Soul Searching Nikki Kloeppel

Soul Searching: What I learned from trauma and when things blow up in your face

On the 4th of July a firework exploded in my face. Here's an "explosive" story about the terrible accident that resulted in 20 stitches to my lips, lacerations and burns all over my face, chest and arms that left me terrified and temporarily unable to eat, speak or smile.

This video is part Public Service Announcement to beware of fireworks. It's part deeply personal sharing about how faith and gratitude got me through pain. It's part call to action for us all to be open and let people help us through our difficulties and foster meaningful human connection. It's a reminder that things usually end up better then we think and blessings, insight and love can come from suffering.

We wrap up this pandemic season’s soul searching interviews with a big dose of inspiration to help us develop leadership and resilience.

Tionka gives tools to develop confidence, change our mindset, overcome fear of public speaking, and apply lessons from parenting to leadership at work.

We can improve success at work and home when we make a stronger connection and apply best practices from all areas of our life.

Here are 3 techniques to help you get results and peak performance from colleagues, customers and children.

This heartbreaking and heartwarming interview will help you face some of the challenges of leading during a pandemic. Eric shares principles he used from How to Win Friends and Influence People with his 15-year-old to overcome difficulties with remote learning, gain cooperation from teachers, and create peace at home with his spouse.
1) Try a new approach. It’s easy to fall into old patterns especially when we’re feeling pandemic fatigue ourselves.
2) Avoid the argument by using a calm voice. “Hmm, looks like there are missing assignments.”
3) Don’t say you’re wrong. “Maybe there’s a sync issue?”
4) Give a fine reputation to live up to. “I see you’ve been working hard.” Praise helps people feel less overwhelmed.
5) Ask questions. “Can you reach out to your teacher to see what the misunderstanding is?”
6) Dramatize the idea. “Can you include a screenshot of your completed homework?”
7) Empathize. “Sometimes there’s a stigma about mental health. Pay attention to warning signs like weight loss and kids not playing Xbox with their friends. Take advantage of resources like counseling.”
Free resources to find joy at work and life https://linktr.ee/nikkikloeppel.

Employee Engagement with Jedi Parenting, Zen Moments & Empathy
Here are 3 techniques to help you improve relationships at work and at home:
1) People support a world they help create. Brainstorming and asking questions to get others to offer solutions makes them feel empowered and they’re more likely to think it’s a good idea if they come up with it. This is a great antidote to apathy and the complaint, “Don’t tell me what to do!”
2) Are you analytical? “Try honestly to see things from the other person’s point of view” is the principle for you! It challenges us to gather additional data to evaluate. By examining the facts of a person or situation, we can use logic to reframe how we interpret it. It helps us understand human nature, gain insight to other people's thinking and behavior, and neutralize our frustration.
3) There’s power in saying “me too, I know how you feel.” The story my client shares in this video shows when we’re sympathetic, we transform our relationships and increase happiness. Let’s foster empathy and inclusion by considering what it’s like to be a kid, an intern, a new employee, and a minority. Let’s remember the challenges of reorgs, exec presentations, and pandemic fatigue.

What’s your favorite?
More resources: https://linktr.ee/nikkikloeppel

Turning acquaintances into real friends can be hard in the best of times, much less while social distancing. Creating belonging on teams can challenge even the best of managers, much less while on boarding employees remotely. Turning small talk into meaningful connection can be hard for even the best of conversationalists, much less during this season of isolation. Tasha shares some tips on how she’s been able to thaw the Seattle freeze and help “make friends so when the worlds opens up again we can meet people in a different way.”
1) Change our mindset: don’t assume people don’t want to talk to you. “I thought people who were higher up then me in the organization didn’t need to hear from me. I’ve learned people appreciate you connecting with them.” Reach out and invite people to come over or go out.
2) Share yourself: “Being comfortable sharing your struggle. We don’t need to show up perfect. Social media can make us think lives need to be filtered and perfected.
3) “Making friends is about making time for other people.”
4) Remember people’s names.
5) “Listen to their story.”
6) Find inspiration you can share with others. Tasha shares how the Navy Seals have inspired her: “when you think you’re done you still have 40% more.”
Free resources to find joy at work and life https://linktr.ee/nikkikloeppel.