4 Communication Tips to Keep the Peace With Your Ex

Interview Carol Barkes

Carol Barkes is a trend-setting mediator, business executive and educator specializing in the use of neuroscience to improve business performance, interpersonal communications, negotiation and conflict resolution processes for optimally successful results.

Talking Points From Carol Barkes
On Keeping the Peace With Your Ex:

Do not expect your ex to parent the same way you do. The number one thing we know that hurts children is conflict between their parents. Know that kids play one parent against the other and don’t tell either parent the full truth. It is part of their survival mechanism. Try to keep them out of the middle and don’t look to them for a source of negative information about your ex.

Continue reading “4 Communication Tips to Keep the Peace With Your Ex”

Be a LEADER and Not a BOSS: 7 Motivating Concepts

Interview Carol Barkes

Talking Points From Carol Barkes
On Leadership:

1) Leaders let their team help guide the ship.Bosses micromanage their team about how to sail.
Continue reading “Be a LEADER and Not a BOSS: 7 Motivating Concepts”

Read This Before You Sign That Contract

Interview Carol Barkes

Talking Points From Carol Barkes On How to
Negotiate a Business Contract:

Contracts are often standard, have been drafted with legal jargon by corporate attorneys, and are meant to work for the majority of circumstances. That being said, a contract does not always fit perfectly for every situation. If they don’t, they can often be modified when it makes sense. The secret is to ask. If you don’t ask, the answer is always, “no.” Read contracts carefully to make sure the contents fit the circumstances. If not, start a conversation about the areas of concern. They can often be mitigated and are best addressed before anything goes wrong.

Continue reading “Read This Before You Sign That Contract”

4 Steps in Negotiating Unpaid Time Off From Work

Interview: Carol Barkes

This comes from a communications expert, Carol Barkes. Here are some talking points for an interview about negotiation unpaid time off from work:

Create a win-win. How does unpaid time off work benefit both you and the employer?
Give information about your “why.” The more reasonable you make the request and the more information you give that help create the story about why you need the time and why it would be worth it for them to grant it, can be the game changer you need.
Continue reading “4 Steps in Negotiating Unpaid Time Off From Work”

Do Passive-Aggressive Signs in Business Work?

Interview: Carol Barkes

This comes from a communications expert, Carol Barkes. Here are some talking points for an interview about passive-aggressive signs:

Our brains pay more attention to negative things than positive. It goes back to ancient times when negative things could mean death. Consequently, our brains notice and log negative messaging more than positive messaging. Unfortunately, our brains also direct us to move towards reward and away from threats.

Continue reading “Do Passive-Aggressive Signs in Business Work?”

Using Neuroscience in Business Meetings

Interview: Carol Barkes

From Carol Barkes on
Neuroscience Tips for a Meeting:

Neuroscience is an exciting field that continues to explore how people learn. Applying this kind of knowledge can benefit the future of the modern business meeting. Here are a few quick tips to consider before your next meeting:

1. Take a walk. Consider having meetings while walking or even have your team walk before a meeting. The oxygen received to the brain will improve the decision-making process.
Continue reading

The Brain Science Behind Gender Bias in the Workplace: Communications Explored

Interview: Carol Barkes

Some talking points for an interview on
women on gender bias in the workplace:

As one of the San Francisco Bay Area first female firefighters and now a woman in a still largely male dominated legal field, I regularly experience gender bias. In fact, we all do and some of it cannot be helped.
Biases come in two forms extrinsic and intrinsic. Intrinsic biases happen “under the hood” or unconsciously. They are our brains way of filtering information that is ancestral in nature—is someone a friend or is someone a potential threat, for instance. Extrinsic biases are consciously driven in that we choose to have them. For instance, I choose not to hire a woman. Continue reading “The Brain Science Behind Gender Bias in the Workplace: Communications Explored”

Difficult Business Relationships: Exploring Solutions

Interview: Carol Barkes

Here’s some talking points on what Carol Barkes would say on an interview about problematic business relationships:

Many questions are about change management and there are some simple neuroscience techniques to make this easier for everyone.
Still others are about workload and fairness, which is actually the leading cause of workplace stress. Talking about this is one of the best ways to save businesses money. In fact, annually US businesses lose over $300 billion in financial resources due to stress. Continue reading “Difficult Business Relationships: Exploring Solutions”

How to Be a More Outgoing People Person

Interview: Carol Barkes

This comes from a communications expert, Carol Barkes. Here are some talking points for an interview on how to be more outgoing:

1. Smile more. Sometimes being outgoing is really just being about being perceived as outgoing. A simple way to seem more approachable is to practice a genuine smile. This is a smile that activates the muscles around your eyes—not just your mouth. The easiest way to get one is by thinking of someone or something that brings you immense happiness and joy. For instance, I think of the day my son was born; it was magical. This smile generates trust in the brains of those with whom you are interacting. Our brains are always assessing whether someone is a friend or a potential threat. With a genuine smile, we seem more approachable, friendly, and outgoing.

Continue reading “How to Be a More Outgoing People Person”