Building a Community of Practice

Accountability Nearly every organization I work with at the moment is focused on some version of creating a "high-performance" culture. Alongside this goal is a push for greater speed of decision-making, efficiency, and accountability. However, a common mistake many organizations make is treating accountability as a binary attribute—individuals are either seen as accountable or not. In reality, accountability is more nuanced. Understanding accountability as a spectrum is critical for cultivating a high-performance culture. The Accountability Ladder illustrates this concept by mapping out various levels at which individuals engage with their responsibilities, ranging from unaware or indifferent to becoming proactive and inspiring others. Those familiar with the Leadership Circle Profile will note that accountability transforms as leaders pivot from an external to an internal locus of control. This move from a Reactive to Creative mindset is a critical prerequisite. Here is a summary of each step on the ladder: Unaware: At this level, individuals are not aware of the issues or their responsibilities. They lack the knowledge necessary to understand what needs to be done. Blaming Others: Individuals recognize the issue but choose to blame others rather than taking any responsibility. They see the problem as someone else's fault. Excuses: At this step, individuals acknowledge the problem but offer excuses for why they can't address or resolve it. They often cite external factors or limitations. Wait and Hope: Individuals here are aware of the problem and hope it gets resolved by itself or that someone else will take care of it. There is recognition but no action. Acknowledge Reality: This is a turning point on the ladder. Individuals acknowledge the reality of the situation and their role in it but have not yet begun to take corrective action. Own It: Individuals take ownership of the problem and accept their responsibility for dealing with it. They start to commit to resolving the issue. Find Solutions: At this step, individuals not only take ownership but also actively seek solutions. They explore various options to resolve the problem. Take Action: Individuals implement the solutions they have identified. They take concrete steps to resolve the issue. Make It Happen: Individuals not only take action but also follow through to ensure that the solutions are effective. They monitor progress and make adjustments as necessary. Inspire Others: Leaders inspire and encourage others to take accountability, creating a proactive problem-solving culture. As a team exercise, try writing the steps of the accountability ladder on a whiteboard and ask: What level of accountability do we see across the organization? What level do we exhibit as a team (to each other and our stakeholders)? And finally, where would I place myself?

Ever felt that post-workshop high? But you wonder if it translates to lasting change? Here's a 5 step process for real impact We've been there. You finish a workshop. Everyone leaves buzzing. Your feedback scores are through the roof. But was it... A "sugar rush" or "nutrient rich" experience? In the 21 years of running sessions in different contexts, I've realised there is a way to deliver energising workshops AND provide lasting value. → 𝗦𝘂𝗴𝗮𝗿 𝗥𝘂𝘀𝗵 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽𝘀 Participants leave excited. High feedback scores. Temporary motivation. No real change in behaviour. → 𝗡𝘂𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗥𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀 Participants leave with a plan. Lower immediate excitement (perhaps). Content is processed. Lasting behaviour change. We want to the latter. And here's how: 1️⃣ SET THE CONTEXT ↳ Uncover challenges and hopes ahead of time. Meet people where they're at to unfold what happens next. 2️⃣ ENGAGE DEEPLY ↳ Ensure participants are not just passive listeners. Design for interactivity and cater of different styles 3️⃣ PLAN FOR ACTION ↳ Help them develop a concrete plan to implement what they've learned. Conduct debriefs. Give an action plan. 4️⃣ FOLLOW UP ↳ Provide post-workshop support and resources. Pre-design with the sponsor even if you're not involved in the implementation. 5️⃣ MEASURE IMPACT ↳ Go beyond feedback forms. Capture a baseline, collect evidence in sessions & track outcomes over time. Remember, the true measure of success is not how high your feedback scores are. It's the lasting impact you have on your participants. Let's move away from sugar-rush workshops and towards nutrient-rich consultancies. ~~ ✍️ What do you do to ensure your workshops have a lasting impact? ♻️ Reshare if you found this useful

