Margaret E Anderson
Trainer – Author – Consultant
Specializing in Persuasion, Consensus Building, Communication Skills
Live Training
Our training programs are true workshops with group activities that move participants beyond mere knowledge to hands-on skill.
Ask about our New Distance Training for individuals
Margaret's Books
Learn how women’s status benefits entire societies in Women Can Renew the World If…and So Can You. Enjoy fiction plus communication skills lessons in Love on the Rocks with a Twist. Or turn to Bridges to Consensus for a complete consensus-building system.
Consulting
Consulting is the most efficient way to equip yourself to address specific, real-life concerns. We can focus on a particular project; an individual, such as a coworker; or any situation where you would like to get all you seek without taking away from another.
PERSUASION COACH NEWS SERVICE
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Learn how women’s status benefits entire societies in Women Can Renew the World If…and So Can You. Enjoy fiction plus communication skills lessons in Love on the Rocks with a Twist. Or turn to Bridges to Consensus for a complete consensus-building system.
My latest book has been published and I could not be happier to share this with you!
The heartwarming memoir of an uncommon man with an uncommon life aboard an uncommon ship, USS Vestal, in World War II. Margaret’s dad, William Anderson, naturally practiced some of the skills Margaret teaches. When dealing with a difficult situation, Willie looked around for resources that might help him, just as we do when attempting to reach agreement was someone. In dealing with others, he thought before he spoke, keeping his voice low and respectful.
Willie was running his own successful business when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, Dec. 7, 1941. Though concerned about how his business would fare in his absence, he applied for admission to the US Navy the very next day, Dec. 8.
He knew the regimentation of military life would run against his nature. Yet, this resilient man persevered, creatively applying his unique skills and talents to make his life on a Navy service ship stand out. He proved that those peacetime talents were also valuable in war. He could call the Man he saw in the mirror a friend.
The tales Willie later brought home to his children did not feature many battles, but rather, unique experiences. He had a brush with death, not in war, but in boot camp. Natives serenaded him with a tune from home on every Pacific island he visited. He helped save another man’s life while on Shore Patrol duty. He stowed away on an Army plane. He made friends with a future Pulitzer Prize winner. And more.
Learn how women’s status benefits entire societies in Women Can Renew the World If…and So Can You. Enjoy fiction plus communication skills lessons in Love on the Rocks with a Twist. Or turn to Bridges to Consensus for a complete consensus-building system.
Other books I have published
Latest News and Info
Margaret presented “Greed, Envy and Consensus Building” for Houston Focus on Concerns for Women on March 28, 2018.
This short presentation is one of Margaret’s favorites, using prehistoric characters Lucy, Ethel, Larry, Curly and Moe to illustrate why humans evolved greed and envy, and why they often backfire on us in modern times.
Spring Cleaning Your Language
Back in the day, spring was a time to thoroughly clean one’s house, doing things we don’t do routinely, like washing windows, cleaning pantry shelves, dusting baseboards, or clearing out the fridge…I suggest we clean up our language—whether spoken or head talk. I don’t mean banning four letter words, but rather, changing self-defeating terms to empowering terms.
The Second Magic Question
I’ve written a lot about the First Magic Question, “Why?” in my books Bridges to Consensus and Love on the Rocks with a Twist and in this blog. I’ve also written quite a bit about the Third Magic Question, “How do we want to feel?” I write least about The Second Magic Question, but it’s a wonderful question, “What else do we want?”
Planting Seeds on Common Ground
When you find an interest that both parties share, that’s a gift, a gift of common ground, a great place to begin discussion. And when you do, follow the Silver Rule…
A real life example: When the “bathroom bill” was in committee in the Texas Senate, I heard an idea that would interest both Democrats and Republicans. I phoned the committee members’ offices.
Emotional Time Out
This morning, I turned on my recording of last night’s local news to see the weather forecast. That’s when I learned about the school shooting in Parkland, Florida.
So I postponed answering additional questions about Me Too, deciding to give my readers and myself a break from such serious topics. Instead, I’m listing below a few inspirational quotes and good news stories.
About Margaret anderson, the Persuasion coach
Trainer, author and consultant Margaret Anderson brings to the table decades of actual use of the interactional skills she teaches, as well as many years of training groups and individuals in consensus building and related communication skills.
A Harvard-trained negotiator (trained under Drs. Roger Fisher and William Ury), Margaret is also trained in general, family and church mediation. From 2002–2014, she regularly designed and taught her own curricula for Rice University’s Glasscock School of Continuing Studies. She has also lectured for the University of Houston and for Texas State University. Prior to launching her training and consulting business, she gained experience in international and domestic business and was instrumental in resolving a number of serious disputes.
Margaret’s writing awards include: First Place in Genre Fiction in the Writers Digest 74th Annual Writing Competition; and First Place for Nonfiction Book in the Houston Writers Conference New Horizons 1997 Manuscript Contest