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Communicating Across Generations
Raise your hand if you're either managing people or have teammates spanning from Gen Z to Baby Boomers. Got your hand up? Good, you’re in the right place. Now, keep it raised if you find it tricky to hit the mark when delivering the same message to everyone. Still up? You're not alone—this is a common hurdle, and it's exactly what a recent client brought to our table at Unapologetic. Their issue? Struggling to connect across generational lines.
Are You Making Quality Decisions? How Do You Know?
Imagine discovering a tool that transforms how confident you feel about your decision-making while providing other crucial insights on WHY certain outcomes happen (beyond what you thought possible)?
Let me introduce you to a senior people leader, whom we'll call "Jennifer…"
Kid Lessons & Team Presence
“While we try to teach children all about life, they end up teaching us what life is all about” - Angela Schwindt
Anxiety Relief with Two Proven Strategies
We all have those times in our lives that we can remember vividly. Core Memories. Most are probably related to your first trip to Disney World, or meeting your significant other, having your first baby...but sometimes they're of not such pleasant times.
I vividly remember a couple years ago, at exactly this same time of year, rushing to my PCP's office with what I was sure were the beginning symptoms of a heart attack. As soon as the nurse took me back, I told her I needed an EKG, something was very wrong with my heart.
What Signs Are You Missing?
Becoming more aware (notice we didn’t use the word present, awareness necessitates a different muscle)… simple in concept, difficult in practice.
“Clean” Thinking
People talk often about clean eating, what if we gave the same attention to the concept of clean THINKING?
Would you be willing to “test drive” only allowing HELPFUL thoughts to take space in your brain and in your language.
The Healing Power of Tears: A Gateway to Emotional Intelligence
Recently, while meeting with a client, we encountered a deeply touching moment. This experience moved me to tears, prompting my client to question why I was crying and confiding that they wished they could cry but couldn't. This interaction perfectly encapsulates the complex nature of emotional intelligence and the transformative power of tears. In our personal and professional environments, we see far too many instances of people holding back tears. We’re going to ask you to challenge those knee jerk reactions for very good reason…
The Antidote to Worrying When Things Feel Out Of Your Control
We’ve been on the phone a lot these past months in particular with change being “forced” upon very capable and smart people. These same people are feeling lost and overwhelmed. I suspect if you are reading this right now, you might relate to them.
In the fast-paced world we live in, it's easy to find ourselves caught in the storm of worry. As executive coaches and communication experts, we've seen firsthand how worry can spiral into a host of negative outcomes - stress, hypertension, anxiety, the fueling of addictions, sleep deprivation, and more. Which begs the question, “What do we do when faced with chaos and the unknown?” The answer lies in the approach.
Creating Trusting Environments: Unapologetic Transformations
Creating Trusting Environments: Unapologetic Transformations
This is a continued conversation from 12/15. If you missed the previous pillars, we would encourage you to go back and follow along for our full content on this discussion!
#9) Don’t leave out constructive criticism but do it with a well thought-through approach.
One of the biggest disservices we do to our people revolves around providing constructive criticism. We either don’t provide it when it’s needed, or we overstate it when it isn’t necessary. So how do you know when and how to provide critical feedback? At Unapologetic we’d say it’s going to depend...
Creating Trusting Environments: Unapologetic Transformations
Creating Trusting Environments: Unapologetic Transformations
This is a continued conversation from 12/15. If you missed the previous pillars, we would encourage you to go back and follow along for our full content on this discussion!
#8). Show them You Can Handle the Truth, but Expect a Plan B
Nothing is worse as a leader than coming to the realization that your team has been dishonest with you. They’ve been hiding things, telling half-truths, or flat out lying.
Then consider the reason for their dishonesty is because they don’t think you can handle the truth. We must showcase that we can in fact handle bad news. In your consistent (and balanced) actions and responses, you empower them to be forthright and forthcoming. When employees trust that their leaders will react constructively to the truth, they're more likely to be honest and proactive. This foundation of trust can transform challenges into opportunities for growth and innovation, ultimately driving the success of your organization.
