Listen First Podcast Chapman Foundation for Caring Communities

You will take away:

• A reminder of the Three Moves from Our Community Listens
• Practical application through shared experiences

In a discussion rich with personal anecdotes and refreshers from Our Community Listens, Adam Salgat and Kat Edmondson, explore the nuanced dynamics of managing emotions in confrontations. They delve into individual experiences of frustration, anxiety, and passive-aggressiveness, highlighting the importance of the “Three Moves” to enhance communication and strengthen relationships. Their conversation sheds light on confronting issues with empathy and strategic techniques, including the FBI formula for effective communication.

In our 100th episode of the Listen First Podcast, Leanne Van Beek joins me to reflect on the podcast's growth since 2018. We discuss how the podcast began supporting alumni, the human connections behind the data, and the power of real-life testimonials.

Leanne also shares some surprising thoughts on the Chapman Foundation's evolution, and we both express gratitude to founders Bob and Cynthia Chapman.

After our conversation, continue to Part 2 of the Skill Snippet—Next-level Nonverbals in a World with Emojis. As we continue to delve into the world of nonverbal communication, explore with us when to amplify or restrain your nonverbals, how to navigate face-to-face interactions with those that might have a flat effect, and glean practical tips on when and how often we should style flex.

We would love to hear from you, our audience. Your support of the Chapman Foundation and the podcast makes us jubilant and provides us with the fuel to keep changing the world.

Please download the CFCC Leads app. Under the menu, you’ll find a link called Share Your Story. Please fill out the form and let us know how the podcast, classes, or interactions with our team have impacted your life.

https://www.chapmancommunities.org/

In today's digital age, interpreting nonverbal communication can often be tricky. Many people, even in professional settings, often convey some non-verbal cues through emojis. We will not spend the following skill snippet discussing which emoji best fits calling in sick or bringing up your discomfort about a project timeline, because, despite their usefulness, they cannot entirely replace nonverbal communication.

In this conversation with Leanne Van Beek, she discussed these challenges and provided concrete examples from her prior work as an HR professional. After a brief re-cap of the Mehrabian Communication Model, she lays out how to set up JPRs that show care and intention by considering the distribution method and timing. We also discuss how to use certain forms of technology to help us make sure our message isn’t lost when communicating quickly.

https://www.chapmancommunities.org/

Join Kat Edmondson, Content Leader for the Chapman Foundation for Caring Communities, as she discusses her latest blog - Mastering Emotional Awareness: An Expert's Guide to Navigating Holiday Stress.

Stay tuned for a teaser of the Self-Reflection Guide-12 Days of Positivity on-demand course after the conversation.

BLOG: https://www.chapmancommunities.org/emotional-awareness/

12 Days of Positivity PDF: https://chapmancommunities.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/12%20Days%20of%20Positivity%20for%20Web.pdf

So what happens when two 20-year military service members join forces to lead with empathy? Tune in to find out.

The phrase “military leadership” typically evokes images of commanders and noncommissioned officers leading heroic charges or generals directing armies. In reality, however, most leadership in the armed forces is far more gentle. In little ways, all day long, at all levels, commanders and subordinates communicate just like in any other workplace environment.

As a beacon guiding a ship through turbulent waters, effective communication can steer our military forces. It fosters trust, builds team cohesion, and translates ideas into action. The courses provided by the Chapman Foundation are a set of tools that create tangible actions to help make human connections and create strong leaders. But remember, all new skills, like a muscle, need to be worked on to become stronger. And to get stronger faster, it helps to have an accountability buddy. Or, in today's case, a Chief Master Sergeant in the National Guard.

A little over two years ago, Matt Robins, a colonel in the National Guard, stepped into Our Community Listens course not knowing what to expect but looking forward to the opportunity to grow. While in the class, he met Jody Nitz, and as you will learn in the coming conversation, the two men have supported each other ever since. Listen as Matt shares how excited he was to bring Jody on as his Chief Master Sergeant in the National Guard and how they have excelled in their communication skills over a short time because they are both pulling tools out of the same toolbox, all to serve better the people they lead.

Colonel Matt Robins has served the military for 22 years and was always drawn to fighter pilots as a young boy. He says he enjoys being “the glue” between broad strategic goals and supporting tactical leaders who are striving to accomplish specific missions. After serving at the Pentagon, where he used airplanes to positively affect the battlefield, Colonel Robins now resides in Clinton Township Michigan. He has been married to his wife for 23 years. They have two kids, two cats, one dog, and five fish. In his spare time, he likes building furniture, painting model figures, going out on his sailboat, and pretending to be handy around the house.

Chief Master Sergeant Jody Nitz is also in his 22nd year of service. He originally joined the National Guard as a way to pay for schooling to become a registered respiratory therapist but quickly became accustomed to the military way of life. He loved the camaraderie and shared goals as they mirrored the many sports teams he grew up for. Chief Master Sergeant Nitz is thankful for his military family and also the opportunity to see many parts of the world and be immersed in various cultures. He now resides in Bay City, Michigan, with his wife of 15 years, two children, and toy poodle. In his free time, he enjoys anything outdoors, including hunting and fishing. He loves passing those skills to his children. He also enjoys gathering with friends and chatting about life over drinks whenever possible.

Some would say that working in the education field takes a lot of smarts. To teach someone anything, you need first to understand it yourself, and then you have to break it down and go step by step to help build up their understanding of the subject.

But what happens if your student doesn’t want to listen? Do you just keep repeating the information, hoping it will sink in? What if you stopped the lesson and chose to listen to the student about why they are struggling to hear you? Who is emotionally supporting the teachers?

Our guest in today’s episode has been in the education field for over 20 years; he’s seen the statistics and believes in the significance of building a supportive culture for those he leads to begin improving those numbers and lives.

His name is Jamie Bandstra. He is currently the Principal/Director of CTE & ASM Tech at the West Shore ESD based in Ludington, MI. Mr. Bandstra has over 21 years of education experience. He has been a classroom teacher, a principal, and the first Superintendent of a project-based learning charter school.

His experience has taught him much about leadership, culture, and teamwork. Over the years, he has continued to sharpen those skills by engaging with the Chapman Foundation.

Mr. Bandstra has a passion for building a healthy team culture to get the work done; in his case, that means connecting with students to help them excel in academics and grow as young adults.

Listen as he describes his takeaways from all three of the Chapman Foundation foundational courses in our conversation. Notice how he uses the skills with students while on a canoe trip, leading some of them to share anecdotes about themselves that they “wouldn’t tell their therapist.” He defines how the essential Listens skills are aiding his team in building authentic trust and a common language to create a learning culture. And lastly, take heed of his deep connection with his family. Mr. Bandstra recalls a story of shopping for a Christmas gift for his wife that could have ended differently without his self-reflection skills kicking in.

https://www.chapmancommunities.org/