Tag Archive for: effective communication

How to Effectively Lead Your People While Scaling

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Hi, and a warm welcome to The Human Side of Business Podcast. I’m your host Ange MacCabe. I am pleased to introduce you to Ryan Benn, CEO and Group Publisher at

Alive Publishing Group Inc.

In this episode, Ryan dives into the strategies behind establishing effective workplace relationships and how that translates to scaling business.

Building Effective Teams

Ryan Benn: So then it’s a way that makes sense for me because I think many of us would default to going out and being like, I’m going to hire the best person for that job. And then you go separately, two months later, I’m going to hire the best person for that job. I’m going to hire the best IT manager. I’m going to hire the best HR manager. I’m going to hire the best accountant that you can find. Kind of logical. It’s kind of how the process is built. It’s expected, right? You end up with the best in everything, and you go, none of these people want to work together. None of them are collaborative. They all have different interests. And this whole thing is breaking down.

Culture Misalignment

Ange MacCabe: What drives me crazy is when people in positions of power talk about their employees, like their family, to create that psychological contract, but they don’t treat them like family. Right. What you’re subscribing to, or what I’m hearing from you, is that you have a community, and it feels family-orientated. Like there is authenticity in what you’re saying, Ryan, which is absolutely amazing, the other piece that comes up for me is often, team members come into the workplace that they’re not going to be like, I’m going to do a shit job for Ryan today. They’re going to be like, I want to do the best job ever, and I don’t know how to do it. So I’m going to stress myself out until I get there. As leaders, the onus is on us to be able to help mentor, not manage the work-life integration pieces. And so that when you really know your people and what motivates them. For some people, they really do need that black and white.

Work is work. Personal is personal, and I need that divide, or I can’t shut off, and it stresses me out. If that’s their persona, then it’s leaning into them to help mentor so that it fits from a culture or company perspective.

Not Subscribing to Old School Leadership Styles

Ryan Benn: When you’re aware of your blind spots and accept them or work to change them. It really helps because these are such buzzwords when I say things like transparency and authenticity. But I really believe in them from a leadership perspective. I think it’s the modern world; I don’t think leaders should be viewed as infallible and more knowledgeable than everybody else. I think it’s such an old-school approach to leadership.

Relentlessly Self Aware

Ange MacCabe: Stepping back a little bit. You had identified early on that you were able to really go inward and identify your strengths and areas of growth, and therefore, you were able to hire for your weaknesses, and you were vulnerable about the same. That takes a bit of self-reflection and cause and effect. Ryan in the sense of being able to do this in a two-pronged step. So, one, what’s going on with me internally? And then two, how do I communicate that and exhibit that to my team members so that there’s actual validity behind what I’m saying versus discredit? What was your approach to that? How did you go about it?

Ryan Benn: Yeah. Super interesting. It’s not easy, and for me, it probably came easier. I don’t know why, nature vs. nurture, I’m not sure. But for certain, I think the skill is, I would say, relentlessly self-aware.

I like to be able to think that I can walk out of here and say, listen, you might not like it, I might not like it, but I’m this, then I can at least say, well, I want to change that, or I don’t want to change that, but at least knowing that it’s actually there. I think blind spots in leadership are one of the hardest things, which is not being able to step back and say, how are others viewing me?

You Can’t Fake Experience

Ryan Benn: From a leadership perspective. One of the things I’ve realized is that in one of my coin lines, you can’t fake experience. So when I was first jumping into the role, I could have energy, I could have vitality, I could have leadership skills, but I’d never been through a recession, I’d never led change, I never acquired a company, I’d never done any of these things. So first acknowledging that was a big point of personal growth for me was accepting the fact that I didn’t bring that experience. How was I going to surround myself and gain that experience with having peers and leadership around me and, at the same time, just being comfortable with the fact that I could ask questions and say, I’ve never done this before?

