Throw Away Your To-Do List: Using Core Values to Navigate the Unexpected
Melissa’s TEDx talk was on Saturday. It was Thursday. We were discussing back and forth over whether the word “love” was the appropriate word for her closing line. We were on the verge of a nervous giggle fit, as the English language got less and less concrete in our minds. I was supposed to be […]
Your ABC(D) Guide To Being An Agent Of Change
Change is an interesting word. Depending on who you ask in your industry of choice, change can either be welcomed with open arms or send people fleeing. In a dramatically entitled Forbes article from 2017, writer Sam Page leads off with “Adapt Or Die”. While incredibly blunt, those words ring incredibly true. In the higher […]
Using Spring Fever to Make Your Team More, Not Less Engaged
A few years ago, I saw a funny post on Facebook that said if you leave the office in the middle of the day to go outside, and someone asks where you are, you can say you are “Out-Standing.” Ha ha – get it? OUT? STANDING? So maybe this isn’t hilarious to you, but to […]
Hosting a “Topsy Turvy” Retreat
For our last quarterly retreat, we decided to have the event on April 1, 2019. April 1 is obviously April Fool’s Day! As Mark Twain once said, “Today is a day that upon which we are reminded of what we are the other three hundred and sixty-four.” But not everyone enjoys being tricked, so we […]
The Four Big Myths of Dance Floor Theory
Dance Floor Theory is an engagement system that can be used by any team or organization to better engage their employees or members. We use dance floors as a visual representation of engagement within an organization. In the middle of the dance are the most engaged dancers. We call them 5s. The least engaged dancers […]
Crafting SMART Goals that Allow Your Team to Be More Human
In life and in work is important to set goals for yourself that are measurable and attainable. But how do you keep your sights set on the big goals and not beat yourself up over the little losses? “Metrics must meet three criteria to be useful in a business plan: they must be actionable, accessible […]
Coming Out of Your Shell During Team Debates
For the past few weeks, we have been working in one room as a team, instead of in a shared space with other companies. The reason for this change is so that Sabina, Tom and Melissa can work more efficiently on writing the Dance Floor Theory book. I’ve been listening in to their weekly meetings, […]
When Employee Engagement Goes Too Far – Scary Sixes
Robyn works at a large cosmetics company where meetings happen every day, all day. Others on the team describe her as loud, excited, and never-ending. In meetings, there is often no reason for Robyn to answer questions, but she does anyway. Many times, the questions aren’t related to her job, and she doesn’t even have […]
What Stories Are Your Forward-Facing People Telling?
Imagine expressing to someone that you are excited to see them, and they respond with, “Why are you here?” That’s basically what happened to me at a job and internship fair in college, though maybe not in so many words. I had always admired the MTA for their marketing on their own trains and buses. […]
Apply Two Hat Theory for Better Customer Service
I don’t usually show annoyance in my face, but the flight attendant on a recent flight was so oblivious to how she was treating me, that I couldn’t help myself. It all started on a six-hour flight from Seattle to NYC. Within an hour of taking off, I finished the water in my canteen. I […]