Not all conflict at work is the same, and naming the type is the first step to settling it. Michael and Nicole Davis walk through task, relationship, status, value and cross-cultural conflict, with a RACI chart (responsible, accountable, consulted, informed), "I feel" statements and assuming positive intent.

00:00 What this episode covers
01:51 Why naming the conflict type helps
03:04 Task conflict: separate emotion from work
04:46 Settle who owns what with a RACI chart
09:00 Relationship conflict, plus our live example
12:56 Unpack it with questions and I statements
16:37 Status conflict: power and rank
21:56 Why conflict belongs to everyone involved
26:03 Value conflict: meet people where they are
31:09 Tell value from relationship conflict
34:34 Cross-cultural norms, like haggling on price
38:11 Wrap-up: assume positive intent

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Episode 6 of My Thought Partner (2023), with Michael David Davis and Nicole Davis.

We are talking about communication and how to set yourself up with success and set the right expectations. This is one of the simplest things to adjust and yet, has a very large impact.

Count one week of your team's manual work: mythoughtpartner.com

Saying no at work feels risky, so most of us say yes and pay for it later. Michael and Nicole Davis cover how to say no, and how to hear it, by asking which task to drop so a new one fits, along with the Sunday scaries, managing up and fitting real breaks into a desk-bound day. These tips aren't a replacement for mental health care.

00:00 What this episode covers
04:36 What the Sunday scaries feel like
09:34 Name the worst case, then deal with it
11:37 Plan Friday, check your calendar Sunday
12:32 Leaders: wrap up Friday, start Monday later
15:04 Managing up and difficult coworkers
23:06 The one-over-N rule for meetings
29:42 Sneaking movement into your workday
35:05 Afternoon slumps and stretch breaks in meetings
41:27 What to do when you hear no
45:53 Why people-pleasers overcommit
50:35 How to say no and offer a later yes

Count one week of your team's manual work: mythoughtpartner.com/walk

Episode 4 of My Thought Partner (2023), with Michael David Davis and Nicole Davis.

Every team is shopping for the one tool that does it all. Michael and Nicole Davis walk through the tools they used in early 2023, from Monday.com and Miro to Canva, ChatGPT, a Pomodoro timer and Calendly, and why chasing an all-in-one usually means paying for features you don't need. Published in February 2023, less than three months after ChatGPT came out.

00:00 What this episode covers
04:32 New business? Get your own domain and email
10:03 Monday.com for project management
14:43 Stop hunting for the next better tool
15:54 Customer relationship management (CRM): no all-in-one
18:05 When to move past paper and sticky notes
19:32 Digital whiteboards: Lucidspark vs. Miro
23:27 Canva's content planner for social posts
25:35 ChatGPT as a starting point, not a replacement
27:31 Pomodoro timer: 25 minutes on, 5 off
33:12 Calendly links, time windows and meeting types
38:24 Momentum for a simple task list

Tools we mention: Monday.com, Jira, Asana, HubSpot, Salesforce, Zoho, Lucidspark, Miro, Hootsuite, Canva, ChatGPT, a Pomodoro timer, Zoom, Google Meet, Calendly and Momentum. We aren't paid by any of them.

Count one week of your team's manual work: mythoughtpartner.com/walk

Episode 3 of My Thought Partner (2023), with Michael David Davis and Nicole Davis.

In this episode we talk about your ability to eliminate distractions and how it will be easier to streamline your processes doing so. We know getting in the mindset to focus your day can be challenging and we share some of our best practices to help ease yourself into having a more productive day. You'll learn how an analog item like Post-its can actually make your digital life easier.

Count one week of your team's manual work: mythoughtpartner.com

One minute on what My Thought Partner is about: Michael David Davis and Nicole Davis on the habits that give a week back, from time blocking and fewer distractions to better tools and the people side of work.

Count one week of your team's manual work: mythoughtpartner.com

Time blocking sounds great until a client needs you right now. Michael David Davis swears by it and Nicole Davis hates it, so together they cover what a blocked day looks like, what to do when someone wants your blocked hour, and how to start: two days this week, not back to back, and not Monday or Friday.

00:00 What this episode covers
01:49 A time-blocked morning, step by step
04:30 When a client wants your blocked time
06:04 Can't estimate tasks? Put them on your calendar
09:51 Block time for client fires, set expectations
11:37 A Calendly link with a one-hour buffer
12:27 How an open calendar breeds resentment
15:26 Only list tasks you can finish today
18:15 Rank tasks by impact and energy
22:40 Pair up with people on opposite schedules
30:46 Michael's three: trust, commit, reward
31:31 Nicole's three: energy, two days, reassess

Count one week of your team's manual work: mythoughtpartner.com/walk

Episode 1 of My Thought Partner (2023), with Michael David Davis and Nicole Davis.

Pay attention instead of waiting to talk, say back what you heard, then put yourself in the other person's shoes.

Idea 7 of 7 in 7 Ideas, One Week, A Better You: seven one-minute ideas from Michael David Davis, recorded in January 2023.

Count one week of your team's manual work: mythoughtpartner.com