For more leadership insights check out my blog: Fostering Community

Link to full podcast episode

10 Tips On How To Become A Better Listener

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Good talkers can be found in every boardroom, classroom, and everywhere in between. Good listeners, on the other hand, are hard to come by. Listening has turned into an art form. With so many distractions and advertisements pulling you in so many directions, people have learned to just tune out. This has compromised our ability to have conversations resulting in us treating people the same way that we treat online banner ads.

This is not a new phenomenon. I’m not saying that prior generations were better listeners and were always actively engaged in conversation with one another. However, without the technology we’ve grown up with today, a thoughtful conversation was a form of entertainment.

This reminds me of a quote from the movie Fight Club (1999) between Edward Norton and Marla Signer.

Edward Norton: When people think you’re dying, they really, really listen to you, instead of just…

Marla Singer: Instead of just waiting for their turn to speak?

Has this ever happened to you? You’re having a conversation with someone and something comes to mind that you must get out right away. Everything that’s said after your thought has been lost or tuned out, unintentionally.

It’s difficult to be a better listener. It actually takes effort. Unlike passive conversation, listening intently and asking thought-provoking questions and answers is an active form of communication. If you’ve gotten this far, you’re up for the challenge. Most people focus on developing their speaking skills for presentations, public speaking, and pitching ideas.

But now you’ll be one of the few who will focus on the listening skills that commonly get overlooked.

Here are your top 10 habits to become a better listener:

1. Pay Attention

People’s number one problem with listening is that, well, they actually don’t. They are easily distracted by outside forces, like playing with their phone, thinking of something else, and are usually everywhere but present in the conversation. Pay attention to the person in front of you by facing them while they speak and avoid outside distractions. Nod your head during the conversation and keep general eye contact to show your interest.

2. Stay Focused

Next time you’re in a conversation, dedicate yourself solely to that person. Listen to what they have to say by offering your time. Give them your undivided attention so they feel you’re devoted to them. Through actively listening, a better listener will make them feel what they have to say is important. By staying focused, the conversation will come easy. Coming up with good questions is very difficult when you’ve only heard half the conversation.

3. Paraphrase

Find different points where there is a pause in conversation that you can paraphrase what has been said. Show the speaker that you’ve actually been listening by repeating in your own words what they said. A better listener can do this by asking for clarification/elaboration on something or confirming what has been said for better understanding.

4. Give feedback

Give feedback during the conversation without interrupting. Reassure the speaker of how they must have felt during the situation they are describing. “Oh, you must have been so distraught/scared/surprised”, “That sounds like so much fun!” etc.

Ask thoughtful questions about how they must have been feeling and try to connect with their experience (without talking about your similar experience). Let them relive the experience the way they felt.

“So if you aspire to be a good conversationalist, be an attentive listener. To be interesting, be interested. Ask questions that other persons will enjoy answering. Encourage them to talk about themselves and their accomplishments.”
― Dale Carnegie, How to Win Friends and Influence People

5. Be Genuinely Interested

Exhibit genuine interest in the speaker. The easiest way to do this is to actually be interested in what they have to say. Be open to learning and curious about new ideas. You don’t have to agree with the speaker, but wanting to learn and understand what they are saying will show interest.

This will also help you understand other people’s point of view and may even change your way of thinking.

6. Pay Attention to Non-Verbal Cues

During a conversation, non-verbal cues will provide you with as much, if not more, information than what the speaker is actually saying. Pay attention to his tone, body language, and facial expressions to give you a sense of their emotions and how he’s feeling. Respond accordingly by mirroring their emotions through your posture, facial expressions, and language.

If someone is upset about a situation, don’t start speaking loudly at her! Show empathy and understanding of what she is going through. Put yourself in her situation and try to understand how she must have felt (again, NOT how you would feel in the same situation).

7. Lean into being Quiet

They key to becoming a better listener is the opposite of good speaking… lean into being quiet!

You can do this by paying attention to what the speaker is saying, instead of trying to “guess” what’s coming next. Let the conversation roll out rather than jumping ahead. The biggest mistake you can do is to try and finish their sentence for them because most of the time you’ll be wrong.

