Don't let these excuses derail employee upskilling

Don't like office politics? You may be at a disadvantage | 8 essential elements of a great remote work culture | Don't let these excuses derail employee upskilling Created for {EMAIL} | [{NAME}]( at [{NAME}]( [For more relevant content - Update Your Profile]( | [Web Version]( January 13, 2023 CONNECT WITH SMARTBRIEF  [LinkedIn]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [SmartBrief on Leadership]( Innovative Ideas. Ahead of the Curve. [SIGN UP]( ⋅ [SHARE]( ADVERTISEMENT Leading the Way [] [Don't like office politics? You may be at a disadvantage]( [Don't like office politics? You may be at a disadvantage]( (Pixabay) Use office politics to your advantage by identifying the influencers, building relationships across the organization and speaking up about your successes to position yourself for advancement, writes Robyn McLeod. "Asking for what you want, giving your perspective on things, and challenging others when necessary are all ways to ensure that your voice is included when important decisions and discussions are underway," McLeod writes. Put it into practice: Don't just build relationships with the company's movers and shakers. Get to know the complainers too and learn what motivates their behavior so you can avoid "the negative consequences of their actions," McLeod advises. Full Story: [Chatsworth Consulting Group]( (1/12) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [8 essential elements of a great remote work culture]( [8 essential elements of a great remote work culture]( (Pixabay) Once fiercely opposed to remote and hybrid work, Casey Cunningham, CEO and Founder of XINNIX: The Academy of Excellence, now endorses the practice and offers eight key strategies to build a solid remote/hybrid culture including trusting employees to do their job, equipping senior managers with six essential skills and communicating regularly with your teams. "When leaders don't take time for a real conversation, their colleagues will assume they don't care," Cunningham writes. Put it into practice: Keep employees engaged remotely by using assessments to pinpoint what motivates them and create recognition programs to celebrate successes and work anniversaries, Cunningham advises. Full Story: [Chief Executive]( (1/12) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] SmartBrief on Leadership [] [Don't let these excuses derail employee upskilling]( Companies can overcome budget and time excuses for upskilling their workers by seeking out training opportunities on the job through mentoring and job shadowing and reinforcing that learning with coaching and feedback, writes Julie Winkle Giulioni. "These are all ways to build greater connection and a culture of learning within your team that are easy on the budget and once established require little time investment on the part of leaders," Winkle Giulioni writes. Put it into practice: Look for skill gaps or the expressed desires of team members to learn more and find ways to incorporate acquiring those new skills into their current role. Reward them for progress to embed ongoing learning as a cultural norm. Full Story: [SmartBrief/Leadership]( (1/12) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [Read more]( from Julie Winkle Giulioni on SmartBrief on Leadership [] Smarter Communication [] [Why not develop a soundtrack for your next speech?]( [Why not develop a soundtrack for your next speech?]( (Pixabay) Music can add more energy and engagement to your presentations, even if you only use it to pump yourself up before stepping on the stage, writes Nick Morgan, who also suggests using music for your entrance and finding ways to add music to portions of your speech to add drama and excitement. "The neuroscience tells us that music cuts through our conscious awareness and activates emotional centers of the brain rapidly and powerfully," Morgan writes. Put it into practice: Why not follow the lead of movie producers and look for some music tracks to add to your speech to set the mood and give your points some melodic punch to excite and engage your audience? Full Story: [Public Words]( (1/11) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( Free eBooks and Resources Free eBooks and resources brought to you by our sponsors - [Quick Reference Guide – Microsoft Excel 2021 Advanced Guide]( - [The Ultimate Guide to Developing Self-Discipline]( - [Public Speaking at Work]( - [Tips & Tricks Guide – Career Planning – Why It's Essential for Your Success]( [] Smarter Strategy [] - [Fight uncertainty with agility]( The CLEMMER Group (1/11) [] - [Why a "permissionless" organization is more agile]( Rita McGrath Group (1/10) [] - [AI can't automate your strategy, but it can provide a foundation]( McKinsey (1/11) [] Smarter Living Get your mind and body right each Friday [] [Want to boost well-being? Talk to strangers]( Spending time with a diverse group of people including family, friends and even strangers, can boost happiness and our overall sense of well-being, according to a new study. With those we know well, we can be on "cruise control," says Harvard Business School researcher Michael Norton, "But when people are with a stranger, they want to be friendly and ask questions." Full Story: [Harvard Business School Working Knowledge]( (1/10) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Daily Diversion [] [The next meeting with your boss could be in an ice bath]( Some executives are embracing a new trend of holding meetings, and even job interviews, in wellness club ice baths that promise to bring participants more clarity and an immune boost. Despite the health benefits, Tanner Garrity wonders if such rituals lack inclusion asking, "What if you'd rather not strip down to a bathing suit with your boss?" My take: All in all, it makes that freezing cold conference room seem a bit more comfortable, no? Full Story: [InsideHook]( (1/5) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Away from the Office [] South Carolina sunset South Carolina sunset One of my favorite places to take in the sunset is aboard a friend's boat on South Carolina's Lake Murray. Where do you like to spend time outside of the office? [Send me pictures](mailto:candace.chellew@futurenet.com) of your favorite places and we'll feature them each Friday in this space. [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Editor's Note [] SmartBrief will not publish Jan. 16 In observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the US, SmartBrief will not publish Monday, Jan. 16. [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] About The Editor [] Candace Chellew Candace Chellew Candace Chellew I have always been an introvert who took mom's advice to not talk to strangers as an edict to live by. I don't tend to make idle chatter in the grocery store line with people I don't know. Maybe I should though, given [the results of a Harvard Business School study]( that shows talking to strangers, as well as diversifying our social circle of friends, can boost our happiness and well-being. I'm challenging myself this weekend to go against mom's advice and speak to some strangers and see if it does, indeed, hype my happiness quotient. Maybe you could try it too and [let me know how it goes](mailto:candace.chellew@futurenet.com)! If this newsletter helps you, please tell your colleagues, friends or anyone who can benefit. Forward them this email, or [send this link](. What topics do you see in your daily work that I should know about? Do you have praise? Criticism? [Drop me a note](mailto:candace.chellew@futurenet.com). And don't forget to send me photos of your pets, your office and where you spend your time off. [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( Sharing SmartBrief on Leadership with your network keeps the quality of content high and these newsletters free. Help Spread the Word [SHARE]( Or copy and share your personalized link: smartbrief.com/leadership/?referrerId=japnABMSAp [] [] Who Said It? I want to learn to love people like this, the way I love my dog, with pride and enthusiasm and a complete amnesia for faults. Charles Simic or Ann Patchett [Check your answer here.]( [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email](   SmartBrief publishes more than 200 free industry newsletters - [Browse our portfolio]( [Sign Up]( | [Update Profile]( | [Advertise with SmartBrief]( [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy policy]( CONTACT US: [FEEDBACK](mailto:leadership@smartbrief.com) | [ADVERTISE](mailto:lengel@smartbrief.com) SmartBrief, a division of Future US LLC © Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY, 10036