MindsetGo iCommunicate Podcast

There’s nothing quite as frustrating as feeling unheard or not being validated. Having difficult conversations that address problems in the workplace is tough within itself, but even worse is walking away feeling disrespected and like the attempt wasn’t worthwhile. In this week’s episode of ICommunicate, Mark discusses how to set expectations and build processes around giving and receiving feedback, actively influencing an open and vulnerable workplace culture, and to understand what it means to be heard.Segment 1: Making a request only to have it not be reciprocated in the way we wanted it to be often leaves us feeling frustrated and disrespected. However, there is often more to the story than meets the eye in these types of circumstances. What strategies can we use to convey our feelings in a productive and honest way?Segment 2:As much as we hate to hear it, we have to take a moment to ponder whether or not it’s at least partly our fault that behaviors aren’t changing or actions aren’t taking place. What process can we utilize when giving or receiving a request to accommodate both parties’ needs or wants?Segment 3: We can’t keep letting ourselves fall back on the same old excuses when it comes to dodging complaints from employees over changes. Blaming change on COVID only drains our motivation to work. How do we address concerns even when we feel that nothing can be done to change the problem? What behaviors should we model to create an open and honest culture?Segment 4: It’s one thing to be willing to have difficult conversations with people within the workplace, but it’s another to be prepared for them. What expectations should we set on both the giving and receiving end of these discussions? How do we know that we’re being heard?

We tend to view the most profitable businesses as well-oiled machines, and we assume that high levels of employee engagement are automatic. What we fail to recognize, however, is the fact that organizations function more like man than machine, meaning that it experiences the cycles of life and each part of its being needs to be nurtured in order for it to develop. When it’s time to break old habits, especially in the face of adversity, we acknowledge that the vulnerability of our companies are at stake. In this week’s episode of ICommunicate, Joe Lyman joins Mark to discuss how to manage employee engagement as well as how to develop self-awareness to better understand when and what changes to company culture and its processes need to be changed.Segment 1: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” is a mindset that we as individuals have come to almost idolize in the context of assembling company cultures and processes. Is it time to re-evaluate our decisions and evolve? How can we get around the looming fears that major -- or even minor -- change brings?Segment 2:Businesses are living, growing things that experience all stages of the cycle of life, whether we believe it or not. When the disengagement of employees signals death and decay, what can we do to revitalize company culture and processes? When is it time for change and how do we know what areas need the most attention?Segment 3: Far too often when reporting changes to our teams, we handle the dissatisfaction by saying, “the higher-ups told us that this is what we have to do.” What does this say about our credibility and respect as leaders? How can we effectively represent our teams and have the self-awareness to know when to ask for help?Segment 4: A wise man once said, “The most important things in an organization can’t be measured.” If that’s the case, then what are the most significant aspects that we should be paying attention to in our companies? How can we provide employees with purpose and improve their engagement in their work?

ICommunicate Podcast #113: Framing Conversation So People Are Open - Minded by Mark Altman

The usual excitement that comes with a new school year for our children is unfortunately stifled by the fear of the unknown in regards to how schools will handle COVID. In this week’s episode of ICommunicate, former Teacher of the Year, Corinne Ferri from the North Smithfield, RI School District joins Mark to discuss how to prepare for the upcoming school year in regards to virtual learning. They discuss how to encourage your children to be engaged and active in their education, and create an effective pathway of communication between teachers, parents, and students.Segment 1: Schools are back in session -- but at what cost? Our readiness for COVID-19 is about to face the ultimate test as we send our children back to school, whether that be in-person, online, or a hybrid of the two. How do we prepare for the management of students and the crises that may occur? What developments can we anticipate over the coming months, and how can we respond to those?Segment 2:Day by day, it becomes increasingly difficult to assess our readiness for the challenges that are yet to arise. What do schools, teachers, and faculty need to do to prove that they are ready? How can we stay engaging and humane even through a screen?Segment 3: Becoming engaged with our children’s education can often feel like trying to navigate through a maze of communication. How can we as parents become more engaged with the education of our children? What strategies can we use to encourage our kids to open up about what they’re doing in school?Segment 4: Let’s face it, most kids aren’t excited about going to school outside of the social aspects that they engage in. How can we as teachers and parents develop genuine relationships with students and make them passionate about being in school?

