Starting a Conversation with a Stranger – The C.A.T.S.I. Framework
Three things that intimidate me: If you are like me, I can’t help you with the first two, but for the third one—meeting new people for the first time—I created a clever little strategy to help me not only start a conversation but also build a connection with someone that I’m meeting for the first […]
Onboarding New Member
No one likes being the new kid. You don’t know the rules. You don’t know anyone. The group cliques are already made. Your broken glasses are taped up, and your hand-me-down farm overalls barely fit anymore. Oh, is that just me? Anyways…” Being new to a community is challenging. However, onboarding new members is critical […]
The Ivy Lee Method of Time Management
Have you ever felt your unofficial motto is “I’ll do it later”? If you’re nodding your head, you’re not alone. Time management often feels like squeezing a sleeping bag back into its tiny bag — seemingly impossible. But fear not, because I’m here to guide you through mastering time management and introduce you to your […]
How To Run Great Team Meetings
Have you ever sat through a team meeting and thought it was a total waste of time? Yeah, me too. But guess what? Meetings don’t have to be the workplace equivalent of a root canal. Meetings have the potential to be powerful and productive… if you do them right. Harvard Business Review found that 71% […]
How To Deal with Negative People On Your Team
Have you ever worked with someone who’s like a human raincloud…or more like a thundercloud? Are they constantly casting a shadow over you and your team’s spirit? I bet you have. It’s a challenge we all face at some point. A study by doctoral students William Felps and Terence Mitchell, published in the Harvard Business […]
How to Create a Simple Budget for Your Organization
$20 for food. $10 for technology. Which leaves…$150 for me! If only budget creation were as simple as playing with Monopoly money. However, I’m the guy in Monopoly who buys hotels on Park Place but has zero cash in my bank. While Monopoly money won’t actually buy you anything in real life, a well-constructed budget […]
What Are Hygienic Motivators, and Why Are They Crucial for Team Retention?
They call it a flash fire because the fire happens so fast. That’s what it felt like when the group’s manager asked for feedback on ways management could better support their employees. With 400 people in the room, you can see how quickly the venting session ramped up and soured the mood in the room. […]
Creating an Effective Onboarding Process for New Members in Your Organization
Keep burning your cash in the bonfire, or create a successful onboarding/orientation program for your new people and watch retention rates skyrocket. Considering the fact that 50% of all hourly workers leave new jobs within the first 120 days and what a student does within the first 90 days of entering college determines their behavior […]
Vision, Mission, and Values Part 4: Creating Your Team Values
At this point in the journey, your team should have a clear sense of what mountain you will climb (Vision) and which path you will take up that mountain (Mission). Most teams might stop here; however, there always comes a point in the journey when challenges happen and tough decisions must be made. Sometimes you […]
How To Run A Strategy Retreat For Your Organization
It didn’t take long for the celebratory election smiles to fade to confusion and fear as we realized we didn’t know what we would do for the next 12 months. Six people, including myself, were elected into leadership positions in our local National Speaker’s Association chapter. We accepted our new task of running the chapter […]