Foosball tables. Swag bags. Taco Tuesdays.

They’re fun. But they’re not company culture.

Culture isn’t about vibe—it’s about velocity.

In today’s AI-powered, hybrid, multi-generational world, companies can’t afford to treat culture like an afterthought or a set of perks.

The truth is: culture is a system.

And if your system is broken, no amount of happy hours will fix your performance problem.

Company Culture Is a System—Not a Perk

Culture isn’t what you say you care about—it’s what your people experience every day.

  • Do managers communicate clearly and coach effectively?
  • Are your values embedded into actual workflows?
  • Do employees know how their performance is measured?
  • Are your people aligned across functions, generations, and locations?

If the answer to any of those is “sometimes” or “it depends,” your culture isn’t broken—but it is fragile.

In a fast-changing workplace, that fragility slows you down. It creates churn.

It undermines execution.

The good news? Culture doesn’t have to be squishy.

You can build it like a system—and AI can help.

Architecting a Culture OS

Just like any business system, culture needs:

  • Clarity on what matters
  • Consistency in how behaviors are reinforced
  • Tools that make performance visible and measurable

That’s what we call a Culture Operating System—a repeatable structure for communication, coaching, and collaboration that drives results.

Here’s what that looks like:

  • Platforms like Marlee help teams understand themselves and each other using behavioral data
  • Tools like Slack AI, Copilot, and Gong turn meetings, messages, and check-ins into moments of clarity and alignment
  • Managers become coaches—not taskmasters—who reinforce culture through everyday conversations

And when all of that is connected?

You get speed, retention, innovation, and trust—at scale.

Company Culture as a Competitive Advantage

The companies that win in the Workverse will be the ones who make culture operational.

They’ll be able to:

  • Attract and retain Gen Z talent
  • Scale trust across hybrid and remote teams
  • Align business outcomes with human potential

They won’t need to micromanage.

They’ll have systems that do the heavy lifting—and leaders who know how to use them.

Ready to Systematize Your Company Culture?

My keynote, The AI-Ready Culture Code, walks leaders through exactly how to build and implement a Culture OS—from tools to trust to talent.

If your workplace needs a reset—and your team needs a roadmap—we’ll deliver the mindset and systems to make culture real again.

Coaching used to be a luxury.

Reserved for executives. Delivered once a quarter.

Maybe once a year. Or when performance dipped.

But in today’s workplace, that model doesn’t cut it.

Speed has replaced stability. Hybrid has replaced hallway conversations. And AI is changing what we do—and how fast we need to learn.

If you’re still coaching reactively, inconsistently, or as an afterthought…you’re not just missing an opportunity. You’re risking your team’s performance.

It’s time to install a new operating system.

Coaching isn’t a perk. It’s a Performance OS.

What Is a Coaching OS?

A Coaching Operating System is the infrastructure that enables people to grow continuously, not occasionally.

It’s the combination of:
• Real-time feedback tools (like Marlee, Gong, or Slack AI)
• Leader behaviors that prioritize coaching over control
• Cultural systems that reward growth, trust, and clarity

In short, it’s not just about having 1:1s or offering development workshops.

It’s about embedding coaching into the way your organization works, so performance improvement isn’t an event. It’s the default.

Why You Can’t Afford to Wait

Here’s the problem most leaders face:

They want to coach. But they’re stretched too thin.

Managers are overwhelmed. HR is understaffed. And most teams are still using legacy tools that weren’t built for the modern pace of work.

That’s where AI changes the game.

Tools like Marlee deliver behavioral insights that help leaders coach before problems escalate.

Slack AI can summarize team progress and surface coaching moments in real time.

And Gong gives visibility into what’s actually happening in your sales and service conversations—so feedback isn’t just theoretical.

The Coaching OS allows you to scale leadership without sacrificing connection.

From Manual to Measurable

The future of coaching is measurable. Trackable. Integrated.

When you install a Coaching OS:
• Every manager becomes a better coach
• Teams receive personalized feedback regularly—not randomly
• Culture starts to reflect accountability, learning, and trust

It’s not about replacing humans with AI.

It’s about using AI to help humans show up better, faster, and more consistently.

This is what high-performing organizations are doing right now.

Not just in theory, but in daily workflows.

Ready to Upgrade?

If you’re still treating coaching like a “nice to have,” it’s time to evolve.

The Coaching OS is how modern teams grow, scale, and win.

