Tatiana Kolovou’s Post

Do you need a quick formula for decoding confusing or seemingly unfair feedback? Here’s an example of a workplace situation in action! Let me know what you think? #communication #feedback #conflict #alwaysbrlearning

There’s no “mommy fix on this one; I am really sick”. This is exactly what our son said to me when I landed on an emergency flight from Greece to Indiana. When the kids were little, I would try and "fix" things that went wrong. But he was right, the situation was critical and there didn’t seem to be any kind of "fix". But when you are faced with unexpected adversity, springing into action is on its own, a coping mechanism. Based on my experience as the parent of a sick child three years ago, here is what I did to make it through. When you are dealing with some unexpected adversity, this might work for you too: 🛠️Took one day at a time and tried very hard not to think ahead. 🛠️Shed the “mommy fix” mentality and worked on making the next hour better than the one that passed. 🛠️Kept copious notes in a journal so that I could be part of the conversation, do additional research and ask good questions. 🛠️Tried to create a pleasant environment with flowers, scents, nourishing food and music to help our whole family be more comfortable. 🛠️Repeated a positive mantra everything I would walk in the urgent care ward, a mental shield of sorts. I am forever grateful to the staff of Riley Children's Health for helping our son heal, and I have an ask for you. Please support them by using the link or Venmo or PayPal in comments. You can donate one dollar or one hundred. All of it will be used to help research and services for children’s health. #coachingyourself #dealingwithadversity #resilience #rileychildrenshospital

☀ Sea urchin time! As soon as my Indiana University - Kelley School of Business students land in Athens, Greece I take them for fresh squeezed orange juice and a walk by the seaside of Porto Rafti. I pull a few sea urchins out of the water because they are the best analogy for cross cultural immersion. Exciting, anxiety provoking, intriguing and definitely different. By the end of the show and tell, even the biggest skeptics end up holding the sea urchin for a photo. When we're immersed in new culture curiosity, openness and a spirit of adventure are key attributes. That’s what we are working on with these amazing students. Hopefully they will carry the lessons with them for life. What’s your best analogy? #curiosity #crossculturalawareness #crossculturalcommunication #alwaysbelearning

#Mondaymotivation As I have grown older I have learned, often through negative consequences of responding too fast, to..........pause and hold space. Hold space and be patient to: 💆♀️ Allow myself to sort out my thoughts 💆♀️ Allow the other person in the relationship to process the situation 💆♀️ Step back, observe and reflect on my actions so far .......By stepping back, possibly show the other person that I am not desperate. Unless you are dealing with an urgent situation, holding space can only give you perspective. Be patient and trust yourself next time you find yourself in a tricky communication setting. What has holding space done for your working relationships? #communication #communicationskills #patience #holdingspace #alwaysbelearning

Three years ago this month our family experienced a very traumatic event. Our 17 year old son Alexi was ambulanced to the ER an hour away from where we live, with uncontrollable fevers and unexplainable symptoms. Why was this happening? Why didn’t we have answers? Couldn’t it be me instead? We got answers within the first two weeks of his symptoms, but it was still a very scary time. When you are going through something like this you have to stay focused and be in the moment. You have to coach yourself and stop the flood of negative thoughts. You have to be strong or find strength somewhere. For the next four Fridays, I will post about the lessons in resilience myself and my family learned in this journey and ways we can all cope when adversity hits. The link in the comments has a video of the whole story and ways to support RILEY CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL You can make a tax deductible donation or give any amount you wish through PayPal or Venmo without disclosing any of your information. The Thank You Riley for Alexi campaign is a way for us to say thank you to a group of professionals who work tirelessly to save children’s lives daily. As his head pediatric hematologist Dr. Seaborne said “If it’s not close to 100% cure for our kids, it’s not good enough”. #resilience #resilienceinaction #mentalhealthawareness #alwaysbelearning

🇬🇷Very cool to present in Greece’s LinkedIn Connect next week, and our Indiana University - Kelley School of Business students get to attend too! #greece #professionaldevelopment #alwaysbelearning

Do you remember being outside the circle as a newbie? Starting a new job or being introduced to an existing team? It's not comfortable and it takes energy and intention. Next time you find yourself in this situation remember: 💡 Collect data on the group's interests and common values 💡 Bring value yourself so that members will welcome your involvement 💡 Show up with positive energy and consistency. In the comments I share a true story from my LinkedIn Learning course on Cultural Humility & Agility of a professional who had to implement some of these strategies. What do you do to break into the in-group? #ingroup #breakingin #communicationstrategies #stronger #alwaysbelearning

Old National Bank leaders you are amazing! What a fun action packed day talking about communication excellence, strategy and persuasion. See you again in June and continue to practice your stories. 💙💛 Kim Goad Tameca Reed Jason Berkowitz Kevin Novak Ben Joergens Annie Hills Matt Finn Patrick Rehkamp LaToya Williams Rick Vach Joe Kiser LEO Lopez Wendy Scott #oldnationalbank #leadershiptraining #learninganddevelopment #alwaysbelearning

Χριστός Ανέστη to all my Greek Orthodox friends. Our family celebrated separately this year but our daughter attended the service at St. Nicholas Church in New York. Brought the light to the house, which is a must but always a driving hazard. #hroniapolla #xristosanesti #greekeaster

❌Drop the past tense in your messaging! This Fast Company article is a good reminder that too much past tense in your speaking and writing harms your credibility. I do this intentionally to sound softer or less authoritative, depending on the context. What do you think? #communication #credibility #confidence #alwaysbelearning