Unleashing Greatness Through Effective Change Management with Curtis Bateman

In this episode of Training Unleashed, host Evan Hackel welcomes Curtis Bateman, the bestselling co-author of Change: How to Turn Uncertainty Into Opportunity and vice president of direct international offices for FranklinCovey. With over 24 years of experience in the training industry, Curtis shares his expertise on the vital role of change management in organizations and how leaders can effectively foster a culture of greatness. He discusses his passion for enabling organizations “at change” and how his work has led to the development of transformative, industry-leading solutions.

Key Topics Discussed:
  • FranklinCovey’s Mission:
    • Curtis explains the mission to “enable greatness in people and organizations everywhere,” emphasizing the belief in the inherent potential of individuals.
  • The Importance of Leadership:
    • The discussion delves into the significance of developing exceptional leaders at every level, highlighting Curtis’s commitment to fostering leadership capabilities.
  • Cultivating Trust in Organizations:
    • Curtis discusses the foundational role of trust in organizational culture and how it accelerates change and improves effectiveness.
  • Effective Change Management:
    • Curtis introduces a change model that can be applied not only in the workplace but also in personal relationships, enhancing communication and understanding.
  • Focus on Small and Medium Enterprises:
    • The conversation touches on FranklinCovey’s ability to work with organizations of all sizes, emphasizing the transformative impact seen in smaller companies.
  • Actionable Tips for Leaders:
    • Curtis offers practical advice for leaders looking to implement change effectively and cultivate a productive workplace environment.
Key Takeaways:
  • Leadership development is crucial for unlocking the potential of teams and organizations.
  • Building trust within teams leads to more efficient change management and better overall performance.
  • The change model discussed can be a valuable tool for personal and professional relationships, enhancing communication and cooperation.

About Our Guest

Curtis Bateman is the bestselling co-author of Change: How to Turn Uncertainty Into Opportunity and serves as the vice president of direct international offices for FranklinCovey. With over 24 years of experience in the training industry, he is an internationally recognized presenter, content developer, change consultant, business leader, and coach. His passion for enabling organizations “at change” led to the co-creation of transformative, industry-leading solutions, including Change Element, Leaders@Change, Managing Millennials, Millennials@Work, and the Change Practitioner. Previously, Curtis was the president and CEO of Red Tree Leadership, where he managed the brand Who Moved My Cheese? and developed practical approaches to help individuals and leaders navigate the complexities of change. Curtis joined FranklinCovey as a senior change consultant and co-practice leader, later becoming the managing director for the U.K. and Ireland in 2016, taking on additional responsibilities for Germany, Switzerland, Austria, China, Japan, and Australia in subsequent years.

How to Connect with Curtis:

2024-10-09T12:07:31-04:00October 9, 2024|

Unleashing the Power of People Potential: Transforming Workplace Cultures with Tamien Dysart

In this enlightening episode of Training Unleashed, host Evan Hackle speaks with Tamien Dysart, Co-Founder and Culture Coach at Think 3D. Tamien shares powerful insights on how organizations can unleash the full potential of their people by creating intentional and positive workplace cultures. With a focus on leadership development, Tamien and his team at Think 3D guide businesses through cultural transformations that drive performance, engagement, and long-term success.

Tamien explains how cultures emerge naturally—whether intended or not—and emphasizes the importance of investing in intentional culture building. He shares practical tips for leaders to tap into the unrealized potential of their teams, promote growth, and avoid common pitfalls in organizational culture. The episode also touches on how younger generations are increasingly seeking workplaces that prioritize personal growth and development.

Key Topics Discussed:

The power of culture: How a positive workplace culture can significantly impact employee performance and organizational success.

Leadership development: Why great leaders focus on developing their teams and creating environments where individuals can thrive.

People potential: The importance of investing in employees’ personal growth and how that leads to better organizational outcomes.

Best practices for cultural transformation: How Think 3D partners with organizations to evolve their workplace cultures by coaching leaders and teams toward success.

This episode is a must-listen for leaders looking to improve workplace culture, maximize employee potential, and create a thriving, engaged workforce.

Key Takeaways:
  1. Culture is Critical: Workplace culture will emerge whether intended or not. To succeed, organizations need to invest in a positive, intentional culture.
  2. Leadership Development: Great leaders are dedicated to helping their teams succeed. They focus on creating opportunities for their employees to grow and develop.
  3. Investing in People: Giving employees the tools and space to realize their potential not only benefits them personally but leads to better performance for the organization.
  4. Cultural Transformation: Think 3D works alongside organizations, coaching them through the evolution of their workplace culture and helping them become the best version of themselves.

