How many times have you heard the expression, “It’s not what you said, it’s how you say it.”? The truth is, it’s both. Asking good questions, listening, and giving feedback are the basic ingredients of leader communication – but those steps are only part of good communication. Research done by UCLA found that gestures count…
The benefit of a growth mindset has long been identified as the key to organizations that seek continuous improvement. Growth mindset, defined by Carol Dweck, is the belief that our most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work. Dweck’s practice of growth mindset, though, goes further than skill development. Individuals with a…
Each new generation of employees tends to rewrite the rules-of-engagement with their employer. But against the backdrop of a global pandemic, cries for racial justice, and unprecedented political divisiveness, is it any wonder this generation might be completely ripping up the rules and tik toking their way to a new approach? One of those ways,…
Over ten years ago, a Twitter post sparked a reaction from folks across the internet that quickly went viral. The simple post, “Everything happens so much” has been called “the general tweet of the decade” and “the defining text of our age.” (Atlantic Monthly) It’s perhaps more felt today than it was at the time…
Two years ago, at this exact time many of us across the US, and around the globe, were in full lockdown mode. Separated from family and friends, we learned what it meant to pod with just our immediate families. We worked and home schooled simultaneously – every square surface being converted in a school desk or workstation. We…
Organizations around the globe are continuing to navigate their stance on remote and hybrid work. Many are proudly claiming to be a “Remote First” organizations when the truth is they are anything but. Fauxmote organizations, fake remote organizations, are those that say they provide flexibility via remote work scenarios and then ask employees to commit to a…
The employee-organization narrative is being rewritten. The story that began, “Once upon a time, an employee commuted into the office at 9 am” is now a choose-your-own adventure story. And employees are choosing – in spectacular fashion. Choosing their hours, their days and, as we’ve seen in the quit rates, who they want to work…
Employees are recalibrating their lives. They’re leaving their jobs in record numbers. But the harsh reality is they also are leaving their managers. While the “Great Resignation” provides insight into larger organizational trends, it’s critical we examine how employees perceive their leaders—especially where they see them succeeding and stumbling. Leaders carry a heavy and complex…
If there is one thing the global pandemic has taught us, it is that we are not as in control as we think we are – of our lives, our livelihood, our world. Asking leaders to manage change or lead change is no more realistic than asking them to predict where the next variant is coming from. In January of this…
The past several years has been a perfect storm of issues resulting in significant stress-and-strain on so many individuals. Concerns about how to keep ourselves, and our loved ones, safe-and-healthy has taken on new meaning. Political divisiveness and racial injustice have been amplified. As challenges mount, leaders, and their teams, still need to show up…