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?

In this episode of ICommunicate, new MindsetGo coach Patty Burke joins Mark Altman to discuss how leaders can become effective coaches, what gets in the way of being a good coach and how coaching starts with managing yourself.

Segment 1:

As easy as it sounds to put ourselves in another person's shoes, not all of us are prepared to put ourselves in the mindset to do so. What are the qualities that determine an effective leader and coach, and how do we know that we possess those qualities? Why is it so hard to put ourselves in another person’s shoes, and what can make it easier for us?

Segment 2:

“Be mindful” is a phrase we hear day in and day out, but what does that actually mean? What are the benefits of mindfulness, and how does it apply to different aspects of our lives? What questions should we be asking people who seek change in their lives to motivate them and get them to understand what the root cause of their insecurities or problems may be?

Segment 3:

Leaders, we have to stop expecting our team member’s habits to change after one, long conversation -- but what is the alternative to that? How can we make habit change manageable for our employees, so that check-ins don’t waste our time or theirs? Why is it important for us, as leaders, to get our employees to understand their own problems, as opposed to us spelling them out for them?

Segment 4:

We’re an outcome-driven society, where our priority by the end of the day is to hit our numbers -- but what about every other aspect of our lives? Why should we shift our mindset to prioritize processes and development instead of outcomes? Each and every one of us has some internal motivation that drives us to do what we do -- can you identify what those aspirations are in each and every one of your teammates?

In the frantic need to hire more people, the group we often forget to attend to are the folks who stay — those showing up day-in and day-out shouldering the work that needs to get done. Think about what these people — the ones who are here, working for and with you — need now. In this episode of ICommunicate, Mark discusses how to use “Stay interviews” and other retention strategies to assess needs and wants, engage, appreciate and recognize the loyal employees who have stayed.

Segment 1:

When we spend enough time and effort reacting to people who are in need, the people who have been most loyal to us can fall by the wayside. How can we show our appreciation to the employees who have been loyal to us, and why is it important that we consistently do so? What are “stay interviews,” and why should we be initiating them?

Segment 2:

Part of your job as a leader is to consistently check in on your team and gauge their engagement with the company. What questions can we ask members of our team to understand their values and how they align with the values of the company? If a team member has a concern about their future with the company, how should we address it?

Segment 3:

So much of leadership comes down to the mindset and behaviors that you’re modeling, given that your attitude towards work will be especially contagious? What strategies can we use to ensure that our team feels like they’re making significant contributions to the company, and that they’re meeting expectations? When somebody feels like they can’t be a part of the team anymore, how should we react to that?

Segment 4:

When somebody feels like they don’t belong in the company anymore, we have a few options at our disposal. What are those options, and how can we assess which one will work best in our given situation? What questions should we ask to understand the root cause of our team member’s concerns regarding their future with the company?

In this episode of ICommunicate, Robert Bush, a Sales Leader from Connection, once again joins Mark Altman to discuss critical steps to be self-aware of heading into habit change conversations and how to get people comfortable sharing their truth about where they need help.

Segment 1:

Integrating learning and development training into our workplace culture is much easier said than done. How can we educate people about the importance of self-reflection and evolving from their mistakes? How can we make time in the day for learning and development, and how can we sustain a positive attitude towards it?

Segment 2:

Developing the skill set to self-reflect and accurately identify your strengths and weaknesses is a challenge in and of itself, let alone teaching someone else how to do it. As leaders, how can we identify trends in our employee’s behaviors that need to be addressed? When should we intervene and talk about habit change with them, and how can we facilitate change?

Segment 3:

As leaders, we understand that one of the most difficult challenges that comes with leading our teams is maintaining a positive outlook. How can we maintain a positive attitude without feeling as though we have to fake it? How can we adjust our mindset to look at difficulties as a metric of improvement rather than a hindrance?

Segment 4:

The unfortunate truth regarding conversations around habit change is that there’s not a single, sure-fire solution -- some people may be more resistant to change or admitting their faults than others. How can we prepare for these conversations, ensuring that our approach derives from a place of humility rather than authority? How can we adjust our mindset so that we have a proactive outlook on work/life, and how can we make that attitude contagious?

In this episode of ICommunicate, Mark discusses how to use a tool to assess yourself, compare yourself to your peers/competitors, and also to find career growth opportunities.

Segment 1:

If somebody were to ask you what your greatest strengths and weaknesses are, would you be able to tell them with confidence what those are? How can we determine what our greatest strengths and weaknesses are? Who should we be approaching to gather feedback?

Segment 2:

We all have unique strengths that differentiate us from our peers, but determining what those are is often challenging. What strategies can we use to generate feedback for ourselves? What questions can we ask to understand what our positive and negative blind spots are?

Segment 3:

In your process for determining success, are you identifying areas that you’re improving on, or just focusing on outcomes? What questions should we be asking ourselves to identify our weaknesses? How can we build confidence in areas of our personal and professional lives that we believe we struggle in?

Segment 4:

Often there are opportunities for us to take advantage of in our personal and professional lives that we don’t see as obvious. What questions can we ask ourselves to recognize the opportunities around us, even when it seems like there aren’t any? What is the difference between internal and external threats, and how can we identify and act on them?

How can you set clear boundaries at work and still feel like you are a team player? In this episode of ICommunicate, Mark discusses how to recognize what you expect of your boss, your peers, your direct reports, and meaningful personal relationships. Learn how to differentiate between a request and expectation and how to get to the root cause of what you truly expect of others.

Segment 1:

We often create expectations for people that they are unaware of, and subsequently become disappointed when said expectations are not met. How can we clarify those expectations and avoid future let downs? How does detail orientated communication play into expectations?

Segment 2:

The breakdown of communication can be narrowed down to three factors: unclear expectations, core values, and ambiguity. When communicating with others, we must consider three questions: What expectations are we setting, and what are the rules for creating them? How do we clearly communicate our core values? And finally, how do we remove ambiguity and achieve clarity?

Segment 3:

Just because we believe we communicated our expectations effectively, doesn’t mean that the receiver of that information perceives it in the same way. How does setting and managing clear and attainable expectations impact the workplace? What are the two simple steps in eradicating the; “I told them what I want, but they don't listen,” mindset, and how do we benefit from correcting it?

Segment 4:

Think about how you define your expectations; Are you clear in what you want and need? How can we balance accountability and empathy in a conversation? How can we allow room for “effortless empathy” in conversation through the application of introspection?