Author Archives: Francesca Ferrara

Words from the Wise

Connecting through conversations is at the heart of much of the work we do at Day One Group. Recently, we have been thinking about where words of wisdom can be found in our everyday dialogue. With the right mindset of openness and vulnerability, we can learn quite a lot from the people we talk to and also gain unexpected insights from surprising sources. Are you welcoming wisdom? What kinds of conversations are you craving?

Words from the Wise

How To Keep Your Blind Spots in Check

Blinded By Your Blind Spots?

I recently got some feedback from my team that I should increase my LinkedIn presence. Definitely a blind spot that I was not addressing.

When you’re surrounded by people who want to bring out the best in you, it implies that you also need to be open to having blind spots called out – even on social media. If you’re committed to growth, you have to look for opportunities to get tough news and be willing to act on what’s being offered.

So, here’s my first LinkedIn post on blind spots: How To Keep Your Blind Spots In Check

Executive Coaching Is Not One Size Fits All

Pick the Right Coach for the Win

In today’s workplace, one size fits all is rarely useful when it comes to leadership development. Our workforce is a mix of millennials and veterans who both could benefit from executive coaching. So, what is more beneficial: Investing in your millennial who shows early signs of being a strong leader in the future or empowering your seasoned veteran who seems ready for a leadership opportunity? Both can be a worthwhile investment with the right executive coach. A well-trained coach is one who understands that millennials want to accelerate quickly and need direct feedback to move forward, and veterans are eager to be introspective in order to grow.

Read HBR’s Younger and Older Executives Need Different Things From Coaching to make sure you know what to look for in a coach.

Communication Styles Training at the Olympics

DiSC Training: The New Olympic Sport

If you think the corporate office is the only place where communication styles training is all the rage, think again! Olympic athletes Kerri Walsh-Jennings and April Ross decided to take their game to the next level before going for Gold in beach volleyball at the 2016 Rio Olympics by taking the DiSC personality test. Once they were able to identify their behavioral styles and improve their communication, they noticed an immediate shift in their level of trust and teamwork on the court. Read more about how Walsh-Jennings and Ross used DiSC to learn that winning is a combination of talent, training and communication skills.

A New Beach Volleyball Partnership Faces its Toughest Test Yet

Employee Engagement Starts with a Little Love

What Motivates You: Paycheck or Passion?

Do you love your job? If your answer is yes, then chances are you are also a top performer. Workplace research shows that motivation comes from the heart, not from the mind. Leaders who understand this intrinsic motivation are likely to lead teams who are engaged, loyal and successful.

Find out what drives your employees to excel:

Why Engagement Happens in Employees’ Hearts, Not Their Minds

Engaging Leadership

If You Lead (Well), They Will Follow

What makes a good leader?  Tough Guy or Nice Guy?  A boss who pushes employees to a higher standard of excellence?  Or a boss who emphasizes trust and empowerment?  The boss who gets the greatest commitment from employees has a combination of these two styles.  Keep your eye on the goal, but keep connected to your people. Then lead, and they will follow.

Nice or Tough: Which Approach Engages Employees Most

Retool Your Rhetoric

Ethos + Pathos + Logos = Effective Communication

In business, communication is the key to success.  Just ask, Aristotle.  Scott Edinger, founder of Edinger Consulting Group, reflected on what it takes to be an effective communicator and found that Aristotle had it figured out centuries ago.  Focusing on ethos (credibility), pathos (emotional connection) and logos (appealing to reason), in proper balance, will result in improved communication, and, ultimately, better business relationships.

Three Elements of Great Communication, According to Aristotle

The Change Starts with You

Want Change? Prove It!

James Clear has a recipe for change. To create a change within yourself, Clear believes you must first change your beliefs about yourself. If you want to stick to a new habit, you have to take on the identity of the type of person you want to become. Results don’t come from just a performance-based goal; results come from believing you are the type of person you want to become.

So, before you set performance-based goals for yourself at work such as “I will become a manager by next spring”, take a look at Clear’s recipe and change the way you think about change…

Identity-based Habits: How to Actually Stick to Your Goals This Year

Collaboration Through Giving

Want Corporate Success? Try Giving

A culture of “giving” in the workplace can often be the key to high-performing organizations. Adam Grant, management professor at UPenn’s Wharton School of Business, writes about this innovative approach to collaboration in the workplace. While being a “giver” may have been considered a coveted remark on your kindergarten report card, it is generally not a trait associated with reward or promotion in the workplace. However, research indicates that giving environments in which employees help each other, work together and share ideas provide invaluable organizational benefits. Take a look…Or, should we say, “give” it a look…

McKinsey Quarterly – Givers Take All