When I say "team-building" or corporate training, do you say….ugh! Maybe you imagine sitting in a windowless conference room, or enduring an interminable video call that takes you away from the pile of work you need to get done - without offering anything of lasting value?

There's a better way. And yes, it involves empathy as the key ingredient for turning a team-building event from a one-off transactional experience into a transformative one.

Today, Terri Schmidt and I discuss where most well-intentioned team building goes wrong, how serving others primes your brain to learn new skills, how you can intentionally combine connection, professional development and meaning to get more ROI for your team building efforts - as well as engage and retain Gen Z talent. We have a great discussion on how to build trust and connection in a remote or hybrid workplace - including how she blew my mind with her observation of how we have always interacted with screens in the past and why our struggle to connect over screens now just requires some upskilling and re-learning!

To access the episode transcript, please click on the episode title at www.TheEmpathyEdge.com 

Key Takeaways:

• Take the time to gather feedback on what your team is doing well, and also what skills your team needs to strengthen. 
• Serving and doing good for others primes your brain to learn and retain skills and information better. 
• Even though remotely is a new environment, you still want to build practical skills and camaraderie with your team. 

"We infuse empathy in many different ways. We want to make sure that the team is actually connecting in a way that will impact their performance when they get back to the job." —  Teri Schmidt

Episode References: 

• GET YOUR FREE GUIDE! Team Connection: 10 Activities to Connect in 10 Minutes or Less and learn more about these innovative team building and development experiences at https://becomestrongertoserve.com/empathyedge
• The Empathy Edge podcast, Rae Shanahan:The Empathy Gap: 2023 State of Workplace Empathy Report
• Maria's blog post: Can't Get Your Employees Back to the Office? Here's Why.

About Teri Schmidt, Director, Stronger to Serve Coaching & Teambuilding

Teri uses her 20+ years of experience in coaching, leadership, and performance improvement to seamlessly integrate teambuilding, leadership development, and community service.  Her workshops and coaching cultivate empowered individuals, cohesive teams, and impactful contributions to society.

Teri hosts the Strong Leaders Serve podcast inspiring leaders to make their workplaces more compassionate and just through their leadership, without burning out.

She is an Ironman triathlete and loves to be in nature backpacking, camping, and doing some occasional rock climbing.  She currently lives outside of Dallas with her three favorite people, her husband Jeff and her two teenage kids, Tyler and Megan.

Connect with Teri Schmidt:  

Stronger to Serve Coaching & Teambuilding https://www.strongertoserve.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/teri-m-schmidt/

Learn by Doing (Good) workshops: https://www.strongertoserve.com/teambuilding 

Join the tribe, download your free guide! Discover what empathy can do for you: http://red-slice.com/business-benefits-empathy

Connect with Maria: 

Get the podcast and book: TheEmpathyEdge.com

Learn more about Maria and her work: Red-Slice.com

Hire Maria to speak at your next event: Red-Slice.com/Speaker-Maria-Ross

Take my LinkedIn Learning Course! Leading with Empathy

LinkedIn: Maria Ross

Instagram: @redslicemaria

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Facebook: Red Slice

Threads: @redslicemaria

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