Episode 667 is a great conversation with one of the authors of the book “Connect: Building Exceptional Relationships with Family, Friends, and Colleagues” (by David Bradford and Carole Robin). This is a topic that is near and dear to host Thom Singer, as he has been talking to audiences for years about how to connect better with people in this gadget crazed world.
About Dr. David Bradford
David is the Eugene O’Kelly II Senior Lecturer Emeritus in Leadership at Stanford Graduate School of Business, where he helped develop Interpersonal Dynamics (“Touchy Feely”) as well as much of the School’s leadership curriculum. He is the author of numerous books, including Managing for Excellence, Influence Without Authority, and Power Up. He lives in Berkeley, California, with his wife of more than fifty years.
About the Book – “Connect”
Connect is a transformative guide to building more fulfilling relationships with colleagues, friends, partners, and family, based on the landmark Interpersonal Dynamics (“Touchy-Feely”) course at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business. The ability to create strong relationships with others is crucial to living a full life and becoming more effective at work. Yet many of us find ourselves struggling to build solid personal and professional connections or unable to handle challenges that inevitably arise when we grow closer to others. When we find ourselves in an exceptional relationship—the kind of relationship in which we feel fully understood and supported for who we are—it can seem like magic. But the truth is that the process of building and sustaining these relationships can be described, learned, and applied.
Using many real-life examples and research-backed insights, Connect can help anyone hoping to improve relationships and build new ones at any stage of life. We follow five relationships – read about their challenges as they move towards deeper and more fulfilling connection and how they use the concepts in the book to get there. They learn about the value of showing more of themselves in an authentic way, developing trust, mutual influence so that each can get their needs met, handling minor annoyances to prevent major conflicts and dealing with significant disagreements in ways that resolve issues while further strengthening the relationship.
To increase the book’s practical value, each chapter concludes with suggestions on how to apply the material to the reader’s own relationships.
Learn more about the book at ConnectandRelate.com
About Thom Singer
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After a successful career in sales and marketing, Thom Singer became a growth leadership speaker in 2009. A decade later he has brought his high energy presentations and action-oriented content to over 900 audiences. Thom knows that as the speaker or master of ceremonies he has a responsibility to set the tone for a strong conference attendee experience. Known as “The Conference Catalyst” he creates an atmosphere of fun and interaction that lasts beyond his presentation.
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Thom earned his Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) in 2014 and is committed to the business of meetings. He is the author of 12 books and is the host of the popular “Cool Things Entrepreneurs Do” podcast. On his show he has interviewed over 400 entrepreneurs, solopreneurs, business leaders and others with a focus on discovering how the most successful people get farther across the gap between potential and results.
At 50 years old Thom decided to reinvent his life and make age 50 to 75 the best years of his life. This meant saying yes to things that scared him, and trying new things. Since that time Thom has jumped off buildings, took up running (and lost 30 lbs) and began performing stand up comedy.