 Have you heard that stress and pressure can push people to perform more, better, and faster? A large and growing body of research reveals a very different picture.
Not only is a cut-throat environment harmful to productivity over time, but a positive, collaborative culture leads to dramatic benefits for employers, employees, and the bottom line. Our own research has long maintained that communication is the freeway to culture. Writing in The Harvard Business Review, Emma Seppala, of the Yale School of Management, and Kim Cameron, of the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, agree. They suggest four pathways for leaders to create a more positive culture within their organization:
What have you done recently to instill a more positive culture in your workplace? To join the conversation, click "comments" below. Learn more about creating a habit around masterful communication with our online learning courses awarded International Gold for Best Hybrid Learning of 2022.
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 Kudos to leaders who practice vulnerability and make an effort to connect with their team. Here are 5 tips so that sharing does not become oversharing and make people uncomfortable.
It is best to remain “selectively vulnerable”… opening up while still respecting the emotional boundaries of your team. Writing in the Harvard Business Review, Liz Fosslien and Mollie West Duffy, co-authors of No Hard Feelings, offer advice on how to do that:
What methods do you use to reign in extreme emotions at work? To join the conversation, click on "comments" above -- we'd love to hear about your experiences! Learn more about creating a habit around masterful communication with our online learning courses awarded International Gold for Best Hybrid Learning of 2022.  “Growth mindset” has become a buzzword in many organizations, but many people have a limited understanding of what that really means.
People who believe their talents can be developed through hard work, strategic thinking, and input from others have a growth mindset. Those who believe their talents are innate gifts have a fixed mindset and are limited by their worry that the effort and hard work it takes to learn something is a sign of not being inherently smart. A growth mindset achieves more, by putting much more effort into learning. Writing in the Harvard Business Review, Carol Dweck, the Lewis & Virginia Eaton Professor of Psychology at Stanford University, points out three common misconceptions about a growth mindset:
Organizations that embody a growth mindset encourage appropriate risk-taking, while knowing some risks won’t work out. They reward employees for important lessons learned, even if a project doesn’t meet its original goals. They support collaboration across organizational boundaries rather than competition among employees or teams. They are committed to the growth of every member, not just in words, but also in deeds such as making development and advancement broadly available. When is the last time you deliberately attempted to learn a new skill? Did your employer encourage that? To join the conversation, click "comments" above. We would love to hear about your experiences! Learn more about creating a habit around masterful communication with our online learning courses awarded International Gold for Best Hybrid Learning of 2022.  It’s possible to fake emotional intelligence – like forgeries and knock-offs. But there are 3 ways to spot counterfeit EQ, not just in others but also in yourself.
Interacting from a place of emotional intelligence requires empathy, active listening, and self-awareness. But some leaders can counterfeit these emotions so skillfully that they can even fool themselves. Writing in the Harvard Business Review, Ron Carucci, managing partner at Navalent and author of To Be Honest, says, “Our ability to express emotional intelligence is sometimes impaired by unacknowledged, unhealthy, emotional needs." If you want to genuinely communicate emotional intelligence, pay attention to these 3 common imitations:
How would you rate your EQ, as well as the leaders you work with most closely? Are there ways to become even more authentic? To join the conversation, click "comments" above. Learn more about creating a habit around masterful communication with our online learning courses awarded International Gold for Best Hybrid Learning of 2022.  What’s the secret to solving unexpected challenges, seizing new opportunities, and building strong cultures? Ask powerful questions!
Leaders who assume they have all the answers are either clueless or lying. So writes John Hagel III, in the Harvard Business Review). He describes how leaders who know how to ask great questions build a reservoir of trust and team performance. Here are some effective research-based tips:
Check out our Collaborative Problem Solving Model as a vehicle for bringing teams together to solve meaningful, creative questions central to the team’s work. What is the last big question you asked your team? To join the conversation, click on "comments" above -- we would love to hear about your experiences! Learn more about creating a habit around masterful communication with our online learning courses awarded International Gold for Best Hybrid Learning of 2022.  While disagreeing may be uncomfortable, research tells us that diverse thinking is far more likely to lead to progress, innovations and breakthroughs than “nice” conversations where people hide what they really think.
But how do you foster productive debate on your team? Writing in the Harvard Business Review, Shane Snow, author of Dream Teams: Working Together Without Falling Apart, offers four tips:
How do you keep a debate on track when it seems to be veering? To join the conversation, click "comments" above -- we'd love to hear from you! Learn more about creating a habit around masterful communication with our online learning courses awarded International Gold for Best Hybrid Learning of 2022.  But how does an informal leader motivate colleagues to support their initiatives and adopt their ideas? How can anyone become a go-to person that others look to for guidance and advice?
Writing in the Harvard Business Review, career and workplace journalist Rebecca Knight, outlines a plan for anyone who wants to promote an initiative. First, create a map of colleagues related to the issue you want to tackle. Second, craft your message with a concise elevator pitch. Third, cultivate allies by asking for advice and incorporating it. And lastly, develop your expertise by staying up-to-date on your topic. So, even if you’re not a formal leader at work, you can influence others with these 3 action steps. 3 Action Steps To Influence At Work:
What methods do you use to influence others at work? To join the conversation, click on "comments" above -- we'd love to hear from you! Learn more about creating a habit around masterful communication with our online learning courses awarded International Gold for Best Hybrid Learning of 2022.  If you want to create a high impact presentation, rehearsal is crucial, but memorization is not the answer.