My keynote, The Leader’s AI Playbook, shows you how to implement this exact system—from mindset to tools to daily execution. Learn more and book me to speak at your next event here.

If you’re leading a team right now, chances are you’ve heard it:

“Gen Z doesn’t want to work.”

“They’re too sensitive.”

“They ghost. They don’t want feedback. They’re entitled.”

Let’s stop right there.

Because Gen Z isn’t the problem—they’re the most coachable, tech-savvy, and purpose-driven workforce we’ve ever seen.

But most organizations haven’t adapted their leadership playbook to connect with them. And with AI accelerating the pace and pressure of work, the gap between generations is only widening.

That’s why AI + coaching is the future of leadership—especially when it comes to unlocking Gen Z’s potential.

Misunderstood and Mismatched

Here’s what Gen Z wants in the workplace:
• Real-time feedback (not once-a-year performance reviews)
• Growth opportunities (not rigid job ladders)
• Purpose and belonging (not just perks)
• Leaders who coach and connect (not just manage)

What they’re getting, too often, is the opposite.

According to the Marlee Generational Impact Study (based on 400,000+ data points), Gen Z workers crave clarity, trust, and coaching more than any generation before them. But most organizations are still using outdated systems—built for Boomers and Gen X—to lead them.

The result? Disengagement. Ghosting. High churn.

Not because Gen Z doesn’t care—but because no one’s speaking their language.

Coaching + AI: The Bridge to Gen Z Performance

What makes Gen Z different isn’t a weakness—it’s a window into what the modern workforce needs. And when you layer in AI? You get the ability to meet them where they are, at scale.

Here’s what that looks like:
• AI-powered feedback tools (like Marlee, Gong, or Copilot) that deliver coaching in the flow of work
• Personalized development paths based on real behavior and goals
• Leadership systems that use tech to enhance—rather than replace—the human connection

Gen Z doesn’t want to be managed.

They want to be coached. Seen. Activated.

And with the right tools, you can do that—without overloading your managers or reinventing your entire organization.

The Opportunity: Coach the Next Gen to Win

This isn’t about catering to Gen Z workers.

It’s about recognizing that they’re already shaping the future of work—and building leadership systems that work for everyone.

When leaders commit to a performance model built on AI + coaching, they gain:
• Faster onboarding and ramp-up
• Increased engagement and retention
• A stronger leadership bench for the future

And most importantly: a culture that can scale across generations.

Ready to Unlock Gen Z in Your Organization?

I’ve coached over 30,000 young professionals and deliver keynotes that break down exactly how to lead Gen Z workers in the AI-powered Workverse.

Bring Cracking the Gen Z Code to your next event and give your team the tools to lead the next generation—with confidence, clarity, and impact.

The future of work isn’t coming — it’s already here.

AI is transforming how we hire, coach, and connect. Gen Z is changing who we’re hiring. And coaching? It’s no longer a perk reserved for top performers — it’s the operating system for success. If your organization isn’t actively integrating AI and coaching right now, you’re already falling behind.

Why AI + Coaching Is the Future of Leadership comes down to one simple truth:

The companies winning today aren’t just adopting new tools — they’re building better systems for performance, communication, and connection.

What Happens If You Don’t Adapt?


Let’s be honest: high-performing teams don’t happen by chance. They’re engineered through clarity, feedback, and connection — all of which can now be scaled using AI.

Companies like Amazon, Microsoft, and Salesforce are already leading the way.

They’re using real-time data and AI-driven platforms to coach employees at scale, predict performance issues before they happen, and give their managers the tools they need to lead in today’s fast-paced environment.

And they’re not alone. Forward-thinking startups and mid-size firms are using AI + coaching to improve retention, onboard faster, and develop more resilient teams.

This isn’t innovation for innovation’s sake — it’s a competitive advantage.

Why AI + Coaching Is the Future of Leadership

What separates good leaders from great ones today isn’t charisma or authority — it’s adaptability.

The ability to evolve, connect across generations, and coach with both precision and empathy.

This is where the AI + coaching model comes in:
• Platforms like Marlee help decode what actually drives performance — and deliver insights in real time.
• Tools like Copilot, Gong, and Slack AI embed coaching and feedback directly into your team’s daily workflows.
• And when you combine that with modern leadership frameworks? You create a Collaboration & Performance OS that actually scales.

AI amplifies your managers. Coaching unlocks your people.