Special Offer: Dan is offering a free eBook titled From Myth to Meaning: Awakening the Leader Within, which takes readers through their own hero’s journey. To receive a copy, listeners can email Dan at [email protected].

About Our Guest

Tamien Dysart is the co-founder and CEO of Think 3D Solutions, a leader in cultivating high-performing cultures. With over 16 years in the financial industry and 8 years leading Think 3D, Tamien is renowned for his ability to elevate team performance and mitigate the negative impacts of poor organizational culture. At Think 3D Solutions, Tamien leads a dynamic team committed to providing organizational coaching and leadership development to businesses of all sizes, with a mission to construct intentional and sustainable cultures that drive optimal performance.

How to Connect with Tamien:

2024-10-09T12:07:52-04:00October 2, 2024|

Unleashing the Power of Training in Marketing: Navigating the Future with AI with Ford Saeks

In today’s rapidly evolving world, where staying ahead of the curve is essential for personal and professional growth, we find ourselves at the intersection of marketing, training, and emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI). In this captivating conversation between seasoned experts Ford Saeks and Evan Hackel, we explore how effective training can elevate marketing efforts, drive organizational success, and navigate the transformative landscape shaped by AI.

The Foundation of Effective Training

As our discussion unfolds, Ford Saeks, a Hall of Fame speaker and serial entrepreneur with a wealth of experience spanning various industries, emphasizes the foundational importance of training. Drawing from personal experience, he underscores that training is not merely a one-time event but an ongoing process. “Training isn’t something you did. It’s something you do,” he asserts, emphasizing the continuous nature of learning and development.

Aligning Communication for Optimal Results

In the fast-paced world of marketing, effective communication is key. Our guest emphasizes the significance of aligning messaging with market needs and preferences. Whether it’s internal communication with staff or external communication with customers, the message must resonate to elicit the desired response.

The Customer-Centric Approach

Reflecting on a memorable marketing mishap, our guest underscores the importance of viewing business through the lens of the customer. Sharing an anecdote from a presentation to community bankers, he emphasizes the need to deliver on the promised value proposition. “You really need to look at your business model and your communications through the eyes of the customer,” he advises, stressing the importance of understanding and meeting customer expectations.

Embracing the Future with AI

Building upon the foundation laid by effective training, Evan Hackel, in his conversation with Ford Saeks, delves into the profound impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on various aspects of society. Both speakers emphasize the importance of continuous learning in navigating the complexities of today’s world, urging individuals and organizations to embrace AI and understand its potential.

Practical Training for Tangible Results

The discussion further explores the value of practical, actionable insights in training sessions. From keynotes to webinars, the goal is to deliver content that resonates with the audience and leaves a lasting impact. Both speakers stress the significance of effective training delivery, tailored to the needs of the audience. Keeping participants engaged is key to maximizing the impact of training sessions.

Marketing Benefits vs. Features

Finally, the conversation touches upon the importance of marketing benefits over features. This results-driven approach ensures that clients understand the value proposition and are more likely to invest in growth opportunities.

In conclusion, our exploration of training and marketing reveals a symbiotic relationship that fuels business growth, fosters customer engagement, and embraces the transformative potential of AI. By unlocking the power of effective training and embracing emerging technologies, individuals and organizations can navigate the future with confidence, innovation, and growth.

About Our Guest

Ford Saeks is more than a hall of fame keynote speaker, he’s a research-based thought leader. An engine. An expert. An idea man and marketing machine. He helps businesses not by talking at them about success, but by talking them through the steps to get there.

He invites all listeners to stay ahead in today’s rapidly evolving landscape, with a special mention of Ford’s AI training webinar: https://profitrichresults.com/ai-training a must for anyone looking to harness the power of AI.

2024-04-03T10:26:25-04:00April 3, 2024|

The Transformative Power of Coaching in Career Development with Randi Roberts

Welcome to another insightful edition of Training Unleashed! Today’s episode brings us a compelling conversation between our host, Evan Hackle, and the esteemed guest, Randi Roberts, CEO of Randi Roberts Coaching. The focus of this discussion revolves around the world of coaching and its profound impact on individuals, teams, and organizational growth.

