On today’s episode of the Managing with Mind and Heart, Ethan Nash is joined by Cheryl Fields Tyler, founder and CEO of Blue Beyond Consulting, to discuss the organization’s recent report, Winning on the People Side of Business, which explores the top priorities and challenges facing businesses today.

Among other demographics, Blue Beyond paid close attention to differences in how generations felt across issues at work. 

In conversation with Ethan, Cheryl Fields Tyler reflects on the consulting group’s 2021 study, comparing its findings with the latest 2024 insights while introducing fresh questions that address today’s evolving challenges.

Tune in for an engaging conversation on the changing face of leadership and practical strategies for building resilient workplaces in an ever-evolving business world.

Text the word “LEADING” to 66866 to be added to Nash Consulting’s monthly newsletter. Just practical management skills and tips. And just once a month. Pinky swear.

In this episode, Ethan Nash introduces the Challenge-Competency Continuum, a framework for understanding how stress impacts employee productivity. Picture an upside-down “U” with productivity on the y-axis and stress on the x-axis. Too little stress leaves employees unmotivated; too much stress overwhelms them. Peak productivity? It’s right in the middle.

The key to finding that balance, Nash says, ask your employees. Ethan dives into how understanding where someone lands on the continuum—how “challenged” and “competent” they feel—can help managers make smarter decisions. With the right insights, leaders can fine-tune workloads, reduce unnecessary stress, and unlock their team’s full potential.

To get our Effective and Enjoyable Meetings Guidebook, send a note to [email protected].

Text the word “LEADING” to 66866 to be added to Nash Consulting’s monthly newsletter. Just practical management skills and tips. And just once a month. Pinky swear.

“You might have terrific goals set for your team, expectations that are solid, strategies that are great, tactics that are awesome, but when communication sucks, none of this is going to matter.”

In this episode of the Managing with Mind and Heart, host Ethan Nash discusses the best channels for optimal team communication. 

Tons of information is constantly thrown at managers, and it’s their job to act as a funnel and get the appropriate information to their team. Mentioning pertinent information to an employee in the lunch room might feel easiest in the moment, but strategies like these lead to confusion, crossed wires, and in turn, a decrease in workplace morale.

To avoid all that, there are best practices for information distribution at work (remember last week’s episode on the Magic Email?). Listen now to hear Ethan’s deep dive on the top five channels for sharing info with your team. 

To get our Effective and Enjoyable Meetings Guidebook, send a note to [email protected].

Text the word “LEADING” to 66866 to be added to Nash Consulting’s monthly newsletter. Just practical management skills and tips. And just once a month. Pinky swear.

In this quick episode, Mike Nash discusses the magic of “The Friday Email.”

A strategy of consolidated communication, this end-of-week email is a suggestion for managers and employees who struggle with email overload. It narrows down communication channels and provides managers and employees a single place where all pertinent information will be stored. 

To adopt this tactic, managers commit to creating and sending out a really well written and organized email at the end of each week. Employees, in turn, commit to reading and internalizing the contents of the email. 

More than just an email, the Friday Email is a simplification of communication channels and a critical connector between employee and manager. 

To get our Effective and Enjoyable Meetings Guidebook, send a note to [email protected].

Text the word “LEADING” to 66866 to be added to Nash Consulting’s monthly newsletter. Just practical management skills and tips. And just once a month. Pinky swear.

“If you are thinking about work as you’re getting ready for your work day, what you're probably thinking about are tasks, phone calls and meetings. In addition to that, maybe even instead of that, if you just quickly review these 6 concepts, it would change everything.”

In this solo episode, Mike Nash dives into the essential elements of effective management every manager should be thinking about before the workday:

1. Personal growth as a foundation for leadership (for more on the growth mindset, see Episode #97 with Hana Butler)
2. Morale matters and it’s mostly a manager’s job
3. Building trust by showing you have your team's best interests at heart
4. Keep the 15 critical management skills and deliverables in mind
5. Developing adaptive skills tied to emotional intelligence.
6. Fostering psychological safety—creating a space where your team feels secure and valued (for more on psychological safety, see Episodes #57 and #58)

Tune in for actionable insights helpful to reset your managerial compass and lead with impact.

