When it comes to how to build a high performing team many leadership books will tell you to ‘hire the best people.’ Culture consultants will tell you to build psychological safety. HR will send you a team effectiveness survey. None of it is wrong, exactly. But none of it gets at the thing that actually … Read more
Most leaders spend time thinking about whether their coach is good. Very few spend time thinking about whether they’re a good coaching client, whether or not they themselves are coachable! That’s a mistake. Coaching is not something that happens to you. It’s something you do — with support. And the quality of your engagement determines … Read more
Most leaders I work with didn’t get an executive coach when things were going badly. They hired one when things were going well, and they had a nagging sense that well wasn’t going to be enough. That gap between where you are and where you know you could be? That’s the signal that it may … Read more
by Eric Spencer Workplace loneliness is at a crisis point. Most organizations are making it worse — accidentally. Here’s what the research says, and what to do about it. I wrote this article with the help of an AI. First time. And yes, it felt a little weird. I’m a GenX leadership consultant who has … Read more
Let me tell you what’s quietly happening while you’re busy optimizing your workflows. Your most important career skill, the one that no algorithm can replicate, is atrophying. And most of us haven’t noticed, because the thing replacing it feels like connection. It has the shape of a connection. It’s just not the real thing. I’m talking about … Read more
Want to know a secret? Listening is the key to building stronger relationships. Think about the last conversation you had with someone at work. Who were you speaking to? What were you talking about? And here’s the question that matters most: Did that conversation leave your relationship stronger, weaker, or in the same place as … Read more
We all have those moments we wish we could take back, things we have said or done that have damaged a relationship at work. Sometimes, it’s dramatic—like when I slammed my laptop shut and stormed out of a leadership meeting (not my finest hour) or the stomach-churning horror of realizing you’ve sent an email containing … Read more
Loneliness isn’t just a personal issue anymore—it’s a public health crisis. Dr. Vivek Murthy, the U.S. Surgeon General, recently declared an epidemic of loneliness, which has only fueled my mission to foster connection at work. The findings Dr Murthy highlights in his report are eerily similar to the insights I’ve gathered through research for both … Read more
Do you ever feel like you’re in a room full of people, drowning in a flood of virtual meetings, and yet somehow feel as connected as a printer without WiFi? You’re not alone. Loneliness at work and a lack of workplace connection is a quiet challenge that nobody talks about, undermining personal well-being and organizational … Read more
Workplace relationships and friendships—let’s face it—are crucial, yet rarely get the spotlight they deserve. In fact, they’re at the heart of the work we do at SkyeTeam and the focus of our award-winning book You, Me, We. While Eric Spencer, Ruby Vesely, and I are the champions of workplace relationships, you may be surprised that … Read more