Why Coaching Matters

Evan begins the conversation by addressing a significant question: Why do some people undervalue coaching, and why isn’t it a more prominent part of the executive world? Randi expresses her belief that awareness of coaching is on the rise and emphasizes the transformative nature of coaching relationships. As someone deeply passionate about coaching, Randi emphasizes that coaching isn’t about telling people what to do; it’s about guiding them to find their own path forward.

The conversation evolves to highlight the changing landscape of coaching acceptance. Randi notes that once individuals understand the support and possibilities coaching brings, they become more open to it. Coaching, however, isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. While it may not be for everyone, those willing to engage in inner work and move forward find tremendous value in the coaching relationship.

Introducing Coaching Effectively

The discussion touches upon the crucial aspect of introducing coaching effectively within organizations. Randi and Evan share their experiences of coaching within corporate settings, highlighting the positive impact on individual and team performance. The key, they suggest, is framing coaching as an investment in personal and professional growth rather than a corrective measure.

Confidentiality in coaching engagements is a pivotal aspect that Randi emphasizes. Whether coaching is initiated by individuals or companies, setting clear objectives and maintaining confidentiality creates a safe space for clients to explore and grow.

Leadership Team Development: Nurturing High Performance

Transitioning into leadership team development, Randi underscores its essential role in organizational success. With teams constantly evolving, from forming new teams to assimilating new leaders and diagnosing team challenges, the need for ongoing development becomes apparent. Trust is identified as the foundational element, and addressing both strengths and deficits is crucial for fostering high-performance teams.

One Tip for Career Success

As the conversation concludes, Randi offers a valuable tip: If something doesn’t feel right in your career, invest time in inner work to identify the root cause. Ensuring you solve the right problem is crucial for making informed decisions about your career path.

About Our Guest

Randi Roberts shares her journey, having enjoyed two fulfilling careers—one in pharmaceuticals and the current one as a coach for the past five years. As the founder of Randi Roberts Coaching, she specializes in executive coaching, career life coaching, and leadership team development. Interested readers can explore valuable resources on her website and connect via email at [email protected].

2024-01-29T17:35:30-05:00February 14, 2024|

Creating Inclusive Workplaces: A Conversation with Sejal Thakkar

Sejal Thakkar is on a mission to educate and empower people to create a world where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. In this episode of “Training Unleashed,” host Evan Hackel engaged in a compelling conversation with Sejal, delving into the critical aspects of equity, diversity, and employee civility in the workplace.

The Hard Way v. The Easy Way?

The discussion kicks off with the question of whether companies prefer the hard way or the easy way when it comes to training and coaching leaders. Thakkar emphasizes the importance of being proactive in providing leaders with the necessary tools to prevent issues, rather than taking shortcuts that might lead to negative consequences later.

Bystander Training: Empowering the Silent Observers

Thakkar passionately advocated for bystander intervention training, shedding light on the pivotal role of bystanders in creating safe environments. By encouraging respectful and professional intervention, organizations can alleviate the burden placed on marginalized individuals and contribute to the establishment of psychological safety.

The HAT Technique

Thakkar introduces the HAT technique—an acronym for Hold Off, Ask Why, and Take Action—as a framework for mitigating unconscious biases. This technique encourages individuals to question immediate reactions, explore the reasons behind biases, and take actions that promote inclusivity.

Golden Rule? No, The Platinum Rule!

The episode concludes with a valuable tip from Sajel: adopting the platinum rule—treating others how they want to be treated. By understanding and respecting individual differences, organizations can enhance creativity, innovation, and overall workplace dynamics.

About Our Guest

Sejal is a former employment law attorney, a 2X TEDx speaker, and the Founder and Chief Civility Officer at TrainXtra, where she helps leaders create positive, safe, and respectful workplaces through customized training and coaching. She is responsible for cultivating a people-first culture at Nobody Studios.

She invites all organizations to explore TrainXtra‘s workshops and resources. Whether in-person or virtual, TrainXtra offers a diverse range of workshops covering topics such as unconscious bias, microaggressions, and fostering diversity and inclusion.

2023-11-17T17:26:25-05:00November 17, 2023|

How to Build Your Mental Toughness and Be the Best You Ever with Chris Dorris

In this episode of Training Unleashed, Evan and Chris Dorris talk about building your mental toughness and being the best you ever!

