Hello, world. Welcome to discover your talent, do what you love, number 390. I'm creator and host, Don Hutchison. Every day, I interview someone from around the world who has discovered her

talents to do work she loves, to create a life of success, satisfaction, and freedom.

Once a week, I interview a well-known expert from the fields of personal or business development

who share experiences, tools, and insights to help our listeners along their journeys.

Today, I'm delighted to bring you our featured expert Meredith Bell.

Welcome, Meredith.

Thank you, Don. It's a pleasure to be here with you.

Thank you. The pleasure is ours.

Meredith Bell has been an entrepreneur since 1982.

She's an expert in helping companies develop the people's side of their businesses. Her software companies' programs are used by consultants, coaches, and HR professionals to help managers become more effective leaders. One of Meredith's strengths is building strong relationships. She and her business partners have worked together for 25 years, and many of their clients and resellers have used their products

for over 20 years. Meredith, today's topic could not be more essential, how to master a new skill

or habit. So take the floor and set up the situation that we found ourselves in and why

this topic is so seminal to people's lives and careers. Well, in the world of work,

and really in human relationships at home as well, it's important to recognize how many different skills are needed to be effective

in working with others. So my area of focus is on those interaction skills that make a difference

in people getting along together. And when I'm talking about a skill, it's something that a person

can learn how to do. We like to distinguish between knowing about something, like you've read a book,

now you know more about a topic. But that's very different than actually implementing a concept or an idea

in practice with someone else. If you take the skill, let's say, of listening or giving feedback

to someone, whether it's positive or constructive, or receiving feedback from someone else. The challenge with these kinds of

skills as adults is that we're not starting, you know, with a blank slate. If someone were going to go,

for example, to learn how to play tennis and they've never held a tennis racket in their

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