Together, they build the foundation of the future-ready team.

Build the System. Lead the Change.


If you’re still relying on outdated feedback loops and gut-based decisions, it’s time to level up.

AI + Coaching is the new playbook.

The most successful organizations will be those that:
• Embrace data and technology to lead with clarity
• Equip their people to grow through personalized coaching
• Build cultures where performance and purpose are aligned

Ready to Lead Differently?

My brand-new keynote series delivers bold, actionable strategies to help leaders and organizations thrive in an AI-powered world.

If you’re planning your 2025 and 2026 events and want a high-impact, no-fluff speaker who can show your audience why AI + coaching is the future of leadership — and how to actually use it — let’s talk.

This isn’t just a business update—this is a personal reinvention story.

Like so many of you, COVID rocked my world.

Speaking gigs vanished. Workshops paused. Connection felt like it got sucked into a Zoom void.

I had to face the question we all did: what now?

So I went back to the core—my purpose.

And the truth is: I didn’t have all the answers.

But I did have something powerful—a front-row seat to 30,000 conversations with Millennials and Gen Zs…

And three Millennial and Gen Z kids of my own and their friends who never let me get away with BS.

What I Learned from Coaching Gen Z, My Kids, and 10 Years of Listening

What I heard—again and again—from clients at Lexus, Booz Allen, Qualcomm, and from my own students and children, and their friends—is this:

“I want clarity.”
“I want to be coached, not managed.”
“Don’t treat me like a problem—show me how I can win.”
“I want to be seen. And I want to belong.”

This generation isn’t entitled.

They’re exhausted from being misunderstood.

They’re ready to grow—but they need leaders who meet them with precision, insight, and purpose.

The Classroom Changed Me Too

Over the past year, I’ve had the privilege of teaching Strategy and Management at the College of Business Administration (COBA) at Cal State San Marcos.

Let me tell you—my students flipped the script on what I thought “leadership” was.

They taught me that strategy is worthless without action. That feedback is the most underused superpower in business. That real growth comes from vulnerability, trust, and execution—not perfection.

Here’s what they said they needed most to thrive in the workplace:

  • Confidence to speak up
  • Strategic thinking that actually applies
  • Feedback skills
  • Influence without title
  • Emotional intelligence
  • Coaching skills
  • A growth mindset
  • Authenticity

(Yes, we taught all that—and they used it the next day in interviews, internships, and jobs.)

The System is Broken. It’s Time to Rebuild It.

COVID exposed the cracks.

Disconnection, burnout, lack of clarity—it’s still everywhere.

Culture isn’t perks. Coaching isn’t a buzzword. Leadership isn’t a title.

We need a new Performance Operating System for the future of work. One that blends coaching, AI, and human insight to unlock real results.

So I made a big move…

I Joined Marlee to Build the Workverse

As of this summer, I’ve officially joined Marlee as Head of Performance Solutions.
Marlee is not just another HR tool. It’s the Collaboration + Performance OS companies actually need—backed by 23 years of behavior data and used by 71% of the Fortune 500.

With Marlee, we:

  • Diagnose what drives people
  • Deliver real-time, AI-powered coaching
  • Build cultures that actually scale
  • Turn feedback into performance, fast

We’re making coaching scalable, culture measurable, and performance personal—without losing the human.

I Wrote a New Book. I Rebuilt My Keynotes. I’m All In.

You may know me from Chasing Relevance, my bestselling book on bridging the generational gap.

But now? The stakes are higher.

So I wrote a new one—Workverse: Gen Z’s Playbook to Thrive at Work. With AI. With Humans. With Purpose.

I rewired my entire speaking and consulting business to match this moment. I created three powerhouse keynotes to deliver the leadership, culture, and Gen Z strategies your organization needs right now:

  • Cracking the Gen Z Code: Coaching the Next Gen to Win With AI
  • The Leader’s AI Playbook: Coaching, Competing, and Winning in the Future of Work
  • The AI-Ready Culture Code: How to Build a Future-Ready Team With AI & Gen Z

And I’m walking the talk inside companies, campuses, and with leaders who want to grow differently.

This Is an Invitation

If you’re feeling like work is broken—me too.

If you’ve had to reinvent yourself—me too.

If you’re leading a team and struggling to connect—let’s fix that.

This is not just my journey—it’s our journey.

And I want to walk it with you.