Do you want to become the best you possible – a person who lives your life on your own terms and exceeds all expectations, even your own? The secret lies in something that Chris Dorris calls mental toughness. And in this life-changing podcast, Chris explains how to put its transformative power to work for you.

You’ll want to listen to the entire podcast. Here are some highlights of what you can expect.

What It Means to Be Mentally Tough (It’s Not What You Think!)

Chris told Evan that mental toughness is about making your life easier, which is something we are all empowered to do if we think the right way.

“As human beings, we are not designed to settle,” Chris said. “We are not designed to struggle . . . and we sure as hell are not designed to suffer.

“There is a guy, a Harvard dude, who has done the math on this. . . his name is Ali Binazir. Mathematically speaking, we are incomprehensible probabilities . . . We are literally miracles which were designed to create miracles.”

For Chris, the fact that each of us is a miracle is not theoretical. It can be proven mathematically.

“. . . consider the likelihood of everything that ever happened in the world before you,” he explained to Evan, speaking of the millions of chance events that led to your creation. “The likelihood that your parents would have ever met. We are in fact a miracle! Let’s create miracles! Why would you ever waste a life and waste that gift? Yet we know most people live unhappy lives because they are not satisfied.

“So why the hell would we settle? But there is an answer to the question of why we still struggle and suffer. And it’s because it’s really just the human experience. It’s the game that we get to play is to free ourselves from the conditioning of our past so that we can create magic with our reality.”

Lessons from Being in the Zone

Chris went on to tell Evan, “As a sports psychologist, I always ask people what it was like when they were at their best ever. I ask, ‘When you had your best round, your best recital, your best theatrical performance, your best game, what was it like?’

“One of the most frequent descriptors is `effortlessness.’ So I wanted to work my ass off to learn how to build that kind of effortlessness and to make the creation of effortlessness way easier.”

It All Has to Do with Training

“Mental toughness is the consequence of training,” Chris told Evan. “It is the consequence of having invested tons of effort into strengthening the way that I use my mind so that fundamentally, I only use it in ways that serve me right.

“To simplify that even further, mental toughness is characterized by emotional mastery and the ability to profoundly manipulate my psychological state. . . .  choosing is the operative word, choosing to think my way . . . to think my way into psychological states, emotions, and moods. I’m doing what I want in that moment, getting what I want in that moment, being who I want to be in  that moment . . . and therefore become an emotional master so that I can choose to manipulate my states all day, every day, in ways that make the creation of excellence easier. So that’s what I’m doing with my life, teaching people how to do that . . .”

How to Do It

Chris explains the basics as, “Start at the beginning. Really heighten your awareness to your moods. Start paying attention to how you feel and become excellent at labeling those states . . .  The happiest, mentally tough, successful people choose to live in a state of perpetual self-inquiry, meaning they’re always asking themselves questions like:

  • How am I feeling right now?
  • What state am I in right now? Is it competence? Is it fear?
  • Is it working for me right now?

Special Offers for Training Unleashed Podcast Listeners from Chris

Chris invites you to sign up for all three of the following offers by visiting ChristopherDorris.comlists

  • A complimentary subscription to his daily email newsletter, “The Daily Dose Mental Toughness Tips in 30 Seconds or Less.”
  • A personal invitation to read his blog on Mental Toughness, which is updated every second Thursday.
  • If that weren’t enough, Chris also invites our listeners to subscribe to his own podcast.

 

About Our Guest Chris Dorris

Chris is in the business of Success Coaching. He helps people close the gap between how their lives are and how they want them to be.

He started his career as a social worker working on the streets of Atlantic City, helping the mentally ill, drug addicted, and homeless populations upgrade their lives. Over the course of those several years, he observed that some of those folks – as a consequence of their belief and their persistence – were able to overcome some pretty serious challenges. That experience, in retrospect, was the perfect foundation for what would become Chris’s vocation.

He then decided to marry his passion for the power of the human spirit with his passion for sports. He moved to Arizona to attend graduate school at Arizona State University and created an internship with the Men’s Golf Team which evolved into a paid position as the formal Mental Toughness Coach. Over the course of those 10 years, he really learned a ton about the mechanics of training the mind. His new mission was to coach professional and amateur golfers.

Since then, Chris discovered that the Mental Toughness tools that he was using with many of the world’s greatest athletes were perfectly applicable to many other disciplines beyond sport. Since then, he has trained the minds of world-famous actors, NFL and NHL Coaches, business executives, Superbowl Champions and billionaires.

