It's what you don't say in virtual meetings that counts

It's OK to seek assistance | How managers can support black co-workers right now | Why companies need an "experimental infrastructure" Created for {EMAIL} | [Web Version]( June 3, 2020 CONNECT WITH SMARTBRIEF  [LinkedIn]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [SmartBrief on Leadership]( [SmartBrief on Leadership]( Innovative Ideas. Ahead of the Curve. [SIGN UP]( ⋅ [SHARE](  [] Leading Edge [] [It's OK to seek assistance]( It's OK to seek assistance (Pixabay) Asking for help doesn't signal weakness, writes Frank Sonnenberg, but you must make your needs known and be considerate of other people's time and ability. "Requesting help is beneficial, but be careful it doesn't become an addiction," he writes. Full Story: [Frank Sonnenberg Online]( (6/2) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [How managers can support black co-workers right now]( Managers can be active in opposing racism and supporting black co-workers by offering time off as needed and by "being empathetic, specific, and heartfelt" in how you will do better, writes Know Your Team CEO Claire Lew. "Be willing to be vulnerable about how you struggle to know what to say," she writes. Full Story: [Know Your Team]( (6/1) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( Rewarding employees during a recession In a down economy, many companies struggle to afford rewards and recognition programs with their high markups, shipping costs and fees. [Come learn how to harness the power of Amazon]( to reduce spend by offering millions of rewards with zero markups. ADVERTISEMENT: [] Strategic Management [] [Why companies need an "experimental infrastructure"]( When eBay experimented with how it placed Google search ads, the company realized much of its spending was on pages where users would have otherwise clicked on a free search result -- a result that led other companies to similarly reexamine such spending, write Harvard Business School professors Michael Luca and Max Bazerman. They offer other lessons from experimentation, including the value of an "experimental infrastructure." Full Story: [Strategy+Business online (free registration)]( (6/2) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Smarter Communication [] [It's what you don't say in virtual meetings that counts]( Pay attention to nonverbal gestures during remote meetings to detect signs of disengagement, such as slouching or yawning, writes executive coach Jeff Wolf. Conversely, gestures such as nodding your head and smiling can demonstrate your interest, as can making consistent eye contact while speaking, he writes. Full Story: [SmartBrief/Leadership]( (6/2) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [9 steps to facilitate better conversations on race]( Difficult workplace conversations, including about race, will be more successful when there's a designated block of time, clear boundaries and facilitation, and post-conversation action to rectify problems and continue the discussion, writes Julie Musilek of Great Place to Work. "While strong feelings are welcome, including tears, there should never be an expectation that anyone in the group has to make another feel better," she writes. Full Story: [Great Place to Work]( (6/1) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( SmartBrief Originals Sponsored content brought to you by SmartBrief - [Remote learning: What we’ve learned during the transition]( [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( - [Free resources for educators during the coronavirus pandemic]( [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( - [8 ways to make vocabulary instruction more effective]( [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( - [Stock Trading App Industry Overview: Trading Goes Virtual]( [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( - [How consumer behavior is forever changing the grocery, CPG industry]( [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [] Customers First A weekly look at serving customers better [] [USAA makes customer service "a team sport"]( Banking and insurance company USAA boasts high customer satisfaction scores because it helps employees and customers feel valued, equips employees to quickly meet customer needs and ensures a consistent customer experience across channels, writes Blake Morgan. "Success is a team sport, and every department and employee at USAA has a role to play," Morgan writes. Full Story: [Forbes]( (6/1) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] In Their Own Words [] [Encourage "sensible skepticism" to make good decisions]( Encourage "sensible skepticism" to make good decisions Dempsey (Theo Wargo/Getty Images) Leaders should foster "sensible skepticism" and "responsible rebelliousness" that encourage all ideas to be submitted before decisions are made, says retired Gen. Martin Dempsey, a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. "And followers need to acknowledge that once a leader makes a decision, unless it's an illegal decision, you follow it," he says. Full Story: [NBA]( (5/28) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Daily Diversion [] [Mesmerizing images of movement earn photo awards]( Photographers were challenged to capture movement for their entries into the [International Photography Awards](, and the winners include images of wild carrots, a dog leaping for a flying disc and a frog gracefully swimming. Full Story: [Digg]( (6/2) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Editor's Note [] Did you vote in this week's poll? Did you vote in this week's poll? (SmartBrief) On Tuesdays, SmartBrief on Leadership's SmartPulse features poll questions and analysis from ThoughtLeaders managing director [Mike Figliuolo](. Did you vote in this week's poll: How important is it to your employees that you treat them consistently with one another? If not, check out [Tuesday's email]( and look at the [voting so far](. 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