Creating Trusting Environments: Unapologetic Transformations
Creating Trusting Environments: Unapologetic Transformations
This is a continued conversation from 12/15. If you missed the previous pillars, we would encourage you to go back and follow along for our full content on this discussion!
#7) DEMONSTRATE Vulnerability
Demonstrating vulnerability in the workplace is not only a display of authenticity but also a catalyst for fostering psychological safety and cultivating trust among team members. By normalizing imperfection and acknowledging mistakes as natural aspects of professional growth, leaders create an environment where individuals feel comfortable admitting their own shortcomings without fear of judgment.
Creating Trusting Environments: Unapologetic Transformations
This is a continued conversation from 12/15. If you missed the previous pillars, we would encourage you to go back and follow along for our full content on this discussion!
#6) HOW you say something matters as much as what you say
In the realm of professional communication, the way you convey a message is just as crucial as the message itself – perhaps even more so. One of my favorite mentors used to always tell me: "There's nothing you cannot say, but there is always another way to say something." TThis wisdom underscores the importance of thoughtful articulation, emphasizing that silence can often breed mistrust in the workplace AND that words have lasting impact.
Creating Trusting Environments: Unapologetic Transformations
Jan 26
This is a continued conversation from 12/15. If you missed the previous pillars, we would encourage you to go back and follow along for our full content on this discussion!
#5). Breed Psychological Safety
Let’s start with a rundown of what psychological safety means. It’s become quite the buzzword, but in practice means delivering a few crucial needs to your employees. At the heart of the concept, team members who report feeling psychologically safe in the workplace feel confident they can:
Creating Trusting Environments: Unapologetic Transformations
This is a continued conversation from 12/15. If you missed the previous pillars, we would encourage you to go back and follow along for our full content on this discussion!
#4). Be in ALL Rooms, Not Just the Boardroom.
Building on last week’s conversation on the importance of showing the human side of you as a leader, we’re going to talk about the importance of finding time to be in other rooms with your team, than just the boardrooms (or Zoom “rooms”).
Creating Trusting Environments: Unapologetic Transformations
This is a continued conversation from 12/15. If you missed the previous pillars, we would encourage you to go back and follow along for our full content on this discussion!
#3) Invite Them into your Personal Space.
I can remember the first time the VP of our Sales Organization took a bold step by inviting our entire team, along with their significant others, to his tennis club for a Friday night after work. This wasn’t your typical office gathering; it was a chance for us to see our VP in a different light –
Creating Trusting Environments: Unapologetic Transformations
This is a continued conversation from 12/15. If you missed the first pillar in the series, please refer to 12/15 and follow along in consequent weeks for the remaining discussions!
#2) Your Team Needs to Know You Care About Them More than Results.
We understand the undeniable pressure to deliver results—after all, it’s what keeps the paychecks flowing. Guess what? Your employees recognize the need for results too, but there’s an invaluable truth we must acknowledge...
Creating Trusting Environments: Unapologetic Transformations
At Unapologetic we believe in people first, and as a result, we applaud the sincerity and desire to find more support in establishing workplaces rooted in trust. We know firsthand, from our unique experiences and by working side by side with some of the largest industries in the nation, that fostering an environment where employees feel valued, heard, supported, and most of all safe from unnecessary consequences, breeds success for the organization as a whole. Retention increases, motivation and engagement skyrocket…results are over delivered quite simply.
What are the “ingredients'' to Creating Trusting Environments? There are 9 core tenants that need to be demonstrated by the leader(s), and at the risk of skimming the surface on these imperative topics, we’re going to dive into them 1 week at a time. We’re going to share WHY they are important, the HOW to’s, and WHERE Unapologetic can aid in taking you to the mastery level.
#1) Proactively Share Your Expectations, Including What Success Looks Like to You. Then Be Ready to Hear their Expectations of YOU.