conflict resolution

When You Don’t Know What Your Elbow Is Doing, But You Know Exactly Why

Let me share something that recently happened to me.  I was demonstrating a variant of a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu position known as side control. It is a fundamental posture that I have been doing, at this point, for years; I have also been on the receiving end more than I would care to remember. I […]

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informed informality

The Orpheus Syndrome, or When Asking Makes It Worse

I have had the story of Orpheus and Eurydice on my mind, and not just because I recently saw Hadestown. A quick summary: Orpheus’s wife, Eurydice, died of a snakebite. The grieving Orpheus journeyed to the underworld, where he moved everyone with his singing, including the big bosses Hades and Persephone. They permitted him to

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informed informality

Formal? Informal? What’s the Difference, Anyway? | From the Ombuds

MAR. 28, 2023 I frequently get asked just what an ombuds does—almost as often as I get asked how you say it (rhymes with “Tom Suds”). For me, one of the most important aspects of the office is its informality. But what does “informal” mean in this context, and how precisely is it different from

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