Purpose isn’t fluff—it’s your game plan. When you align your actions with your values and dreams, you make sharper decisions and create the future you truly want. And, you’ve got to do the work. Reflection isn’t just staring out a window with a latte—it’s where the magic happens. It’s about dreaming bigger, reconnecting with joy, and releasing what no longer serves you.

Here are some prompts to get you started:

• Values Check: When was the last time you revisited your top five values? These are your non-negotiables, your internal GPS. Values can evolve—make sure yours still align with the life you want to lead.
• Natural Talents: What comes effortlessly to you? What would you refuse to give up, even for $2 million? Are you using your talents fully? If not, why?
• Stops: What drained you in 2024? Identify what no longer serves you and let it go.
• Dreams Do Come True: Dream boldly. Imagine outrageous possibilities. What could make 2025 unforgettable?
• Purpose Reset: What is 2025 going to mean for you? Define it. Own it. Live it.
• Broadcast Your Vision: Share your goals with someone who will hold you accountable—and do the same for them.

As the saying goes, “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there.” Don’t wander aimlessly—chart your path with purpose and intention. Let’s step into 2025 ready, strong, and focused.

Dream it. Define it. Live it.

With the Keep It Real Leadership Program, you’ll be equipped with the right tools to turn your 2025 ambitions into reality. Contact us today to discuss how we can empower you along your journey!

Till the next time, keep it real.

Karen

The post Reflect, Reset, Recharge: Stepping into 2025 with Purpose appeared first on PeopleThink.

The effects of this are becoming more obvious. According to recent research from Josh Bersin (November 2023), only 17% of companies have a solid leadership succession plan, and just 15% are addressing leader burnout. 

These facts are much too low!!!

Understandably, CEOs and CHROs have been focused on more immediate challenges, from sustaining the business, labor shortages, employee burnout and building efficient hybrid work models. In doing so, they’ve let leadership development dry up, creating a void at the top with no leadership bench strength to fill the gaps. 

This leadership drought is having a ripple effect. Without strong leadership, companies are struggling to attract, retain, and nurture talent. Companies without a pipeline of well-prepared leaders face challenges in:

• Developing a clear strategic direction
• Ensuring sustainable growth
• Fostering a thriving company culture
• Enhancing employee engagement
• Driving innovation

As we navigate this post-pandemic landscape, organizations must recognize the importance of investing in leadership development. This isn’t just about preparing future executives—it’s about creating a culture of learning, resilience, and adaptability. By doing so, companies can turn this leadership desert into an oasis of innovation, growth, and future success.

The desert we’re in may seem vast, but with the Keep It Real Leadership Program, your organization will cultivate leadership that drives sustainable growth. Contact us today so we can talk leadership and get your organization set up for success!

Till the next time, keep it real.

Karen

The post Navigating the Leadership Desert: Why Development Can’t Wait! appeared first on PeopleThink.

Here’s a reality check. There’s always more to learn.

Stanford University Psychology Professor Carol Dweck has done extensive research on achievement and success. In this work, she discovered that people tend to have one of two mindsets – a growth mindset or a fixed mindset.

People with a fixed mindset believe that their innate qualities, such as intelligence or talent, are fixed traits and that any success they achieve is directly attributable to those qualities. Conversely, people with a growth mindset believe that their innate qualities are just a starting point and that those qualities can be further developed through hard work and dedication.

Dweck found that cultivating a growth mindset can be transformative in various aspects of life, including personal development, career advancement, and — most importantly — leadership.

The best leaders are those who commit themselves to continuous learning and development. Great leaders commit to learning beyond just skills. It’s about identifying and developing the personal behaviors to help you lead effectively.

So how do you do it?

• Adopt the right mindset. Be curious and admit that you still have room for improvement. Recognize that investing the time to do so will not only benefit you but will also benefit your team.
• Reflect and identify gaps. What are the areas you need to develop to become the leader you want (and need) to be? Do some self-reflection to make a list, and then get some feedback from others (here’s where you develop “accepting feedback.”)
• Create a plan. Select one or two areas that you will focus on in the next three months. Do some research to find resources and opportunities to develop and practice those skills/behaviors. Carve out and schedule the time.
• Seek mentorship and coaching. Enroll in leadership development programs, workshops, and online courses. Find a mentor or coach who can provide guidance, feedback, and support in your leadership journey. Regularly engage in mentorship conversations to gain insights and wisdom from experienced leaders.

