Leadership Sandbox: Strategies to Uplevel Workplace Communication, Team Collaboration, and Your Corporate Culture

This year, we're not just celebrating the New Year, we're celebrating NOT quitting on Quitter's Day! In this episode of Playing in the Sandbox, I'm digging into Quitter's Day and how we can shift our perspective toward behavior changes that stick. On that note, we're going to talk about framing our yearly reviews to help our team members get excited about changing their mindsets so they can accomplish great things.

1. Coming up with a "New Year's Resolution" isn't enough. We have to create a clear vision of the outcome we want to achieve over a longer timeline.
2. Don't fall victim to the "new year" hype! Get excited about changing behaviors and mindset - that's an excitement that lasts.
3. It's time for our yearly reviews. When we set clear expectations and KPIs, we can help our team members grow, strengthening our team.
4. Most people think that meeting all their needs will help them feel "free," but there is a lot of freedom in embracing your "wants."
5. Don't forget to look inward! When you're being held back, look into your past to help open up your future.

Go to https://www.tammyjbond.com/podcast to change your mindset and behaviors so you don't become a quitter! We'd love for you to join us for our next episodes by tuning in on Apple Podcast, Amazon Podcast, or Spotify and subscribe to our Youtube channel. This podcast is produced by TSE Studios.

Welcome to the final episode of Playing in the Sandbox for this year! I'm thrilled to bring you a special Q&A episode crafted entirely from the questions you, our amazing listeners, have sent in. We will break down the problems so many of us face as leaders while we celebrate curiosity and our amazing community!

1. When you want to see behavior changes in your team, set expectations, model the changes, and hold check-ins for support and accountability.

2. When you approach teammates about sensitive topics, approach with kindness and share your good intentions. Don't forget to hold HR accountable!

3. Don't be afraid to stand up to teammates who spew negativity.

4. If your team is underperforming, take accountability! Bring awareness to the issue with your team members and be direct!

Go to https://www.tammyjbond.com/podcast to learn how to meet your fear of failure head-on. We'd love for you to join us for our next episodes by tuning in on Apple Podcast, Amazon Podcast, or Spotify and subscribe to our Youtube channel. This podcast is produced by TSE Studios.

Leaders, we have had so many learning moments on this podcast throughout 2023. For this episode, we're looking back over the year to celebrate our wins and leave behind the things that no longer serve us.

1. The best leaders use the "Power of Regret" to move forward and make big changes. Instead of wallowing in it or pushing it away, confronting regrets can help leaders take action. (Thanks, Dan Pink!)

2. If you're ready to see change but don't feel like it's happening, look at what you're tolerating in your life. Ask yourself - why aren't you willing to address these things head-on?

3. As leaders, we often have high expectations of ourselves and others. But perfection can never be the goal because it's unattainable - instead, learn how to measure your improvement and celebrate your successes!

4. Setting expectations is important, but we must prioritize our people over process. Involving team members in the process will help them buy-in and be more accountable, too!

5. "Active Listening" is so much more than just smiling and nodding while team members talk. As a leader, you must stay focused and engaged - DON'T get distracted by your thoughts and reactions.

Go to https://www.tammyjbond.com/podcast to dive deeper into all of these incredible learning moments. We'd love for you to join us for our next episodes by tuning in on Apple Podcast, Amazon Podcast, or Spotify and subscribe to our Youtube channel. This podcast is produced by TSE Studios.

One issue many people have when it comes to storytelling is getting to the main points. The whole point of using storytelling as a leader is to make your team members take action. But how can they act when they do not understand what you're trying to convey?

In this episode, we'll discuss five key ways leaders can become bottom-line communicators. Listen to this insightful episode to help you develop an essential leadership style.

1. As leaders, it's vital for you to understand your audience. Some members may need you to display a more colorful approach to your story, while others prefer a more direct approach. Understanding your audience will help you decide how to communicate with them best.

2. Start with clarity when balancing the fine line between storytelling and bottom lining. Decide on your story's point and the action you want your audience to take action.

3. To help get your points across in storytelling, add context. This is where you can add more depth to your story to help your audience understand its message.