Chris states, “And now I’m a `coach’s coach’ as well, helping them build thriving practices. I can honestly say I live a work-free life. Because I truly love what I do, and I love the folks with whom I do it.”

Chris is the author of two books: The Daily Dose: Start All 365 Days of Your Year with a Dose of Mental Toughness in 30 Seconds or Less and Creating Your Dream: Confidently Stepping into Your Own Brilliance, and several audio programs including the Creating Your Dream Audio Course, The Edge: Mental Toughness for Miraculous Golf,  and ALL IN! as well as the online course, ALL IN! 2.0.

2021-08-24T12:06:13-04:00August 24, 2021|

The critical importance of compliance with Steve Vincze

In this episode of Training Unleashed, Evan discusses compliance issues with Steve Vincze, President and CEO of Trestle Compliance. Steve, an attorney by training, has been specializing in compliance issues for more than two decades

You will want to hear Steve’s expert insights into the importance of compliance, because:

  • You will learn to protect your people. If you understand the critical importance of compliance, you will be doing a much better job of shielding your people from injury, death, personal legal liability, and other risks.
  • You will learn to protect your company. When you become aware of compliance issues, you take a vital first step toward protecting your company from crippling lawsuits that can cost a lot of money and, in some cases, put you out of business.
Compliance Awareness Saves Money

“In this day and age of Covid-19 and high risk, “Steve explains, “the relative cost of putting in an effective compliance program, compared to the risk of a whistleblower lawsuit or a violation because you are out of compliance, is just enormous.

“In this high risk world that we live in, a compliance program is a smart, sensible way to put in place controls that enhance and enable your business to compete and win, regardless of what your business is.”

It Takes a Trained Team to Keep Your Business Safe

“We’re all familiar with going through the airport,” Steve explains, “and the idea that if you see something, say something. And the same attitude should be internal to any company.

People in your organization have to be able to look around and say, `Hey wait a second, we are not in compliance in this area, and that could be a problem. And that’s where training is perhaps the most important element.

“Training is the glue that connects all of the structure – from policies, procedures, monitoring – and holds it all together. Through training, people understand why compliance is important. It’s the why behind the what that training really exploits.”

A Case Study that Proves the Point

Steve, who has worked extensively in the life science industries, says, “One case that really comes to mind that I think all your viewers are very familiar with is the Theranos case. Elizabeth Holmes, the former child genius from Stanford, founded that blood-testing company with the concept that it is possible to learn amazing things from just a pinprick of blood.

“Well, it sounded too good to be true. And guess what, it was. But she attracted incredible investors, and the company took off. And she was, I believe, at one point, the wealthiest woman CEO in the world. But then it all came crashing down. Why? Well, there weren’t controls in place to catch the problem, which was that the technology didn’t work. Or to catch the smoke and mirrors.

“Employees or fellow executives could have said, `Wait a second, this doesn’t sound right. Wait a second, this really isn’t working. Wait a second, where’s the science to back this up?’

“A compliance program builds that kind of internal check . . . So that’s a clear example of where a compliance program. and I would add an ethics and compliance program, could have prevented tremendous problems.

Steve Summarizes . . .

“Compliance is not about just doing what’s required, it’s about doing what’s right.”

Have you been thinking about compliance in the right way? Are you certain you are doing all you can to protect your company and your people from legal and other risks?

If you are not sure, be sure to watch this episode of Training Unleashed today.

About Our Guest

Steve Vincze, a global compliance expert and President & CEO of Trestle Compliance, provides risk assessments, compliance programs and software for BioTech, Pharmaceutical and MedTech innovators. Prior to forming TRESTLE, Steve split his private-sector career between service as an in-house or outsourced Sr. VP or VP Chief Compliance Officer for several life science companies, forming his own firms as well as serving as a non-equity partner for a “Big 4” firm. Steve also served as Counsel to a U.S. House of Representatives Oversight Committee.

2021-08-17T15:22:10-04:00August 17, 2021|

Use Intention, Small Steps and Clarity to Get Great Things Done with Terry Warren

In this episode of Training Unleashed, Evan talks to Terry Warren, one of America’s top coaches to highly successful executives, discussed his proven strategies for achieving much greater success.

In this life-changing podcast, you will learn to apply his philosophy to produce immediate benefits in everything you do.

