Resources

Expectations vs Reality

From Assumptions to Alignment: The Power of Clear Expectations

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Too often, managers assume expectations are “understood.” But when expectations aren’t clearly communicated, teams default to guesswork, frustration & misalignment. Smart leaders lean in to clarify expectations when:-A new performance cycle begins-An employee is new to the organization, team, or assignment-Someone is excelling & ready for stretch opportunities-The organization shifts direction-An employee is struggling &…

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Performance Reviews

The strongest employees don’t “wing” performance reviews, they shape them

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After years of leading teams & sitting across from hundreds of employees during end‑of‑year reviews, one pattern is unmistakable: the people who grow fastest are those who prepare with intention A recent piece by Andrea Wasserman reinforced this beautifully. She highlights seven behaviors that consistently differentiate high performers that are spot on: They manage their…

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2026

What Will Define Organizational Success In 2026?

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According to McLean & Company’s new HR Trends report, the answer is clear: the strength of HR’s strategic influence. After reviewing insights from 1,600 global leaders, three themes stand out & they should be on every executive team’s radar Innovation is no longer optionalAI has pushed innovation from the #10 priority in 2025 to #2…

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Support Your Managers with new Worksmart Modules

Worksmart for Managers

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Everything DiSC® Worksmart for managers is an innovative learning experience that uses the DiSC® behavioral model to help managers tackle common, real-world challenges with confidence & clarity.  It is delivered through five focused, one-hour modules on the Catalyst™ online learning platform & provides personalized, on-demand action planning tools. The associated training can be delivered virtually…

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Family

Do Family Dynamics Influence Leadership Styles?

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We are more than our DiSC© styles. The way we lead is influenced by our life experiences, education & maturity. Have you considered leadership styles are also shaped by our family dynamics?  Early family experiences serve as our first exposure to working as a team. These experiences re-emerge in our professional lives in how we…

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The Dignity Index

Disagreeing with Dignity

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With the holidays quickly approaching, are you dreading family conversations about politics/current events & personal inquiries about work/relationship statuses? How do you treat others when you disagree?   Listening to a recent podcast, I learned about the The Dignity Index created in 2021 to help ease division & solve problems. An eight-point scale of phrases (ranging…

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Two employees shaking hands

Business Etiquette Training is Making a Comeback

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Have you seen the recent slew of articles about the hesitancy of companies to hire new college grads?   Many companies even admit to firing Gen Z workers (born 1997-2012) not long after hiring them due to their lack of preparedness, professionalism, communication/interpersonal skills & work ethic. “Zoomers” started their first jobs during the pandemic via…

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Employees writing on a whiteboard during a meeting

The Never-ending Cycle of Meetings

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“I wish I was included in more meetings,” said no one ever. Instead, we find ourselves trapped in a never-ending cycle of meetings that takes away from our creativity, productivity & overall well-being. Scheduled meetings often suffer from: -Lack of Clarity – failing to send out a defined agenda ahead of time that details the…

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Virtual meeting

Keeping Meetings in Check with Ground Rules

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Have you experienced these thoughts during team meetings? – “This could have been an email”– “Why are we still talking about this?”– “I already know what he is going to say.”– “We aren’t getting out of here until everyone agrees with her.”– “No one wants to hear why we can’t get this project done on…

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