144: Clear is Kind ft. Dr. Kristen Eichhorn

In this episode, host Alex sits down with Dr. Kristen Eichhorn — Interim Provost, Dean of Graduate Studies, Interim Dean of the College of Business and Entrepreneurship at SUNY Oswego, published relational scholar, and co-author of Interpersonal Communication: Building Rewarding Relationships — for a conversation about what it really means to communicate well, why most of us are doing it wrong, and how fixing the way you talk to people can change everything in your business, your leadership, and your life. Kristen has spent nearly two decades at SUNY Oswego, growing from Assistant Professor of Communication Studies into one of the institution's most senior leaders — overseeing three roles simultaneously, growing graduate enrollment by 34%, championing lactation rooms in every campus building, and creating real access for the adult learners who were told the system wasn't built for them. She is also the current President of the Northeastern Association of Graduate Schools. And she did all of it by doing one thing better than almost anyone Alex has ever sat down with: she listened. This conversation is a masterclass. And it will leave you looking at every difficult conversation you've been avoiding very differently. 💬 Topics we cover: 0:00 Meet Dr. Kristen Eichhorn 3:00 From Assistant Professor to Running Three Roles at Once 8:00 She Created Her Own Job and It Changed Everything 14:00 What It Means to Have Women at Every Table 19:00 How SUNY Oswego Is Rethinking Higher Education 24:00 The Communication Mistake Almost Everyone Makes 30:00 Why Most Conflict Has Nothing to Do With You 36:00 Every Issue in Business Boils Down to This 42:00 Clear is Kind and Here is Why 47:00 How to Exercise the Apology Muscle 52:00 What Stretching People Actually Looks Like in Leadership 58:00 One Woman is a Token. Six is Transformation. 1:03:00 What Lifelong Curiosity Really Means 1:08:00 How to Become a Better Communicator Starting Today If you've been avoiding a hard conversation, carrying a miscommunication you never addressed, or wondering why your relationships keep hitting the same wall — this is the episode for you. New episodes drop every Monday. Ready to Cultivate? Hit Subscribe. Connect with Kristen on LinkedIn:   / kristen-campbell-eichhorn-4847b525   Check out Ronald McDonald House CNY upcoming event: https://apps.rmhcny.org/upcoming-even... ⛺️ Camp Collective: https://www.cnywomensnetwork.com/camp... 📝 Follow Cultivate with Alex Canavan on Substack: https://substack.com/@cultivatewithal... 🎥 Follow Cultivate with Alex Canavan on Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠   / alexcanavanpodcast   Apply to be a guest on Cultivate:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FA... Connect with Alex Canavan, the host of Cultivate: Website: https://www.alexcanavan.com/ LinkedIn:   / alexcanavan   Instagram:   / alexcanavan.co   ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ This episode is brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Diam Media Group⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: https://www.diammedia.com/