In this episode, Sara interviews Carrie Aguilar, a coach and consultant specializing in tech startup sales strategy. Carrie shares her background in tech sales and her experience in managing and training sales teams. They discuss the challenges of remote work and the importance of trust but verify in managing sales teams. Carrie emphasizes the need for a sales strategy in startups and the importance of understanding the problem the product solves. They also discuss the importance of delivering honest feedback and the impact of having a deliberate sales strategy in a startup environment.

In this episode, Sara discusses the importance of leaders being able to embrace ambiguity and uncertainty in today's rapidly evolving business world. She shares three steps to foster this ability in organizations: developing agility and adaptability, fostering a culture of innovation and learning, and enhancing communication and transparency. Sara also provides questions for self-assessment and strategies to help teams navigate change and remain productive. By focusing on these steps, leaders can enhance their teams' capability to thrive in uncertain conditions and guide organizations through complexity.

In this new episode of Can I Offer You Some Feedback, Sara brings on Courtney, a program development manager at a nonprofit. They discuss their initial reactions to feedback, preferences for giving and receiving feedback, and the importance of empathy and meaningful feedback. Courtney shares examples of receiving feedback in a remote work setting and emphasizes the need to check biases when giving feedback. They also discuss the importance of leading by example and creating a culture of feedback within teams.

This week Sara gives us a new Business Bite on mind mapping. A visual diagramming technique used to represent different words, ideas, tasks, and concepts branching out from a central idea. It was first popularized by Tony Buzan in the 1960s as a way to enhance memory and creativity. Mind mapping can be used for project planning, brainstorming, and problem-solving. Two key considerations when starting with mind mapping are identifying the central idea and using colors and images to enhance visualization. Mind mapping can help organize information, make connections more apparent, and stimulate creative thinking. Stream more episodes wherever you get your podcasts!

In this episode, Sara interviews Ginny Nemchick, a principal consultant of people operations, about the challenges and changes in HR and people operations in the past four years. They discuss the impact of COVID-19 on workplaces, the importance of values alignment, and the need for clear policies and practices. Ginny shares examples of clients who are successfully implementing positive changes and offers insights on delivering hard-to-hear feedback. They also discuss the value of investing in people operations and the role of external consultants in providing a fresh perspective. Stream more episodes wherever you get your podcasts!

In this episode of Research Revealed, Sara shares that employees who are welcomed by high trust leaders are four times more committed to their company. Trust and leadership play a vital role in an organization's success. Steps to move towards a high trust leadership model include modeling transparency, building genuine relationships, and recognizing and rewarding contributions. To improve trust, measure and understand the current level of trust in the organization and take specific actions to build trust during the onboarding process and throughout an employee's career.

In this new episode of Can I Offer You Some Feedback, Sara talks to an HR manager Jenn. They discuss feedback as a tool for personal improvement. Preferring to be the receiver of feedback, Jenn emphasizes the importance of timely and impactful feedback. She believes that creating a culture of feedback and modeling it at the highest levels is crucial. Listen to more episodes wherever you get your podcasts!

In this new episode Sara shares a business bite with us. A management philosophy that focuses on continuous improvement through small incremental changes referred to as Kaizen. It originated in Japan after World War II and has become a core principle in lean manufacturing and business management worldwide. Kaizen is applied in various areas such as production lines and customer service teams to improve efficiency and enhance processes. To implement Kaizen, it is important to encourage collaboration and a mindset of continuous improvement. Small manageable improvements over time lead to significant change and progress. Subscribe to the podcast for new episodes weekly!

In this Consultant episode, Sara talks with George, a consultant and coach specializing in HR and DEI consulting. They discuss DEI practices, the importance of mental health in the workplace, and the role of feedback in leadership development. George shares his approach to coaching and training, emphasizing the need for leaders to create a safe and inclusive environment for their employees. They also discuss the power of networking and building relationships in the HR and DEI space. Subscribe to the podcast for new episodes weekly! 

This week, Sara shares some research on the challenge of employee turnover and provides three steps that leaders can take to address it. She emphasizes the importance of understanding the reasons behind turnover and tailoring strategies to address them. Learn to measure the effectiveness of these strategies and focus on tactics that make a difference. The goal is to create a more committed workforce and retain valuable talent. Subscribe to the podcast for new episodes weekly!