Summer workshops

Audit Your Communication

How much is too much?

Effective communication is an obstacle all organizations face. To be successful, organizations have to communicate clearly and often with their employees, customers, and the surrounding community. How can an organization know how much communication it is sending and if that communication is being understood the way it’s intended to?

messaging, communication, effective communication, send a message

Send the Right Message

Tactful and Impactful

It's all about the "how" when it comes to communication. Be mindful of the non-verbal cues you are sending to really getting your message across.

Improve Performance with Leader Led Conversations

Leaders set the right example for everyone

A leader's commitment to their team involves a commitment to be in the spotlight and model the right way to act always. Leaders can improve performance by practicing self-awareness during conversations with employees.

Think Like a Parent

Improve the Learning Experience

To be a successful organization and ensure students have the best experience, it can be useful to view your organization from a parent’s point of view.

Parent-Teacher Connection Questions

Ask the right questions

When combined with effective follow-up by teachers, the practice of regularly checking in with parents increases engagement and leads to improved student outcomes.

3-2-1 Leader Connection Summary

From Employee Input to Action

During leader connections with employees, much data is gathered. Using this tool, summarize the data collected monthly to recognize themes that emerge from leader connections.

miniature figures of people depicting customer feedback

Listening to Customer Feedback

What Makes Customers Loyal?

To be an organization that generates and retains loyal customers, we place a high value on service. As a result, we listen to customer feedback and analyze that information for opportunities for improvement. We can’t improve what we can’t understand, therefore we listen.

Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?

Find Focus

5 Whys is one strategy to help teams gain clarity about an issue to support action for improvement.

Stoplight Report

Communicate Steps of Progress

The Stoplight Report is a way to communicate how ideas, concerns, and barriers are being resolved.

Short Cycle Improvement Process Questions

Questions that guide improvement

It is important to review how results trend every 30 days. Ask these specific questions to achieve greater understanding about actions and results trending at or above goal and to guide adjustments for those areas in need of improvement.

How to Use a Fishbone Diagram

What's your problem?

Learn how to apply the Fishbone diagram and get your team on the right path to problem solving.

Where’s the Noise?

Ever hear about "initiative overload"?

When we fail to monitor the many initiatives and actions, we risk spending time and energy on things that no longer matter and are no longer aligned to our organization’s goals. It is important for every organization and team to set aside time to determine Where’s the Noise?

Courageous conversations to support team strength.

Courageous Conversations: Dos and Don’ts

Complete. Not Compete.

The following tips are the best practices for conducting compassionate courageous conversations with anyone in your organization.

Conversation between leader and employee to provide feedback on performance.

Courageous Conversations

Correct because you care

Initiating conversations to provide one another feedback is uncomfortable for many. In reality, we provide others with feedback because we care about them and there success. Learn more about these three models for conducting courageous conversations.

changing landscape from dead low performing to vibrant high performing

Low Performer Conversation

It's time for a change

Approaching a conversation with a low performer is probably not your favorite task. However, ignoring bad behavior or performance will negatively impact others in the organization. Address the situation quickly and effectively using this guide to keep the rest of your team focused on achieving results.

Feedback that Inspires

Positively Improve Performance

Think about the last time you received constructive criticism. Did it actually prompt you to change your behavior? Maybe not. Yet we know learning new skills and improving performance is something our peers and direct reports desire. The key is to reshape your feedback conversations to focus on achieving a positive outcome together.

Re-recruit High Performers

Do your high performers know they are valued?

Fifty percent of high performers say they expect at least a monthly sit down with their managers, but only 53% say their manager delivers on their feedback expectations. High performers want feedback. They want dialogue with you as their leader.

Cascading Communication Guide

What goes up, must come down

Why, what, and how are the ingredients for concise messaging?

Why-What-How

A Powerful Sequence for Communication

When we start our messages by first explaining why the message is important, we are more likely to see understanding, compliance and execution from our audience. Use this template to plan and organize messages using the why-what-how sequence.

Start with Why

Why start with why?

Communicating change effectively is a skill all leaders need. For our organizations to reach our goals, stay productive, and do so with excellence, we need everyone working together. Start with why.

Examples of Managing Up

Tired of finding people under the bus?

Whether it's about a co-worker, another team, or a process, the act of managing up makes the entire organization look better. These examples frame communication in ways that reduce anxiety and promote trust in the team.

Eliminate We/They

Stop pointing fingers

How we communicate matters. A We/They culture occurs when someone positions themselves in a positive light by making someone else “the bad guy.” There are steps leaders can take to eliminate We/They.

Listen Intently

Are You Really Listening?

Did you know, humans spend 70% of their time communicating, in which 45% is spent listening? In other words, effective listening skills are vital for interpersonal communication and, consequently, for successful leaders and aspiring leaders within our organizations.

Katharine