Too many teams leave their best ideas in the hallway after the meeting. You’ve been there. So have I. The meeting ends, and suddenly two people peel off, finally saying what they really think because the room didn’t feel safe enough, or small enough, or structured enough to surface the real conversation. This is where one of our most effective and underutilized High Return Practices comes in, what we call the Power of Three. Here’s how it works: Next time you're in a group meeting, whether it’s 5 people or 50, pause before opening the floor to broad discussion. Instead, break the group into trios for 5–8 minutes. Give each group one key issue or prompt to wrestle with. The purpose of this is to create psychological safety in small pods, so that truth has a better shot at surfacing. Why it works: In smaller groups, people self-edit less and speak more honestly. The act of writing down insights reinforces accountability and commitment. When trios share back to the whole team, they’re less likely to dilute or dodge hard truths because their pod is counting on them to carry the message. Here’s your quick-start guide: Step 1: Choose one key issue that requires input or debate. Step 2: Break the full group into triads (in person or virtually). Step 3: Give 5–8 minutes for open discussion. Prompt candor. Step 4: Ask each group to share one key insight or unresolved tension. Step 5: Capture it in a shared doc so the truth isn’t lost. In Never Lead Alone, we call these HRPs, High Return Practices. Not because they sound smart, but because they help teams operate smarter, faster, and with more courage. Try it this week. One agenda item. Three people. Eight minutes. It could be the difference between alignment and assumption.

In the last major internal conflict I had, I stopped and thought: am I the first one to live this?! Hostility. Threats. Ah, and I was in the car on the way back from the hospital from giving birth. Nice welcome back 😂 Managers spend up to 40% of their time handling conflicts. This time drain highlights a critical business challenge. Yet when managed effectively, conflict becomes a catalyst for: ✅ Innovation ✅ Better decision-making ✅ Stronger relationships Here's the outcomes of my research. No: I wasn't the first one going through this ;) 3 Research-Backed Conflict Resolution Models: 1. The Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Model (TKI) Each style has its place in your conflict toolkit: - Competing → Crisis situations needing quick decisions - Collaborating → Complex problems requiring buy-in - Compromising → Temporary fixes under time pressure - Avoiding → Minor issues that will resolve naturally - Accommodating → When harmony matters more than the outcome 2. Harvard Negotiation Project's BATNA Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement - Know your walkaway position - Research all parties' alternatives - Strengthen your options - Negotiate from confidence, not fear 3. Circle of Conflict Model (Moore) Identify the root cause to choose your approach: - Value Conflicts → Find superordinate goals - Relationship Issues → Focus on communication - Data Conflicts → Agree on facts first - Structural Problems → Address system issues - Interest Conflicts → Look for mutual gains Pro Tips for Implementation: ⚡ Before the Conflict: - Map stakeholders - Document facts - Prepare your BATNA - Choose your timing ⚡ During Resolution: - Stay solution-focused - Use neutral language - Listen actively - Take reflection breaks ⚡ After Agreement: - Document decisions - Set review dates - Monitor progress - Acknowledge improvements Remember: Your conflict style should match the situation, not your comfort zone. Feels weird to send that follow up email. But do it: it's actually really crucial. And refrain yourself from putting a few bitter words here and there ;) You'll come out of it a stronger manager. As the saying goes "don't waste a good crisis"! 💡 What's your go-to conflict resolution approach? Has it evolved with experience? ♻️ Share this to empower a leader ➕ Follow Helene Guillaume Pabis for more ✉️ Newsletter: https://lnkd.in/dy3wzu9A

