Connecting and engaging people in the workplace with LEGO® … just one of many fascinating topics shared in my video discussion with Smart Women Conversations’ host Yvonne DiVita, respected blogger, serial entrepreneur, and my former publisher who remains a dear friend. Yvonne launched Smart Women Conversations to “inform, educate, create laughter and share stories of
An admitted “accidental facilitator,” I love what I do. Here’s why. I find my role in guiding the process of discovery among groups to be: challenging – because it requires a high level of customization to meet a client’s specific needs while being unable to predict the outcome intense and exhausting – because it involves
Need to have your employees better understand and improve the customer experience? Here are three simple approaches designed to do just that. Each one can be applied to engage employees in sharing their experiences and building on their ideas to take care of customers. 1. Consider the customer perspective “Smart people walk in the shoes of
I’m proud to announce that I’m now a Certified Facilitator in LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY®. That’s right, I can help companies “solve real problems in real time in 3D” using specially selected LEGO® bricks. LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® is a proven methodology based on extensive research from the fields of business, psychology, learning, and organizational development. It uses
One of the most amazing clients I’ve had the privilege and joy of collaborating with for 25 years recently retired. I wish there were more managers like her because it would mean more engaged and productive workplaces. Let me tell you why. Peg helped grow a successful university distance education department, having started at a time when
Whether getting together in person for problem-solving, planning, or idea-sharing, many employees are thrilled with the opportunity to engage in active discussion when management is truly interested in their input. I’ve seen the positive impact of these employee gatherings first-hand in my work as a facilitator and trainer. Individual, team, and organizational benefits of effective
“When I grow up, I want to be a facilitator.” I never said those words to my parents and teachers but that’s ultimately what happened. For the past 30 years, I’ve been developing and refining my skills as a facilitator, and it’s an ongoing endeavor. It’s about people and purpose Facilitation is “a powerful way of working
While I typically speak about employee/volunteer engagement with people currently active in the workforce, the prospect of being with an audience of retirees was too good to pass up. My recent session for Penn State Lehigh Valley’s SAGE Lecture Series was designed with a dual purpose: 1) share the current state of workplace engagement and 2) tap into
Move aside attention deficit – not the clinical kind but the one found in the workplace where people are overwhelmed and/or distracted by constant communication from too many directives, emails, text messages, phone calls, social media, etc. A serious consequence of this distraction is intention deficit, or more aptly, intentional deficit. It’s not that managers
From important historical figures and contemporary business leaders, here are my favorite quotes on how working together makes a difference. “The value in human interaction is greater collective wisdom as a result of improved communication and collaboration.” Michael Katz “In speaking, we humanize ourselves. In listening, we bring our worlds together. In learning, we create