Is Your Team Too Scared To Give You Feedback?
I don’t often claim that reality TV gives me leadership lessons, but that’s exactly what happened last week while my family was watching an episode of Good Bones. Good Bones is a show about Karen and Mina – a mother/daughter duo – who flip homes throughout their neighborhood in Indianapolis. While Karen and Mina have […]
Nonverbal Cues: Your Silent Partner in Engagement
Imagine you’re checking out a new apartment. While getting a tour of the place from the current renter, who would be your roommate, he starts acting odd. I mean, really odd. He walks rapidly around the apartment. He holds his water glass high above his head. Next thing you know, he is shuffling backwards on […]
Everyone Plays a Role in Engagement: Finding Community Leaders
“You have to meet Ms. Peaches! Everyone loves her. She takes time to talk with each one of us to really understand the challenges we’re facing. When I talk with her, I can tell she really cares about our success. She goes out of her way to help anyone who needs it.” When I first […]
The Staggering Results of Successful Employee Engagement
As Terri walked into work, the front desk receptionist greeted her with his typical morning smile. Then, while Terri waited by the elevator to go up to her office, he also added, “Congratulations on your son graduating from college this past weekend! I know how much it means to you to have him graduate.” Terri […]
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, […]
6 Easy Ways to Spice Up Your Zoom Calls
Raise your hand if you’ve used Zoom in the last 24 hours. Keep your hand raised if you’ve talked to family, friends, and coworkers all on Zoom in the last week! Yep, that’s what I thought. If you’re facing “Zoom Burnout,” you’re not alone. But for those Zoom calls that we must make, or that […]
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. […]
Energy Flow: The Importance of Modeling Success in Group Settings
Recently, at a training I ran with a group of leaders, I was told ahead of time that a few people were going to be coming in late due to prior commitments. While typically not a big deal, this quickly became an issue for this group. The entrance door must have been attached to a […]
Get in the Habit of Giving Praise With Your Team
It was easy to see the smiles exponentially light up around the room as the co-workers gave each other praise for various things. Even the thickest skinned member of the team couldn’t help but smile when a co-worker thanked him for supporting her with an RFP coming due. The team of hard-nosed marketers turned into […]
Tips for Time Management in Your Busy Season
Here at Swift Kick, August is our busy season. It is such a crazy time that even the word “August” brings chills up our spines and butterflies in our stomachs. Tom and Melissa are out speaking while Sabina, Jay and I are running the show behind the scenes. Think Wizard of Oz…but with less flying […]