In this week’s episode of ICommunicate, Mark discusses strategies and benchmarks to use to measure the effective of professional development and how to implement continuous learning so it sticks. Segment 1: It goes without saying that some methods of learning just aren’t as effective as others. Whether it’s Zoom fatigue or an abundance of distractions, maintaining the attention of our colleagues can feel like a battle. What methods of learning can we consistently rely on to motivate and engage our peers?Segment 2:Developing skills through a procedural, check-box method of learning just isn’t working as well as we’ve been hoping. How can we facilitate effective learning, so our peers learn and maintain their skills? Segment 3: Our baggage in combination with a limited, negative mindset can impede the way to develop skills in a motivational way. How can we change the narrative and adopt a mindset that motivates individuals to make learning a want to instead of a have to? Segment 4: Let’s face it, we’re not learning complex skills overnight. We know that it takes practice to improve new skills, but how can we train ourselves in effective and time-efficient ways? What strategies can we use to motivate ourselves and others when it comes to reaching our objectives through learning and practice?

Wear your heart on your sleeve. Tell it like it is. These are phrases that people say with pride because we are taught that transparent communication is the best communication. This may be true, but knowing what to say, when to say it, and applying guidelines to make sure your words are appropriate are a set of core competencies many leaders lack. In this week’s episode of ICommunicate, Mark discusses what strategies to use to establish healthy internal communication and how to create a culture that motivates people individually and collectively. Segment 1: Being transparent when communicating with our peers often poses a complex challenge. How can we convey ourselves authentically while still providing positive and useful feedback?Segment 2:Companies both large and small face the struggle of setting a culture of transparency without the burden of motivating individual employees. How can we relay criticism in a way that is genuine and motivational? What is the appropriate time and place to have these essential discussions?Segment 3: When it comes to assessing the strength of internal communication, we often make the mistake of waiting for red flags to determine what action needs to be taken. How can we effectively make decisions about transparent communication on multiple levels of an organization? What processes can we rely on to create a stable and transparent culture?Segment 4: Now more than ever, with multiple generations in the workplace and COVID forcing many of us to work remotely, communication with employees has become a monster in and of itself. How can we appropriately get our messages across to people without confusion or disdain?

When is the last time you have received or provided a performance review? How did it go? An ongoing problem that has been exacerbated by the increase in virtual relationships, continues to be the inherent biases that impact objectivity, employee engagement, and productivity. In this week’s episode of ICommunicate, Mark discusses why it’s okay to ditch performance reviews, how to avoid the biases that get in the way of assessing ongoing performance, and solutions to put in place to put everyone on a level playing field.Segment 1: Whether we admit it or not, we hold subconscious biases towards people over certain character traits or behaviors. What should our priorities be when conducting a performance review? How do those priorities and biases get in the way of our ability to objectively evaluate a person?Segment 2:Providing effective feedback when doing performance evaluations can be skewed by biases. How can we not only identify our biases, but replace them with effective habits and behaviors?Segment 3: Our behaviors and the events out of our control have a larger role in our biases than many of us are willing to admit, which often lead us to over or under compensate during an evaluation. How often should we be meeting with our team for reviews? How can we create an open-ended work environment through performance reviews?Segment 4: Gaining the mindfulness to identify biases that may be affecting the way we evaluate members of our teams is much easier said than done. How can we create more opportunities for open communication? What kind of subconscious biases do we have about our employees?

