Liza Provenzano’s Post

Happy Wednesday, everyone! Today, I want to share a crucial leadership tip: the power of active listening. As leaders, it’s essential to create an environment where team members feel heard and valued. Active listening can significantly enhance communication, build trust, and foster a positive workplace culture. Here are a few strategies to practice active listening: ~Be Fully Present: When someone is speaking, give them your full attention. Put away distractions like your phone or computer and focus on the conversation. ~Show Empathy: Acknowledge the speaker’s feelings and perspectives. Use phrases like, “I understand how you feel” or “That sounds challenging.” ~Ask Open-Ended Questions: Encourage deeper conversation by asking open-ended questions. This shows that you’re genuinely interested in their thoughts and opinions. ~Reflect and Summarize: Reflect back what you’ve heard to ensure understanding. Summarize key points to show that you’ve been paying attention. ~Avoid Interrupting: Let the speaker finish their thoughts before you respond. Interrupting can make them feel undervalued and disrupts the flow of conversation. By practicing active listening, you can strengthen your leadership skills and create a more inclusive and supportive environment for your team. What are your go-to strategies for active listening? Share your tips in the comments below! #LeadershipTip #ActiveListening #LeadershipDevelopment #Teamwork #Communication

Imagine a world where having those "Uncomfortable Conversations” are a norm and are rampantly encouraged! What if we leaned into - ✨ Those discomforting conversations, ✨Held space for others to feel comforted in those conversations, ✨Encouraged our teams to have those courageous conversations, ✨Looked at issues in the face and had conversations with respect. Will we be: ✨Addressing the tough issues facing our organizations head-on? ✨On our way to have more engaged teams? ✨Fostering a space for deeper understanding and connection among individuals and teams? ✨Encouraging constructive feedback? ✨Having more productive teams? ✨Embracing discomfort and disrupting the status quo? #coachinghelps #UncomfortableConversations #DisruptiveLeadership #ChangeManagement #OrganizationalCulture

How do you have difficult conversations with your team members while maintaining relationships?   What’s the best way to provide tough feedback without demoralising them?   It’s important to integrate truth-telling with understanding and assertiveness with emotional intelligence when trying to inspire change or improve performance in others.   The "backbone and heart" mindset is the ability to balance honesty and accountability (backbone) with empathy and compassion (heart) when communicating with others - having enough backbone to address issues directly but also enough heart to do so with consideration for the other person's feelings and viewpoint.   How to balance accountability with support:   When holding others accountable, do so with heart - explain how their actions impact the team and explore solutions together. If they fall short, provide clear expectations upfront, then follow up with empathy. Celebrate wins and progress, not just pointing out shortcomings.   It takes practice, but mastering this approach helps sustain results through your people. #healthyworkculture #emotionalintelligence #backboneandheart

Leading with Empathy: Are you walking the walk? Leadership has been made all about - strong communication, strategic vision, and execution. But why is ‘empathy’ considered an underrated skill even today? Empathy isn't just about being nice. It's about truly understanding your team's perspectives, challenges, and emotions. It's the most-valuable bridge that builds trust, fosters collaboration, and ignites motivation. Here's the question: How intentional are you about demonstrating empathy? Here are a few ways I try to lead with empathy: 👂Active listening: Give your team your full attention and show genuine interest in their opinions and concerns. 🗨️ Open communication: Create a safe space where team members feel comfortable expressing themselves, both successes and struggles. 🏆 Recognizing efforts: Celebrate wins, big and small. When … failure, make sure to acknowledge the effort. 🤝 Offering support: Be there for your team during challenging times, offering guidance and resources when needed. Does this resonate? What are your best practices for leading with empathy? Share your thoughts in the comments! #EmpathyInLeadership #LeadershipSkills #EmpatheticLeadership #BuildingTrust #EmotionalIntelligence #LeadershipDevelopment 

I used to get frustrated every time I got invited to a meeting that was meant for brainstorming or discussion (I’m sure all of you have been there, too!). The outcome was always the same: Running past the allotted time, no concrete decisions made, and ANOTHER meeting scheduled to continue the discussion. 🤦🏻♀️ How would I have made these meetings better? The answer is simple: Have a specific goal/outcome in mind and give attendees time to prepare before the actual discussion (especially the introverts). I’m sure I’m not alone in feeling this way because studies have revealed that roughly one-third to half of the world’s population is made up of introverts. If you want to lead an inclusive meeting, build a team culture where both extroverts and introverts can contribute and work together. 💬 How do you include introverts on your team? Let’s exchange notes in the comments. ***** Want to learn how to lead better meetings in less than 10 minutes? Check out my LinkedIn Learning course: https://lnkd.in/gCxd4fnh Looking for something more in-depth? I have another! https://lnkd.in/gKvVgDdm ***** #Introverts #ThoughtLeadership #LITrendingTopics #Leadership