4. As you're telling your story, be able to adapt to changes to help your audience understand your message. Storytelling embraces emotions; some members may be unable to handle certain emotions within a story.

5. Leaders should always encourage a two-way conversation when using the storytelling technique. Some members may have questions or don't understand the points you're trying to convey. Creating an open environment will make them comfortable speaking with you as you share your story.

Go to https://www.tammyjbond.com/podcast to learn how leaders can become bottom-line communicators. We'd love for you to join us for our next episodes by tuning in on Apple Podcast, Amazon Podcast, or Spotify and subscribe to our Youtube channel. This podcast is produced by TSE Studios.

If you're ready to help your team think critically and creatively, it might be time to ask great questions. In this episode, we're going to dive into how you can build independence and critical thinking skills in your team by asking open-ended questions. Tap into your curiosity to step up your leadership!

1. Engaging people by asking specific questions to help them understand their responsibilities can support independence and critical thinking.
2. Open-ended questions are thought-provoking, while yes-or-no questions discourage creative thinking.
3. As leaders, our curiosity can help us discover what is holding our team members back - why are they struggling? Why don't they feel comfortable asking for help?
4. Don't be afraid to challenge assumptions! It's not about putting people down or even calling them out; it can help you better understand a team member's behavior.
5. Questions can build trust. Your team members are less likely to be on the defensive when you use questions to work through issues.

In today's swift-moving employee market leaders are far too often putting people that are technically good at their jobs into leadership positions, without first developing them on how to be leaders of people.

How do you course correct, or better yet make sure you don't make that common mistake? Develop your people to lead others from the moment they join your team. For more tools on how to develop others around you, contact us today.

We'd love for you to join us for our next episodes by tuning in on Apple Podcast, Amazon Podcast, or Spotify. This podcast is produced by TSE Studios.

If your team is operating in chaos, you may have a pot-stirrer in your midst. In this episode, I'm sharing some insights into the inner workings of the pot-stirrer's mind. Strong leaders have a responsibility to help their teams see their way through tough situations - it's time to stop stirring the pot and start stepping up.

1. Pot-stirrers thrive on chaos and tension in the workplace. They manipulate and strong-arm people into unstable situations to gain power and control.

2. The first step to making a change is recognizing pot-stirring behavior patterns in yourself or others and making the decision to adjust the team's path.

3. Be open about the negative impacts of pot-stirring. Low morale, low productivity, high turnover rates, and employees feeling stifled are all symptoms of having a pot-stirrer in your organization.

4. The majority of employees experience stress in the workplace, and there is a correlation between traumatic workplace experiences and counterproductive behaviors.

5. We have to understand the root causes of pot-stirring in ourselves and others to help unpack where those behaviors come from.

Go to https://www.tammyjbond.com/podcast to learn how to manage the pot-stirrer in your organization (even if it's you). We'd love for you to join us for our next episodes by tuning in on Apple Podcast, Amazon Podcast, or Spotify and subscribe to our Youtube channel. This podcast is produced by TSE Studios.

The fear of failure can be a self-fulfilling prophecy if you let it. It's time to leave the fear behind and break through your barriers. In this episode, I'm here to tell my own personal story of MY fear of failure and share ideas for how you can overcome what holds you back.

1. If you are becoming stagnant, look inward to discover the truth of why it's happening. Stagnation can cause us to be afraid to step outside of our comfort zone and try new things.

2. Look back and think about the potential regrets from not taking that risk - do they outweigh the feeling of fear of the unknown?

3. Leaders who are afraid to fail are often risk-averse. If you're so risk-averse that you miss out on opportunities, think about bringing someone you trust onto your leadership team.

4. Teams that display growth and adaptability have leaders that welcome innovation and change. If you can't see how to execute new ideas and that makes you shoot them down, empower your team members to plan, try, and fail.

5. Fear of failure is often linked with low self-esteem or self-worth. Get educated and connect with others (like mentors, coaches, therapists, etc.) who can help you understand your self-esteem or self-worth.

6. When we focus too much on what others will think of us instead of looking in the mirror, we can end up with anxiety about losing our status or reputation.

