01 Dec 2016

Engagement and Transformational Leadership, Mindful Leadership and Mental Safety
Clear Mindset Inspiring case study grooa
Disagreements and conflicts are not necessarily problems that we need to remove; they are also opportunities to learn from each other. The C.L.E.A.R. ™ Mindset Method is a revolutionary approach that helps us build the skills necessary to do just that: transform conflicts into positive change. Here we share an example of its application. Those of you who have followed my newsletter hav...
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20 May 2016

Engagement and Transformational Leadership
Chocolate and Agreement Grooa Article
I definitely agree with you! Don't we all like to hear these words? They are words that speak of acceptance, validation and kinship. They make us feel good. They increase our serotonin level, exactly like chocolate. And like chocolate, too much is not good for us. We need other food. The same happens in business: Too much agreement is not good for us, neither for the business. But what ...
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20 May 2016

Engagement and Transformational Leadership
Olive trees Macdonald Grooa article
As a young real estate lawyer, I almost tanked my first important deal, until my senior colleague said something that resolved the issue and taught me the best negotiating lesson of my life. This was the experience recently shared with me by a McDonald manager who agreed to let me use his story. I will call him Martin. What was the trick that turned a potential clash into a positive out...
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20 May 2016

Engagement and Transformational Leadership
A blond woman wearing a blue tie and holding a mask in front of her face
Gerda has just been promoted Head of Global Customer Service, replacing Miguel, who is leaving the Company. Gerda’s new team includes Service Manager Katrina. It is Performance Ratings time, and Miguel has rated Katrina “below expectations”, but has left before communicating the reasons for his decision to her. Gerda needs to take over the discussion and although she does not share Migue...
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29 Feb 2016

Courageous Conversations, Engagement and Transformational Leadership
the number 1 reason why we hate disagreements grooa article
The real reason why we hate disagreements is because we have the illusion of rationality. If you disagree, you are wrong and I can prove it! OK, I am just kidding, let me try again. Sometimes I feel hurt by other people disagreeing with my views and opinions because it sounds like they are against me. Does it make sense to you? Do you feel the same? Red is my preferred color. I like re...
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29 Feb 2016

Courageous Conversations, Engagement and Transformational Leadership
Not every manager is competent in providing objective and factual feedback; some may give patronizing advice or judgmental criticism instead. When confronted with the type of “feedback” that seems more like a personal attack, a few simple steps can help us stay cool, deflect any criticism and turn the discussion into a professionally constructive one. Nobody likes to be criticized. An...
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16 Dec 2015

Courageous Conversations, Engagement and Transformational Leadership, Values and Purpose
How often do we hear statements like “I do not know what it takes to convince him, I have tried everything”? Perhaps we may also ask ourselves: “I wish I knew how I can explain it so that he can understand!” Whenever I hear these statements during a coaching session, I enquire back: “so did you ask him? do you understand his concerns?” This usually brings about blank stares... It is...
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16 Dec 2015

Courageous Conversations, Engagement and Transformational Leadership, Feedback, Values and Purpose
No matter how many conflict management courses you have taken or how many negotiation books you have read, you may still find yourself in confrontational situations where tools and tactics are not as effective as they promised to be. The real issue is in our mindset. The key question to ask ourselves is: do we see disagreements and conflicts as time-wasting issues or as opportunities ...
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16 Dec 2015

Engagement and Transformational Leadership, Feedback, Mindful Leadership and Mental Safety, Values and Purpose
As managers and leaders we can do very little to motivate others. Unfortunately, we can very easily demotivate (e.g. by unfair and abusive behaviors). But we can do a lot to create something more important: Engagement and Satisfaction, which have a more sustainable effect on positivity and productivity. The true responsibility of a leader is to engage others around a common compellin...
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16 Dec 2015

Engagement and Transformational Leadership
Grooa: Fun at work article
Seriously: are you having any fun at work? Are you creating an enjoyable business environment? Do you encourage use of healthy humor? Can you laugh at your mistakes? If not, you may be wasting the time and money that you invest in talents development, employees engagement programs and innovation-boosting activities. When people are too serious, the result is often stress, anxiety, sel...
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