Storytelling is often talked about as a critical business skill, but where does that skill come from? For me, it was my Jamaican family, who made stories a cornerstone of my upbringing. My parents both emigrated to the United States before I was born. In fact, it was before they met each other. They first met at a bus stop in Brooklyn but didn't really connect with each other … [Read more...]
How to Keep Your Team from Melting Down During the Holiday Season
It's that time of year again! The holidays are upon us and, for many businesses, that means an increase in workload and stress levels. How can you keep your team from melting down during this busy season? Here are a few tips: 1. Identify Goals and Prioritize Identify goals that must be met and determine priorities that must be handled now vs. what can wait until the holiday … [Read more...]
How to Build a Strong Team to Scale Your Business
If you want your business to reach its full potential, you need to build a strong team that can help your business scale successfully. Whether you're just starting out or your business has been in operation for years, the tips provided below will help you. But first, you need to understand what elements are needed for a team to be high-performing. What Makes a Team … [Read more...]
Virtual Team Building – What It Is, Why it Matters and How to Do It Properly
If you type “virtual team building” into Google trends, there is an explosion in the search term usage between the 7th-20th of March 2020. That’s when many countries around the world went into lockdown with once desk-bound employees now working from home. This trend demonstrates the need to connect with our colleagues. No matter the circumstance, it is absolutely essential … [Read more...]
4 Reasons Career Agility is a Must and How to Get There
Climbing the corporate ladder is no longer a linear pursuit. In fact, a staggering 85% of jobs that will exist in 2030 haven’t even been invented yet. As conventional career paths continue to evolve and be disrupted by technology, how can employees successfully navigate the changing world of work? The answer is career agility. At a high level, career agility is the … [Read more...]
5 Ways to Fuel the Entrepreneurs in Your Teams
Companies are consistently pressured to innovate products and services to drive greater benefit to customers. Now, we have more data than ever on customer habits and preferences, but responding to customer needs can still be a challenge for many businesses grappling with increasing competition, legacy systems, and a non-agile workforce. While you may face challenges, there … [Read more...]
Are You an Idealist or Pragmatic Leader?
In general, business leaders can be split into two distinct groups based on their strategic thinking patterns. Most leaders are either pragmatics or idealists. Yes, they might walk a fine line between the two, but ultimately, one will always be more dominant than the other. Idealist vs. Pragmatic Leaders Idealist leaders are visionary thinkers. They focus on the big ideas and … [Read more...]
Getting the Most from a Diverse, Mixed-Age Team
Recently, a colleague asked me about my company’s diverse, mixed-age work environment — known for being upbeat, effective, and welcoming for all our employees. She was truly skeptical that people across so many backgrounds and generations could work together so effectively. Until she brought it up, this was an issue I’d never really thought much about. My company began with … [Read more...]
4 Alternative Ideas for Team Bonding
The team that plays together stays together -- right? We’ve all been on our fair share of business bonding excursions, from brunch to bowling, from workshops to drinking. Spending time with your coworkers that isn’t work per se is super important, but it can be difficult to come up with creative, affordable activities all the time. There are only so many times you can play … [Read more...]
5 Characteristics of High Performance Culture
Sponsored by Campbellsville University: It’s no secret that motivation is important to doing good work. “Company culture” has become a popular term among corporate leaders; more and more companies are focusing on creating a culture that fosters motivation in their workforce. This is more than a simple fad: According to the Harvard Business Review (HBR), “Why we work … [Read more...]