November 2022
A Note From Rene’
Are you a good communicator? The truth is that many of us are not.
Are you a good listener? Even fewer of us have mastered this skill!
As a leader, both are essential tools.
Are you doing regular “check-ins” with your team? Are you leading them through the challenges of the current environment or just going through the motions? I am hopeful that the following articles will be helpful on both fronts.
On another note, what are you grateful for? This is the time of year that poses this line of thinking, isn’t it? I hope you will take time to reflect on your responses and find plenty for which to give thanks.
Wishing everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.
With gratitude…
René
5 Questions Every Manager Needs to Ask Their Direct Reports
Sara, a departing employee, sat across from her company’s HR leader for an exit interview. As a marketing executive for a financial services company, she was resigning after five years to take a CMO role at a fintech startup.
When the HR director asked Sara, “Is there anything else we could have done to keep you here?” Sara paused. “Yes. I wish there had been conversations about my career goals and opportunities for growth,” she said.
This is just one of the discussions that often takes place too late, after top talent is already on the way out the door. Read More…

Leading an Exhausted Workforce
Have your customers been unusually irritable lately? Are people taking forever to respond to e-mails? Are friends and colleagues making surprising life changes? Have you lost focus during important conversations?
All of these behaviors, different as they may be, are responses to the overwhelming circumstances people are facing as we move into the third year of the pandemic. Nearly everyone has lost someone or something — a job, a relationship, their peace of mind. Any hopes for a clear, definitive end to the pandemic are dashed. We are post-emergency, but still in crisis. Read More…
