Blog

August 30, 2021

Leave the Robotics Behind: Bringing More Humanity to Work

Being human is hard work—or rather, it can be hard at work. Walls of text, tightly managed calendars, and unending to-do lists can all make us feel like cogs […]
August 30, 2021

Manipulation Isn’t Communication

I read a brief “how-to” article recently in a newsletter. The advice focused on getting your phone calls returned and one of the highlighted tips reminded me why […]
August 30, 2021

Growing Forward, Together

Are you going backward or forward as life, work, and the world open up?  I see it all over. Everyone is wrestling with the question of how best to “go back to” the office, travel, hanging out in groups. No matter what […]
July 28, 2021

Is My Leader Listening? | The Connection Diaries

If conversations are the work of leadership, listening is one of the most powerful skills a leader can seek to improve. There is a magical moment […]
July 23, 2021

An Alternative to Pushback: Try Listening to Learn

As an Executive Coach, I hear leaders saying more and more often that they need to go “push back” on something—a decision, a plan, an idea. […]
June 24, 2021

Autonomy Ain’t Anarchy

“That is my choice!” Those four words, spoken with angry fervor, were part of a recent discussion with a senior VP of a large company. After […]
June 24, 2021

Stages of Learning for Effective Leadership | The Connection Diaries

Continuous learning is the hallmark of great leaders and great organizations. As adults, learning and development progress through a series of stages, whether we’re learning new […]
June 22, 2021

Change Leadership: The Art of Correction, Not Perfection

This blog was co-written by Robin Anselmi and Katie Mingo. Human beings are funny. People say: “No one likes change,” yet the reality is humans don’t like […]
May 26, 2021

Virtual or In-Person? A Five Sense Solution | The Connection Diaries

 As parts of the world begin to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, many are asking – should we be in person or stay virtual? Mickey […]
May 19, 2021

Zoom Fatigue is a Choice: How to make virtual work less exhausting

Your Zoom Fatigue is Your Fault With so much of our lives shifting to virtual in the past year, the concept of “Zoom fatigue” has become […]
April 27, 2021

360 Reviews: From Punishment to Contribution

April 26, 2021

Rethinking Accountability | The Connection Diaries

We often hear from clients that they want to increase accountability in their organizations in order to ensure high performance. We’ve recently been wondering, what does […]
April 16, 2021

From Chaos to Clarity: Designing for Strategic Success in an Uncertain World

Designing for Strategic Success, Even When Challenges Are Complex & Conditions Are Uncertain Leaders today have a tough job. An increasingly complex world means a growing […]
March 25, 2021

Smart & Wrong – How Leaders Create Chaos | The Connection Diaries

In the face of complex challenges, leaders often create more chaos, despite their best intentions. Quickly moving into action and being the hero with an answer […]
March 25, 2021

If You Want a High-Performing Team, Connection is the Key: A Bootcamp for Connected Teams

Nearly 30 years ago, Jon Katzenbach and Douglas Smith published The Wisdom of Teams, a book considered a definitive resource for driving high-performance in organizations. Their […]
February 25, 2021

Conscious Transitions

For any of us who grew up in the American public school system, and perhaps others, the leaders of our schools had a basic understanding of […]
February 25, 2021

What’s Love Got to Do With It?

Love and any talk about love have traditionally been excluded from our work lives. It’s too ‘touchy feely’; it’s too ‘soft’; it’s not ‘business oriented’ enough. […]
February 25, 2021

Love belongs at work | The Connection Diaries

Michele Hunt, author, strategic advisor, and founder of DreamMakers, joined Conversant CEO Robin Anselmi to talk about #LOVE. For nearly 30 years we’ve partnered with leaders […]
February 9, 2021

How do you get motivated? A purpose & a promise

A good friend of mine once told me about a trip to the dentist. He has bad teeth and found himself scouring articles on the differences […]
January 29, 2021

Make Common Sense Common Again, with Martin Lindstrom

What’s happened to common sense? Martin Lindstrom, author and globally recognized expert in the domains of brand, consumer behavior and culture transformation, joined Mickey Connolly for […]
January 27, 2021

A Letter from our CEO, Robin Anselmi

In this month’s Connection Diary, we talk about “Letters from the Future,” and I thought I’d share my version of such a letter with all of […]
January 25, 2021

Inventing the Future | The Connection Diaries

 “The best way to predict the future is to invent it.”  So says Alan Kay, and we wholeheartedly agree. So how do we “invent” our […]
December 11, 2020

High-Stakes Reflection: What has 2020 revealed about leadership?

December 2, 2020

What’s happened to common sense? with Martin Lindstrom | The Connection Diaries

What’s happened to common sense? As companies grow, process and procedures become a priority. Rules and regulations can be important ingredients for efficiency and scale, but […]
December 2, 2020

The Gift of Feedback: Make Performance Reviews Valuable, Not Painful