The brain can process listening to words twice as fast as the speaker can speak them. Don’t try and rush ahead of the conversation, let the speaker guide the conversation at their own pace.

8. Don’t Multi-Task

It’s now scientifically proven that our brains cannot multi-task effectively. And those of us who think, “Yes, this applies to everyone else, but I’m good at it!”. You are wrong.

I’ll be honest; I was one of those naysayers at first and felt I could juggle many tasks at once. But looking back at it, you never really accomplish anything and your attention is significantly divided. Apply the same principals to listening. Instead of thinking of what you’re going to say next, just listen patiently until it’s your turn to speak.

9. Avoid Offering Advice

In general, don’t offer your advice on the situation unless asked to. A lot of times people just need to speak out loud to be able to come to a conclusion. They usually want to figure out their problems themselves and will tend to disagree with what you suggest.

If you must offer your opinion, ask first: “Would you like to hear what I think”, but use this sparingly.

10. Don’t Steer The Conversation

The speaker is there to steer the conversation how they see fit. Take note not to ask questions that will lead away from the topic at hand. What usually happens is you’ll end up talking about something completely different from what the speaker intended to discuss. If the conversation does fall off track, learn to steer it back by asking them to tell you more about what you were initially discussing and give them a moment to get back on track.

Wrap Up

Become a better listener; let people speak to their heart’s content. Having a genuine interest in what they have to say will increase your likeability and they might even claim that you’re a great person to talk to! Even if you only did a small percentage of the talking.

People are always more willing to listen after they’ve said everything they had to say. If you want to be heard, let the other person speak until they’ve said their piece. You can read more about why leaders speak last in our upcoming post: 6 Habits of Highly Successful Leaders (That You’ve Never Heard Of Before)

Attentive listening will help you in social situations, at work, and even networking. I hope these 10 tips have helped inspire you to become a better listener.

Your Action Plan Challenge

Choose three tips from above and write them down in your agenda, calender, notepad or desktop. Conscientiously execute these tips over the next week when you’re in conversations with coworkers, family and friends. If you think of it write down quick notes after your conversation.

Did you notice a difference in the speakers reactions?

Were you able to provide better insight through active listening?

Keep this up throughout the next couple weeks and try different listening tactics to see how they work out for you. Good luck.

5 Questions To Ask Yourself To Become A Better Leader

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When stepping into a new leadership (team) role, there’s often a lot to take in. You are now responsible for your team’s productivity in addition to the myriad of other responsibilities your new role requires of you.

While you may not be brand new to the workforce, learning how to lead and manage people can be daunting. Pulling from our experience working with growing start-ups, we’ve compiled the top 5 questions emerging leaders want to know.

1. How Do I Motivate My Team?

There are a lot of moving parts when it comes to motivated teams, but there are some key ingredients to success.

First, what are the goals of the organization? Think about the company’s vision and what it’s looking to achieve. Clear expectations help people to feel invested by letting them know what they are working towards. This encourages teams to work collaboratively.

In addition, if you can follow the vision piece with clear and measurable goals it will allow your team to track their progress in a measurable way.

Next, consider how each member of your team fits into this equation. Is there something in particular that makes each person excited about the work they do? If so, how can you use those interests in alignment with desired outcomes? When we look at the work we do from the human side we can better understand why 2 people with the same training/skills perform differently within a role.

2. How Much Work Should I Delegate vs. Execute Myself?

Delegating effectively means assigning work to people that align with the desired outcome of the task/project – by evaluating synergies you can then capitalize on your team’s skills while simultaneously motivating them as we previously touched on.

Delegation also means giving people the autonomy and the trust to make decisions and overcome obstacles.

Some leaders are reluctant to delegate out of fear of being “out of the loop”. Others have difficulty relinquishing control over work historically they were responsible for.

But delegation isn’t about letting go of control; it’s about gaining perspective and providing your team with the tools and a safe-to-fail environment in order for them to grow and succeed.

