Natalia Kozyakova’s Post

Don’t you just wish you could read your employees’ minds? You actually can! That exact concern came up in our discussion today about leading change. It’s tough to ignite motivation for change when you're not quite sure what’s really going on in people’s heads. But here’s a thought: Do we really have no clue? Not exactly. We might not be mind readers, but guess what? We can get pretty close. How, you might ask? 👂 By mastering the fine art of listening. And I mean *really* listening, not just hearing words. Try these three open-ended questions to dig deeper: 1️⃣ What did you hear?    Why this works: After a meeting or a one-on-one, you don’t truly know what stuck with them. This lets you peek into their perception and clarify any misinterpretations. 2️⃣ What does it mean for you?   Why this matters: Everyone filters info through their personal lens, shaped by their values and what’s currently on their plate. Understanding this gives you insight into what drives their attitudes and actions. 3️⃣ Tell me more.   Why it’s effective: The real gold is often hidden beneath layers of initial reactions. Encourage them to unpack their thoughts, which leads to genuine answers. Now... Listen like you mean it! - Take your time, don’t rush them. - Hold off on jumping in with advice or solutions. - Reflect back what you’ve heard, saying things like, “What I hear you saying is…” or “It sounds like you feel…” 🌟 And now, enjoy all the benefits: - Your team feels seen and heard, which is gold. - You’ll snag valuable insights into what motivates them or what’s holding them back. - Ultimately, this leads to better guidance and support as you all navigate through change. This isn’t just about collecting feedback. It’s about building trust and making genuine connections. And who knows, the insights you gather might just feel like you’ve read their minds after all! 💬 What have you tried to read your employees's minds? #LeadershipSkills #ActiveListening #ChangeManagement #EmployeeEngagement #LeadershipDevelopment --------------------------------------------------- 🔄 Are you or your organization grappling with constant change? I am now leading the 9th cohort of "Leading in Constant Change" training, and an impressive 87% of participants report feeling more equipped to lead themselves and others after just the first session. 🔔 Subscribe for more insights and tips, and send me a private message if you, your team, or your leaders could benefit from this training. It’s not only effective, it’s fun too—I promise!

Human psychology is fascinating. On Sunday morning, I did my usual beach walk with my dog when a pit bull cross, off-leash and far from his owner, approached us. Given some unpleasant past experiences, I put my dog on a leash and called out to the owner to please call his dog back. Instead of doing so, he shouted insults at me, calling me a “f***ing idiot” and telling me to get off the beach. It was 7.30am, too early to get into a dog fight and I chose to ignore the guy. His reaction was a good reminder of how people often behave under stress—especially when they feel confronted or judged. And that’s what he probably felt like as he had no clue how to call back his dog. In business, we see similar reactions, though typically more subtle. I have witnessed many times that people sweep issues under the rug, avoid difficult conversations, or talk behind others’ backs. These behaviors are rarely personal; they’re often instinctive responses to stress. That’s where tools like #eDISC profiling are quite powerful. By understanding individual stress reactions and communication styles, eDISC helps reveal why some people avoid conflict while others confront it head-on. I am a fairly “high I” - that’s why conflict is not my comfort zone and that’s why I chose to just walk away and not shout back. At #AdvisoryWorks, we’ve guided hundreds of companies through eDISC assessments, helping teams understand each other better and creating cultures where stress responses are understood and managed. Imagine a workplace where people knew each other’s stress triggers and communication needs. Misunderstandings would decrease, collaboration would improve, and results would follow. Get in touch with us if you feel an eDISC assessment and debrief could support your team and help foster relationships in your business to drive positive change. P.S. That’s my real dog in the picture, why would someone want to get into a fight anyway? #BusinessCulture #eDISC #Leadership #TeamDevelopment #AdvisoryWorks