Go to https://www.tammyjbond.com/podcast to learn how to meet your fear of failure head-on. We'd love for you to join us for our next episodes by tuning in on Apple Podcast, Amazon Podcast, or Spotify and subscribe to our Youtube channel. This podcast is produced by TSE Studios.

It happens to everyone, so why are we so afraid of being wrong? In today's episode, I'm diving into the power you gain when you stop fearing failure. Owning your mistakes strengthens your integrity and creates opportunities to learn more about yourself, your work, and your team.

1. Leaders and team members need to get over the fear of disappointing others and ourselves. Keep your integrity and self-respect by taking personal ownership of mistakes. No blame shifting!

2. Making mistakes can trigger feelings of embarrassment and shame. Most people don't learn how to move through those emotions which can lead to withdrawing and an unwillingness to take risks.

3. The fear of being wrong can undermine our relationships. When leaders get defensive or shift blame off of themselves, it makes team members feel like they can't come forward to discuss what isn't working.

4. Leaders often dwell too long on what's wrong and don't move forward to the next steps quickly enough. Focus on failure as a learning opportunity.

5. Reflect and analyze what happened and why. Encourage your team to do the same. Don't focus on "who", focus on "how" and "why" things went wrong.

Go to https://www.tammyjbond.com/podcast to learn more about how to overcome the fear of being wrong. We'd love for you to join us for our next episodes by tuning in on Apple Podcast, Amazon Podcast, or Spotify and subscribe to our Youtube channel. This podcast is produced by TSE Studios.

Navigate team meetings, bold conversations, and tense moments with ease through well-timed pauses! In today's episode of Playing in the Sandbox, I want to share the Power of Pause with you. When you have the emotional awareness to know how to apply it, you can avoid having your thinking hijacked by tension or frustration.

1. Even though "hitting the pause button" might seem simple, simple actions can be the most powerful.

2. When emotions are high, taking a pause gives you an opportunity to ask questions that helps you unlock why you are triggered and how to move toward a solution.

3. Taking a pause can give you time to reevaluate your perspective – you might realize you agree on more than you thought.

4. A pause gives you a moment to take a breath to help regulate your brain. When you're dysregulated because of frustration or irritation, you might be more reactive than usual.

5. You are responsible for your behavior – even when you're triggered! Slow things down or the people you connect with might leave that interaction feeling confused, bruised, and misused.

Go to https://www.tammyjbond.com/podcast to learn more about how the power of pause can improve communication in times of conflict. We'd love for you to join us for our next episodes by tuning in on Apple Podcast, Amazon Podcast, or Spotify and subscribe to our YouTube channel. This podcast is produced by TSE Studios.

No matter what kind of organization you lead, the way you support others and support yourself determines your team's strength and success. In this episode of Playing in the Sandbox, I interview Larry Brey ("LB"), the Associate Pastor at Elevation Church. We discuss how LB builds leaders and helps them understand a vision greater than themselves.

1. What makes you unique is what makes you powerful. Embrace "the DNA" of who you are and build that up in yourself rather than trying to become the person you think people want you to be.
2. As a leader, your vision can either become polluted or diluted. It can be polluted by others injecting their vision into yours, or diluted when you become too apprehensive to have big, tough conversations.
3. There will be moments when you don't think you're strong enough to keep going. Know how you're going to handle that moment in advance because if you wait until that moment to figure it out, you'll probably get it wrong.
4. As a leader, your silence can be louder than your words. When people don't know how you feel, they'll fill in the blanks with their own insecurities. Let your team know how you feel about them (not just their performance).
5. When leading others, encourage them to talk about what works and what doesn't. Agree upon safe language so that no one feels like they're under attack.
6. New employees need four relationships in an organization - a supervisor (who helps them understand their job expectations), a friend (who laughs with them as a peer), a mentor (someone who helps them improve themselves), and a pastor (someone who will carry the burden of life with them).

Go to https://www.tammyjbond.com/podcast to learn more about building leaders. We'd love for you to join us for our next episodes by tuning in on Apple Podcast, Amazon Podcast, or Spotify and subscribe to our Youtube channel. This podcast is produced by TSE Studios.