Tell me what your team needs and we’ll explore how AI + coaching can unlock your people, your culture, and your business.

Let’s build the Workverse—together.

Let’s get something clear: AI isn’t going to replace your best people.

However, it will reveal whether they’ve developed the skills that truly matter.

In today’s workplace, strategic thinking, effective communication, and collaboration are the real power skills. And Gen Z—the most feedback-hungry, tech-native, and values-driven generation yet—is already showing us the way forward.

At Marlee, they have coached and collected behavioral data from over 400,000 people across 159 countries—including 81,000+ Gen Z employees. Their findings?

·   Gen Z is 71% more curious than any previous generation

·   They’re 120% more detail-oriented

·   And they want real-time feedback more than any other generation

But here’s the challenge: Most organizations still haven’t built the operating system that helps these young professionals—and their managers—thrive.

We’ve seen the future of work. It’s powered by people and tech.
And here’s how it works, step-by-step:

🔥 The 5-Step OS for High Performance

Step 1: Diagnose the Human System

Don’t start with job titles. Start with what drives people.
Behavioral data now gives us insight into how teams think, what they fear, and where they disconnect.

At Marlee, they help teams assess motivation and readiness before performance problems show up. Want to understand why your top hire is underperforming? Check their motivation match. Diagnose before you prescribe.

Step 2: Integrate AI into Culture

AI isn’t just for backend ops. It’s your frontline partner in learning, development, and leadership.

At a Fortune 500 enterprise, Marlee helped a global finance team move from disengagement to 10X engagement and performance growth in just 12 months. How? AI coaching was embedded into their workflow—not bolted on as an HR add-on.

To scale culture, your people need to trust tech as part of how they grow, not just how they work.

Step 3: Unlock Gen Z’s Potential

Gen Z doesn’t want career ladders—they want real growth experiences.
They want coaching, clarity, and purpose. On-demand.

We’ve seen incredible transformation from Gen Z employees using Coach Marlee:

·   One 25-year-old sales rep said, “It’s like having a mirror that doesn’t judge—just helps me improve.”

· A global bank utilized Marlee to identify entrepreneurial X-factors among 600 internal candidates, saving millions by selecting a founding team with zero startup experience—and succeeding.

This is what happens when you build development around how Gen Z learns: fast, personal, digital-first.

Step 4: Use Tech + Data to Coach Everyone

Old coaching models aren’t scalable. Hiring $500/hour consultants for every team? Not possible.

Marlee enables every employee to get daily, real-time coaching via AI and behavior-driven prompts. It helps:

·   Managers have better 1:1s

·   Teams resolve friction with data, not ego

·   New hires onboard 4x faster

In fact, 90% of Fortune 100 companies now use Marlee. And in just 4–8 weeks, teams report up to 90% performance improvement.

This isn’t the future. It’s working now.

Step 5: Measure What Matters—Then Adapt

You can’t grow what you don’t measure.

Traditional engagement surveys take months. Marlee tracks progress weekly:

·   Burnout risk

·   Leadership gaps

·   Feedback effectiveness

·   Cultural trust

The best leaders aren’t reactive. They’re responsive—because they’re data-informed.

Here’s What AI Means for You

If you’re a CEO, HR leader, or team builder, you have a choice:

·   Keep using outdated playbooks that don’t scale, or…

·   Embrace a new performance OS—where AI and coaching meet motivation, mindset, and momentum

This is how we unlock human potential in the flow of work.

This is how we win the future of work.

People and tech integrated together.

Let’s go.

Dan Negroni
Keynote Speaker | Gen Z Strategist | CEO Coach | Chief Evangelist, GetMarlee.com

Gen Z, a generation raised on tech, devices, social media, and a rapidly evolving job market, is at a crossroads. The traditional college pathway—once considered a near-necessity for success—is being scrutinized like never before. On one side, there’s a growing wave of disillusionment with accumulating debt for a degree that might not guarantee employment. Conversely, innovative colleges are reimagining education to offer real-world skills and unparalleled value. The question is: Is it time for Gen Z to ditch college altogether, or can they find a new breed of institution that prepares them for a future defined by rapid change and opportunity?

The Ditch College Movement: Reevaluating Traditional Paths

In recent years, a notable trend has emerged among Gen Z—many are questioning the return on investment for a college degree. With skyrocketing tuition fees and a competitive job market, the idea of entering the workforce without the burden of student debt is incredibly appealing.