Today’s Joy Note is providing a guide to how to address destructive behavior such as YELLING in a meeting. Recently I was in an executive meeting and a senior executive lost their composure and started yelling and derailing the meeting purpose. As I observed the meeting leader being challenged to handle the situation, it came to mind that most leaders have not been taught how to successfully manage this situation. Managing someone yelling in the midst of a meeting requires a balanced approach of assertiveness, empathy, and firmness to maintain a respectful and productive environment. Here’s a practical guide on handling such situations: 1. Stay Calm and Professional: As a leader, your composure sets the tone. Calmly acknowledge the outburst without mirroring the heightened emotions. 2. Acknowledge the Emotions: Recognize the person’s emotions to show empathy. A simple statement like, “I see that you’re very upset,” can help de-escalate the situation. 3. Set Clear Boundaries: Firmly but respectfully, remind the individual that yelling is not acceptable. You might say, “While your concerns are important, we need to maintain a respectful tone during our discussions.” 4. Provide Alternatives: Offer a way to address the issue without disrupting the meeting. Suggest a one-on-one discussion after the meeting or taking a moment to calm down. For example, “Let’s discuss this in detail after the meeting,” or “If you need a moment, please feel free to step out and rejoin us when you’re ready.” 5. Reinforce Team Culture: Emphasize the importance of a respectful culture. State that maintaining a high-functioning, respectful environment is crucial for the team’s success. 6. Follow Up: After the meeting, have a private conversation with the individual to understand their concerns better and reinforce the expectations for future conduct. By addressing the behavior promptly and effectively, you uphold the values of respect and professionalism within the team, ensuring a constructive and positive work environment. #Composure #Yelling #JoyNotes Today’s Playlist: ”You Don’t Own Me”—Grace featuring G-Eazy “I Hate Everything About You”—Three Days “Somebody That I Used to Know”—Gotye featuring Kimbra “Masters of War”—Bob Dylan

💡 How do you stay resilient and not take things personally at work? In the workplace, it’s easy to feel hurt, defensive, or even anxious when receiving feedback or encountering difficult situations. Let’s break down why we take things personally and how to shift this mindset. The common thoughts we experience when we take things personally are: 1. “I must have done something wrong.” When feedback feels like a personal attack, we may assume the issue is entirely our fault. 2. “They don’t value me.” A simple critique can trigger feelings of being undervalued or overlooked, even when it’s not the case. 3. “I’m not good enough.” Self-doubt creeps in, amplifying every comment and turning it into proof that we’re falling short. 4. “Why are they being so harsh?” We might interpret someone’s tone or words as harsh, even if they’re just being direct or focused on the task at hand. 5. “This always happens to me.” Past experiences can lead us to anticipate rejection or criticism, even when it’s not the reality. This topic has resonated with many in our first livestream because we've all been there. Learning to stay grounded and not take things personally at work can make a huge difference in your professional growth and overall well-being. Join Linda Binns and I this Wednesday as we dive deeper into practical ways to build resilience and maintain your peace in any workplace environment. Let’s navigate work without the emotional baggage! 📅 This Week's Topic: More on Taking Things Personally 🕒 When: August 21st at 12:15 PM EST 📍 Where: Live on LinkedIn #WorkplaceWellness #EmotionalResilience #DontTakeItPersonally #ProfessionalGrowth #MindsetMatters

How well have you interacted with people this week? I'm sharing this again in the hope that leaders & managers reflect on how they communicate with their team members or stakeholders and can impact the very culture you are supposedly trying to create - can you do better? A couple of things have happened this week which I've been made aware of - a lack of respect, ganging up, ego power and control. This means that the positive engagement that could have happened, has been lost, trust has been broken and goodwill lost Let’s shed some light on the profound consequences of rudeness in a society that values civility. 🌐✨ Discover how day-to-day interactions shape not only our individual experiences but also influence the atmosphere around us. Learn about the negative impact of rudeness backed by studies, and explore constructive ways to respond to it. Join the conversation! Share your thoughts and experiences. Let's contribute to a more positive and understanding world together. 🔍 Read more: https://lnkd.in/eCwczf4r #CivilityMatters #RudenessEffects #PositiveInteractions #RespectfulCommunication #EmpathyInAction #WellBeing #PersonalGrowth #CommunityBuilding #ConstructiveDialogue #ChooseKindness #ReflectAndLearn #CivilityRippleEffect #HarmoniousWorld #BloggersInsights #NewBlogPost #MustRead #LifeSkills #PositiveCulture #skylinecoaching

