“He is listed as day-to-day.” This is a term used in sports when there is uncertainty about whether a player will play in an upcoming game. Vin Scully, the late, great play-by-play announcer of the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers, immortalized this term when he said, “He’s day-to-day, but then again, aren’t we all?” This quote became top of my mind when I spent time with Harold Dawson, a friend of mine. Both of us know the…

My last column was on uplifters. By this I mean people who lift others up. When I wrote the column, I was not aware that the week it was published, I would be uplifted by spending two days with the leadership team at Loma Linda University Health (LLUH) in California. This organization is well regarded for many reasons. One is that Loma Linda has the world’s first proton unit used for cancer patients. Another is…

You have likely heard the statement that we have two ears and one mouth for a reason: to spend twice as much time listening as we spend talking. It is true. Many of us could stand to become better listeners. Research tells us listening is a skill with positive outcomes for both the talker and the listener. For example, good listening: Improves relationships by making interactions more meaningful. Builds trust. Good listeners are perceived as more…