Remember that learning is an ongoing process, and there is always room for growth and improvement. As a leader, your commitment to learning not only benefits you personally but also positively impacts your team and organization as you continuously evolve and adapt to the changing landscape of leadership and business.

Till the next time, keep it real.

Karen

The post The Power of Learning – Growth Mindset vs Fixed Mindset! appeared first on PeopleThink.

Each generation brings its own particular strengths and “peculiarities” to the team. Stereotypes abound in today’s workplaces, and leaders struggle to determine how best to engage and retain team members from these five age groups.

I personally think it’s simple: value the differences.

As Stephen Covey said, “Strength lies in differences, not in similarities.”

Recognize that each individual brings to the workplace different experiences, knowledge, belief systems, ideas, skills, communication styles, fears, hopes, and dreams. No matter the age or generation, there are differences.

With that in mind, here are my tips for managing and working effectively on a multi-generational team.

• Focus on the VALUE each generation brings to the workplace. Respect the experience of older team members while also valuing the fresh perspectives that younger team members bring. Remember that it’s about talent…not age…
• Acknowledge and embrace the DIVERSITY of the generations. Celebrate birthdays, milestones, and achievements to build a sense of camaraderie and teamwork. Take the time to learn about the characteristics and tendencies of different age groups (Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, Gen Z, etc.) to understand their perspectives better.
• Use multiple communication streams to address each person’s style. Recognize that different generations may have varying work styles. Some may prefer face-to-face meetings, while others might be more comfortable with virtual communication. Be flexible and adaptable in accommodating these preferences.
• Learn from the other generations on your team. Create opportunities for team members of different ages to work together. Encourage cross-mentoring, where older employees share their knowledge and younger employees offer insights into new technologies and trends. This can help bridge generation gaps and foster a sense of unity within the team.
• Promote open communication. Create an environment where team members feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and ideas. Encourage open dialogue that respects each person’s viewpoint, regardless of age.
• Keep learning. Each generation has its own values, communication preferences, and work habits. Be open to continuously learning about generational trends and adapting your leadership approach accordingly. What works well today might need adjustments in the future.

Leading a team with people of different ages can be both rewarding and challenging. Remember, effective leadership involves understanding and respecting individual differences while fostering a cohesive and collaborative team environment. By embracing these tips, you can lead a multi-generational team to success.

Till the next time, keep it real.

Karen

The post Valuing Generational Differences appeared first on PeopleThink.

Many researchers have identified a correlation between an employee’s personal and professional development, and an organization’s growth as a whole.

Increased job satisfaction, higher employee engagement, improved retention, enhanced productivity, and a more skilled and adaptable workforce are some of the benefits of employee development.

Companies that invest in their employees’ development demonstrate a commitment to their growth, which can lead to a positive organizational culture and a competitive edge in the market.

If you want to keep your people and grow your business, you must provide opportunities for your team to learn and grow. The best way to do that is by creating and implementing effective employee development programs.

Here’s How.

Ensure roles and responsibilities are well-defined.
Roles often morph over time as responsibilities expand or business needs change. This can be frustrating to the individual in the role – and detrimental to the team/organization – if training around new skill requirements and responsibilities isn’t included with the change. It’s also difficult to hire for, train for or promote someone into that role if you haven’t updated the current skills and responsibilities for the role.

Create career path outlines.
Employees want to know what growth opportunities are available in the organization. Create career path outlines for each job family to help employees build personal development plans.

Make performance management an ongoing process.
The annual performance review – dreaded by managers and hated by employees – typically focuses on weaknesses and rarely includes a development component. How inspiring is that? Effective performance management is a continuous process (not an event) and consists of a development component that builds on strengths and develops areas that are not strengths.