3. How do I Have Difficult Conversations With my Team Members?

It may sound obvious, but it’s important to be honest about your concerns and expectations before you start a conversation with a team member. If you’re not being clear about what’s going on, then it’s harder for them to respond appropriately.

Communicate in person. It’s always better to talk face-to-face, but that’s not always possible — especially if you and your team work remotely. Emailing or messaging back and forth can create misunderstandings, which could make reaching a resolution difficult. Having a flexible goal in mind will give the conversation direction – the solution to a problem isn’t always immediately clear but if you discuss and can openly brainstorm a resolution it will go a long way in building trust with your team members/team.

4. How do I Build Trust and Accountability Among my Team?

Show up as your best self; as a leader, you set the tone for organizational culture and performance, so if you are perpetually late, push deadlines, or don’t acknowledge your own mistakes your team will see this as an acceptable way to conduct themselves.

In addition, teams need feedback; if behaviors or outcomes surface that don’t align with organizational objectives, there is a good chance there is a lack of clarity around expectations. Communicate with your team to try and identify where you can help close the communication gap to realign your team.

And, most recently…

5. How Can I Get The Most Out of A Remote/Hybrid Team?

Working remotely has presented new workplace challenges for leaders. Still, with some flexibility and the utilization of some great networking and organization platforms, leaders can find themselves successfully leading dynamic and organized teams from the comfort of their living rooms.

By adopting a flexible mindset, leaders can benefit from shifting focus from hours to outcomes. A stellar Q1 report remains stellar regardless of when it was sent/received.

Flexibility filters into team interactions as well. No longer are we meeting at the copier or popping into an office for a quick chat; setting up weekly team meetings and one-on-ones helps keep your team on the same page and allows the human side of your remote team to stay in focus.

In many cases, new leaders jump into the role and react to the challenges they face, learn from (hopefully) good managers and evolve their leadership skills with time. But what if there was a way to practice PROACTIVE LEADERSHIP?

Proactive leadership aims to eliminate or reduce the impact problems have on your team by implementing measures based on identified risks.

Want to know more? Using a coach-approach Intuity Performance can be your bridge from knowledge to actions so that YOU can become an effective human-centric leader.

Can Workplace Culture Evolve Through Leadership?

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I’ve interviewed over 80 CEOs in the past 12 months, and often we get on the topic of company culture. I get excited each time. When we ask CEOs to define culture, the range of responses varies with every company, AND many leaders are not aware of what culture means to them specifically.

Some responses include:

  • Teams create culture as a company grows.
  • Culture changes based on values, beliefs and assumptions of the organization’s values, ideas, and assumptions.
  • Culture is built around the goals and objectives of the organization.

The odd time, we get a candid answer – “I don’t know- but we need to figure it out!”

Culture Defined

So what is culture, and why does it matter in the workplace?

Workplace culture is not tangible. The term is thrown around all the time, but it’s not something that you can point to and say, “That’s culture.” Yet, it holds immense value because it is essential to tie together every aspect of your business.

Workplace culture is the beliefs, behaviors, and values shared by employees within an organization. Whether good or bad, working in an organizational culture can significantly affect how people grow professionally and personally.

Based on my experience, I have learned three essential things that contribute to culture shaping which companies can apply to get desired results.

  • Self-awareness allows you to see others more clearly by understanding how beliefs, behaviors, and values shape performance.
  • Curiosity – what drives and motivates the human side of teams
  • Judgment – Ensuring there is enough information to see people without bias.

Here’s what we know about culture:

  • We go after what’s easy – changing company artifacts, behaviors, and metrics is more straightforward.
  • Writing can easily change company artifacts, behaviors, and metrics.
  • Influencing changes in behaviors and metrics can be easily agreed upon by teams.
  • Beliefs, values (our real ones, not those on an internal billboard), and assumptions are much harder to change.

Blind Spots

Organizations can write down and discuss their intentions, but here’s where the realism comes into play. If our beliefs, values, and assumptions aren’t aligned, we do not have an effective organizational culture – despite the matched RRSP and monthly gift cards.

