We were about to run a feel-good post about New Zealand Air. But, all I can think about today is United Airlines and the head-shaking disdain I have for how they removed a passenger from a plane. And, for their ham-handed approach to the follow-up.

The CEO made three public statements about this mess. Each seemed to try to make up for the weakness of the preceding comment. And, I heard that he sent a separate message to employees telling them that they did nothing wrong because they followed guidelines.

Not listening to people and being willing to be influenced by what they have to say is a sure way to invite resistance.  You probably knew that already!

I am a fan of listening, but you’ve got to know what you are getting into. A good friend attended a workshop that showed executives how to use the ideas that appear in a very popular book on change management.  The executives were taught how to encourage conversation among people who need to support a change. The instructors told them that people need to “ get their feelings out.” The thinking, I assume, is that if people get a chance to gripe and whine for a while, they will get over their foolish resistance, and things can move along. Or, a less cynical reaction might be that “getting feelings out” serves as a catharsis.

In her post, The Positivity Trap: How Upbeat Coaches Can Kill Client Results, Krista Scott-Dixon writes that leaning too far into positive feedback can get in the way of a client’s work. Since I agree with her premise, I thought I’d pass along her post.

http://www.precisionnutrition.com/positivity-trap

My friends at the National Institute for Civil Discourse are taking their ideas home for the holiday. (Thanksgiving in the U.S. is this coming Thursday.) Your Civility Survival Guide is a nice list of things to consider saying – or not saying – during this big family day.

I plan to keep those ideas handy over the entire weekend.

Six months ago Tim David predicted Donald Trump’s victory.