In the corporate world, vision and mission statements provide riverbanks that keep companies moving in the right direction and help organizations reach their goals.  I believe they can do the same thing for our relationships and families.

In my coaching practice as I work with people on relationship matters, I have discovered that very few of them have vision and mission statements for their relationships.  It has just not been taught in that context. (more…)

Do you remember the old saying, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions?”  Well, so is the road to relationship failure.

As a leader, I often hear people say that they will do this or that but they often do not follow through.  In marriages I hear wives say, “Well, he promised.”  And his response is, “I never really promised, but I intended to do it.”

When I was a kid my dad would tell me that he was going to take me out to have some fun. He loved me and really wanted to spend time with me. I believe it was his honest intention to do so, however, inevitability something work-related would come up and too often he didn’t do it. I would sit looking hopefully out the window until my mom made me go to bed with me protesting, “No Mom, he will be here any minute.” Over time I stopped looking. (more…)

Someone asked me recently what to do about a friend who continues to lie to them. Before I answer, let’s consider the damage that lies can do.

We all remember the story of the boy who cried, “Wolf!”  The simple message in the story is that because he lied about it several times, when the wolf did indeed come, no one believed him. The result was a very natural consequence – the wolf had lunch! (more…)

This one is especially for parents. As I write this, Thanksgiving weekend just passed and I had an amazing time hanging out with my adult kids. I have five amazing…