MindsetGo iCommunicate Podcast

Shawna Rosenzweig, Chief Strategy Officer at Camp Fire HQ in Seattle, WA, joins Kyrah Altman, Chill Officer of LEAD and shares her experiences supporting teams in building trust, structure, rhythm, and resilience in a remote workplace setting. With employees all over the US, Shawna shares her communication, leadership, and managerial best practices and tips for fostering connection, inclusion, and trust-building in a remote workplace setting. Segment 1: Despite the normalization of remote work, we still call into question the efficiency of communication, and whether or not meaningful connections can be made. How does a hybrid workplace affect employee relationships as well as their sense of belonging? Should we feel threatened by the influx of employees shifting to remote workplaces, or are there opportunities that we have yet to uncover?Segment 2:As humans, we’re bound to slip up and cause somebody else discomfort. However, this problem can become even more complex when it comes to remote work. How can we create safe spaces for our team to speak freely about inclusivity, and how can that foster trust and empathy within your team? How can we create opportunities outside of work for our teams to celebrate each other, ensuring people feel appreciated and recognized?Segment 3:It’s ironic how one of the greatest benefits of remote work happens to also be an impedance; that being, employees have more freedom over their own schedules. What behaviors should leaders avoid doing that may be impeding the productivity and wellness of our teams? How can scheduled downtime lead to an influx of creativity and production? Segment 4: The online workplace is an ever-evolving landscape, where a variety of people, all under different circumstances, must choose to either adapt to or resist the inevitable. As leaders, where is our place in this equation, and how can we ensure all team members are accounted for? What advice should leaders offer their teams in regards to the often-messy communication of a hybrid workplace?

In this episode of ICommunicate, MindsetGo Founder Mark Altman, is joined by his daughter Kyrah Altman. Kyrah is the Founder and Chill Executive Officer of LEAD, which specializes in mental health and DEI based education for HR professionals and leadership teams. Mark and Kyrah discuss how to facilitate conversations where employees speak up for what they want and need and how to proactively prioritize mental health in the workplace.Segment 1: With mental health becoming a more critical component of workplace culture, it’s important to understand the factors that play into it now more than ever. What’s the difference between mental health and mental illness, and why is it crucial that we make a distinction between the two? How can being knowledgeable on the topic of mental health contribute to a more positive work atmosphere?Segment 2:We can’t change the culture of our workplace overnight -- it takes time, dedication, and most of all, vulnerability. How do we shift the priorities of ourselves and our team to embrace conversations about health and wellness? How do we set the stage for these conversations so that they benefit even the most stubborn employees?Segment 3:As leaders, one of our greatest fears is being presented with a question or request that we don’t have an answer to. Does admitting that we don’t have an answer always reflect poorly on our ability to lead, or is there room to flip the narrative? What makes being vulnerable so hard, and how can we surmount those mental and emotional barriers? Segment 4: What is arguably more important than the insight leaders can offer their teams is the perspective that employees share with their leaders. What steps can we take proactively to give our employees the opportunity to be vulnerable, so that they don’t harbor any grievances until they reach their breaking point? When in the heat of these conversations, what steps can we take to uncover the root cause of their frustration, and how can we address it?

In this episode of ICommunicate, MindsetGo Founder Mark Altman discusses the critical first steps to retaining individuals within your organization and how to facilitate a conversation that gets people comfortable sharing their true feelings about their level of engagement and satisfaction.Segment 1: With no end in sight for the Great Resignation, it’s essential, now more than ever, that we communicate with our teams and set expectations. Have we improved our sphere of influence to the point where we can influence outcomes? If not, how can we get to that level? What are the fears that are preventing our employees from communicating with us?Segment 2:One of the best traits of a leader is the ability to provide our teams with the platform to speak freely and feel comfortable doing so. How can we shift our company culture so that everybody feels like their voice matters? Is there a tangible way to measure the productivity and engagement of our employees?Segment 3:When our teams raise a concern, we often deflect them with band-aid solutions that only fix the problem in the short term. How can we address the long term problem and create a process to ensure the problem doesn’t recur? How can we ensure psychological safety for our employees, so that they feel comfortable advocating for themselves?Segment 4: Leaders, why do we react to problems only when our backs are against the wall instead of tackling them before they get out of hand? Why should we consider “stay interviews” just as important as leave interviews?