Several factors contribute to this shift:

  1. Exploding Tuition Costs: With student debt in the U.S. topping $1.7 trillion, many young people are reevaluating whether a degree is worth the financial strain.
  2. Alternative Learning Platforms: The rise of online courses, boot camps, and vocational training offers high-demand skills without the hefty price tag of a four-year college.
  3. Real-World Experience: Internships, apprenticeships, and entrepreneurial ventures provide hands-on experience and networking opportunities that some argue are more valuable than classroom learning.

The allure of bypassing traditional education is strong. As startups, freelancing, and gig economy jobs proliferate, the pressure to conform to old standards diminishes. For some, the traditional degree seems like a relic of the past, unable to keep pace with modern career demands.

The New Wave of Colleges: Reinventing the Educational Experience

Yet, amidst this growing skepticism, a new wave of colleges is emerging—one that blend traditional learning with innovative, practical approaches designed to meet the needs of today’s students and the future of work. These institutions are not just surviving; they are thriving by redefining what it means to offer value.

Key features of these forward-thinking colleges include:

  1. Curriculum Integration: Schools like Northeastern University incorporate real-world projects, global experiences, and internships into their core curriculum, ensuring students gain practical skills alongside academic knowledge.
  2. Industry Partnerships: Colleges like Purdue University are partnering with companies to create programs that align closely with industry needs, offering students a direct path to employment.
  3. Skill-Based Learning: Institutions like General Assembly and Holberton School focus on high-demand coding and digital marketing skills, equipping students with immediately applicable expertise.

The Critical Need for Soft Skills and Building a Holistic Educational Experience

Beyond technical skills and job-specific training, there is an emerging recognition of the importance of soft skills and that Gen Z has not learned them. For Gen Z, the first generation of mobile smartphone users, relationship skills tend to be lacking. Navigating a world of rapid change and complex interpersonal dynamics is challenging enough without a strong command of these critical skills. For Gen Z, their lack of soft skills tends to be their employer’s biggest complaint.

What are these soft skills, and how do you cultivate them both as an individual and as an employer when bringing on new hires?

Soft Skills for Success:

  1. Communication: Effective communication remains a cornerstone of professional and personal success. Courses and programs focusing on public speaking, writing, and interpersonal communication are essential for articulating ideas, leading teams, and building relationships.
  2. Emotional Intelligence: Understanding and managing one’s own emotions, as well as empathizing with others, is vital in the workplace. Training in emotional intelligence can improve leadership, teamwork, and conflict resolution.
  3. Relationship Building: Networking and forming meaningful connections can open doors and create opportunities that technical skills alone may not. Programs emphasizing relationship-building, mentorship, and networking are critical for long-term success.
  4. Entrepreneurial Skills: The ability to think creatively, take initiative, and innovate is invaluable. Education that fosters entrepreneurial thinking can help empower students to start their own ventures, drive change, and adapt to evolving market needs.

These soft skills not only complement technical expertise but are often the differentiators in career advancement and personal fulfillment. Programs and institutions that integrate these skills into their curriculum are helping students prepare for success in the workplace.

Finding the Balance: Making the Right Choice

For Gen Z, the decision to embrace or bypass college isn’t black and white. It requires a nuanced evaluation of personal goals, career aspirations, and financial realities. Here are some considerations to help you make an intentional and informed choice:

  1. Evaluate ROI: Research the return on investment for your specific educational path, considering not just tuition costs but real skills you will learn and how they will leverage potential earnings and job prospects.
  2. Explore Alternatives: Consider nontraditional education options such as trade schools, online courses, and certification programs to see if they better align with your career goals.
  3. Consider Hybrid Models: Institutions offering a blend of traditional and practical learning might provide the best of both worlds, offering academic depth while preparing students for real-world challenges.
  4. Emphasize Soft Skills: Seek programs that teach technical skills and also foster essential soft skills like communication, emotional intelligence, and entrepreneurial thinking.

A New Era of Education

The landscape of higher education is undergoing a profound transformation. Gen Z stands at the forefront of this change, empowered to choose paths that best align with their aspirations and the realities of the modern world. While some may opt to bypass traditional college altogether, others may find immense value in innovative institutions that offer a blend of academic rigor, practical experience, and soft skills training.

