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

Too often, business leaders and managers aren't comfortable handling conflict. Although dealing with conflict can be scary, knowing how to is CRUCIAL for managing a team. In today's episode of Playing In The Sandbox, I'll be going over how you can effectively manage conflict.

The KEY thing to know about navigating conflict is: Have a plan beforehand. If you have a plan before conflict arises, you'll be FAR more successful at actually managing it. So, how exactly do we navigate conflict in our team?

1. The first thing to know about navigating conflict is: Everyone has to recognize there's conflict. Conflict doesn't necessarily mean arguments or fights, but could be just mistrust or a lack of cohesion. The first step to solving any problem is admitting there's a problem.

2. The second step to navigating conflict is: Get everyone's input. Ask your team members what they believe the ROOT cause of the conflict is a way where everyone feels comfortable sharing. Simply allow your team to digest the information at first.

3. The final step is: Identify what behaviors you want to replace the negative ones. Whatever is causing the conflict in your team has to be changed to something more productive. Identify what that something is with your team, and work to implement it.

Go to https://www.tammyjbond.com/podcast to learn more about how you can set goals and improve your team through the start, stop, continue method. 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.

Rich Acosta came from a hospitality background but currently works in a corporate environment, but has maintained the SAME level of excellent service at every level. In today's episode of Playing In The Sandbox, I'll be talking to Rich about how to maintain this excellence at every level as a leader.

Throughout his years of experience, as well as his experience with switching industries, Rich has continually drummed up excellence. The ways he did this were:

1. Getting excellence begins with time. Leaders can spend their time on training their team, or trying to find the unlikely perfect team member. Instead, leaders need to focus on celebrating their team members and fostering connections.

1. Next up is effort. Leaders have to put in the effort to make sure their team AND clients are happy. This comes from listening to their complaints, internalizing and interpreting the information, and evaluating the information. Leaders should only respond to complaints after putting in the effort, and by then, Rich always has a TERRIFIC solution.

1. Lastly is energy. When customers or team members are frustrated, they want to be heard and understood. Leaders have to use their energy to not only meet these complaints but use the information they've gathered to improve on mistakes. Then, good leaders should continually improve on their IMPROVEMENTS.

Go to https://www.tammyjbond.com/podcast to learn more about delivering excellence to your customers at every stage. 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.

Some people are coasters and do the bare minimum. These people are in duck and cover mode. In today's episode of Playing In The Sandbox, I'll be discussing how you can address duck and coverers if you are one, or one is on your team.

Operating in duck-and-cover mode is a HUGE bane for not only your work performance but your mental well-being. You're NOT achieving the maximum results you could be. So what do we do, once we know we're in duck and cover mode?

1. If you notice someone is in duck and cover mode, you HAVE to confront it. If you don't actively address it, you're allowing this anti-productive behavior to continue.

1. Get to know the person who's in duck and cover mode. Try and learn whatever is CAUSING them to be in this mode. It may be issues back at home or personal issues. But understand these issues so you can work to correct them, and by extension the duck and cover behavior.

1. If you DON'T have this talk, you're just allowing the behavior to continue. Whatever you tolerate, you allow it to continue. Have talks with people who are in duck and cover mode, address whatever issues they're facing, and work to fix said issues.

Go to https://www.tammyjbond.com/podcast to learn more about how you can address people who are in duck and cover mode, and optimize your team's performance. 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.

Whenever you set a goal or plan for yourself, have you ever stopped to think about what you want to start, stop, and continue? This start, stop, continue method is a FANTASTIC way to give your team valuable feedback. In today's episode of the Playing In The Sandbox podcast, I'll be going over this method.

The start, stop, continue method is a great feedback loop to utilize as a leader. Here are some ways you can use the start, stop, continue method with your team.

1. The start in SSC is all about goal setting. When talking about what to start, it gets your team thinking creatively. Use this creativity to strive for large, profitable goals. The start also can help start creating more positive behaviors in your team members.

1. The stop in SSC is all about efficiency. Think about what NO LONGER serves you and your team and stop it. You can then redirect this energy into starting new, positive behaviors or meeting goals, or continuing good, profitable behaviors.

1. The continue in SSC is all about Just like with the stop, think about what things generated the most success for you and your teams. What specific behaviors and processes led to the most growth. Continue doing them and carry them over throughout the year.