Do you use empathy as a tool to retain employees? In this episode of ICommunicate, Mark Altman explains how utilizing empathy can be an essential factor to strengthening relationships and reversing “Great Resignation” trends.Segment 1: Not enough people take the time to reflect on how emotional intelligence, and especially empathy, can improve their abilities to sustain relationships and think critically, among other skills. What are the benefits to leading with empathy, and how can we prove that it’s working?Segment 2:When a team member doesn’t meet a leader’s expectations, there’s often a reason for doing so beyond that they’re just out to annoy you. Are you using empathy as a tool of influence, or a means to motivate people to act differently? Segment 3:In the heat of a conflict, how can we be self-aware enough to ask questions rather than accuse and deflect? What is “conversation stacking” and how can this technique bring out authentic empathy within us as well as lead to solutions? Segment 4: Too often, we allow ourselves to forget that in order to properly take care of others, we must first take care of ourselves. What are the benefits to empathizing with yourself, and how can doing so affect your ability to lead and influence your team? When our team envisions their ideal leader, what qualities come to mind?

Operational, finance, and sales goals aren’t enough. As we reflect on 2021, it’s time to set goals around habit development and mindset. In this episode of ICommunicate, MindsetGo Founder Mark Altman, discusses how to prioritize goals to manage yourself and in turn more effectively lead others.Segment 1: Are you going to let your New Year’s resolutions stay ambitions, or set tangible goals that are within reach? How can we seamlessly incorporate S.M.A.R.T. goals into our daily lives? What’s the benefit to setting goals around habits as opposed to outcomes?Segment 2:We can’t achieve a goal if we don’t take the proper time to reflect on the obstacles preventing us from reaching it. What is the danger of FOMO, and how can we turn that fear into opportunity? How do we get people to understand the benefit of reserving time in our day for self-reflection? Segment 3:Part of the process in habit change is asking for and reflecting on feedback from our peers but getting honest answers from them never seems easy. What are the consequences of not being aware of how others perceive us? What are strategies we can use to get genuine feedback from our team?Segment 4: What do we do when our peer’s perception of us doesn’t match what we want them to think? How can we recognize our blind spots and develop a roadmap to overcome them? What are our biggest fears headed into the new year, and how can we put ourselves in a position to best them?

In this episode of ICommunicate, Mark Altman, Founder of MindsetGo, discusses how the phrase “Common Sense” interferes with having an open-mind, problem-solving, innovation, employee engagement and psychological safety. Listen and learn how to use curiosity and emotional intelligence to improve your communication.Segment 1: Habits and behaviors that are innate to us may not be so obvious to people around us, which makes it so important for us to understand where people are coming from. What is the difference between societal etiquette and common sense? What is the mindset that makes up “common sense,” and how can we ensure that we’re making the best decisions that we can in a given situation?Segment 2:Although we’ve spent our entire career building up essential work and life skills, there are bound to be important things that we lack proficiency in. What skills should be “common sense” for us to know at this point in our lives? What makes a habit or behavior “common sense” to know? Segment 3:As leaders, we need to understand the weight and significance of telling our team “I don’t know.” Is it a detriment to tell that to our teams, or is there a benefit to admitting to our teams when we don’t have answers? What is the best way to motivate our peers into changing a habit or behavior?Segment 4: Empathy is an extremely powerful tool that can often be the deciding factor in whether or not we influence somebody else. How can our usage of empathy shape the way people interact with us? When we’re unsure what the level of experience is of the person we’re working with, how can we ask clarifying questions in a way that isn’t condescending?