In our professional and personal lives, it's easy to form quick judgments based on limited interactions or observations. However, it's crucial to remember that lives are like novels. Each person’s journey is filled with a multitude of experiences, emotions, and growth that cannot be encapsulated in a single moment. This quote resonates deeply with me and serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of empathy and understanding in our interactions. Just as we wouldn't judge a book solely by a single page or chapter, we shouldn't form complete opinions about individuals based on brief encounters or isolated incidents. In a professional setting, this perspective can transform how we approach teamwork, leadership, and client relationships. Here are a few ways to embrace this mindset: 💛 Practice Active Listening: Take the time to truly listen to others. Understand their perspectives, challenges, and aspirations. This not only fosters better communication but also builds stronger, more supportive relationships. 💛 Show Empathy: Acknowledge that everyone has their own unique struggles and triumphs. Showing empathy can create a more inclusive and positive work environment where everyone feels valued and understood. 💛 Encourage Growth: Recognize that each person is continuously evolving. Offer support and encouragement for personal and professional growth, and celebrate their achievements along the way. 💛 Reserve Judgment: Before forming opinions, seek to understand the broader context of a person’s actions and experiences. This approach can lead to more fair and balanced assessments, whether in performance reviews or everyday interactions. By adopting these practices, we can create a more compassionate and collaborative community, both within and outside of the workplace. Remember, each of us is living out our unique story, filled with ups and downs, lessons learned, and chapters yet to be written. Strive to appreciate the full narrative of those around us and offer the understanding and support we all deserve. If you liked this and would like to see more, please follow me Simon Crawford Welch, Ph.D. Repost this ♻️ to share it with your network. “In the meantime…. stay curious, my friends.” #EmotionalIntelligence #SimonsInsights

More than ever before, when working with people at all levels in organizations, I hear the same main struggle: having difficult conversation productively or having them at all. We disagree with others on the way forward? We avoid the conversation. We do not see eye to eye on how to solve the problem? We fight to show we are right. We are having a hard time collaborating? We avoid addressing the reasons behind challenging dynamics in the team. Why? Are our minds getting softer? I found a compelling answer in Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt's book, The Coddling of the American Mind. They argue that good intentions are paving the way for a generation that struggles with resilience. The culprits? Three pervasive "Great Untruths": (1) What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Weaker. We've grown to believe discomfort is dangerous. But facing challenges builds mental strength, just like exercise builds physical strength. (2) Always Trust Your Feelings. Emotions are valuable messengers, but they're not always accurate guides. Learning to question emotional knee-jerks is crucial for navigating complex situations. (3) Life is a Battle Between Good People and Evil People. This simplistic view reduces nuanced conversations to "us vs. them." Developing the ability to see things from different perspectives fosters empathy and critical thinking. So how do we break free? Here are 3 tips, not only for the new generations - but FOR ALL OF US: (1) Embrace Discomfort Seek out healthy challenges, even if they feel scary. Stepping outside your comfort zone builds resilience and opens doors to new possibilities. (2) Challenge Your Thoughts Don't accept every feeling as fact. Question your initial reactions and seek out diverse perspectives before forming strong opinions. (3) Seek Nuance Look beyond labels and stereotypes. Engage in respectful conversations with those who hold different views. It's in the messy space of open dialogue that true understanding grows. By rejecting the "Great Untruths" and embracing these tips, we can cultivate strong, adaptable minds ready to tackle the complexities of the workplace and the world. #Resilience #GrowthMindset #CriticalThinking #Learning #Growth #Workplace #WorkDynamics #Leadership