Culture touches on everything – mountains of data tell us that organizational culture hits on performance, decision-making, atmosphere, team approach, structures and even how we communicate.

Regardless of the debate, culture is from the top-down and the bottom up. The profound thing that screams out to me is that culture isn’t as intentional as it should be. I haven’t done the research, but it certainly leans into self-awareness and EI-Q.

It’s something that is moving and growing daily. That demands our attention, especially now in this hybrid working world with new and undiscovered pressures.

We are human first – To answer the questions around “Can culture change with leadership?”. In short, YES! By becoming self-aware and tapping into the human side of organizations, leaders can capitalize on the human (soft) skills that drive performance, decision-making, atmosphere, team approach, and communication in order to drive performance and foster an intentional and effective workplace culture.

3 Ways to Develop an Intentional Approach to Leadership

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What is Intentional Leadership?

Good leaders care about the people they lead. They make sure their teams are clear on goals and objectives and that they are empowered and aligned with the organization’s overall direction.

Intentional leadership is effective in the workplace because it empowers teams with the knowledge and tools they need to meet objectives. When everybody is confident in their role and understands their contribution’s impact on the big picture, it sets leaders and teams up for success.

Why is Intentional Leadership important?

Lack of intention in leadership can cause harm to teams and affect confidence and motivation. Without clear direction, teams can become confused and frustrated, which can negatively impact organizational outcomes.

3 Ways to Develop an Intentional Approach to Leadership + Bonus Leadership Self-awareness Checklist(s)

1. Prioritize Personal-development

We’ve all heard the saying: “Leaders are made, not born.” But what does that mean?

Leadership is a skill, not a talent. It’s one thing to have a natural ability to lead, but empowering yourself through continued learning helps leaders guide and inspire others to show up too.

What does it take to be an effective leader? First and foremost, you must be committed to your own personal development. A leader who knows that there is always more to learn and improve upon will be able to help others grow as well.

Personal-development Checklist:

  • Do you know your leadership style?
  • Do you understand the different leadership styles and how they can be adopted for different scenarios?
  • Are you communicating clearly and effectively
  • Are you a self-aware leader?

2. Build Trust

Leading with intention requires leaders to help their teams discover the answers for themselves. Sometimes as a leader, it’s essential to get out of the way – this may seem hard at first!

You might be worried about losing control over what happens next, but this is where leading with intention comes in: Instead of telling your team what to do, ask them what they think is the best course of action. Encourage them to come up with their own solutions. Don’t make decisions for them—instead, guide them to figure it out independently.

It takes practice to let go of your ideas and suggestions. But when it works, it’s beautiful. Teams feel empowered, which motivates and builds trust because they can see their contributions are valued.

Fostering Trust Checklist:

  • Acknowledging your shortcomings (I’m human too)
  • Having your team’s back
  • Proving space for your team to be heard
  • Being proactive vs. reactive
  • Leaving ego at the door when communicating/collaborating
  • Leading with empathy over judgment

3. Engage and Show Interest

Good leaders know the value of taking an interest in their teams.

Team connection is about more than status reports and delegation. Taking an interest in your team members individually helps you understand their talents, motivations, and goals and can build respect between you and them. Respect is a huge motivator for both parties and can be huge for productivity!

This is especially true for employees who are not just seeking a salary but also fulfillment and job satisfaction.

Fostering Engagement Checklist:

  • Understanding the needs of your team
  • Asking questions/staying curious
  • Carving out time for routine check-in’s with team members
  • Identify/acknowledging your team members working styles
    • Who likes to work fast and requires communication that is direct?
    • Who is more methodical and needs time to understand and plan before starting a task.

On the surface intentional leadership seems simple: It’s creating a plan and effectively communicating it to a team of people to execute. However from the leadership lens intentional leadership is much more nuanced than that. It’s actually a layering of hard and soft skills that require training and development, and well…the intention to do so.

Are you interested in developing your skills to become an intentional/human-centric leader? Check out our Whole Person Leadership Cohort info page to learn more.