This month we would like to share an article from the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association's (NJPSA) Educational Viewpoints. The article was written by Jamie Turner, a certified Fierce facilitator and elementary principal. Also as the holiday season draws near, we remind ourselves about reconnecting with friends and family.

Feel free to comment on any of our articles on our Fierce blog. We look forward to our next conversation.

What are you thankful for?

"TKD Turkey" — Last year my daughter, Clara, was assigned a fun school project — she and her classmates were instructed to create a Thanksgiving turkey with their family members over the Thanksgiving break. They were given a template of a turkey and could decorate it anyway they wished and were encouraged to be creative. In addition, while working on the project together, the aim was for family members to share with each other what they were thankful for.

Our family decided on a Tae Kwon Do theme, as we all practice the art. Well, given that there were four of us with very different ideas of what the turkey should look like, what materials we should use, who should do which part of the turkey..., we found ourselves, shall we say, veering off-topic (to put it nicely.) However, we kept reminding each other that we were supposed to be thankful. By refocusing on the primary objective of thankfulness, we had an overall awesome time! It was a lovely experience where we bonded at a deep level.

When you're spending time with someone, share with them what it is about them, your relationship with them, you're most thankful for. Talk about a great way to create connection!

Cleaning up relationships.

Relationships are ongoing. And conversations help us maintain, with maintenance. Especially with family members, there are going to be issues that are reoccurring and ongoing. That's natural. And once we understand that from time-to-time we may need to revisit and readjust our course, it's a lot easier to have the conversations that need to take place. Remind your partner, family member, friend that you're talking with them out of love and respect. And that you want to keep your relationship with them clean and current.

What don't you know already?

How about making it a point to learn something new about someone? Curiosity is a beautiful way of showing someone how much you care about them and to gain new appreciation for them. After all, hopefully we are all evolving. Unfortunately, we forget that and become incurious - which can lead to complacency, boredom, drifting apart.

So, what is it you want to know? Is there something your partner is passionate about that you know very little about? What are their goals and how can you help them achieve them? What is their definition of success? What questions could you ask to give you insight?

You can make a game out of it. Write down a list of provocative questions and gather around. Have people randomly select a question to ask someone at the table. You could have a terrific time discovering some fascinating facts about people you think you already know everything about!

In a recent publication of the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association's (NJPSA) Educational Viewpoints, an article was written by one of Fierce's certified trainers. The article titled Fierce Conversations was written by Jamie Turner, an elementary principal for 11 years in Fair Haven, NJ. Jamie became certified in Fierce Conversations in April of 2008. She has always had a strong interest in conversations and desire to grow in her ability to communicate with greater clarity and authenticity.

Read how Jamie uses her training in Fierce Conversations to better her relationships with teachers and students. To view the article, click here.

If you would like more information on Fierce offerings, please join us for an informational webinar on Wednesday, December 16th from 10:00am — 10:45am PST. The webinar will cover:

• Fierce Programs – Fierce Conversations, Fierce Accountability, Fierce Generations, and Keynotes
• Implementation – How to use Fierce within your organization.
• Pricing
• ROI

To register, click here.

December 7th and 8th in Seattle, WA

Fierce Conversations (2 Days)

February 22nd and 23rd in Seattle, WA

January 21st in Seattle, WA

Fierce Accountability (1 Day)