Ultimately, the key is to stay informed and flexible, leveraging new opportunities and making decisions based on what will truly set the stage for a successful and fulfilling future. The choice may not be between college or no college, but rather how to craft an educational experience that equips students with the skills and experiences needed to thrive in a rapidly evolving world.

We are all are experiencing trauma right now, at all ages in all generations. But as we struggle, at least we are all together. No one is unscathed by the shock of the COVID-19 pandemic. We must all pivot our businesses and ourselves, and lead our teams through the trauma. We’re lonely, grieving, depressed, sad, in shock, uncertain, anxious – in short, we are overwhelmed, exhausted, and scared. And we wonder constantly how and if we’re going to make it through.

I’m here to tell you that you ARE going to get through this. It won’t be easy, it’s going to hurt, and you’re going to be challenged more than you’ve ever been challenged in your life. But you will make it through so long as you cultivate this one crucial skill: resilience. 

Also sometimes called “grit,” resilience is defined as “the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties.” It’s a measure of how well you can bend, flex, and bounce back when you get knocked down. It’s a measure of your ability to triumph in adversity. And it’s all about shaping your mindset though training. We need this trait right now.

But fear not because science shows us that resilience is something you can cultivate and teach to others. So for your teams, families, clients, and the world let’s start with identifying and mastering the three components of resilience:

1. Confidence

When we talk about confidence in relation to resilience, we’re really talking about the unwavering belief that you can influence outcomes in your life. That you DO have control, even when things feel completely out of your control. Of course, you can’t control everything. You can’t control when the current pandemic will end, when we’ll get to go back to life as normal, or even whether you get sick or not. But you can control yourself, your emotions, your decisions, and how you show up when things get touch.

To master the confidence component, focus on this simple list daily:

-Check-In: Check in with yourself about how you’re doing. Be honest about what you’re feeling, then set aside the beliefs that don’t serve you.

-Breathe: When things get tough, we get tense. When we’re tense, we often forget to breathe. But our brain needs plenty of oxygen to do what it does best: think clearly and find the opportunities. Make sure you’re taking deep breaths throughout the day. You might even pick up a practice of meditation.

-Mindset: What you think, you become. If you’re thinking negative, unhelpful thoughts about yourself, your team, your business, or the current crisis, get rid of that talk track. Replace destructive thoughts with things that are positive and empowering. Be mindful of your power to be present.

-Accountability: Hold yourself accountable to shaping your mindset every single day. Do not let yourself slip into bad habits or ways of being. You get to choose how you show up every day, so choose to be a leader.

-Hardiness:  Understand that some of us are innately more positive; however, learn what you can about yourself to be strong. Move through your negative feelings and practice the act of reframing your own power. Use whatever you can to thrive. No judgment! Face the reality, seek tools, and push through it.

2. Commitment

When things get tough, it’s easy to take the easy way out. To shrink back from whatever is causing our stress and look for the path of least resistance. But when things get tough, we need to recommit ourselves to our lives, to our relationships, and to our work. Resilience by its very definition means that we are staging a comeback. That we got kicked in the teeth, we’re down, but we’re not out.

To master the commitment component, you need to first start with your belief system. What you believe in and what provides you with purpose, interest and meaning. The belief that your work and effort have real meaningful impact. This is best when it also serves others because as humans we want to contribute. Use these tips to help:

-Context: In the midst of crisis, it’s easy to lose the context of our work. But we can’t lose sight of to how we fit into the bigger picture. Whether as a member of a team or the CEO of a business, we must connect ourselves into the larger context to find engagement and meaning, which are the next two items on our list.

-Engagement: With everything that’s going on and the constant stream of news updates, it’s hard to stay engaged with our work. But if we want to increase resilience, we must be able to filter out distractions and stay engaged. Set limits for yourself when it comes to looking at the news and social media so you don’t go too far down the rabbit hole.

-Meaning: To increase our commitment to ourselves and our own future success, we must find what we do meaningful. We need to connect back to our why (per Simon Sinek) in order to find our way through the chaos. Why does what we do matter? What is the benefit to people or society or industry? Who do we help?

-Authentic: Adversity can bring out the worst in us or worse, cause us to put on a mask and show up inauthentically. But that’s not what our people or our customers need from us. They need us to be real with them, to be honest and vulnerable so that we can build greater connection. People need people. Be the person that people need.

-Story: Recommitting to our work and ourselves comes from doing the deep work to understand who we are, articulate our story, and own it to demonstrate the value we have to give to others and the world.