Have you ever heard a C-Suite executive share frustration about knowing how to motivate their teams? Often they’ll say, “I give them a great salary, an amazing benefits package, and all the time off they need and they still aren’t happy.” Too often, motivational strategies fail because assumptions are made without meaningful conversations to really understand what people want and need. We try to use a one-size fits all approach, but with five active generations in today's workforce, employees have increasingly different motivators. In this week’s podcast, Mark discusses how to implement personalized recognition and curious conversations to get to the heart of what drives people to demonstrate and sustain the behavior leaders seek.Segment 1: What we often fail to realize is that there isn’t a single thing that serves as a blanket motivator. Every individual has a variety of motivators that contribute to their output. How can we find out what truly motivates our employees to allow for mutual benefit? Segment 2:Monitoring changes in motivation are one of the many responsibilities as a leader. How can we create an environment that allows for open and honest communication? Segment 3: It’s so easy to assume extrinsic motivators are what motivates people, but what we often neglect are the intrinsic motivators that are unique to each and every employee. How can we create an environment where achieving these personal goals becomes more accessible?Segment 4: We often fall back on snap judgements when we’re considering the value of a person to protect us from getting out of our comfort zones, which leaves little room for genuine reflection. How can we avoid these assumptions and seek out the true value of an individual without letting stigma cloud our judgment?

With so much fear of the unknown and a perceived loss of control, do you ever wonder anymore what you can control? In this week’s podcast, Mark discusses the three things that you can still control and how they ultimately drive results for your life personally and professionally.Segment 1: Too often, our hard work and dedication is overshadowed by a simple word: luck. What strategies can we use to shift our mindsets to have a more positive outlook on ourselves and others? What is the impact that word choice has on how we convey messages to other people?Segment 2:Internal and external bias exists and they impact decisions on a daily basis, ultimately swaying our judgements on situations both big and small. How does bias impact our decisions? How can we prioritize our needs and avoid a reactive mindset?Segment 3: As leaders, we’re tasked with making critical choices under pressure in both our personal lives and professional careers. How can we keep our emotional intelligence in check and pave the way for efficient decisions to be made?Segment 4: We strive to create an environment and a culture within the workplace that allows for vulnerability and open and honest communication. What questions can we ask ourselves and our peers to open the door to habit change and replacement? What are some effective strategies that we can use to create a culture built around trust and honesty?

Imagine if you were told with virtually no notice that you had to become a remote parent prior to your kids graduating high school. What would change? How would you adapt? Could you maintain a strong connection with your kids? Experts have often said parenting and leadership are one and the same. Now, not only do leaders have to suddenly learn and hone skills around remote leadership, but they have to help their teams adapt to re-integration in the workplace and handle conflict with evolving challenges related to people’s mindset and fears returning to work. In this week’s podcast, Mark Altman and Joseph Lyman discuss how to motivate teams and provide the support tools individuals will need to overcome obstacles, stay engaged, and maintain a focused/positive mindset.Segment 1: The temptation to micromanage our children to ensure their safety in the same ways we handle our employees can hinder our mindsets when it comes to being an effective leader. Are we making the right decisions when it comes to managing remotely? How can we be effective remote leaders even when we don’t have the same control as we otherwise would?Segment 2:Adapting to a growth mindset and avoiding tunnel vision can be especially difficult now that we’ve lost the ability to connect with employees face-to-face. Are we in a position to disregard virtual interactions as temporary and insignificant in the long run? How can we adapt to the difficulties presented by remote interactions and avoid being blinded by short term goals?Segment 3: Staying accountable and advocating for ourselves and our teams is especially difficult now that our priorities have changed in our virtual workplace. How can we effectively manage and accommodate for the rapidly changing needs of our employees?Segment 4: The virtual world has caused habits in the workplace to change, as remote interaction causes ambiguity and forces us to think differently on how to be engaging leaders. How can we use the growth mindset and set expectations going into meetings to avoid being overbearing and micromanaging?