Author Archives: Kathleen Kelley Reardon

Are The Red Sox Suffering from Political Pathology?

You’ll rarely find me writing about baseball, though I love the game.  But here it goes.  I would be truly surprised if the Red Sox aren’t suffering from an increasing case of pathological politics.  If you’ve read Comebacks at Work … Continue reading

Posted in Dust Ups, Leadership, Politics | 2 Comments

Pivotal Moments That Change our Lives

Today I  shared with a writer one of the pivotal moments in my life.  We all have them – those times when someone, usually more senior, says something that causes us to reflect and to change.  For me it was … Continue reading

Posted in Choice Points, Confrontation | 1 Comment

The Compliment-Slap Trap

One of the more difficult comeback challenges occurs when people embed an insult in an otherwise seemingly pleasant conversation. It’s more common in cultures where directness is socially discouraged. You’re speaking with someone who appears to be pleased to see … Continue reading

Posted in Bullying, Comebacks, Gotcha! | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

When the Candidate’s a Woman

So what do you say as a woman when someone questions why you’ve decided not to support a certain female candidate?  It’s a silly question in a way, but as Sarah Palin contemplates entering the presidential candidate field, should we … Continue reading

Posted in Comebacks, Politics, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

The Cost of Meanness

“It’s nothing personal; it’s just business” is something most of us have heard at work. It reflects the way degeneracy has crept into organizations.  It’s evidence of the mean streak I wrote about today at Huffington Post.  And we don’t … Continue reading

Posted in Bullying, Comebacks | 3 Comments

One Mind “Moonshot” Conference in Boston

Patrick Kennedy has gathered together many of the best and brightest scientists and advocates for mental health in Boston.  I’m sitting in the One Mind conference and with my own research and personal connections to this field, I’m still amazed … Continue reading

Posted in Politics | 3 Comments

Taunting and Verbal Sparring — Are They Not Your Style?

Perhaps you listened to Here & Now on PBS today.  Professor Gary King of Harvard University was interviewed.  In a study involving 64,000 congressional press releases, he and his team discovered that our representatives taunt 27% of the time.  He … Continue reading

Posted in Comebacks, Confrontation, Gotcha! | 1 Comment

Comebacks Up Close — How to not be Predictable

This recent interview conducted by Jean Stafford describes a number of concepts in Comebacks at Work.  Much of what you’ll hear involves doing the unexpected rather than being predictable.  We are creatures of pattern and often react rather than respond. … Continue reading

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What are Comebacks? Why do You Need To Have a Repertoire?

I’ve wondered at times lately whether the title of our new book throws people off. Comebacks are viewed by some as quips rather than what to say in difficult situations. The broader definition of comebacks includes long and short ways … Continue reading

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When Hateful Communication Prevails

If we accept outrageous lies and hateful attacks as just the way things are, then that’s how they’ll continue to be.  Whether you’re a Democrat or Republican or somewhere in between, respect shown to hateful media personalities eliciting fear and … Continue reading

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