Got toxic team members? Take an empathetic approach

Got toxic team members? Take an empathetic approach | 3 ways leaders can get better at asking questions | Read more from Weaving Influence authors on SmartBrief on Leadership Created for {EMAIL} | [{NAME}]( at [{NAME}]( [For more relevant content - Update Your Profile]( | [Web Version]( September 2, 2022 CONNECT WITH SMARTBRIEF  [LinkedIn]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [SmartBrief on Leadership]( Innovative Ideas. Ahead of the Curve. [SIGN UP]( ⋅ [SHARE](  [] Leading Edge [] [Got toxic team members? Take an empathetic approach]( Overlooking the toxicity of team members can cause greater problems later, writes Steve Farber, who recommends leading with empathy and realizing that most toxic behavior is unconscious and may arise from personal problems or challenges. "No matter the root cause of the issues, it is vital to remind everybody that your overarching goal is to create a positive and productive work environment," Farber writes. Full Story: [Extreme Leadership]( (9/1) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [3 ways leaders can get better at asking questions]( Learning how to ask good questions that focus on learning rather than assigning blame, and using self-inquiry to uncover blind spots, can help leaders become more effective, writes Marilee Adams, CEO and founder of the Inquiry Institute. "Your questions invite the best thinking, collaboration and engagement as well as a sense of psychological safety for your colleagues and teams," Adams writes. Full Story: [SmartBrief/Leadership]( (9/1) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [Read more]( from Weaving Influence authors on SmartBrief on Leadership [] Strategic Management [] [Strategies to take the friction out of customer service]( Looking at why customers contact your company in the first place can provide clues about how to remove the friction from your customer service processes, writes Bill Price, president of Driva Solutions. Price offers a nine-step process companies should go through as well as questions to assess your current customer service choke points. Full Story: [CEOWorld Magazine]( (8/31) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( Everything you need to know about on-demand pay With on-demand pay from DailyPay, employees can access their earned wages before their traditional payday. Businesses who use on-demand pay are able to increase retention, improve employee engagement, and hire more quickly. [Visit us to learn more about the #1 benefit for employees.]( ADVERTISEMENT: [] Smarter Communication [] [6 steps to producing clear, professional documents]( Consider the goal of your written communication and the audience's needs, and be clear in your language by avoiding jargon and carefully proofreading your document before sending it, writes Viktor Zdraveski. "Careless, sloppy, unprofessional, or insufficient communication may damage your reputation, lose your sales or investment money, hinder you from getting recruited or promoted, and even leave you open to legal liability," Zdraveski writes. Full Story: [People Development Network]( (8/31) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [3 ways to uncover problems your team is mum about]( Leaders can address the elephant in the room that may be undermining their teams by asking open-ended questions to uncover concerns and rewarding people for speaking up about problems, writes Lisa Kohn. "Be sure to look for, and point out, how their disagreements and challenging have helped you," Kohn writes. 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Full Story: [Today]( (8/29) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] In Their Own Words [] [How this exec succeeded despite challenges]( As a female executive, Shiela Mie Empleo-Legaspi, president of Cyberbacker, has faced discrimination, but she notes that she has gotten ahead by learning, finding a good mentor and staying calm under pressure. "I recognize that when emotions are high, intellect runs low so I always have to be assertive to act with integrity, purpose and passion and come up with an educated decision at all times," Empleo-Legaspi says. Full Story: [Medium (tiered subscription model)/Authority Magazine]( (8/31) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Daily Diversion [] [Burning Man installation brings ice shelf to the desert]( A highlight of this year's Burning Man festival is an 8,000-square-foot installation called "The Last Ocean" that is modeled after the Ross Ice Shelf in Antarctica and includes 300 LED platforms that light up when participants step on them. The installation is made from more than 10,000 pounds of recycled plastic, and artist Jen Lewin says the installation will travel to San Francisco, Arizona and Detroit after the festival. Full Story: [Fast Company (tiered subscription model)]( (9/1) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Editor's Note [] SmartBrief will not publish Sept. 5 In observance of Labor Day in the US, SmartBrief will not publish Monday, Sept. 5. [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] About The Editor [] Derby Cox Hi, it's your SmartBrief on Leadership editor. 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