To get our Effective and Enjoyable Meetings Guidebook, send a note to [email protected].

Text the word “LEADING” to 66866 to be added to Nash Consulting’s monthly newsletter. Just practical management skills and tips. And just once a month. Pinky swear.

We’re 100!! 

To celebrate the centennial, we’re taking a break from our usual programming as Ethan and Mike get personal, tackling questions like "What makes a good parent?" and "How do you define success?" This special episode pulls back the curtain on the minds and hearts behind Nash Consulting. Here's to the next 100 episodes!

Check out the Mind & Heart University app!

To get our Effective and Enjoyable Meetings Guidebook, send a note to [email protected].

Text the word “LEADING” to 66866 to be added to Nash Consulting’s monthly newsletter. Just practical management skills and tips. And just once a month. Pinky swear.

Just a couple quick things for you!

Subscribe on Spotify here and Apple Podcasts here. Subscribe to our newsletter here or text the word "Leading" to the number 66866.

Cheers!

https://www.nashconsulting.com/ 

"People spend way too much time in crappy meetings. They suck your soul and they discourage you."

In this episode of Managing with Mind and Heart, Ethan and Mike Nash discuss the importance of a less glamorous yet essential part of the workplace: meeting agendas.

As a follow-up to the recent episode on how to wrap up meetings with clarity and closure, this episode focuses on what happens before the meeting ends. From starting with a check-in and icebreaker to giving participants space to raise their own concerns, they walk through each step of building a thoughtful and effective meeting agenda. 

Whether you're leading the meeting or simply participating, understanding the flow and purpose of an agenda can make a big difference. Tune in to learn how to make your meetings more organized, efficient, and engaging.

Check out the Mind & Heart University app!

To get our Effective and Enjoyable Meetings Guidebook, send a note to [email protected].

Text the word “LEADING” to 66866 to be added to Nash Consulting’s monthly newsletter. Just practical management skills and tips. And just once a month. Pinky swear.

In this episode of the Managing With Mind and Heart, hosts Ethan and Mike Nash discuss how one simple tool can bring clarity and focus to your meetings. ABCD stands for Action items, By whens/by whom, Communication, and Decisions, and it's designed to ensure every meeting ends with clear, actionable takeaways. We’ll walk you through how these steps help teams clarify decisions, assign responsibilities, and communicate effectively. Tune in to learn how the ABCD method can transform your meetings and boost team productivity. Don't forget to visit our website and join our mailing list for more insights.

Check out the Mind & Heart University app!

To get our Effective and Enjoyable Meetings Guidebook, send a note to [email protected].

We mentioned the following episodes:

• #54 – Committment, Accountability & Results: Building a Cohesive Leadership Team
• #13 – How to Have One-on-One Meetings That Don't Suck
• #21 – How to Run Meetings That Don't Suck Your Soul (Part 1)
• #22 – Tools & Tactics for Meeting Facilitation (Part 2)
• #23 – Remote Meetings: How to Make Them Worthwhile 
• #64 – You Should Create a Meeting Code of Conduct

Text the word “LEADING” to 66866 to be added to Nash Consulting’s monthly newsletter. Just practical management skills and tips. And just once a month. Pinky swear.

"Mindsets really, really matter because they set us up for learning. I don't know any leader or organization that doesn't want their employees to be engaged, to have high morale, to be learning and innovating."

In this episode of The Managing With Mind and Heart, Nash Consulting's own Hana Butler joins host Ethan Nash to explore the transformative power of a growth mindset. Coined by Carol Dweck in the 1980s, the term "growth mindset" highlights how our beliefs about learning and failure shape our personal and professional lives. Hana breaks down the difference between a growth mindset and a fixed mindset, showing how each influences our ability to innovate and grow at work. She explains that in a fixed mindset, mistakes are seen as a reflection of who we are, while in a growth mindset, they’re opportunities for improvement.

Text the word “LEADING” to 66866 to be added to Nash Consulting’s monthly newsletter. Just practical management skills and tips. And just once a month. Pinky swear.