Here are some insights you will gain from Evan’s conversation with Terry.

Intention Is the First Step toward Getting Great Things Done

Terry told Evan, “When people make an intentional choice to do something, and they commit to it . . . it’s as if they were jumping off a cliff. When they do that, the success rate is 100 percent. They’re declaring an intention, letting the world know about it, and are willing to be accountable for it. That realization came to me after coaching 30 or 40 people. I saw there was something going on there.”

Together, Evan and Terry called this, “The Power of Declaration.”

Use Small Steps to Ignite Major Change

“I once worked with a person who was tremendous when he was working with clients,” Terry recalls, “but was having difficulty internally in his communication style. And he was called on the carpet by HR and told, `This can’t continue.’

“But this person engaged with me and accepted the idea that he needed to change. Then we talked about baby steps he could take to do that. One of those steps was for him to find somebody in his own team, somebody he trusted. And then to say to that person, `I realize I need to change how I’m coming across, will you help me with that? And I am going to give you permission, not during a meeting, but after, to call me to account if I did not do well.’

“And it was transformational . . . I find that baby steps are a great place to start. And so if I’m talking to people, I say, `Let’s just commit to one small thing right now, and let’s take some baby steps to get to that, then we can come back to others. But let’s just start with one, because that doesn’t seem overwhelming.”

Try Constantly to Gain Perspective

Terry observes, “Things look different, depending on where you’re standing to look at them. The example I like is a Rubik’s Cube. Hold up a Rubik’s Cube and just look squarely at the face, and it’s a square! But if you turn it a little bit, you might see one of the other sides or if you turn a little further, you might see some of the bottom. One of the ways to change how we approach business problems is to bring a new perspective to them . . . if you get other people’s input, you might then say to yourself, `What do I need to stop believing in order to do this?’

“And I think if you get those other perspectives, that leads to clarity about what needs to be done. You get better results when you actually have a different perspective.”

Strive for Clarity 

“If you’re clear about what you’re trying to do, then you can actually accomplish it,” Terry told Evan. “But sometimes it’s not possible to get total clarity about something you want to accomplish. If that is the case, you need to ask more questions, and to get additional information. And at a certain point, you need to consider, how much information have I gathered? Have I gathered as much information as possible in the time I have? Have I gathered enough information to believe that I’m clear on what has to be done?”

Those are only a small selection of the big ideas that came into focus during this powerful Training Unleashed podcast.

Terry’s Giveaway

To thank you for listening to his Training Unleashed podcast with Evan, Terry would like to send you a complimentary chapter of his new book The Art of Choice: Making Changes that Count in Work and Life.

Follow this link to get acce https://warrenexecutivecoach.com/trainingunleashed/

About Our Guest

Terry Warren, an International Coaching Federation (ICF) Associate Certified Coach, has more than 40 years of leadership experience in the financial services and healthcare industries. He has held senior leadership roles in sales, strategic planning, client engagement, and executive coaching. He is a member of the Vanderbilt University Owen Graduate School of Management Executive Coaching Network and author of the new book The Art of Choice: Making Changes that Count in Work and Life.

2021-08-12T11:34:56-04:00August 10, 2021|

Leadership in the new post-pandemic world with Kevin Eikenberry

 

In this episode of Training Unleashed, Evan Hackel interviewed Kevin Eikenberry an individual who expresses his views on leadership, training, and other topics in a way that is unlike anyone else – he is different and very, very smart.

Remote Working Is Not Really New

Evan pointed out that he has long been working remotely, and letting employees of his companies do so too, for years. He noted that since working remotely became common during the pandemic, he has lost one of his preferred tools for recruiting employees. Pre-pandemic, offering candidates the chance to work from home was highly attractive. Now, it has become routine.Kevin, from his side of the conversation, recalled similar experiences. “I’ve been leading a remote team or a hybrid team for over a decade,” Kevin told Evan. “And then about seven years ago, we formed the Remote Leadership Institute as a part of our larger organization. I was working with a gentleman named Wayne Turmel. And his whole focus was around remote communication for trainers, for presenters, for salespeople, etc. And so we brought all of our leadership work together under the umbrella of the Remote Leadership Institute. And now we’ve written several of books in this area, one called The Long Distance Leader and then more recently, The Long Distance Teammate. So we’ve been in this space helping people work remotely for a lot longer than the pandemic.”