3. Creativity

The third and final component of resilience you need to master is creativity – even in the face of challenge. We lose our creativity when we get stressed, when we get overwhelmed, when we get tired. But creativity is one of the foundational components of resilience for good reason. Creativity helps us be flexible, create new opportunities, and discover new pathways through the changing landscape. We need some of that now.

To master creativity, you must consistently demonstrate these things on a daily basis:

-Welcome Challenges: The name of this one says it all. Welcome Challenges. Instead of seeing hardship and challenge as something negative, we must welcome it gratefully into our lives as a catalyst to become better.

-Frame as Exciting: We must see all hardships as something exciting, as an opportunity to continue to live our purpose, and achieve even greater success.

-Growth Mindset: In Carol Dweck’s seminal book, Mindset, she teaches about the concepts of growth vs. fixed mindset in depth. But having a growth mindset simply means you believe you have the capacity to learn, grow, and change.

-Reinvention: Mastering creativity comes from our ability to reinvent our careers, our businesses, and ourselves. To adapt, survive, and thrive no matter what challenges we face. This is the way we learn to bounce back better than before.

I’ll say it again: resilience is something you can cultivate and teach to others. But it requires a focus on these 3 things: confidence, commitment, and creativity. As you begin to master the three components of resilience, focus on getting better every day. Better, not best. If you make small improvements consistently, you will develop greater resilience.

Need help understand the three components or any of their sub principles? Check out our keynote on the Path to Create Resilience for the Worker of the Future.  Want to learn how to better cultivate resilience in yourself and/or teach it to your team? Reach to us – we’re offering complimentary coaching right now during the pandemic to help you get through this. All you have to do is book your call with us.

Our employees are overwhelmed, anxious, and stressed out. And that was before the Covid-19 crisis! Now they have a whole new mess of problems to deal with: worrying about the virus, fear about what will happen to the economy, working remotely for the first time, trying to manage their kids at home, struggling to adapt to new technology, increased conflict with their partner from being cooped up inside…it’s A LOT. Meanwhile, we’re trying to get them to be as productive as possible and G.S.D (Get Shit Done).

If you’re anything like the clients we’ve been talking to over the last few weeks, you’re struggling just to keep your own head above water let alone be the kind of leader your remote team needs right now. While there’s no manual or precedent for dealing with a large-scale global epidemic in this modern age, we’ve been coaching our clients on how to pivot and adapt their businesses while leading their teams to success. No matter what industry you’re in or what catastrophe you’re facing, there are only three things you need to focus on as a leader to effectively manage your workforce and cultivate high performance.

1) Decrease Fear

Your people are scared. They are facing the unknown just like you.

As their leader your most important job is to decrease their fear. Even if the future looks bleak, your people want to know you have a plan to take care of them and see them safely through this storm. They want to know they can count on you, that you’ve got their back, and you’re here for them. 

One of the most effective ways to decrease fear is to ask your people what they want from you. Start by listening and leaning in. It may be different for every person, but you owe it to them to take the time to ask great questions, be an even better listener, and find a way to meet them where they are. Then authentically contextualize your mission and vision in a way that employees can relate to and find meaningful. And communicate, communicate, communicate. Take a look at our 4 C’s of Connection in Virtual Work – scroll down to get a free copy of our Remote Management Toolbox.

2) Increase Safety

Along with decreasing fear, you need to increase every team member’s sense of safety. When you start by turning your workplace upside down and listening to your people, you’ll have a good sense of where to begin.  Understand that people need people and that we are interconnected beings. The biggest challenge is the lack of community and perceived empathy.

But even more importantly, you’ll have taken a big step toward decreasing their sense of isolation. If your team is working remotely for the first time, they’ll quickly start to feel alone and adrift in the world. It’s up to you to make sure your team is connecting to you and with each other on a regular basis. Have at least two real connections per week that asks how they are doing.  And make sure to use video – verbal communication is only 7% of total communication!  Additionally, appoint a communication czar to make sure it works well with your team.

Start now. Implement daily or weekly video calls. Create a Slack channel where people can check in with each other during the day. And spend time demonstrating you care by coaching your team members through their specific challenges. Let them help each other and create a buddy system. 

