Today we continue our conversation with Valerie Alston, a performance coach, and mental strength conditioning expert. Valerie shares her insights on managing emotions, cultivating resilience, and employing physical movement for mental agility. She offers coping strategies for success-driven stress and guidance for parents of young athletes. Valerie outlines a three-step process—discover, build, apply—for continuous personal growth and development.

Valerie Alston, a performance coach, sports psychologist, and master resilience trainer for the U.S. Army, joins us this week. She shares her personal journey, career transition, and insights into mental resilience training in the military. Valerie explores the psychology of performing under stress, harnessing emotions for high performance, and the role of vulnerability and mindfulness in managing emotions. Alston’s mission is to equip individuals, especially young athletes, with the mental strength needed to succeed in life, sports, and high-pressure environments. 

Today we are joined by John Dieffenbach, a highly experienced negotiator with a fascinating career journey. Dieffenbach illuminates the integral role of communication, improvisation, humor, and a keen understanding of the negotiation context in reaching successful outcomes. He emphasizes viewing negotiation as a process of influence and adaptation rather than combat. John shares strategies for handling challenging negotiation scenarios, including walking away when necessary, and highlights the necessity of trust-building. 

Dr. Linda Street continues her insightful conversation on negotiation strategies and challenges faced by physicians. She also discusses the importance of aligning physicians' requests with hospital interests, strategies to navigate common employer tactics during contract negotiations, and the need for contractual awareness when exiting toxic work environments. 

This week we continue our conversation with communication and conflict expert Nicole Posner. She outlines three leadership archetypes influencing communication: people pleasers, warriors, and freshers. Additionally, she unpacks common triggers of team conflicts and presents the ‘MAP’ strategy for navigating difficult conversations. Nicole introduces us to the ‘CURIOUS’ and ‘HEART’ approaches to fostering curiosity and empathy in challenging discussions. 

Joining us this week is Nicole Posner, a conflict and communication consultant who helps leaders and business owners minimize workplace conflict through effective communication practices. She offers her expertise through various mediums, including books, coaching, consulting, and training. Today Nicole shares how her journey from PR to mediation led her to coach leaders on handling difficult conversations.