PDC stands for People Development Columns that help you maximize your chances for success. These columns are written by professionals in their fields and appear at various times throughout the month: Every other Monday, Dr. Carolyn Tal returns to her column with Resilience Tips. Resilience is a growing area of research and practice for coping with and recovering from adversity, and is based on decades of research in related fields - particularly cognitive and positive psychology. Carolyn combines her training and experience as a psychologist, mediator, coach, and consultant in the practical application of Resilience concepts.

Dr. Susan Zaidel’s column on Building Bridges (in Hebrew) discusses the workings of mediation within the framework of Israel's court-approved Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) process.

Technical and marketing writers are experts in understanding a technology in order to present it to others, so a product can be acquired and utilized well.

How critical is the understanding of the people involved in the technology? The people involved in the creating of, producing of, marketing of, and support of the technology, most would agree, are critical to that technology’s success. Significant issues include powerful communication, managing and leading others, collaborating in partnerships and teams, mediating misunderstandings, and accelerating the growth and development of yourself and the people you work with. Every technology is ultimately built by people, and the success of the technology depends in part on the success of the people factors involved.

We will be bringing you ideas and tips from professional experts who address the above and related issues. And we welcome you to write us with your People Development issues and questions.

Featured
Resilience Tip - Resilience When Under Fire

When our nation is under fire, when our soldiers are engaged in dangerous conflict, stress levels can run high. For those directly and indirectly affected by the current situation, there are ways of responding that can ease the sense of stress.

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Resilience Tip - Consistency of Man

“He did it againnnn! Can you believe it?!” Well, actually I can. I’ve had clients and friends come to me time and time again with stories about the particular nemesis in their lives. They have a look of horror and disbelief as they relate stories already familiar to me. “My boss took credit for my work, again!” “My mother-in-law is trying to dominate the holiday, again!” “My spouse just sat there when our son arrived late, again!” “My colleague sat down uninvited and interrupted my work, again!” I do listen with sympathy. The relater of the story is truly in distress. And my simultaneous thought is “And you are surprised because?”

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Resilience Tip - Impact vs. Memory

“You weren’t listening to me!” “Yes I was! You said…” And they in fact repeat back exactly what we have just said. Familiar interaction? And yet, have you ever felt less than satisfied when that happens? Why this lack of satisfaction? What has happened, or perhaps more accurately, what has not happened They obviously did hear us, so what is still missing? What are we actually trying to do when we communicate?

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Resilience Tip - Inner Bumps

An important resilient expectation is Realistic Optimism. We are realistic in that we expect the road of life to have bumps, and we are optimistic in that we believe we can or will be able to manage the bumps. Sometimes these bumps are external, a challenge at our work, a health issue, children that do not admire and agree with every utterance from our mouths. And sometimes these bumps are internal, we lose our temper easily, we tend to procrastinate, we react before we think.

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Pleased vs. Complacent. While some people are naturally more resilient than others, resiliency can also be intentionally developed.

Organizational studies suggest that one of the things employees most desire and least feel is acknowledgement, recognition for effort and work well done. People will grumble about their boss not addressing this important issue. And yet we are often similarly neglectful in the way we relate to ourselves.

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Resilience Tip - Statement Questions

Ever notice how sometimes people ask a question when they really do not have a question? Recently I approached an office building where the gate at the entrance booth was open. I pulled up past the gate to the window where the guard was sitting, and opened my window to say where I was headed. The guard asked: “Why did you pull up past the gate?” I attempted to answer. However, as the guard repeated the question, I noticed a slightly annoyed and slightly frustrated feeling growing inside me.

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