Blog

March 2, 2020

Empathy Principle #1: The Test for Listening Is Learning

In the Financial Times article “The Quiet Art of Being a Good Listener,” Jeff Immelt, General Electric’s chief executive, is quoted as saying that listening is […]
December 18, 2019

Timing is Everything

Picture your last genuinely tough conversation. Did you pause at some point and think, “How did we find ourselves here?!” Too often, hard or difficult or […]
October 23, 2019

Finding it challenging to engage people in your strategy? Trust the force…

A common complaint we hear from CEOs is, “I don’t get why people keep saying they don’t understand our strategy. I talk about it all the […]
September 29, 2019

Moving from a Siloed to a System View

Several times a month I am asked by a client, “How do we know we are becoming better systems thinkers?”  Often they have in mind a […]
September 23, 2019

The Choice is Yours: Moving from Reactive to Responsive

This post is the first in a 3-part series that explores how we can stop reacting to everything in our lives and instead, build a life […]
June 27, 2019

Language Matters

Fish can’t see water.  So it is with words and cultural differences. Words are not universal. It’s easy to think that whatever a word means to […]
May 8, 2019

Avoiding a Challenging Conversation? Make the Invisible Visible!

Avoiding a difficult conversation? Be honest. Most of us have done it at some point. We realize that we need to discuss an issue, but we […]
April 8, 2019

Don’t Just Expect Conflict – Want It

Leaders around the globe all seem to want less conflict. We want everyone to manage their conflicts better. We just want people to get along! Let’s […]
July 11, 2017

Isn’t it time you got serious about developing your leadership?

  In these dynamic and stressful times, leaders need every edge they can get to grow themselves, their leadership and their organizations. And while Amazon has […]
May 9, 2017

A Tale of Two Ads: the cost of disconnection

Empathy. (Don’t roll your eyes.) People often call it a ‘soft skill’ – and the underlying implication is that ‘soft skills’ just aren’t as business critical […]
May 2, 2017

Author of Your Future or Victim to Your Fear?

How many times have you been in a place where you were willing to give up something you love due to a perception that it was […]
April 11, 2017

You Can Choose How Your Next Political Discussion Goes

I’ve never been one who has believed in the maxim, “Don’t talk about politics or religion.” I get it, of course, and I see (and practice) […]
March 7, 2017

Loving Leadership and Inclusion For Everyone, with Ann Shannon Episode #15

We’re hearing more and more about including love in the way we lead. This may seem like a new topic in relationship to work, but we […]
February 24, 2017

Be Seen, Be Heard

Shining a light … becoming visible in the modern workplace One of the consequences that I see of inequality is that people don’t often feel heard […]
February 23, 2017

5 Ways to Cause Inspiration

There’s a lot of talk these days about how leaders need to be able to inspire their teams. Too much of this talk revolves around “cheerleading” […]
February 11, 2017

What Does Love Look Like in the Workplace?

“If just about every person on the planet has at some point spoken about the centrality of love to well-being, why do we hear so little […]
February 6, 2017

Extraordinary Teams – Does it have to be soul sucking getting there?

I was reading a Forbes article this morning about teams. Luis Romero was reflecting on the five stages of teams which are highlighted in The Wisdom […]
February 2, 2017

Are You Killing or Encouraging Innovation In the Workplace? Interview with Peter Mulford

Innovation in the workplace is something we all want to see more of – IF we even know what we’re talking about! Today’s guest Peter Mulford, Chief Innovation […]
December 8, 2016

Transform Civil Discourse Using A 3 Letter Word, with Laura Huffman

  You may not use the word “civil discourse” in daily conversation much but you engage in it all the time. It’s the act of talking […]
November 21, 2016

Why Continuous Improvement is Dangerous

In this episode, Colin and Mickey discuss the dangers and limitations that come with striving for “continuous improvement” in an age that demands companies change and […]
November 10, 2016

Connected Leaders Keep Their Best Days in Front of Them

Connected leaders must work to inspire teams to keep their best days in front of them. They must create an environment that nurtures trust and relationship […]
November 7, 2016

Does Your Strategy Fit Your Culture? It Should.

In today’s episode, Colin and Mickey discuss culture change, a once “too soft” topic for business development that has become one of the greatest concerns for […]
October 26, 2016

Authenticity Is An Art of Correction Not Perfection

True authenticity is based upon curiosity rather than certainty. If we’re truly being authentic with one another we’re learning every moment so that we’re constantly adjusting. […]
October 19, 2016

Don’t Bastardize Your Apology

In today’s episode, Mickey is joined by senior Conversant consultant, Robin Anselmi, to discuss the importance apology plays within the realm of leadership, as well as […]
October 6, 2016

Good Leaders Kill The Annual Performance Review

In this episode, Mickey interviews a senior leader of Conversant, Jim Motroni, on his thoughts of why annual performance reviews might actually decrease performance. Leaders must […]