal | Jul 13, 2019
The Platinum Rule is better than the Golden Rule at work, because not everyone is the same. Golden rule vs. Platinum rule We’ve all heard the Golden Rule, Treat others the way you want to be treated. Sounds good, right? Be kind, treat people well. What could go wrong...
by Lorraine Segal | Oct 19, 2016
One of the sources of unresolved conflict at work and elsewhere can be unconscious (or conscious) bias and prejudice. But instead of reacting, you can choose to respond and communicate. A few years ago, I unexpectedly encountered anti-Semitism at a business networking...
by LorraineSegal | Aug 6, 2012
A novel approach to building empathy. I’ll start with a confession. I am utterly addicted to reading novels and have been since I was 9 years old. I am almost never without a novel to read, and when I have free time, I greedily devour more. My favorites include...
by LorraineSegal | Dec 19, 2009
You say “hello”; I say “adios”. In the U.S., when we walk past someone we don’t know, what do we say? In a crowded urban environment, people tend to ignore each other entirely. But while walking in country neighborhoods, small towns, or in...