Most B2B podcasts fail, and it’s not because the content is bad. It’s because the audience is too broad. Everyone’s trying to be the next Joe Rogan… Instead of creating a show for the 100 right people who actually buy from them. Here’s the truth: The more niche your podcast, the more money it can make. In a recent webinar, I interviewed John Lee Dumas (@Entrepreneurs on Fire), and he dropped a gem: “The real magic happens when you find a niche… within a niche… within a niche.” He backed that up by sharing how he launched a daily crypto YouTube show focused on ONE company…and now earns six figures from that show alone. Want to see how that kind of focus plays out in real numbers? If your podcast brings in just 3 leads/month…And you close 50%… With $1K–$3K/month recurring deals… You’re on track to generate $117K–$351K in ARR. From a podcast with 100 targeted listeners. In my latest post, I break this all down, including: 1. Why niche podcasts outperform broad ones 2. How they attract high-value collaborations with real examples from real b2b companies 3. How to find your niche (within a niche) Read the full article and let me know your thoughts. #podcast #sales #marketing

100% of companies will tell you they want a learning culture...but why then does learning become something that's done 'when things calm down'? Because in many places, they never do 🤷♀️ What I mean by a learning culture is when an organization is set up so that people continuously get better at their work, every week, not by accident, but in an intentional, structured way- supported by their learning habits and behaviours. A learning culture is most visible when it's normal and expected to share the problems you see, share what you don' know, share the knowledge you have and listen to hear what others have to say. And the best way to create this culture?? Through continuous micro behaviour and habit changes. Such as... 1) End meetings with a 2-minute “What did we learn?” Ask: What did we learn today? What should we do differently next time? 2) Replace “Who did this?” with “What in the process allowed this?” When something goes wrong, model the language: “Let’s fix the system, not hunt a person.” 3) Make one question your default answer to a problem: "What do you think happened and what should we do? It trains people to think, not just react. 4) Turn mistakes into a 5-minute “lesson captured” Store it somewhere visible (Teams channel, shared doc, noticeboard). 5) Normalize “I don’t know… yet” Leaders say it first. 6) Do a weekly “one improvement” round In a huddle or team check-in- each person shares one small improvement they made or noticed. 7) Use “ask and listen” after decisions or training After explaining something, ask: “Can you tell me what you understand from what I said?” Not to test people- to confirm shared understanding. 8) Create a “question parking lot” that actually gets answered When questions come up mid-work, park them. Assign an owner and a date. 9) Praise learning behaviours, not just outcomes Catch people doing the right things and say thanks! 10) Build a micro-habit of feedback Once a week, everyone gives one piece of helpful feedback to someone. Really importantly, while these ARE simple tweaks to habits and behaviours, they require people to step out of their comfort zone- and that challenge has to be recognized and supported. What have you seen or introduced to shape a learning culture? What gets in the way? Leave your comments below 🙏

First month down as an independent podcaster. A quick recap of what I’ve learned + game plan to make this huge: 1. Downloads are at 70% of where they were before my 8-month hiatus. Honestly higher than I expected. Shows the value of owning the feed & the intimacy of a podcast relationship. 2. Talking to my audience is a great way to stay motivated when numbers are still relatively small. I ask my listeners to email me at the top of every episode. Hearing how much Founder’s Journal helps them with their business gives me more than enough fire to do this for a long time. 3. Working with sponsors (like Gusto) that you actually believe in & are a customer of, makes the advertising business actually fun. I don’t feel slimy & I want to go out of my way to overdeliver for them. 4. Filled closets are exceptional studios if you don’t have a professional one. I recorded today’s episode in my mom’s closet with a Shure MV7, and you’d never know I had such a janky set up. 5. Evergreen shows have a crazy long tail. 38% of my monthly downloads came from episodes not recorded this month. This means 2 things: making episodes easily discoverable is crucial since people treat the show as service content & selling the back catalog is as important as selling new episodes. 6. Like any business, the market you pick for a podcast is everything. Because my show is for startup founders, there will always be more advertiser demand than quality supply. That means I can monetize this show at high CPMs without needing to dilute the content in search of a massive audience. 7. Have a YouTube native version of your podcast. Given how bad discoverability in podcasts is, creating top of funnel on the largest search engine in the world is (almost) always the right move. I plan to bring Founder’s Journal to YT in the coming weeks. 8. Niche is generally better in media & podcasts are no exception. Be niche in topic (How I Write by David Perell) or niche in format (Founders by David Senra) My niche is short-form (<20 min) solo records by founders. 9. A podcast is a living breathing organism. Every media franchise has an arc of relevancy and the only way to stay relevant for a long time (>3 years) is to keep evolving the show based on what your audience wants. It’s why having 2-way conversation with your community is so important. 10. I plan to get my pod to 5x per week. Why? More surface area for discovery & word of mouth. More opportunity to create daily habit. More founder voices to highlight beyond my own. One thought is creating a “Residency,” where I get 3-4 other founders (in different industries/stages) to host one episode per week for a quarter. 11. Far more valuable then the advertising business is the lead gen that the pod creates for all of my portfolio companies, where the LTV of a customer is in the tens of thousands. This is generally true for B2B pods. Reply below if you have any questions about podcast strategy I can answer.