Go to https://www.tammyjbond.com/podcast to learn more about how you can set goals and improve your team through the start, stop, continue method. 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.

Too often, people become overly comfortable with their current situation. Comfort and satisfaction, however, are the ENEMY of change and growth. In today's episode of the Playing In The Sandbox podcast, I'll go over how you can't change something if you tolerate it.

As a leader, and as a professional, whatever we tolerate we will see more of. Here are some reasons why you CANNOT change what you tolerate.

1. The reasons you tolerate negative behavior are the same things that are SABOTAGING you and your team. If you want the behaviors to change, you have to stop tolerating them.

2. Do NOT be avoidant. You have to dissect what negative behaviors you're tolerating and address them head-on before you can replace them with positive behaviors. Learn to lead yourself before leading others.

3. Be bold and DIRECTLY address what needs to be changed. I recommend taking a whiteboard and physically writing everything down before meeting with your team.

Go to https://www.tammyjbond.com/podcast to learn more about how you can change your behaviors by NOT tolerating negative behaviors. 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.

Regret is an all too common emotion. Despite its ubiquity though, regret is more often than not MISUNDERSTOOD. In Dan Pink's book The Power Of Regret, Pink goes over the idea of "If Only" thinking. In today's episode of the Playing In The Sandbox podcast, I'll go over a few ways you, as a leader, can utilize if only thinking.

Here are just a few tips YOU can use to help regret propel you forwards instead of letting it harm you:

1. Confront regret head-on. Don't completely ignore regret, but don't allow yourself to wallow in it either.
2. Regrets of INACTION are the ones that stick with us and are not regrets about things we've done.
3. When you're faced with a big decision, think about it from an outside perspective. Think about it like your best friend is facing a decision, or ask what you from the future would do. Utilize self-distancing.

Go to https://www.tammyjbond.com/podcast to learn more about how regret is a misunderstood emotion, and that PROPERLY understanding it is vital for business 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.

The new year is right upon us, and you may have some projects/tasks that are still lingering. What about the things you hope to achieve in the new year? It can become overwhelming thinking about finishing the year and getting ready for the new one. Today I will cover how to finish the year strong so that you can set up the new year with excellence. So Be sure to get your copy of the action plan on www.TammyJBond.com. Here is what you can expect to learn:

1. Review what you are working on and how you can finish strong
2. Finishing strong and the WHY behind the importance of finishing strong
3. Setting up yourself for excellence and what that looks like

Go to https://www.tammyjbond.com/podcast to pick up the After Action Plan and learn how to increase trust in your organization. I would love to have you join me for my next episode by tuning in on Apple Podcast, Amazon Podcast, or Spotify and subscribing to my Youtube channel. This podcast is produced by TSE Studios.

Companies with high trust levels outperform companies with low trust levels by 186%. Trust is a key factor in higher productivity. Higher productivity leads to fewer sick days and more enjoyment in the workplace. In today's episode, I will teach you how to increase trust in your employees so they can increase their TRUST in you. Here is what you can expect.

1. Ways leaders can model trust in their people and the results of a trusted environment
2. How remote work impacts trust in today's workplace
3. The six ways to foster trust throughout your organization

Go to https://www.tammyjbond.com/podcast to pick up the After Action Plan and learn how to increase trust in your organization. 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.

As a leader if you are not holding your employees accountable to expectations you are failing. You are playing NOT to lose when you lack expectation, lack process, and put process over people. On today's episode of Playing In The Sandbox Podcast, I give you three ways to play NOT to lose with your employees.

These three tips will help you to honor the process and the people for optimal performance.

1. Ensure you have the right people in the right seats.
2. Set clear expectations.
3. Have recurring weekly meetings with your team members.

Go to https://www.tammyjbond.com/podcast to pick up the After Action Plan and learn how to play to WIN with your employees. 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.

Today, on Playing In The Sandbox I want to talk about losing and the way that you manage yourself, your goals, and your outcomes. As a leader, you may be holding your team in the under-performance zone because of the way that you view goal-setting and accountability. Playing NOT to lose is a risk-avoidance strategy, which could hold you and your team back from reaching your full potential.

As a leader you should:

• Address 'playing not to lose' behavior
• Encourage creativity
• Take risks
• Play to win

Go to https://www.tammyjbond.com/podcast to pick up the After Action Plan and learn to reframe your 'playing not to lose' mentality into 'playing to win'. 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.