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This week, Roma is filling in for Doug to talk about something she and everyone else has experienced in every workplace out there. Miscommunications! Speaking to different people, in different circles, doesn’t seem like a big deal. It’s just speaking. We do it all the time and some of us do it for our jobs, everyday.  However, think about it. How many times have you spoken to a family member, a coworker, or a boss and were met with looks? Confused, disgruntled even, by how you worded something. Are you talking over their head or unintentionally “dumbing it down” for them? Or do they pick up what you said easily with no confusion or misunderstandings? Learning how to read a situation and adapt your language to it is one of the most important things someone can learn in business, so stick around and figure out just how to maneuver it! Show Notes: Why Adaptive Communication Is Important in the Workplace (https://www.leadersinstitute.com/why-adaptive-communication-is-important-in-the-workplace/)

I remember going on an important job interview decades ago. The person interviewing me asked, “In this company, we like to hire strategic thinkers. How much time per week do you spend on strategic thinking?” I had been on a number of different job interviews by that point in my life. However, this question stunned me. I wasn’t sure exactly what the interviewer was asking. As a result, I wasn’t sure how to answer either. By the way, I did get a nice job offer from that company. So, I must have answered the question fairly effectively. However, after managing my own company for over 20 years, I now better understand what the interviewer was getting at. Strategic thinking skills are one of the most sought-after skills in the business world. But what exactly are strategic thinking skills? With how sought after these skills are and how impactful they can be on a business, knowing what they actually are is a pretty important first step to mastering them. In today's episode, find out exactly what they are, why they're desired, and how you can start improving yours. Show Notes: Strategic Thinking: Make Strategic Thinking Part of Your Team Culture (https://www.leadersinstitute.com/strategic-thinking-make-strategic-thinking-part-of-your-team-culture/)

Who said that experience is the best teacher? Well, just about everyone who has ever taken a class on a subject and who later struggled to apply the content. In fact, one of the reasons why we attract so many people to our leadership classes is that we understand that people learn by doing. When a teacher or coach gives us instructions, their words are just theoretical knowledge. However, when we put those words into practice and experience success, the words become very practical. So, this statement is absolutely true that when you consider how the repetition of new experiences builds confidence in a skill. But there are certain things that experience can't teach you, and a couple pitfalls relying on experience can send you down. Stick around and find out why experience isn't always the best teacher and how you can make it all it's hyped up to be! Show Notes: Experience is the Best Teacher, But Only If You Do These 3 Things (https://www.leadersinstitute.com/experience-is-the-best-teacher-really-maybe-not/)

Looking for a way to get a group to solve challenging problems without coming to blows? In this session, I’m going to cover a few effective group problem solving techniques.  One of the more challenging leadership skills is getting a group to work together on a common problem. However, a group of individuals can be more creative and productive than any one person alone. Whether it's competing egos butting heads or complete lack of communication, stick around and learn how to deal with them! Show Notes: The 5-Step Group Problem-Solving Process (https://www.leadersinstitute.com/group-problem-solving/)

Want to create more a more effective team meeting for your group? Well first, let’s assess where your team meetings are right now. How would you describe meetings you have attended in the past? Better yet… How would your team describe your team meetings? Over the past 20 years, I have asked that question to over 1,200 audiences.  In this episode I'm going to tell you exactly what I've learned from those 20 years of improving people's meetings! Show Notes: How to Run Effective Team Meetings (https://www.leadersinstitute.com/articles/developing-efficient-meetings/)

 This week, we will focus on Management Skills. Managers have a slightly different skill set than leaders. Once the path is already created, the manager makes the movement along that path more efficient and effective. So the leader creates the plan. Then, the manager implements the plan in the most efficient way possible.  If you're a leader looking to get into management or just a manager looking to improve yourself, these 5 skills are absolutely necessary to your success.  Show Notes: 5 Important Management Skills to Make Your Workplace More Efficient (https://www.leadersinstitute.com/5-important-management-skills-to-make-your-workplace-more-efficient/)