❓ How Can I Improve My Team’s Communication Skills? One of my clients - Matthew, a senior director was facing significant challenges with his team’s communication. There were frequent misunderstandings, missed deadlines, and a general lack of cohesion. Realizing the urgent need for improvement, he sought professional coaching from us. Here’s how our journey unfolded and the remarkable changes we achieved. Initial Challenges: 🚩Frequent misunderstandings among team members 🚩Missed deadlines due to poor communication 🚩Lack of team cohesion and collaboration Steps Taken: 1. Foster an Open Environment ⭕ Encouraging Openness: We emphasized the importance of creating a safe space for open communication. Matthew started holding regular team meetings where everyone felt comfortable sharing their ideas and feedback without fear of judgment. 2. Use the Right Tools 🛠️ Communication Platforms: Matthew introduced his team to effective communication tools like Slack and Microsoft Teams - which facilitated instant messaging, file sharing, and organized conversations, which streamlined workflows. 3. Provide Training 📚 Communication Workshops: this is where we came in fully by focusing on developing essential communication skills, such as active listening, clear articulation, and providing constructive feedback. 4. Lead by Example 🧘♂️ Modeling Behavior: By emphasizing the importance of leading by example, Matthew started demonstrating strong communication skills in his interactions with the team. By being clear, respectful, and attentive, he set a standard for others to follow. 5. Regular Feedback 🔄 Constructive Feedback: Implementing a system for regular, constructive feedback helped team members understand their communication strengths and areas for improvement. This ongoing process fostered a culture of continuous improvement. 🍀Tips for Team Member Development: 👂Active Listening: Encourage team members to practice active listening, focusing fully on the speaker, understanding their message, responding thoughtfully, and remembering what was said. 🔈Clear Articulation: Help team members develop the ability to express their thoughts and ideas clearly and concisely, avoiding ambiguity and confusion. ❤Empathy: Foster empathy within the team so members can better understand and relate to each other's perspectives and emotions. 🎀Conflict Resolution: Train team members in conflict resolution techniques to handle disagreements professionally and constructively. 🧷Non-Verbal Communication: Educate the team about the importance of body language, facial expressions, and other non-verbal cues in effective communication. Want to enhance your team's communication skills? 🌟 📞 https://lnkd.in/dGGM5vCK #sonniasingh #sonniasinghleadershipcoach #leadershipcoaching #teamcoach #teams #communicationskills #softskills #TeamCommunication #SoftSkills #ProfessionalTraining

