There’s a degree of trepidation when questioning authority, asking “why” can be scary or it can be liberating. With rapidly changing technology, business models, and workplace trends, innovation is required to stay competitive. However, creativity doesn’t just happen on its own – it needs to be actively nurtured by supporting curiosity, and willingness to challenge existing ways of thinking.

In this video I share 4 ways to provoke conversations by questioning outdated assumptions and trying new approaches. And there’s a 5^th, hidden benefit too that I’ll share now, while figuring out new solutions and options, they’re learning in the flow of work too!

What are some ways you all inspire creative thinking and curious learners? I welcome your thoughts and perspectives in the comments below or use the contact button above or visit our web site and let’s talk!

Remember when we all worked remotely? Work continued successfully and many of us rediscovered a quality of life and we have settled into a new normal, hybrid work – a flexible blend of intentional in-person and remote time. Workers have flexibility and companies have expanded their access to talented people anywhere. Seems like a win-win, right?

Many leaders are mandating a return to the office, they say hybrid is failing more than succeeding. I disagree, it’s not the model itself, but how leaders execute it. In this video I examine key process agreements leaders and teams must set to achieve performance success. Setting process agreements is a beginning for leadership to act with intention. The hybrid genie is out of the bottle. Leaders who adapt will see teams thrive. Those who don’t will watch rising disconnection, plunging productivity and increased attrition.  It’s time to evolve management for this new world of work. Your team is counting on you in all locations. Interested in learning more about how having process agreements can help your organization? Use the contact button above or visit our web site and let’s talk!

Still using a job description written by someone else many years ago to recruit people today? Consider skills-based hiring to broaden and build a deeper talent pool, Skills-based hiring is more than technical skills needed for a specific role, a person needs operational, relational and behavioral competencies to be effective in the workflow process. When I work with clients about using skills-based models, I utilize the 4 P’s framework to focus on operational performance and productivity.

In this video, I outline the 4 P’s: Product, Process, Performance and People. Product skills are the role specific technical skills needed to achieve the tasks within a role. Process skills are operational workflow skills used to execute a process efficiently and effectively. Performance includes the network skills needed to build and maintain relationships with internal and external stakeholders, such as colleagues, managers, and clients. People skills are the LifeSkills or behavioral capabilities used to collaborate, communicate, adapt and innovate in a diverse and dynamic environment.

Utilize the 4 P’s framework to build out career pathways and use learning strategically to develop teammates and help the organization achieve its goals and objectives. Interested in learning more about the 4P’s? Use the contact button above or visit our web site and let’s talk!

What would you do? New machine that requires 8 people/shift to operate and you have 24 hours to prepare training as they install the machine and only one operating manual.

Sometimes the best solution is to admit the truth, we had no materials, no slides, no lecture. Just one manual and a lot of curiosity. We learned by doing along with the participants because sometimes, the best learning happens when you don’t know all the answers but share a desire to figure it out, be curious, and collaborate. Learning by doing fosters creativity and innovation. It also leverages peer-to-peer feedback and guidance. It requires relevant and authentic tasks that align with the goals and measures of success. And it builds trust and confidence among the learners and the facilitators.

In this video I share the story and lessons learned that the next time you face a challenge that requires learning something new, don’t be afraid to learn by doing. You might be surprised by what you can achieve together. Faced with some unique learning challenges? Send me an email or let’s Zoom and let’s talk about how you can use learning as your strategic business tool. I hope you found this blog post helpful. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them below, use the contact button above or visit our web site to schedule time to talk. And if you have any stories that support learning by doing, I’d love to hear them too!

From not commuting to a walk outside at lunch, many of us have embraced new levels of flexibility in our schedules and lives. Working remotely and as a hybrid worker has brought new challenges for leaders especially about building trust and autonomy and making sure everyone’s aligned towards the same goals and delivering quality work without micromanaging or losing touch?

Check out this video where I share tips around building trust, fostering collaborative teams, and developing a culture of curiosity (you know teammates are learning when they’re finding out the answers to problems, right?). We still need schedules, due dates, and measurement criteria but if you want better results and more engaged workers then focus on the work process more than the place and time it’s being done. Let’s talk more about how you can use them for your benefit, let’s have a zoom-coffee so we can keep smiling, and learning, together! And if you have any stories that support the notion that we value autonomy, being able to “control what you do, where you do it, when you do it and who you do it with”, I’d love to hear them too! I’ll bring some coffee…or use the contact button above or visit our web site!