Want a few tips about how to build team spirit when you hear words like “slow down,” recession, and uncertainty? You are not alone. In this episode, we go over several ways to keep heads up when times look low! Show Notes: Team Motivation: How to Motivate Your Team Members in Uncertain Times (https://www.leadersinstitute.com/team-motivation-teams-learn-faster-when-theyre-having-fun/)

Being a great manager does not mean you are a great leader. There is crossover and making yourself better at either will benefit both, but being able to lead a team and manage an operation is totally different. If you are a manager looking to grow your leadership abilities, this episode will tell you exactly what to focus on first! Show Notes: The Five C’s of Management (https://www.leadersinstitute.com/five-cs-management/)

For the last few weeks, I've been going through my list of the 25 absolute best Business Books of all time. And today, I finish up the list with a few of my favorite marketing books. Then, finally, I give you the best leadership book of all time. So, if you remember back to the first episode in this series, I told you that How to Win Friends was the book to start with. It is so entertaining and so much fun that if you just read the first chapter, you'll be hooked. Today, we'll finish with the best book ever written about leadership. So, those two books make good... well... bookends to the series. In the remaining time on the episode, I'll give you a few books that people told me were fantastic, but as I read them, I realized they were absolute crap. You may have a few of these on your bookshelf. If you do, don't waste your time. They may be entertaining, but if you follow their advice, you'll likely make a lot of costly business mistakes. Show Notes: The Top 25 Best Books for Leadership of All Time (https://www.leadersinstitute.com/best-books-for-leadership-training-top-25-leadership-books-of-all-time/)

A couple of weeks ago, I explained how experience is NOT the best teacher. Someone else's experience is really the best teacher. When you can learn form someone else who has already done what you want to do, you shorten your learning curve. You can get to their success level much faster. That means that you can go even further. The first week, I gave you my best leadership books. Last week, we focused on how to create a business mindset -- great business leaders thing differently than most of us. We also covered a few management and organization books as well. This week, I'll give you my favorite books on communication  -- both one-on-one and public speaking. And I'll also give you my favorite books on selling. Even if you are not a salesperson, if you want to be a leader, sooner or later you'll need to get people to follow you. So, whether your selling a product or an idea, these books can help. Show Notes: The Top 25 Best Books for Leadership of All Time (https://www.leadersinstitute.com/best-books-for-leadership-training-top-25-leadership-books-of-all-time/)

A couple of weeks ago, I explained how experience is NOT the best teacher. Someone else's experience is really the best teacher. When you can learn form someone else who has already done what you want to do, you shorten your learning curve. You can get to their success level much faster. That means that you can go even further. The first week, I gave you my best leadership books. Last week, we focused on how to create a business mindset -- great business leaders thing differently than most of us. We also covered a few management and organization books as well. This week, I'll give you my favorite books on communication  -- both one-on-one and public speaking. And I'll also give you my favorite books on selling. Even if you are not a salesperson, if you want to be a leader, sooner or later you'll need to get people to follow you. So, whether your selling a product or an idea, these books can help. Show Notes: The Top 25 Best Books for Leadership of All Time (https://www.leadersinstitute.com/best-books-for-leadership-training-top-25-leadership-books-of-all-time/)