If there's conflict in your team, how can you resolve it without aggression or escalation? And also without people-pleasing or giving away your power as a leader? The key here is: establish psychological safety. If your first response is to blame them, their guards will go up, and they will get defensive, because they will detect a threat i.e., lack of psychological safety. That's the end of the conversation and maybe even the relationship in extreme cases. Here are some examples: What NOT to Do: Dismiss or Ignore Concerns: Example: A team member raises an issue during a meeting, but it's brushed aside by the team leader without any further discussion. Instead: Acknowledge the concern and encourage open dialogue to understand its root cause and potential impact. What NOT to Do: Blame or Shame Individuals: Example: When a mistake is made, publicly assigning blame to a specific team member. Instead: Approach errors as learning opportunities for the entire team, focusing on solutions rather than assigning fault. Give constructive feedback in private. What NOT to Do: Dominate Discussions: Example: A few outspoken team members monopolize discussions, making it difficult for others to contribute their perspectives. Instead: Facilitate balanced participation by actively encouraging quieter team members to share their thoughts and ensuring everyone has an opportunity to speak. What TO Do Instead: Encourage Open Communication: Example: Create regular opportunities for team members to share their thoughts, concerns, and feedback in a safe and non-judgmental environment, such as through regular team meetings or anonymous suggestion boxes. Model Vulnerability: Example: Leaders openly admit their own mistakes or uncertainties, demonstrating that it's acceptable to be imperfect and fostering a culture of trust and authenticity. Provide Constructive Feedback: Example: When addressing performance issues, focus on specific behaviours or outcomes rather than attacking the individual's character. Offer guidance on how to improve and support them in their development. Celebrate Diversity of Thought: Example: Encourage team members to bring diverse perspectives to the table, recognizing that differing viewpoints can lead to more robust solutions. Celebrate successes that result from collaborative efforts. Establish Clear Norms: Example: Set explicit ground rules for communication and conflict resolution within the team, emphasizing the importance of respect, active listening, and maintaining confidentiality. Did this help? Then give this post a 👍🏼

If/when at odds, should #EmployeeResourceGroups ultimately serve their communities or their employers' mission? 🤔 There's no easy or straightforward answer to this question, and that's something I've seen myself grappling with every now and then at work. It's important to note that, historically, #ERGs emerged with the 1960s Civil Rights Movement in the USA – marked by significant social and political activism aimed at securing equal rights. So the roots of ERGs would arguably be to focus on certain identity-related agendas. My hypothesis is that what happened since then is that many individuals, cultures and organisations have reshaped their understanding of the role an ERG should play, while failing to communicate that clearly. With different people joining different groups in different places at different points in time with no actual rigour in defining the boundaries of their work, ambiguity arose, and – with that – friction shows up every now and then. Ideally, the goals of ERGs and their employers wouldn't be at odds – after all, #diversity and #inclusion should be beneficial to everyone. However, there can be situations where tensions arise. I've learned (sometimes the hard way) that ERGs can navigate them by focusing on: 1️⃣ Common ground: often, the needs of the ERG community and the employer's mission *can* align. For instance, an ERG advocating for better family-forming benefits will be good for both employees and the organisation (reduced turnover, increased productivity). 2️⃣ Open communication: ERGs can present data on how their goals benefit the organisation. Employers, in turn, should listen to employee concerns and be willing to adapt when possible. 3️⃣ Advocacy (as opposed to antagonism): ERGs should strive to be advocates for their communities within the organisation. They can achieve this through proposing solutions, conducting surveys, and highlighting positive examples from other organisations. 4️⃣ Shared values: sometimes, a compromise might be necessary. If an employer's mission significantly clashes with the ERG's core values, a difficult decision arises. In such cases, the ERG might need to prioritise its community's wellbeing, potentially through advocacy outside the company. 5️⃣ Executive sponsorship: having senior leaders who advocate for ERGs and help bridge the gap between ERG initiatives and organisational priorities can go a long way. 6️⃣ Escalating issues: at times, it will be necessary to escalate concerns to higher management, boards, ombudspersons or external advisors to find resolutions that honour both parties. That comes with inherent risks to both sides, but may potentially drive deep and lasting change. I'd say the ultimate skill to master here is navigating conflicts with sensitivity and a focus on mutual benefits. That is no easy feat, but can help ensure that both the communities and the organisation thrive. What have you learned in your experience?