In this episode of ICommunicate, MindsetGo Founder Mark Altman discusses barriers to advocating for yourself and your team, how to be assertive when setting boundaries and expectations, and the consequences of internalizing your emotions in the workplace.Segment 1: Do you have an open-door policy because you genuinely believe in it, or do you just think it’s necessary? How can we remove the open-door policy, but still be available and present for our team? What kind of boundaries should we be setting with people in and out of the workplace to ensure proper work-life-balance?Segment 2:Despite the positive intentions of an open-door policy, it can lead to a lot of wasted time between us and our teams. How can we provide our teams with the tools and knowledge to take care of their problems as they arise, so we have more time to focus on our own responsibilities? What strategies and processes can we introduce to our teams to ensure that our time is being used efficiently?Segment 3:We know that an open-door policy isn’t always ideal, but what other strategies or processes can we put into place as a substitute? How can setting levels of urgency and modes of communication make problem solving a much more seamless process for you and your team?Segment 4: As leaders and role models, we have to recognize that our behavior is infectious, which makes communicating effectively such an essential responsibility. What kind of culture are you creating for the workplace, and how can you adjust to ensure that everybody is in a position to succeed? What kind of input from our team should we be assessing in regards to our open door policy?

In this episode of ICommunicate, MindsetGo Founder Mark Altman discusses barriers to advocating for yourself and your team, how to be assertive when setting boundaries and expectations, and the cost of internalizing your emotions related to your happiness, motivation, and engagement in the workplace.Segment 1: There’s a perceived thin line between “complaining” and “educating,” but can you say what separates the two? What’s the reward for speaking up against a decision that you feel is wrong? Why should we be treating advocating for ourselves like a personal sales pitch?Segment 2:We can’t control how other people are going to react to us, but we can control our ability to influence people. Can you identify what makes you unhappy about your work and personal life, and understand the root cause of those frustrations? What is the difference between being assertive and being aggressive?Segment 3:There are countless problems that could have been avoided if people had taken the time to stop, think, and ask meaningful questions. What internal and external obstacles are preventing us from having difficult conversations about advocacy? How can we discern when there is an opportunity to advocate for ourselves versus when there isn’t?Segment 4: If we want to communicate our thoughts and feelings in a way that changes the perspective of the person we’re talking to, we have to have a gameplan. How can we gauge the success of conversations about advocacy? What communication strategies should we have in mind heading into these conversations?

In this episode of ICommunicate, MindsetGo Founder Mark Altman discusses what “Reverse Influence” is, the impact it has on yourself, your team and your company culture. Learn how to become a positive dissenter to disrupt thought processes in your environment.Segment 1: As role models, we must be aware of how contagious our attitude is, as it ultimately affects your team’s morale. What does it mean to be a “reverse influencer,” and how does it affect your relationship with your team? How can we use the elephant in the room technique to address reverse influencers? What behaviors should we be normalizing within the workplace, and what doesn’t belong?Segment 2:If a leader doesn’t have the right mindset, it could potentially be detrimental to the team’s productivity and engagement. How can we reverse engineer our mindset to remain positive even when the going gets tough? How can we change our mindset from being a “reverse influencer” to a “positive dissenter”?Segment 3:Our teams don’t always agree with our decisions, which makes communicating with our teams about them so critical. How do we discern our role and the role of our team in these discussions? How can we ensure that our team feels supported even when it’s a decision they don’t agree with? What is the risk of being a positive dissenter? Segment 4: As leaders, it’s essential that we maintain a positive working environment. How do you recognize when you are becoming a reverse influencer? What are some coping skills that you can model for your team to prevent a toxic work environment?

You can’t control people, but you can influence their feelings, thoughts, and actions. In this episode of ICommunicate, MindsetGo President Mark Altman discusses simple steps leaders and parents can take to influence people in their sphere of influence.Segment 1: We’ve all heard the phrase countless times now: “control what you can control, and forget about what you can’t,” but in reality, it isn’t as simple as that. What aspects of our lives do we really have control over, and what are areas that we don’t? How can we recognize what our sphere of influence really is, and what steps can we take to improve it?Segment 2:Oftentimes, when we can’t get our way in a conflict, we assume our backs are against the wall and we’re out of options. How can our tone and line of questioning increase our sphere of influence? What mindset should we have going into these difficult conversations? Segment 3: When having difficult conversations, it’s essential to have a process and template to use to measure your success. What does a “process” for these conversations look like? After having a conversation with an employee regarding habit change, how can you tell that it was successful? Segment 4: Having repeat conversations with somebody about habit change can be frustrating, but with the right plan, the process can be made much more seamless. How many conversations should we expect to have with someone before they change their habit? How should we be reacting to setbacks while they develop a new habit?