Identifying Trending Leaders and Laying Tracks for Motivated Trains
While walking around Central Park in NYC, I watched a little league softball game on the field next to me. Surrounding the field was a collection of parents multitasking between the game, their phones, and watching their younger kids. One parent in particular was having a hard time keeping her little one under control. Her […]
8 Universal Factors of Employee Engagement
Engagement is a tricky thing to measure because there are many factors that can play into an employee’s overall engagement. Each company will want to measure engagement in its own way, based on the company values and culture. Apple will care about different things than Facebook. It’s important for leaders to understand the key factors […]
Until everyone feels welcomed, connected, and engaged…
Building a Culture of Connection within a team/organization/community means that everyone within that community feels welcomed, connected, and engaged. The benefits of this type of culture are overwhelmingly positive: – Neighborhood crime goes down – Employee retention/productivity goes up – Individuals experience better physical health The research goes on and on about the value of […]
3 Wild Strategies I Used To Nail My TEDx Talk
Two years ago, I had the joyful experience of speaking at UCLA for their TEDx event. The talk only lasted 12 minutes, but the time I put in behind the scenes was immeasurable. I practiced a lot for my talk, and that is coming from someone who has 15 years of professional speaking experience. Since […]
How to Reclaim the 15% of Energy You Lose on Camera as a Moderator
You know how they say people look 15 lbs (7 kg) heavier on camera? Well, the same is true for your energy on camera, but in the opposite way. You will be perceived as having 15% less energy when on camera than when in person. This is due to the physical distance and the two […]
We are Hardwired to Connect With Other Humans
About 200,000 to 800,000 years ago, a massive upgrade in technology occurred. It was a technology upgrade that allowed for individuals to create deeper social connections, retain and exchange knowledge, and cooperate together. Nobody witnessed this upgrade directly, however, because it happened inside the bodies of our ancient ancestors. The change occurred inside the brain, […]
Don’t Break the #1 Rule of Icebreakers
Audible groans rolled across the audience as we begrudgingly stood up from our seats. In a room of 200 people, the speaker had managed to universally turn everyone’s attitude negative by uttering one phrase. This phrase is commonly used, but also commonly despised. What’s the phrase? “Ok, now we are going to do an icebreaker […]
A Magic Trick for Remembering Names – And Why It Matters
After five hours of working with a group of 40 people, I ended my training with a little magic trick. One-by-one, I walked up to each person and said “Thank you for being here…Sandy. Thank you for being here… Seth. Thank you for being here… Randi.” I kept going around the room until I thanked […]
The Future of Free Hugs During The COVID-19 Pandemic
Anyone who’s been a part of the Swift Kick family over the past 14 years knows that introducing the Free Hugs campaign to new people is a core part of our training. It’s how we teach people to build a Culture of Connection™ where everyone feels welcomed, connected, and engaged. But what about now, in […]
Creating an Engagement Dashboard for Your Organization
For two years, I sat on the board of the NY Entrepreneurs’ Organization as the Head of Member Engagement. At my first board meeting, I asked the group for some prior data on member engagement. My aim was to find a baseline level of engagement which I could use to build goals for the future. […]