1.     What kind of relationship did you have with the individuals involved?

2.     What did you do when you first learned that there was conflict between the employees?

3.     Have you ever talked with the employees individually or collectively about how to resolve problems?

4.     Did the employees ever come to you to discuss any issues with each other?

5.     Were you approachable ?

6.     If they came to you what did you do ?

7.     How is the rest of the staff handling this situation?

One of the key elements of being an effective Leader is to work toward having effective relationships with individuals you are trying to lead/supervisor  and knowing how to talk to staff. You can’t start developing a relationship when conflict occurs. You need to start the moment they join the organization and/or your team.

Think about it.

Samuel H. Hancock Ed.D.

As the weather becomes more pleasant and spring gradually turns to summer all of us will interact with others on a more frequent basis and statistically more altercations, conflict, and some cases murders tend to occur. I would just like to encourage everyone to be kind to one another and to work toward treating others in a compassionate, considerate way. In my book Lord Help me..I have a Date I discuss the importance of all of us developing better social skills so that we can interact with others more comfortably. Let’s make a concerted effort to have an enjoyable summer and to be thankful for being able to see the summer of 2018.

I lost a good paying job back in the late 1980’s and it was during a time when jobs were hard to come by. However, I recognized then that it wasn’t what they had taken from me that counted but what I was willing to do with what I had left. By the grace of God my average yearly earnings over the next 10 years were more than my annual salary on that job that I lost and I learned another valuable life lesson: Just because you have a bad day (job loss) it does not mean you have a bad life.

You can’t have a good day with a bad attitude or a bad day with a good attitude. A positive attitude can help you to remain healthy, physically and emotionally but a negative attitude can also have a devastating impact on you and your relationships with those around you. My former high school football coach would always tell us while we practiced during cold temperatures in the rain and mud that “The sun is shining somewhere” and most of the time he was standing there in shorts and short sleeves! He taught me a valuable lesson which is that you can mentally take yourself anywhere you want to go and positive thinking will always overcome negative circumstances.

When anyone tells a student, particularly students of color, that because they are 2 or 3 grade levels behind their peers that they can never become proficient in reading and math I know for a fact that nothing can be farther from the truth. When educators create an environment that is conducive to quality instruction reading and math scores can jump 2 or 3 grade levels within 1 year. Quality instruction includes tutoring if necessary and the willingness and ability of the educator to demonstrate to the student that they genuinely love and believe in them. In addition, when the educator incorporates incentives that the students can embrace and partner with parents, children can really soar academically. I not only saw it happen I helped it happen. If you want to know more about how it happened, let’s talk. Feel free to email me at drsamspeaks@gmail.com or call me at 419-250-3154.

Well, Valentine’s Day has come and gone once again. I am sure that a significant number of husbands, boyfriends, some wives and girlfriends, gave that special person flowers, candy, cards and maybe even a teddy bear. A young lady told me that she hates the teddy bear because she “does not know where it has been.” Nonetheless, February 14th has been memorialized by many of us and I think that is a good thing. Yet, I would like to remind everyone, particularly the men, don’t wait for Valentine’s Day to give your wife or girlfriend flowers and/or a nice card. You should bless them with those things on a regular basis. Don’t wait until February 14th to take her to dinner, shopping, or to a movie. You should do it all the time or as often as possible! I am sure she will appreciate it even if she does not tell you.

I became a widower after 30 years of marriage and after re-marrying over 3 1/2 years ago I am convinced of at least four things. One is that there are no perfect marriage’s, two is that every marriage is different and three is that 33 years of marriage still does not qualify me as a “expert” on marriage. But the fourth thing is that couples that remain married for 30, 40, 50 or 60 years have the same problems as couples that divorce such as, money, sex, children, housework, priorities etc. However, the difference is that those in successful relationships learn how to manage conflict in a constructive manner, and understand that the learning process is ongoing. It never stops. Men and women are different but our differences are what make us unique.