Emotional intelligence (EQ)  is vital in today’s workplace. And to be an effective leader, EQ is a critical skill set to have. By recognizing and addressing your employees’ emotional needs, as well as your own, you can increase trust, morale, and productivity. Let’s explore leadership qualities and techniques for developing emotional intelligence by looking at a few real-world examples.Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

“Why does a woman work ten years to change a man, then complain he’s not the man she married?” ~Barbra Streisand

I see it all the time; couples stuck in a rut of marital conflict and stress where small issues become giant hurdles, and their love gets buried. Love sure can be inconvenient, but empathy can dramatically help. Empathy will strengthen your closeness and bond so you feel rich in love, and you’ll be able to handle nearly every challenge that comes your way.

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

As a parent coach and parenting instructor for over 20 years, I’ve seen many faces of misbehavior and supported hundreds of parents. Parenting is tough—a 24-7 job that challenges every part of us, yet it is deeply gratifying. Yet, sometimes our children trigger us in ways we never thought were possible. Then, we can react and jump to conclusions about our children’s behavior that are inaccurate and ineffective.So why do children misbehave? And how can we prevent or eliminate misbehavior?Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Apologies are essential in our relationships. No matter how they are given, whether through an apology letter or in person, apologies recognize that hurt has happened due to the actions of another. Without that recognition, bitterness and resentment can build.

When given freely and sincerely, apologies hold the power to be precious. They say, “I have screwed up and have hurt you.” Are we able to mend and move forward in our relationship in spite of the screw-up? Will the experience result in greater distance or more closeness and understanding?

Every company needs managers to make sure that the work gets done and employees stay on track. Every manager needs specific skills to be successful. However, many people who excel at their job get promoted to management without proper training. Managing people is vastly different from managing a process or project, and studies find that companies pick or hire the wrong people for managers 82% of the time! Now that’s a ton of wasted time, lost revenue, retraining costs, and frustration.

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

A common phrase I often hear while teaching parenting classes or in parent coaching sessions is, “My kids are driving me crazy!” It doesn’t matter if the child is a toddler or a teen; this level of parental stress and exasperation is more common than you may think.

Maybe you're one of those discouraged parents. No matter the age of children, this is a plea for help. Unfortunately, as parents, we can often feel alone in our parenting stress, like we’re the only ones who feel this way. And then guilt rises. Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

You're probably familiar with the popular book, Don't Sweat the Small Stuff.Great little tips for life, letting go of the little things that annoy us or add to our stress.

However, when it comes to love and relationship, this advice doesn't hold up!

Read on if you want to know why.

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes (much longer to practice and master)

Emotional literacy and emotional intelligence both start by being able to say no. “No” is one of the shortest and simplest of words in almost any language, yet many people, especially people pleasers, have difficulty saying it.

Often, parents come to me because their child has been using that little, powerful word too much. Why do we train it out of them? By the time we’re adults, many of us have learned that it’s easier to go along with others. We seek to please, to be liked, to avoid hurting someone’s feelings, or to prevent conflict. So we say yes when we mean no. Or we say yes but drag [...]

A few months back, I went into The Flooring Place to get my Douglas Honeycomb shades repaired. As I waited to speak to a clerk, I saw an ad about flooring that read: Water resistant. Worry relief. This ad illustrated a simple principle: prevention.

Empathy is prevention. Empathy creates relief from emotional duress and upset. When a person truly listens and understands us, we feel heard, and emotions dissipate. Upset is no match for empathy. Feeling heard is a human need, and an empathetic response goes to the core of this need. And it's why empathy is important in parenting and in a child's [...]

Is a thriving team one that is profitable and productive? Or is it one where everyone is friends? Ask 100 people, and you might get 100 different answers.

The popular show “The Office” exemplifies this discrepancy well. Michael Scott, manager of the Scranton branch of fictional Dunder Mifflin, figured that as long as his team was laughing, they were thriving. But what determines whether or not a team is thriving?Estimated reading time: 6 minutes