Develop for future needs.
Development plans should consider organizational goals and the skills and behaviors employees will need to contribute to achieving those goals. They should also take into account the skills and behaviors employees will need in the future to succeed (yes, even if it’s not in your organization). Make a list of top skills required and design training programs to help them acquire those skills.

Consider employee goals and interests.
It’s also essential that individual employee career goals and personal interests be considered. All too often, employees have skills and talents that are under-utilized. Take the time to identify, develop, and leverage those hidden talents and unspoken interests. Employees want to use their strengths and feel that they’re contributing to the organization in a meaningful way.

Implementing and supporting leadership development and training programs for your employees will help them grow and develop their style and prepare them to lead their teams in the future.

Till the next time, keep it real.

Karen

The post Employee Development: Building a CULTURE of Learning! appeared first on PeopleThink.

The goal is to find individuals with the right mindset, work ethic, and potential to learn and grow within the organization. So, when hiring, look for the right attitude because that will help create a positive work environment and overall organizational success. Once onboarded, you can invest in your team’s training and development to equip them with the necessary skills and knowledge to excel in their roles.

This approach has several advantages:

• Cultural Fit: Candidates with the right attitude and values are more likely to align with the company’s culture and contribute positively to the work environment.
• Adaptability: Individuals with a strong learning mindset are often more adaptable and can acquire new skills and knowledge quickly as the business landscape evolves.
• Long-Term Potential: Hiring based on attitude can lead to long-term employee retention, as these individuals are likely to be motivated, engaged, and committed to personal and professional growth within the organization.

Here are a few tips on how to adjust your hiring strategy:

1. Rethink how you develop job descriptions and attract the right people for the positions within our organizations. Include the soft skills that will help the candidate succeed in the role, in addition to the technical skills.
2. In the interview process, train your hiring managers to ask well-thought-out behavioral questions to determine whether the candidate has the personal qualities and interpersonal skills needed for the job and to be a contributing team member.
3. Create a culture where the “soft skills” are valued as much or more than the “hard skills.” Review your learning and development strategy to ensure employees have opportunities to build their capabilities in problem-solving, innovation, emotional intelligence, and other competencies that will help them succeed. Promote people to leadership roles that demonstrate the personal qualities that will set the bar for the organization in creating the workforce for the future.

When implementing this philosophy, it’s essential to have a robust training and development program in place to ensure that employees have access to the resources and support they need to acquire the skills and knowledge required for their roles. Remember to strike a balance between attitude and necessary skills. Some roles may require a certain level of expertise or technical proficiency that cannot be easily trained from scratch and, therefore, still need employers to check for skill levels.

Lastly, with PeopleThink’s Keep It Real Leadership program, you can access the right leadership training! Ongoing feedback and coaching will help nurture the desired attitudes and behaviors within the organization.

Till the next time, keep it real.

Karen

The post Hire for Attitude! appeared first on PeopleThink.

Compare this to an individual with good (not excellent) technical skills and exceptional Emotional Intelligence to soar in their new role.

People with emotional intelligence are able to quickly build rapport and connect with others. They have the self-awareness to know how they’re going to respond in certain situations and can self-manage to direct their behavior positively. They can disagree without being disrespectful. They have empathy.

But what exactly is emotional intelligence?

Emotional Intelligence, as defined by expert psychologist Dr. Daniel Goleman, is the capacity for:

1. Being able to identify and acknowledge your feelings
2. Regulating your emotions
3. Self-motivation
4. Understanding and identifying the emotions of others
5. Navigating relationships with consideration of others’ feelings

Cultivating emotional intelligence can greatly enhance your ability to understand and manage your own emotions, as well as effectively navigate social interactions.

