Hello, my name is Lance, and I have listening problem. This week I attended one of those four-hour workplace training sessions on emotional intelligence. It included an exercise on active listening. I was horrible. The humiliating experience caused me to reexamine a fundamental assumption about myself. Deep down, I believe that I have pretty good … Continue reading The lost art of listening
Tag: Lance Wallace
One year and counting
Today marks the first anniversary of my joining Georgia Tech Research Institute as director of communications. I kept mentioning it to people all week because in some ways, I just couldn’t believe it. A year had flown by, and I have alternatingly felt like I have always worked at GTRI and it is my first … Continue reading One year and counting
Five ways to avoid being trapped in fantasy football conversations
As a chronicler of life in the New South, I am duty-bound to warn you that we have entered a time of year when sports obsession reaches new heights (or depths, depending on your point of view.) You need to be prepared for the threat of any conversation being derailed by talk of someone's fantasy football team. With more … Continue reading Five ways to avoid being trapped in fantasy football conversations
‘Yes’ and ‘No’
The argument usually starts with this admonition from my wife: “You need to learn to say ‘No.’” The problem is that by the time this conversation happens, it’s too late. I’ve already committed myself to a number of conflicting responsibilities. At the moment I say “Yes” to anything, I’m starting down a path that will … Continue reading ‘Yes’ and ‘No’
The favorite part of my day
With so much noise in our lives in the New South, I often fail to listen to my children. Now that school has started again, I have a daily opportunity to engage with my boys on a meaningful level each night at the dinner table. It's the favorite part of my day. This week we … Continue reading The favorite part of my day
My semi-annual appraisal
There are two times a year I evaluate the direction of my life: New Year’s and my birthday. New Year’s resolutions are somewhat cliché, but the start of a new calendar year is a natural time to take stock of your life, look at your goals and determine course corrections. My birthday falls nearly eight … Continue reading My semi-annual appraisal
A case for camp
Children need summer camp. Whether it is secular or religious, one week or several, day camp or residential, children need to participate in camp. I have no credentials to make this assertion. I am not a noted child psychologist or a Ph.D. in childhood development. I’m just a parent who has been to camp with … Continue reading A case for camp
Preachers
I am fascinated by preachers. It’s not a delusional, put-them-on-a pedestal kind of thing but more like a burning curiosity to understand what makes them tick. I’ve been thinking about preachers a lot lately. My brothers and my dad are preachers of one sort or another, and their recent transitions have been on my mind. … Continue reading Preachers
Privacy in the New South
Wouldn't you hate to be the guy at the National Security Agency (NSA) reading all the lame Facebook posts trying to find evidence of terrorist activity or foreign espionage? OK, so it's probably not some guy analyzing petabytes of data over at the NSA, but still, it's got to be a thankless job. Even a … Continue reading Privacy in the New South
Words mean things
I used to work for a South Carolinian who issued colorful quips and witticisms the way most people speak casual greetings. One of Ben’s favorites was “Words mean things.” This week the Internet has been abuzz with the controversy surrounding the words used by Southern cooking diva Paula Deen. The brouhaha over Paula’s admission in a deposition that … Continue reading Words mean things
New South Essays 