In today's digital world with AI at our fingertips and the answer to every question just a Google away, it's easy to feel like there is really no need to read, or attend seminars, or take a class. But the one, major constant that I have seen in the most successful people that I have interacted with is that every single one -- I mean every one -- is an avid reader. It's the way that they all became so successful. I remember being taught, "Experience is the best teacher." And I believed that statement whole-heartedly. That is until I started reading books written by some of the most successful businesspeople in the world. That statement is somewhat true. People learn by doing. But, if you want a shortcut to success, the shortest way is to learn from someone else's experience. Look for someone else who has already done what you want to do. Pattern what you do based on what they did. Then, along the way, you can add to it. Those guys who wrote those best-sellers didn't get everything right the first time. They tried and failed. Then, they tried again, and failed. Eventually, they found a way to do what you want to do. So, just by reading their advice, you can now shorten your learning curve. So, one the next couple of episodes, I'm going to give your 25 of the absolute Best Business Books that you can read that will help you improve your success. These books were written by some of the most successful businesspeople in the modern era. And you can learn from their experience and get farther than any of them ever dreamed. The solution is right in front of you. All you have to do is pick up the reins. Show Notes: The Top 25 Best Books for Leadership of All Time (https://www.leadersinstitute.com/best-books-for-leadership-training-top-25-leadership-books-of-all-time/)

Last week, I covered the different generations in the workplace. On that episode, we talked about how the different communication channels that each generation prefers depends a lot on the technology that was trendy during their formative years. That's why Gen X team members want you to just pick up the phone and call them and why Millennials will text each other on Slack even though they are sitting in the same room. So if you haven't listened to last week's episode yet, and you want to have a little fun, that episode is really informative about how to communicate with people in other generations. This week, though, we've going to talk about miscommunication in the workplace. Specifically, I'm going to talk about how some of the communication habits that we've developed -- ones that are comfortable to us -- have a tendency to cause confusion in the workplace when we are talking to people in different generations. So, if you want to keep your workplace vibes immaculate and stop being a total NPC, stick around—this episode is gonna be elite, no cap. We’re about to eat.  Show Notes: Bridging The Invisible Communication Gap in the Workplace​ (https://www.leadersinstitute.com/bridging-the-invisible-communication-gap-in-the-workplace/)

A client recently asked me to do some research on the differences between the generations in the workplace. Specifically, she wanted to know about the different styles of communication between different ages. I like to think of myself as a communication expert. Granted, those who work around me will likely argue with that diagnosis. However, I have to admit, some of the things I uncovered while doing this project really surprised me. So, I thought it might be a good idea to publish the results.This episode will cover a few key items. First, we will identify the specific generations. We hear people using terms like Baby Boomers and Millennials, but what do those terms really mean? And do entire generations think similarly. Next, I’ll show you the specific communication channels that each generation prefers. Interestingly, the communication channel preferences are pretty obvious when we look at the technology changes that occurred in each generation. Then finally, I’ll point out the pros and cons of each type of communication. You might actually find that the channel preferred by a different generation is more efficient. Show Notes: Differences Between Generations and Style of Communication (https://www.leadersinstitute.com/differences-between-generations-and-style-of-communication/)

Business leaders who learn how to improve their conversation skills have a dramatic (no pun intended) advantage in their professional lives. These good conversation skills enable them to communicate their needs more effectively and also brainstorm innovative ideas with their team members. However, corporate cultures with rigid rules and coworkers that resist change can quash this creative process before it even starts. Anytime you hear things like, “That’s just the way it’s always been done,” or “We’ve tried that before. It didn’t work,” you’ll be experiencing this type of resistance. These attitudes can prematurely end meaningful conversations and inhibit the generation of new ideas. That’s where learning how to improve your conversational skills can drastically change the playing field. In this post, we delve into a conversation skill and cultural tool that serves two purposes. It facilitates smoother daily interactions and even fosters a sense of camaraderie through team-building exercises. We’ll also spotlight a principle celebrated in Improv, renowned for its remarkable ability to create spontaneous magic on stage. The “Yes, and…” approach! This isn’t merely a technique for casual conversation, though. It’s a transformative strategy that can revolutionize how individuals and even entire companies communicate. Adopting this mindset encourages open-ended questions, fosters active listening, and promotes a positive attitude – all of which are essential components of good communication skills and effective team dynamics. Show Notes: How to Improve Your Conversation Skills and Become a Creative Problem Solver (https://www.leadersinstitute.com/improve-your-conversation-skills-and-become-a-creative-problem-solver/)