Here are some tips to help you develop and cultivate emotional intelligence:

1. Increase self-awareness: Pay attention to your own emotions, thoughts, and reactions. Reflect on what triggers certain emotions and how they impact your behavior. This self-awareness is the foundation of emotional intelligence.
2. Practice empathy: Put yourself in your employees shoes and try to understand their perspectives and emotions. Actively listen to them, show genuine interest, and validate their feelings. Empathy allows for better understanding and connection with others.
3. Develop emotional regulation: Learn to manage and regulate your emotions effectively. This involves recognizing and understanding your emotions, as well as finding healthy ways to express and cope with them. Techniques such as deep breathing, mindfulness, and self-reflection can be helpful.
4. Improve communication skills: Effective communication is essential for emotional intelligence. Practice active listening, ask clarifying questions, and express your thoughts and emotions clearly and respectfully. Pay attention to non-verbal cues and adapt your communication style to different individuals and situations.
5. Enhance social awareness: Pay attention to the emotions and needs of your employees in situations. Observe non-verbal cues, listen actively, and be aware of the dynamics at play. This awareness allows you to respond appropriately and support others effectively.
6. Develop relationship management skills: Build and maintain positive relationships by cultivating trust, effective communication, and mutual understanding. Be open to feedback and work on resolving conflicts in a constructive and respectful manner. Foster collaboration and create a supportive environment.
7. Practice emotional resilience: Develop the ability to bounce back from setbacks and adversity. Cultivate a positive mindset, practice self-care, and seek support when needed. Resilience enables you to navigate challenges and maintain emotional well-being.
8. Continuous learning and reflection: Emotional intelligence is a lifelong journey. Continuously seek opportunities to learn, reflect, and grow. Read books, attend workshops, and engage in activities that promote self-awareness and emotional intelligence.

Remember, developing emotional intelligence takes time and practice. Be patient with yourself and celebrate small victories along the way.

Till the next time, keep it real.
Karen

The post Emotional Intelligence: The Key to Becoming a Good Leader appeared first on PeopleThink.

Company culture plays a key role in retaining employees. A great culture, one that provides challenging work, opportunities for growth, connections, respect, and recognition is more likely to retain employees than the one that takes it for granted.

Nowadays with hybrid and fully-remote workspaces, establishing a strong culture can be a little challenging. Many employees who have been hired in the past three years have never met their co-workers or even their leader in person. They might be feeling adrift or disconnected.

How can leaders help employees be connected and engaged and become part of their company’s culture?

Develop a clear and consistent definition of the culture. A great culture is more than after-work events (in person or zoom), wellness programs, and catchy slogans. It’s how employees, customers and the outside world perceive an organization based on its attitudes and behaviors. It’s where employees feel valued, connected, challenged, and recognized. And it stems from leadership behavior at all organizational levels.

Communicate the culture. Make it easy to describe. Make it real. Do a periodic check-up to ensure that all parts of your culture are healthy and if not, review, adjust and get back on track. Every new hire (including remote ones) should receive an orientation that includes a discussion about company culture, vision, mission, and values. Consider having long-term (positive) employees/leaders describe the culture and give examples of how they’ve seen it demonstrated in their experience.

Demonstrate the culture. Make it an expectation that all interactions leader-leader, leader-employee, employee-employee align with the company values and promote the culture. Give new hires a strong start by helping them understand how their role contributes to the overall success of their team and the organization.

And last, but certainly not least, remember that it’s about the PEOPLE, PEOPLE, PEOPLE. Hiring the brightest and the best does you no good if you don’t take care of them. Be clear about their roles and responsibilities. Help them understand the values and the culture. Keep developing them, provide them with new challenges, and develop a work environment where every level of the organization is valued, connected, challenged, and recognized.

If you would like to learn more about how you can build a culture to attract, develop, and retain your top talent, join me for my next Leadership Power Hour webinar. You can register here for free.

Till the next time, keep it real.

Karen

The post Building A Great Culture – Winning from Within appeared first on PeopleThink.

The truth is that Organizations and leaders have been forced to pivot on many fronts over the past 2.5 years. As a result, new business models like hybrid workplaces and creative delivery platforms have sprung up. What hasn’t kept pace is our thinking around employee engagement and retention.

