Thick Skin, Soft Heart: Building Genuine Connections at Work w/ Mark Norman

Making the Connection

In this inaugural episode of Making the Connection, host Angela Chong speaks with Mark Norman, Vice President of Sales at Booster, about the delicate balance between art and science in building genuine professional relationships. Mark shares his insights on the importance of empathy in leadership, navigating difficult colleagues, and how to keep personal emotions in check when dealing with negativity in the workplace.

Mark stresses the value of having a "soft heart and thick skin," allowing you to maintain empathy without taking criticism too personally. Through candid stories, he reveals how journaling, waiting before reacting, and seeking advice from trusted colleagues have helped him improve his approach to conflict resolution and professional communication.

The conversation also explores:

• the importance of motivation in networking and leadership, where Mark challenges the typical "what can I gain?" mindset, encouraging professionals to focus on serving others instead.
• the need to balance relational art—like effective storytelling and public speaking—with organizational science, such as structured systems that ensure consistency in professional success.

Resources Mentioned:

How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

Learn more about Booster at www.choosebooster.com
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Tune in to Making the Connection every other week to learn about how to develop genuine professional relationships.

Stay in touch with host, Angela Chong, on LinkedIn & on Instagram

@ makingtheconnectionpodcast