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For 30+ years, there has been a lot of talk about change management. What does that really mean? What are the lies about change management that’s been convenient to believe, while doing massive damage to trust? Most organizations can have strong focus on the implementation and mechanics of business. However, in the mechanics of business there is a tendency to at least minimize or completely overlook our people. Sure, we give lip service that “our people are our greatest asset

Esther Weinberg joins the podcast episode to share some "truth bombs" for effective people strategy development. Together, we unpack: The seismic "pivot points" in her own career that led to her following her purpose in her work The ripple effects of the pandemic and how virtual work has impacted the employee experience Motivation techniques and tools for today's people leading wanting to get the most out of their virtual teams Learn more about Esther: https://thereadyzone.co

When it comes to scaling your business, readiness (for change, growth, action, etc.) is a must. Crystallizing what this readiness looks like—and how to build it—is the expertise our latest guest brings. Esther Weinberg is a business growth accelerator that equips executives in high-growth industries to create big pivots, big impact, and big returns. She’s also the Founder and Chief Leadership Development Officer of The Ready Zone. Tune into the full episode for more on the 6

Trust makes or breaks any relationship. While trust takes time to build its eroded in an instant. For example, you have a great idea you share with Sarah, your co-worker, whose opinion you value. Both of you commit to bringing the idea to fruition and then you find out Sarah took credit for your idea. No matter how much you loved Sarah before, you’ll most likely never trust her again. Trust destructors are easy to find all around you – a boss who repeatedly promises to promot

There is a dichotomy in the workplace today – the need to be always on, answering emails at midnight, moving through the emergencies of day, poor planning due to an overload of work and simply the need to clear out our “to do” list. Being on all the time has a cache associated with it – you look like you are “on it” and willing to do what it takes to be a real team and company contributor. All of this distraction and pace comes at a cost. In an Inc. Magazine article, “Distrac

If you’re in the entertainment field, your new normal is change. Technology is evolving in lightning-fast fashion, companies that were once your colleagues are now your competitors, and big data is overwhelming decision-making. Yet, companies are still thinking about “change management” as if it’s a one-time change. This thinking doesn’t work if the intention is to foster agile environments and for people to move quickly. Change is Personal Progressive companies of the future

As COVID-19 continues to shake the world, a reality is setting in – loss is all around us. It’s not simply the loss of life, it’s the loss of things we call “normal.” For example, remember the days when you got a craving for ice cream and you simply ran out to your local store to pick up a pint? How about celebrating a friends birthday at their favorite local restaurant? What about gathering with family for a sacred holiday meal? Those days for now are on pause. Yesterday I o

If the foundation to creating an environment of trust, respect and safety is having the right mindset and emotional awareness to support ourselves, our team and our organization, what happens when we get triggered and thrown off of our foundation? When we get triggered, oftentimes we can make decisions based on that reaction rather than pausing, taking a moment and making a powerful choice based on the information in front of you or even identify information you need to recei

Remember when being productive was as simple as refining your calendar and redefining expectations? Today’s self-management is more complex when you consider all you may be managing and now overseeing: Working from home More complex and growing remote teams Keeping your teams motivated and engaged when you are far from them Home schooling your kids Increasing and ever shifting demands of those you work for Social issues that are profoundly shifting the way we lead, manage and

Renowned author and businessman Zig Ziglar once said, “A lot of people have gone further than they thought they could because someone else thought they could.” COVID-19 has demonstrated that people want to help each other. On the neighborhood app Next Door, one of my neighbors posted they were looking for toilet paper and wanted to know where anyone has seen some available. Immediately without missing a beat people responded in droves. While many shared strategies and locatio

When COVID-19 began and people started working from home, teams are more dispersed now than ever. Many team members are feeling the pinch of being isolated while the demands of work has not slowed. Communication is at a premium and while Zoom sessions and Slack channels, can help, if the team doesn’t have a powerful WHY to hold them together, the culture of your team is at risk. Before COVID-19, teams were already feeling the impact of operating in a digital economy. First of

As a leader, one of your primary roles is to be a motivator and a source of inspiration for others to keep going. Essentially, you are the ultimate cheerleader. As an example, you are encouraging those around you to continue being innovative in times of change, you are a voice of reason when people get down on themselves, you champion a teammates efforts even though everything didn’t go quite according to plan. When you take on the role of Chief Inspiration Officer, you need

It’s relatively easy to put a band of people together, and it’s much more challenging to know how to put the right people in place, creating the ideal environment for them to thrive and providing them with the structures for them to succeed. Especially as people work more remotely and especially from home, creating that level of unity, camaraderie, collaboration and inspiration maybe even be further challenging. I was having a meeting with the president of an ad agency who wa

Just because people are speaking, it doesn’t necessarily mean they are communicating. Communication with your team becomes even more complicated when you are not communicating in person and it’s tough to read body language. Today as people are working from home, communication with your team is relegated to email, video conferencing, Slack and a slew of other app communication platforms which can be wonderful and yet it’s tough to convey sentiment, tone and energy. Since most

When change moves so quickly, what often doesn’t move as fast is how the change is communicated. Oftentimes, organizations may have a one-time communication strategy or even one for about 90 days, however the kind of changes we are in today are ones that have lasting impact and bring changes upon the changes. Knowing what to say won’t get you as far as understanding how to position the change itself. People go through shifting times differently and it can be a highly emotiona

As organizations have become more matrixed, influencing and communicating your ideas have become more complicated. Especially as more people are now working virtually from home or anywhere around the work, and work is much more distributed. The old formulas for how to get your ideas through, and influencing across the organization, do not work anymore. Change and disruption have impacted everything from business models and new players on the market, to new platforms, and anal

The power of inquiry is one of the most vital skills you can grow and develop as a leader and as someone who is coaching others. According to the article What Is Inquiry-Based Learning: 7 Benefits & Strategies You Need to Know , “When a concept sparks curiosity, there is increased activity in the hippocampus – the region of the brain responsible for memory creation.” When you utilize questions in your coaching, you ignite curiosity in the other person whereby they “retain ess

What if your communication was on point always – what impact would it have? First you’d have to break through one of the greatest myths about communicating – because I’m talking, you’ve heard me; or because I put something in writing, you understood what I was saying. Too often that is not the case, and two people come away from a conversation with two completely different ideas of what was said or decided. A message may not have resonance because the person communicating did

Any team is as great as their team leader. A team leader plays a vital role in not simply developing a team, to setting the team culture which is critical to the longevity and success of any team. While there is much talk on how to develop teams, there is not enough strategies on how to actually lead and inspire your team to action. To create a team culture that engenders trust, respect and safety, here’s attitudes and attributes that are essential for a team leader to adopt

In my last article that spoke about what to remember and not forget – the opportunity to reinvent how we work and where we work. The keys to retention, engagement and happiness in the workplace lies in two critical areas and elements - boundaries and connection.   Boundaries are paramount to living a healthy life When everyone went from office to home and home became the office, many clients of mine were simply working all the time. There was no space to allow the distinction