Working with companies of varied sizes and industries, I’ve identified four key strategies that can help you retain and grow your team:

1) Help your employees feel valued by communicating how their goals align with team and organizational goals. Provide them with opportunities to build on their strengths, learn new skills and prepare for the future needs of the company. Development can happen in many different forms: on-the-job training, personal development, cross-functional projects, coach and/or mentor, special projects… The important thing is that it is available and encouraged.

2) Help them feel connected by communicating with them clearly and consistently. When leaders communicate regularly and build a sense of connectedness with their employees, those employees are happier and more productive.

3) Do you have career roadmaps and succession plans in place? If not, what are you waiting for? Help your employees feel challenged by communicating the next level in their career path and what they need to do to get there. Give them temporary assignments that will stretch their skills and comfort level.

4) In the leaner work environment today, most employees are feeling the brunt of doing more with less. Recognize their efforts by saying “thank you” early and often. Don’t wait until review time to tell them what a good job they’re doing. And be specific – what was the situation, what did they do, and what was the impact? Applaud the behavior you want to see repeated and emulated.

Don’t take your employees for granted. As a leader, you can help them believe that what they are doing has purpose and meaning. You can show them that their leader cares about them as a person and is equally invested in their growth.

And most of all, keep in mind that new and emerging leaders need the right training to succeed in the new role. Join my free webinar, Leadership Power Hour to learn how engaging with your team can set you up for success.

Till the next time, keep it real.

Karen

The post Strategies to Retain Your Employees appeared first on PeopleThink.

A recent Forbes article explains how high-trust work environments enable team members to feel valued, heard, and capable of doing their best work.

Here are my tips for establishing trust:

Be willing to put in the work. Know that trust takes time to build and must be earned. Don’t expect people to trust you just because you are now their leader. Be sure that your actions align with your words and that you tell the truth. Always. Remember that trust can be easily broken and is very difficult to repair.

Communicate honestly. Communicate clearly and regularly. Share as much as you can, especially about business information that may impact the team or their work. Listen. Ask for feedback, ideas, solutions. Model open, honest and respectful communication so the team will mirror that among themselves.

Be accountable. Do what you say you are going to do. Be sure everyone clearly understands expectations and the impact of not meeting those expectations. Challenge your team to higher performance goals and establish an environment where they hold themselves – and each other – accountable for results.  Include regular progress reports, open sharing of mistakes and lessons learned, and team discussions on how to move through roadblocks.

Be consistent. Don’t keep changing the rules or make rules apply to some and not to others. When something changes, explain why and encourage a dialogue around it. Oh, and did I say, “listen”?

Model the behavior. To earn trust, you must show trust. Set clear goals and expectations and then trust your team to do what they were hired to do.  When something goes wrong, get all the facts before drawing a conclusion. Respond in a constructive, consistent way.

Be truthful. Always. Trust is the key ingredient to all successful relationships. Tell the truth. As my dad used to say, “One lie leads to another, and before you know it, you’ve forgotten the first lie you told.”

“Contrary to what most people believe, trust is not some soft, illusive quality that you either have or you don’t; rather, trust is a pragmatic, tangible, actionable asset that you can create.” – Stephen Covey

Till next time, keep it real.

Karen

The post Trust in the Workplace  appeared first on PeopleThink.

If this applies to you, I highly recommend that before you start your search for a new opportunity you set aside some time to TAKE INVENTORY.

This means getting clear about who you are and what you want so YOU control your career rather than it controlling you. Think about what you bring to the table, what you like and don’t like, and what would be a fulfilling “next step.” Here are some areas to consider:

Skills. What are the skills and competencies that have helped you succeed in your career so far? Which of them are transferable skills that will help you contribute regardless of industry or position? Write them all down.

Values. What are the things you MUST have in a company, a position, a leader to be happy and do your best? What motivates you?

Natural talents. What are those innate abilities that keep coming up in compliments and performance reviews? “You’re a natural at…” Fill in the blank.

Interests. What do you like to do? Think large on this one. You never know when an interest you haven’t really focused on so far may lead to a new opportunity…

Job Satisfiers. Or, as I like to call them, “the good, the bad, and the ugly.” What are the factors that have made your past work situations rewarding (the good), boring or frustrating (the bad) or something you never want to repeat (the ugly)?