Coworkers are not your friends. Keep your personal life personal.  Don’t overshare. These common teachings often contradict the guidance encouraged for #authenticleadership: approachability, vulnerability, empathy, candor. Unfortunately, swinging too far in either direction has its consequences. So how do we create the optimal balance of authenticity without giving up #credibility? It’s kind of like answering the question, “what’s your biggest weakness?” in an interview. You’re not expected to respond with something with which you actually struggle; you’re expected to answer how you’ve identified and overcome a challenge to showcase that you are self-aware and seek continuous improvement. Would it not be more authentic – and certainly, more honest – to answer truthfully? The current framing of the response for that particular question reinforces the ideas that began this post: that work is impersonal and should remain devoid of anything deeper than transactional connections with those around you. Sounds like an organization doomed to fail, to me. Where is the trust? Where is the acceptance? Where is the support? That’s not to say we shouldn’t assess one’s ability to identify and execute on opportunities for personal growth. No, it’s merely to suggest that we ask more forthright questions that evoke more forthright answers, and in a non-accusatory manner. Asking a candidate, “tell me about a work behavior you admire in others, or one you wish to develop in this role,” will provide insight into where a candidate might struggle, allowing you to evaluate whether you have the team in place to balance that need. Notice I said 'need', not ‘weakness’ – in the spirit of authenticity, one should show empathy and compassion toward others. None of us is perfect; we simply have strengths we can share with others and needs we must rely on others to help fulfill. Embracing that mindset fosters the trust necessary to enable candor without fear of judgement; in other words, creating authenticity without losing credibility. Authentic leadership isn’t a 1-size-fits-all approach, but could this shift in #mindset benefit your organization? Why or why not?

😕 Simply asking people to "speak up” is not enough. This is one of the key messages in a recent HBR article that emphasises the importance of understanding WHY people choose silence, suggesting a range of alternative ways to give people a ‘voice’. As stated in the article, learned silence can be a "survival strategy" for many people in the workplace. If the perceived cost of speaking up (whether real or otherwise!) outweighs the benefits - people will simply stay silent. Sadly, I've seen this time and time again in my work. A couple of key tips / strategies include… 💡Be explicit in repeatedly reinforcing that you want to hear the good, the bad, the ugly. And most importantly, ONLY ask for the level of candour that you're actually ready and able to receive! How you respond is a huge factor here, and where many go wrong, in my experience... 💡Create some ‘norms’ around asking standard questions in various situations, with an emphasis on considering multiple perspectives & creating space for dissent (or put differently, constructive conflict). 💡Take time to understand people's preferences around communication. What is most likely to make different individuals feel comfortable speaking up? Consider approaches that meet different needs and play to different strengths. There’s plenty more in the article - but a lot of this comes down to how leaders (and others) behave in the many 'everyday' moments that make up our work lives. I'll pop a link to the article in the comments. (P.S. If understanding the extent to which people feel psychologically safe within your team is of interest, reach out - this is my jam!😁) #psychologicalssafety #speakupculture #constructiveconflict #highperformingteams

☀️ As we head into the holiday weekend, let’s embrace a fresh and uplifting approach to problem-solving: appreciative awareness! In every system, even amidst inefficiencies and challenges, there’s always something that works. Whether it’s nature, society, organizations, or even our political systems, there are elements that shine brightly. Traditionally, we focus on what’s wrong and how to fix it. But what if we flipped the script? Appreciative awareness encourages us to look at the entire system, celebrate what gives it life and energy, and build on those positive qualities. By asking empowering questions and highlighting what works, we can spark enthusiasm and energy, driving positive change and naturally solving many issues within an organization. This weekend, as you enjoy your time off, consider how you can harness your positive energy to tackle challenges in your life and work. Dive into appreciative awareness and witness the transformative power it brings to your perspective and problem-solving approach. #Leadership #ProblemSolving #PositiveChange #AppreciativeAwareness #HolidayWeekend #ReflectAndGrow #Innovation