Tongue Tied? Transformation begins with Untangling the Unsaid

We have all experienced this professionally and personally.  The conversation we don’t want to have – the festering, bothersome, uncomfortable topic or situation.  But what if we could uncover a systematic approach to proactively dealing with the “unsaid.”  The Hollister Institute, under Kip Hollister’s leadership was set up to do just that and more.

This concept, the ability to conduct a “courageous conversation” is at the core of the Effective Communications workshop.  As a veteran attendee of many corporate training programs, I sat in as an “observer” curious to find out how things have or have not changed since my days of heading into an office.   It seems that this topic is more relevant than ever.  In fact our communication challenges have been accentuated by technology which ironically has given us many more (but possibly not better) ways to communicate.   With so much of our time spent in an office setting, Hollister is committed to instilling the principles behind the Institute in its own business and that of their clients.

The Hollister Institute approach literally helps “frame” the issues that clog up our communication channels.  Communications are stymied by fear of what will happen when we say the “unsaid.”  The workshop, therefore, begins with a bilateral storytelling exercise that forces us to separate facts from dramatic interpretations before we try to fix anything.  The focus is on accountability, commitment to self and others, and conversation that leads to a reasonable outcome.   It’s also an exercise in clear listening – free of bad listening habits like “fix-it” listening and “pretend” listening.   Kip and the co-facilitators (Karla and Tracy) use their own stories to demonstrate the daily reality that faces us in this realm.  The prescription is potent and the morning revealed how it can lead to business productivity and personal growth.

So what makes this workshop stand out in the world of leadership training? Philosophically, the workshop series takes into account the entire “individual” we bring to work – our “operating system.”  The programs examine opportunities from the inside out.   This particular workshop was intimate and conducted in the round.  The content was relevant, practical, and actionable.   What made it particularly impactful was the presence of a very successful CEO who has 30 years under her belt looking in the mirror daily to deal with the challenges of building a business.  Many CEO’s enjoy the opportunity to do peer-to-peer reviews – the results of which we rarely see.  Others retire and look back on their experiences.   For Kip Hollister and her team, the journey is real-time.  It’s bold, open discussion about dynamics that are being experienced now.  Kip has a lot to say as a leader and a coach and is ready to contribute to the next generation of leaders.   Her conviction is that healthy conversation leads to healthy transformation – from individual to department to company.   You can find out more or sign up and get that albatross off your shoulder sooner rather than laterOur communication challenges have been accentuated by technology which ironically has given us many more (but possibly not better) ways to communicate. Kip has a lot to say as a leader and a coach and is ready to contribute to the next… Share on X!