The Fine Line Between Constructive Feedback and Humiliation I came across a LinkedIn post that really struck a chord with me. I wish I could remember who wrote it, but the message has stayed with me. We’ve all been there. - The “feedback” emails with half the team CC’d. - The team meetings where everyone’s listening. - The criticism masked as advice. Constructive feedback builds you up. Humiliation? It just tears you down. Constructive feedback sounds more like: “Let’s discuss how we can improve this. What are your thoughts?” It’s private, respectful, and aimed at growth. Humiliation, on the other hand, is: “You’ve completely missed the point. This is basic.” Or, “This is elementary for someone in your role.” It’s harsh, dismissive, and unhelpful. See the difference? I’m bringing this up because it happens far too often in workplaces. And it’s time we start calling it out because it benefits no one. #Leadership #WorkplaceCulture #ProfessionalGrowth #Feedback #CareerDevelopment #EmployeeExperience #TeamWork #WorkplaceDynamics #CareerAdvice

Asking for permission is the foundation of tough conversations. One of the biggest mistakes in leadership is surprising someone with feedback during a casual interaction. It’s tempting to bring up a difficult topic while grabbing coffee, but it can backfire. Instead, give the person the option to engage. Something as simple as, “Can we talk about what happened?” allows them to choose if they’re ready for that conversation. If they’re not in the right emotional state, they may not absorb the feedback well, or worse, the conversation could escalate. Have you tried asking for permission before a tough conversation? How did it change the outcome? #LeadershipTips #ToughConversations #FeedbackCulture #EmotionalIntelligence #EffectiveLeadership #CommunicationSkills

Leading with Empathy: Are you walking the walk? Leadership has been made all about - strong communication, strategic vision, and execution. But why is ‘empathy’ considered an underrated skill even today? Empathy isn't just about being nice. It's about truly understanding your team's perspectives, challenges, and emotions. It's the most-valuable bridge that builds trust, fosters collaboration, and ignites motivation. Here's the question: How intentional are you about demonstrating empathy? Here are a few ways I try to lead with empathy: 👂Active listening: Give your team your full attention and show genuine interest in their opinions and concerns. 🗨️ Open communication: Create a safe space where team members feel comfortable expressing themselves, both successes and struggles. 🏆 Recognizing efforts: Celebrate wins, big and small. When … failure, make sure to acknowledge the effort. 🤝 Offering support: Be there for your team during challenging times, offering guidance and resources when needed. Does this resonate? What are your best practices for leading with empathy? Article shared by Antifragile Integrator Gabriel Zaharia Centrul de Informare pentru Finantari Nerambursabile

For anyone who leads or manages people, difficult conversations are part of the job. But many of them unintentionally make them harder by not having a clear strategy in place to handle them effectively. Whether it's addressing performance issues, delivering tough feedback, or navigating conflicts, these moments often feel uncomfortable. But here's the key: avoiding them doesn’t make them go away—it only makes the problem grow. The first step to handling these conversations better is preparation. Know what you want to communicate, but also be ready to listen. Approach the discussion with empathy and a clear understanding of the outcome you’re aiming for. This isn’t about winning an argument; it’s about fostering a productive relationship that benefits both the employee and the organization. It’s also important to focus on the behavior, not the person. When giving feedback, be specific and objective. Instead of making it personal, describe the actions or results that need improvement, and explain their impact on the team or the company. Finally, make sure you leave space for dialogue. Ask open-ended questions to understand the employee's perspective and collaborate on solutions. Difficult conversations don’t have to be confrontational. With the right approach, they can lead to growth, mutual respect, and stronger teams. #Leadership #Management #Growth #Feedback

I just learned a valuable approach to #soliciting_feedback: 🎤 asking the right questions, 💡 embracing discomfort, 🎶 listening without defensiveness, 💰 and rewarding candor. What really stood out to me was the importance of making the feedback process #authentic and #impactful. 🎦 As a leader, it's crucial to create an environment where team members feel comfortable sharing their thoughts, even if it's uncomfortable for both parties. 🔗 I'll be incorporating the advice of "strong opinions loosely held" into my feedback conversations. It's about engaging with the other person, understanding their perspective, and being open to evolving our own thinking. Collaboration truly thrives when we openly discuss disagreements and work towards a shared understanding. What's your go-to question for soliciting feedback? Share your thoughts! #LeadershipDevelopment #FeedbackCulture #communication