Writing in the Harvard Business Review, Harvard professor Carmine Gallo says, “The best speakers make presentations look effortless, precisely because they put so much effort into perfecting their delivery.” He offers guidelines for getting the most out of rehearsal time. Here are 5 key practices.
How have you rehearsed for important presentations? To join the conversation, click "comments" on comments above. We'd love to hear your feedback! Learn more about creating a habit around masterful communication with our online learning courses awarded International Gold for Best Hybrid Learning of 2022.  In these times of economic pressures, geopolitical unrest, and even looming layoffs, kindness at work is not a luxury, but a necessity.
Decades of research suggests that a leader’s kindness at work helps them retain top talent, establish a thriving culture, and enhance productivity & engagement. It also speaks volumes about individual character, commitment, and values. Writing in The Harvard Business Review, Andrew Swinand, CEO of Publicis Group Creative and Production U.S. and CEO of The Leo Burnett Group, offers advice for cultivating kindness at work.
When was the last time someone was kind to you at work, and how was that kindness expressed? To join the conversation, click "comments" above. We'd love to hear from you! Learn more about creating a habit around masterful communication with our online learning courses awarded International Gold for Best Hybrid Learning of 2022.  Tired of people finishing your sentences or cutting your stories or opinions short to interject their own? What can you do about annoying interruptions?
For many of us, being interrupted can feel diminishing and condescending, says Maria Venetis, an associate professor of Communication at Rutgers University. Sometimes it’s even “enraging,” she added, “because it suggests that my ideas or my participation aren’t valid.” Interrupters often have, or believe they have, more power, and they’re used to having people defer when they talk. Jancee Dunn, of The New York Times, studied how to handle interruptions at work and in relationships, and offers these suggestions. At work:
In personal relationships:
Who interrupts you the most and how have you tried to correct it? To join the conversation, click "comments" above -- we'd love to hear from you! To find out how to create a habit around masterful communication, signup for our online learning courses awarded International Gold for Best Hybrid Learning of 2022.  By now most of us are aware that employees become more motivated and engaged when their leaders express gratitude. Expressing gratitude can be more motivating to employees than money.
But it's how you thank that matters. A mere “drive by” recognition can have the opposite effect, according to Vidyard CEO Michael Litt. “They start to come off like cheap motivational techniques," he says. "On the flip side, they also run the risk of conditioning teams to expect constant positive reinforcement for meeting the basic requirements of their jobs.” So, what to do? Fast Company editor Lydia Dishman offers these 3 opportunities:
How has someone shown you gratitude in a significant way? To join the conversation, click on "comments" above. We'd love to hear from you! To find out how to create a habit around masterful communication, sign up for our online learning courses awarded International Gold for Best Hybrid Learning of 2022.  Leaders spend much of their day asking questions, but are they asking them artfully and skillfully? Here are 4 tips to remember.
Lawyers, doctors, and journalists are trained to ask questions to uncover critical information. But this skill set is typically not part of a leader’s education. Writing in The Harvard Business Review, Alison Wood Brooks and Leslie K. Johns, outline what to remember when seeking information:
How artful and skillful is your question asking, and how do you react to the questions of others? To join the conversation, click on "comments" above. Learn more about creating a habit around masterful communication with our online learning courses awarded International Gold for Best Hybrid Learning of 2022.  If your boss has unrealistic expectations, there are 3 things you can do rather than update your resume!
Writing in the Harvard Business Review, consultant and professor Liz Kislik, offers the following advice:
“When all is said and done,” writes Kislik, “for as long as you stay in the job, you’re still responsible for helping your team and your boss be successful. And as frustrating as it can be to work for an unrealistic leader, your goal should be to satisfy as much of the organization’s mission as possible while maintaining your sanity and self-respect.” Have you ever had an unrealistic boss, and how did you cope? To join the conversation, click on "comments" above. Learn more about creating a habit around masterful communication with our online learning courses awarded International Gold for Best Hybrid Learning of 2022.  Moving from managing a team to leading an enterprise is tough. It's different at the top, but how?
Writing in the Harvard Business Review, Michael D. Watkins, co-founder of Genesis Advisers and author of The First Ninety Days, offers a breakdown of the key mindset transitions new leaders face:
Have you transitioned from manager to leader? What was the trickiest part to navigate? To join the conversation, click "comments" above. Learn more about creating a habit around masterful communication with our online learning courses awarded International Gold for Best Hybrid Learning of 2022.  How can being too positive as a leader reduce retention?
An upbeat and enthusiastic leader can be a great motivator… but only up to a point. Some corporate cultures unintentionally prohibit worry or concern, even when appropriate (lay-offs, cost cuts, or hiring freezes are examples). Writing in Forbes, Jack Kelly, CEO and founder of one of the world’s largest global search firms, contends that when the expectation of joy is foisted upon employees, it can lead to burn-out and self-doubt. Says Kelly, “When dealing with problems at work or home, it may be mentally and physically draining to put on a happy face in front of your boss and pretend everything is fine. No one wants to be pressured to be someone they’re not. It’s disingenuous, and many people can’t keep up with the charade.” Kelly advises that no one should be hesitant to advocate for themselves in such a situation:
Managers must create a balance of igniting a positive culture while also acknowledging the concerns of employees, by reaching out to those who report to them and having open and honest conversations. Without this balance, retention will become rare, with quitting more common. Do you ever feel pressure to be positive at work no matter what? And what do you do about it? To join the conversation, click "comments" above. Learn more about creating a habit around masterful communication with our online learning courses awarded International Gold for Best Hybrid Learning of 2022. |
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