The Fundamentals of Leading Have Not Been Changed by Remote Work

Kevin told Evan something about leadership that is simple, yet important. He explained that even though people are working remotely and will continue to do so, where they work might not be what matters most.

“For our latest book, The Long Distance Leader” he said, “we identified rules for remarkable remote leadership. And the first rule is, leadership first.”

He went on to explain that when new changes happen – like remote work – people tend to focus exclusively on them. But remote work has not changed what it means to be an effective leader.

“So let’s not lose sight of what we already know that works,” he told Evan.

Yet Some Things Have Changed

Evan noted that pre-pandemic, people would arrive at work and, first thing, engage in casual conversations to catch up with each other. And those “water cooler” conversations improved working life and teams.

And Kevin agreed that because that kind of socializing has been all but eliminated over the last year, there are risks.

“What’s different about work now,” Kevin said, “is that we don’t have incidental and accidental communication anymore. We may therefore have less trust in each other yet need trust more than we did before. The longer we have worked by ourselves, the more pressures and tensions have shown up for us in our work.

“It has become harder for people to remember that they’re part of something bigger than themselves. And at the end of the day, that is the single most important thing.”

Remote Tools Can Deliver Better Training

During the pandemic, most professional people became much better at using video meetings to communicate more efficiently. Now, Kevin points out, is a good time to use our new skills to extend the reach of and effectiveness of training.

“In my case,” Kevin said, “I work with clients all over the world. I’ve got to know all the tools, right? Zoom and Microsoft Teams and WebEx and all that. We all need to know them well.”

Evan and Kevin agreed that certain popular video conferencing tools, like breakout rooms, can function just like breaking a training group into sub-groups.

About Our Guest

Kevin is co-author of the book The Long-Distance Teammate: Stay Engaged and Connected While Working Anywhere (Berrett-Koehler Publishers). He founded the Kevin Eikenberry Group in 1993 and is the co-founder of the Remote Leadership Institute. He has twice been named one of Inc.’s Top 100 Leadership and Management Experts in the World. Kevin is also an opinion columnist for CEOWORLD Magazine.

You will want to invest 35 high-quality minutes listening to everything that Evan and Kevin discussed on this podcast.

2021-08-10T11:51:55-04:00August 3, 2021|

Identifying your Blind Spots with Candace Sjogren

 

In this episode of Training Unleashed, Evan talks to Candace Sjogren, entrepreneur, coach, author, as well as co-founder and center director of Boston Breakthrough Academy (BBA) about the benefits of attending the leadership development and emotional intelligence training.

Emotional intelligence training isn’t commonly used to describe leadership development training. According to Candace, “from an employer’s perspective, it’s awareness. Awareness of what am I bringing to the table, what are you bringing to the table, and how do we shift an otherwise tense situation into something that’s supportive to both of us.”

Leadership development training programs that focus on emotional intelligence, like the one offered through BBA, help you identify your blind spots. They help you determine what you’re not seeing. “Why is my boss continuously telling me that I’m a star performer, ‘but…’ Why is that ‘but’ continuously showing up in my life? And how can I break through that in order to be at the next level of whatever it is in life for me. Whether that’s being the next level mom or next level executive,” explained Candace.

It’s all about building or breaking the habit.

And, during the interview, Candace teaches Evan a really quick exercise that anyone can practice in their life to create a new habit and shift behavior.

And remember to listen to the end of the episode to get Candace’s BIG tip and the details about her giveway are below.

Candace’s Giveaway

Candace has two offers for Training Unleashed listeners.

  1. Free 30-minute consulting appointment for you and team to talk through what the program can do to support you.
  2. Free 15-minute coaching call for you or one key employee to get clear on what you want and clear on what is standing in the way.

To learn more about the free offer, email Candace at [email protected]

About Our Guest

Candace Sjogren is the cofounder and Center Director of Boston Breakthrough Academy, a practicing attorney, and a management consultant, where she leads strategy with venture backed companies such as Marqeta, Inc. Previously, Sjogren was the founder and CEO of two fintech companies and Chief Strategy Officer at lending platforms Dealstruck and LoanHero. Candace continues to serve as an angel investor and contributing author for Entrepreneur Magazine. She received her JD from Salmon P. Chase College of Law and resides in the South End with her husband, son and golden doodle.

2021-05-25T10:08:12-04:00May 25, 2021|
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