To get people really talking, try these scripts
Kendra, the leader of a cross-functional team working on a highly visible and critical company project, imagined that things were going pretty well for her virtual team. People seemed to have few...
View ArticleRestoring Lost Connections in a Virtual World
“My team has gotten a lot tighter since the start of the pandemic,” my client Zoe recently told me. “Our weekly meetings are super-productive, and we’re constantly Slack-chatting back and forth...
View Article11 Tips for Avoiding the Toxicity of Relentless Positivity
When Sue confessed to being anxious about the impending project deadline, her manager dismissed her concerns, assuring her that he just knew that Sue would find a way to pull through – she always did!...
View ArticleWhen There’s No Going Back, Decide How to Move Forward
“When the dust finally settles…” “As soon as we get back to normal…” When we hear comments like these from our wishful-thinking clients, we tell them that try as they might, there’s no going back....
View ArticleMaintaining True Equity in a Virtual/Hybrid World
In announcing a new hybrid work policy, the senior leaders of this mid-sized financial services company promised that “all people, regardless of work location, will be treated equitably.” All 250+...
View ArticleTips for Creating a Remote-first Workplace to Make Life Easier for Everyone
Let’s face it. Designing and implementing a high-performing hybrid workplace isn’t for the faint of heart. In fact, it can be one of the hardest things a leader will ever do. It can be so confounding...
View ArticleWe Really, Really Need to Talk
Like many of you, I was gutted when I heard the news about the massacre at Robb Elementary School this week. My mind went completely numb. I had trouble putting one step in front of the other. I could...
View ArticleStop Agonizing Over Tough Decisions to Save Your Sanity (and Maybe Even Your...
I came this close (holding thumb and index finger ¼” apart) to returning our pup, Honey, just three days after we adopted her from a shelter a year ago today. (And believe me, I am no novice when it...
View ArticleEveryone’s Feeling Stressed, and Here’s Why
July can be a great time to reflect on how far we’ve come and the progress we’ve made during the first six months of the year. For this Communique, I’m reporting on trends I’m seeing in terms when it...
View ArticleLeadership Tips for Retaining Top Talent During a Time of Turbulence
For this edition of Communique, I invited my long-time colleague, the senior talent management professional of an international healthcare company, to reflect on why 2022 has been so messy and to...
View ArticleWhy Culture Must Transcend Work Location for Healthy, High-Performing Teams
Dear Senior Leaders, To be blunt, I’m weary of hearing you say that your organizational culture will somehow be lost or diluted if you move to a permanent virtual/hybrid model. I’d really like to know...
View ArticleCreate a Sense of Community with Questions That Connect
“Let’s go around the room and have everyone share a fun fact.” You cringe as you wait your turn, wondering which fact you can use that: You have not already used the dozens of times someone has asked...
View ArticlePractical Steps for Creating a Team Communications Map that Everyone Embraces
“Why did we have to wait until our weekly team meeting to discover that three people couldn’t deliver on time? If we’d known earlier, maybe we could have done something about it. Now we’re looking at a...
View ArticleGetting Hybrid Right Takes Curiosity, Openness, Thoughtful Deliberation and...
“My advice for senior leaders who are moving to a hybrid model: Don’t do it in a vacuum. These are decisions that can’t be unilaterally decided in an executive boardroom. Once you’ve made your...
View ArticleIf you want employees to be more productive, let them choose where to work
This article is part of a series of Field Spotlight Communiques where I share tips and observations from company leaders who are fully immersed in the transformation to hybrid, including a wide range...
View ArticleExpanding and diversifying the talent pool, cultivating connections in a...
This is one of a series of Field Spotlight Communiques where company leaders who are fully immersed in the transformation to hybrid share tips and observations. For this issue, we interviewed two...
View ArticleIf you really want to be inclusive, here’s how to walk the talk
“Employees tell us that we’re not doing a great job when it comes to creating an inclusive workplace. Is this something you can help us with?” (Chief Human Resources Officer) “What does inclusive mean...
View ArticleFlexible, Productive and Collaborative: A Model Hybrid Workplace
This is part of our ongoing series of Field Spotlight Communiques with senior leaders who share successes, challenges, tips and observations for making a successful transition to a hybrid remote...
View ArticleRethinking “culture” in a hybrid remote workplace
How many times have we heard employers claim that their organization’s “culture” may be irretrievably lost if people continue to work remotely? We don’t buy it, and we’ll explain why here. But first,...
View ArticleHow a Growing Pharma Blends Asynch, Real-time Communications to Boost...
This is one of a series of Field Spotlights where I share experiences, tips and observations from company leaders who are fully immersed in the transformation to hybrid. “In the last few years, we’ve...
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