Communication Central

How communication with others--and ourselves--leads to success.

Bakari Akil II Ph.D.

What to Do When No One’s Doing Anything

Recently, in the city of Philadelphia, a man was recorded beating and punching a woman, mercilessly, for over 20 minutes. The incident was recorded by a man who wanted to remain...

Athletes and the Spiral of Silence

Do sports journalists intimidate athletes into silence?

The Role of Anticipatory Communication in Conversation

We use anticipatory communication skills all the time without knowing it. When people watch the latest episode of a show they barely like so they won't be left out of a conversation with friends or when a person watches ESPN religiously so they can be...

Change the Story!

All day we are in unceasing conversations with ourselves. We tell ourselves who we are, what we should do, how we should respond and what our mission is. This intrapersonal communication governs our lives to a huge extent and...

LeBron James exposes how you view the world

LeBron James's naysayers and supporters each believe they are right, but what are they choosing to experience when it comes to James?

How to Handle a PR Crisis: Kobe Bryant, the Lakers, and the NBA

The purpose of this article is not to criticize Kobe Bryant for his outburst. I would be a hypocrite if I were to act as if I have never used foul language or called someone a name while playing a sport. I want to discuss how Kobe Bryant, the Lakers organization, and the league handled the incident afterward.

Role Theory - It’s never too late to change

This weekend, 48 year old Herschel Walker defeated Scott Carson in a professional Mixed Martial Arts bout. It was Walker's second fight and second victory. It is not amazing that...

Spreading Ideas – What role do you play?

Recently, I attended a family gathering. As friends were welcome, a lot of people were in attendance. I knew it was going to be an all day affair so I brought my Kindle. Little did I know that I would serve as Tony Little at the function and would be showcasing and ...

When you communicate – are you memorable?

After I delivered the presentation to my students, the following Monday, they applauded at the end of the lecture. I was stunned. I felt as if I was in a scene from Dead Poet's Society or...

Why We Act Out of Character

As I walked up the stairway to the second floor I could hear shouting on the outside corridor. The voice was definitely from a woman and it was loud and full of anger. Then I heard a second voice, just above conversational level, but the pace of speech was fast and this...

Planning Fallacy: Being realistic about how much time you have

In the book, A Mind of its Own, one of the subjects Cordelia Fine, Ph.D., discussed is people’s tendency to credit themselves for successfully completing tasks, but not recognizing their role in their failures to meet goals or deadlines. This repeated failure to...

Social Networks - What do people get out of knowing you?

What I often find missing in a lot of discussions concerning social networks is a focus on how the individual can affect his network for positive change. In other words, many of us often ask how...

Cultivation Theory: Do News Reports Affect Your Worldview?

As a child I knew that my grandmother and I perceived the world differently. As she grew older and became more homebound that difference expanded even more. She viewed the 'world' as more violent, corrupt and unsafe. It was reflected in...

Deliberate Practice – Pt. 1: Knowing exactly what you want

When people develop the desire to excel, the natural assumption is that devoting a huge amount of time and effort to their goal is the way to achieve excellence. Yet, how many of us have devoted a lot of time and effort to something and would be considered mediocre at best?

Glee Club – Results Oriented vs. Process Oriented Approaches

What stands out for me on Glee is that character Sue Sylvester, played by Jane Lynch. Although most likely new to most of the Glee audience she has been a regular in guy movies and TV shows such as The 40 Year old Virgin where she offered to de-virginize Andy Stitzer (played by Steve Carell) and Two and a Half Men where she plays a smart mouthed therapist.

Why “The Karate Kid” is all about being the New Kid!

It's the classic scenario. You are the new kid in the neighborhood and you've made friends quickly. The ‘move' isn't starting to seem so bad after all. There's even a cute ‘someone' who has taken an interest in you. You're all smiles and giggles at the new prospects and direction your life is going in. Then the bubble bursts.

The Law of Diminishing Returns - Or Overdoing it

Recently my wife and I moved from the suburbs to the city so I could be closer to college where I work. I had the misfortune of being stuck in traffic for two hours on the way to work the previous semester and had had enough. We had to move closer....

Why do we always pick on the New Guy?

As an adult being the new guy (or gal) takes on an entirely different meaning. The craziness of childhood bullying goes away and is often replaced by passive aggressive workplace behavior from workmates/colleagues and the occasional office tyrant. Many of you...

The Science of Confidence

What do we do when faced with the task of building up others? After accepting this responsibility we are no longer the coached, a mentee, the counseled or the reader seeking knowledge. At this stage others look toward us for growth. How do we help them?

Andre Agassi's "Hot Water Courage"

Andre Agassi in his book, Open, described a ritual he performed before every tennis match in order to prepare for ‘battle.' He would take a shower and...

Personal Space - How violating unspoken rules can lead to chaos - at least for you

It is a scene that you would least likely expect to see in a supermarket. But it happened. When grocery shopping or just picking up a couple of things from the store, the mission is usually to just go in and out. People go in to buy what they need and then they are on their way. However, what happens when someone violates an unspoken agreement that we all live by, but never really talk about? How do they react?

Fear and a Strange Man in the Elevator

Gavin de Becker writes about trusting your instincts and the consequences if you do not.

Do You Have a Team?

Why attempt solo that which could be better achieved with the help of others?

Recognizing when you're in the Pros!

As I sat reading Nate's accomplishments I was amazed. I contemplated that we often can't fathom what the people we know are capable of and what it took for Nate to achieve that level of proficiency and excellence. Then another thought hit me; one...

What's Your Hook Value?

On a slightly more serious note, why are people attracted to you? What makes people want to work or conduct business with you? Why would people want to become a part of your inner circle or you to become a part of theirs? What makes you...

You Owe Me! - The Importance of Positive Contributions

Each of us has a meter inside, where we consciously or unconsciously measure the balance of give and take that exists in our relationships. Whether dealing with business or social relationships or with family members or friends, we all gauge the level of positive reciprocity that exists.

The Power of Positive Immersion – Is your Environment Right for You?

Daniel Coyle, author of the Talent Code, went on a quest to find out why some people seem to develop massive levels of talent while others do not. His major thesis was...

365 Day Project – Explode Your Potential - Goals & New Years Resolutions

In further discussing goals, I would like to discuss Dan Ariely (behavioral economist) and Yale professor, Jiwoong Shin's, work. Their study, Door Game, points out a major factor in the pursuit of goals. In this study participants were given 100...

Unavoidable Persuasion - Almost!

As I entered the hallway that leads to my office, I saw him sitting there. He hadn't been present in class for a few weeks, but here he was waiting for me before my office hours began. I entered my office, placed my gear down and sat down behind my desk. He followed me and...

Crowds & Behavior - Why did I do that?

I recently read an old article, by Tom Wolfe, about two studies that dealt with animals and overcrowding. The first was John Calhoun's study of...

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