The past few weeks have been difficult for employees and companies. I wanted to hear from leaders about their experiences and have them share tips with others. I talked with Abby Tardiff, a VP from ANB Bank. Their motto is "be good in the good times and be great in the bad times." This situation has given them an opportunity to prove that true. This is a challenging time, and ANB Bank has built strong relationships with their clients and employees so they can be a trusted resource. Abby also talked about their COACH leadership philosophy and how important it is. One she lives out the most is "Communicating our Culture." She realizes how important it is to stay true to who they are as a compa

When your company is going through change or a crisis, it’s tough to stay positive, especially when the future is unknown. A leader’s job is to act like a flight attendant when the plane goes through turbulence. If the flight attendant doesn’t assure you that everything is going to be ok, you get a little worried. Try these strategies out over the next few weeks: Acknowledge Emotions - Change is tough for many people. Connect with your team members and let them know that you understand what they’re feeling, whether it’s fear of the unknown or confusion on new processes. Communicate Early and Often - When you communicate, you build trust in your team. Let them know what you do know. Provide

A lot of companies have moved to a remote workforce. Not being able to see someone or talk face-to-face brings a lot of challenges for a leader. Virtual doesn’t have to mean impersonal. Here are some tips to keep your employees motivated while working from home: Individualize Needs- Talk to your employees about what they need to perform their best. Don’t assume anything or try and do one size fits all. Think about their personalities and who might have more trouble focusing and who might need more interaction. Communication- Your employees need to know that you are still thinking about them and they are not out of sight out of mind. Set up morning video calls to say hello and set goals for t

There is no such thing as the perfect culture or work environment. Workplaces are constantly challenged with stopping bad behavior, keeping morale up, and keeping negativity to a minimum. Although no place is perfect, some leaders deal with issues much better than others. Here are common toxic behaviors and how to deal with them: 1. Gossip - It may seem harmless, but gossip can have a huge negative impact on how your employees feel about their coworkers and the company. Gossip makes people feel uncomfortable, weakens trust and morale, and divides people. How to fix: Stop it in it's tracks by speaking with the gossiper and explaining that it doesn't support a positive team environment. And d

Studies show that we touch our phones an average 2500 times a day! We hear our clients state that they don’t have time to lead, to get trained, or to hold one-on-ones. Taking control of your phone is one way to have more time and to enable you to focus on developing your teammates. Here are four strategies from Cory Muscara, author of Stop Missing Your Life - How to Be Deeply Present in an Un-Present Word and Neil Pasricha, author of The Happiness Equation and You Are Awesome. 1. Clean It Up - Go through your apps and get rid of the ones you don’t use anymore. Then organize them into folders so they’re easy to clean up in the future. Move your addictive social media apps to a second or thi