3) Solve the Emotional Component

In times of turmoil, it’s normal for emotions to run high. As a leader, you need to make sure you’re helping your team process their emotions in a way that is healthy and productive. Make sure you’re regularly addressing these five areas on your check-ins with your remote team:

1) Self-Care: Discuss the importance of self-care and share strategies for individual success.  Routines, schedules, and how to deal with kids at home and connections.

2) Learn: Make sure your team has the tools and resources to support their learning and development with new skills for the virtual workplace and great communication tips.

3) Growth: If there is down time, encourage personal and professional growth along with real creativity.  What are some great ideas they can come up with for themselves to add big value for a future which will be super different and better than what we’ve experienced?

4) Mindset: Share practical ways each person can work on reframing their thoughts and help them through any mindset blocks. Remember, we need connection and help.

5) Connect: Illustrate the importance of connecting person-to-person and encourage team members to communicate over phone or video instead of email and text.

If you focus on just these three things and follow our hacks and tools, I guarantee you will see dramatic improvement in the performance and productivity of your remote team. While we are all being challenged to work differently, there is NO reason your team cannot continue to execute at a high level.

Need help implementing these strategies? Looking for personalized help for your organization? Reach out to us – the first session is always complimentary! We can deliver virtual keynotes, online workshops, and remote high-performance coaching to help your team continue to succeed and thrive. 

We also recently hosted a webinar on this same topic – click here to watch the replay. It will only be available for a limited time so don’t wait to watch!

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The workplace of the future may look a little different, but one thing that’s not changing? Humans. We will STILL matter. In fact, we will continue to matter more than ever.

Which means we have to find a way to connect, to get along with each other, and to communicate effectively. It doesn’t matter if your team works remotely, has different shifts, or spends all day inside a single shared space – relationships MATTER. 

My favorite exercise to deepen relationships and improve communication is something we at launchbox call our GPS Communication Strategy.

GPS stands for Gratitude, Permission, and Share Experience.

I’m going to break down what those three things actually mean (and how you use them in real conversations), but we’ve also got a great worksheet for you to download that goes along with this exercise. You can grab it by skipping down to the bottom. Or you can also follow along as I take you through our GPS Communication Strategy!

Gratitude

Begin by framing your conversation with gratitude. Communication is critical and gratitude is fundamental to having great conversations. Gratitude shows people that you care and that you have their back…even when you have to have a tough conversation with them. Perhaps most importantly, it gets them in the mood to start listening to you!

Sharing gratitude sounds like this:

-“I enjoyed having lunch with you.”

-“I found that advice you shared during our conversation the other day to be helpful.”

-“I’m grateful to have the opportunity to learn and grow in order to serve you and the team better.”

-“The way you handled that interaction with a customer was awesome!”

-“It means a lot to me that you made time to show me that trick with the new program.”

-Or just a simple “Thank you!”

Permission

Before you get to the tough stuff, make sure you ask permission. Asking permission to share your experience demonstrates respect and tells the other person that you really care about them. 99% of the time, they’ll say yes without hesitation

Now the #1 thing I hear when I share this strategy with a room full of executives and managers is, “Dan, if I’m a boss why would I ever have to ask permission?”

And there’s a couple reason why you want to do that. Besides demonstrating respect and showing that you care about the person, it cedes a little bit of control to them. When they feel like they have more control, they’ll be a little more comfortable with what comes next. And it sets the listener up to really hear you!

Asking permission sounds like this:

-“Would it be okay if we discussed what happened yesterday afternoon now?”

-“I want to help you grow and deliver value to our customers. Can we go over a few things?”

-“Are you open to some feedback on your presentation?”

Share Experience

Okay, now it’s time for the tough stuff. Start by assuming positive intent (API) on the part of the other person and make sure that what you have to say is delivered without judgment. Stick to the facts, don’t make any assumptions about what was going on in the other person’s head, and make sure you deliver the message clearly.

One way to do this is to describe the situation and what you observed or experienced. Another way you can do this is to share a story of when you felt the same way and what you learned from it. 

Share experience sounds like this:

-“I’ve been able to experience your mentorship in this particular way – is that the way you wanted to come across?”

-“What you just said to me came across as harsh. Did you mean it that way?”

Have you used the GPS Communication Strategy in the workplace or at home? Let us know in the comments below. And if you haven’t grabbed our free worksheet designed to help you have great, other-focused conversations, just fill out the form below to get your copy!

Want a little help implementing this with your team? Reach out to us – we love working with companies and teams to help them bridge the gap and build connection!

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