Barriers. Here’s where you really need to keep it real. What are those internal blocks that have kept you from being all you want to be? Write ‘em down. Recognizing them is the first step in eliminating them.

Key accomplishments. Think back over your career and other areas of your life. What have you done that made a difference for your team, your department, your company, your community?

Salary requirements. In today’s job market, this is often one of the first questions asked, so it’s good to start thinking about this early. Consider what your basic expectations are and then, when you’ve determined your target market, do some research to validate your expectations.

Completing these inventories will take some time.  However, you will be amazed at how much you’ll learn about yourself, and how the resulting personal career snapshot will guide you to “what’s next.”

And make sure that what you’ve learned in this process comes through in your personal marketing (aka resume) and serves as a lens as you evaluate opportunities.

If you are thinking “what’s next” for you is a leadership role, check out our Keep it Real Leadership resources and interviews.

Whatever you do, don’t stop believin’.

Till next time, keep it real.

Karen

The post Looking for a New Opportunity? Start Here! appeared first on PeopleThink.

Between 2007 and 2016 the number of women-owned businesses in the US increased by 45%, according to a report commissioned by American Express. Compare this to just a 9% increase in all businesses during the same time period. The 11.3 million women-owned businesses in the US employ nearly 9 million people, and generate more than $1.6 trillion in revenues. Since 2007, employment in women-owned businesses has increased by 18%. Employment among all businesses, on the other hand, has declined by 1%. We women are pretty amazing!

Not only that, women entrepreneurs are happier. According to a 2013 report on global entrepreneurship, American women entrepreneurs “rank their well-being higher than other women in the US, higher than women entrepreneurs in other countries, and higher than men.”

Yet here’s the startling reality. Despite the fact that over the past 10 years the number of women-owned businesses has grown at 5 times the national average, only 4% of venture capital goes to women. Only 19% of business news content mentions firms led by women.

Most of us who go into business for ourselves do so because we want to pursue our area of expertise without the constraints of corporate ladders and company politics. We want to be more in control of our time and our future. What we discover, though, is that in addition to pursuing our strength, we also need to manage other parts of the business that may not be a strength (or that we just don’t like doing) e.g., the finances, business planning/strategy, marketing, selling, record keeping, HR, etc. Getting to that position where you can afford to hire others to do those things while you focus on your strength is one of the biggest challenges of entrepreneurship.

The good news is, you don’t have to figure this out on your own. This is where women supporting other women comes in. If you are a woman planning to start a business, wanting to grow your business, or feeling you need to make some changes in your business, here are some tips for moving forward.

Start your own personal Board of Directors. Gather a small group of other women entrepreneurs who will commit to meeting on a regular basis to share ideas, discuss strategy, give feedback (and yes, hold each other accountable!) Need help getting started? My personal Board and I have a “how to” book coming out soon: The AdviseHERy Board. We’ll announce publication on Facebook (like PeopleThink to be in the know!)

Find a mentor. Think about someone you know through your personal or professional network who is farther along in their business, and whom you admire. Invite them to coffee to seek their advice on a particular topic and to explore whether a mentoring relationship would be a mutual fit.

Leverage available resources. The Small Business Administration has lots of information and tutorials about starting a business and also offers business loans. Also, SCORE, a nonprofit organization that offers workshops and business advice for entrepreneurs, has chapters all over the country.

Join a women’s entrepreneurial group. Network with other women entrepreneurs, in groups like SheEO World, Watermark, Astra – Women’s Business Alliance, and NAWBO. Also, check your local Chamber of Commerce to see whether they have a women’s networking group.

Stay focused and ignore the naysayers! Yes, there are a variety of challenges in starting and running your own business, and…the rewards are so worth it! Just. Keep. Going.

And remember as you navigate the entrepreneurial landscape to turn around and help the women coming behind you. Women supporting women. Just as it oughta be.

“If you get, give. If you learn, teach.” – Maya Angelou

Till next time,

Karen

The post Women Entrepreneurs – We Rock! appeared first on PeopleThink.