Apple Business Strategy Illustrates Customer Friction

Feb 2, 2018 | Blog, Uncategorized

You know the power of the Apple brand. You’ve seen innovation that transformed how we work, live and communicate. What if the Apple business strategy requires an update? What if the current business strategy leads to a smaller yet still highly-profitable fan...

Become a Master Communicator Using Emotional Intelligence

Dec 30, 2015 | Blog, Communication Skills

Are your teams burned out or are you? Are you feeling like you are always fighting fires or dealing with team or client conflict? Constant conflict drains our energy and sabotages our efforts. In any relationship there is a big difference between being assertive to establish respect and trust and successful collaboration and being aggressive, defensive or hostile because of perceived threats or differences.

Even if you are one of the lucky ones that has a cohesive team, learning to tap into Emotional intelligence can make a dramatic difference to our success and positively impact every area of our lives for better success, more income and better relationships including:

  • Your performance at work. Emotional Intelligence can help you navigate the social complexities of the workplace, lead and motivate others, and excel in your career. In fact, when it comes to gauging job candidates, many companies now view emotional intelligence as being as important as technical ability and require EI testing before hiring.
  • Your physical health. If you’re unable to manage your stress levels, it can lead to serious health problems. Uncontrolled stress can raise blood pressure, suppress the immune system, increase the risk of heart attack and stroke, contribute to infertility, and speed up the aging process. The first step to improving emotional intelligence is to learn how to relieve stress.
  • Your mental health. Uncontrolled stress can also impact your mental health, making you vulnerable to anxiety and depression. If you are unable to understand and manage your emotions, you’ll also be open to mood swings, while an inability to form strong relationships can leave you feeling lonely and isolated.
  • Your relationships. By understanding your emotions and how to control them, you’re better able to express how you feel and understand how others are feeling. This allows you to communicate more effectively and forge stronger relationships, both at work and in your personal life.

But before I get ahead of myself, you might wonder:

what is Emotional Intelligence (EI) exactly?

AODA Training – Get Ready Now

Dec 29, 2015 | Blog, Leadership Development, Strategy Implementation

Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act

The AODA legislation impacts all organizations in Ontario with more than one employee.

That means you want AODA training to achieve compliance.

Has your organization met all of the requirements to date?

Has your organization filed your accessibility compliance reports (January 1, 2012 and January 1, 2014) ?

 
The following are some of the AODA requirements with compliance dates between January 1, 2012 – January 1, 2016:

How To Choose the Right Leadership Triggers

Sep 2, 2015 | Blog, Leadership Development

As leaders, our leadership triggers activate us to take action. The activities, approaches and results you recognize and celebrate speak volumes to your team. You take action. Your action affects what others see you do. What you do indicates what is important to you. What you recognize and celebrate in others illustrates what is important to you. The activities, approaches and results you recognize and celebrate speak volumes to your team.

What is a leadership trigger?

Most of us get that a trigger is the mechanism that actuates the firing sequence of a firearm. As leaders, our triggers are mechanisms that activate us to take action.

What are “helpful” leadership triggers?

Many leaders have well-defined “negative” triggers. We get activated when someone is late, fails to complete a task, and other countless negative triggers that exist. “Helpful” triggers activate us to recognize and celebrate the effort, progress or results of our team. Helpful triggers recognize those who take the desired action or produced the desired result, rather than focusing on those who did not.

Why Creating a Team Culture is Like Baking a Cake

Aug 31, 2015 | Blog, Leadership Development, Team Building

Creating a team is like making a cake. Each ingredient serves a purpose. Without an ingredient, the cake changes. If an ingredient is off, the entire cake can be distasteful or the other ingredients have to mask the bad taste of the one. When all the ingredients are fresh, the cake tastes good, feeds many and is cause for celebration.

Each ingredient serves a purpose. Each ingredient has a role and function to play in a team. Knowing your role in the team comes from the hiring process, the job description, how you are measured, your supervisor, and primarily how you choose to contribute to the team. Consider a sales person who contributes to the team yet does not contribute sales. This is similar to a cake without flour. The ingredient withholds its role and provides no added benefit to the team

12 Keys To Getting Results When Merging Teams

Aug 19, 2015 | Blog, Communication Skills, Leadership Development, Team Building

A company’s culture is the shared values, beliefs and behaviors that determine how people do things in an organization. A team’s culture, while aligned with the larger organization culture, can often look very different across the organization, and pocket cultures may emerge.

In the midst of organizational change and restructuring, these pocket cultures may collide, and the fallout, can be disastrous or at the very least disheartening. Keep issues related to blending team cultures a top priority and take these steps to ensure a smooth transition.