Deepening Connection & Team Culture When We Need It Most

Work can feel impersonal [and lonely] these days, especially with hybrid and remote work. Connecting with your team is tough when you're not all in the same room.

In this call, Cecilia leads us through a session to learn more about purposeful actions designed with energy and connection in mind...and how they might help us counter feelings of isolation, loneliness, or disconnect. 

Key learning points: 
✅  Simple actions that benefit you and help build stronger bonds on a team
✅  How personal and team rituals differ from habits and traditions
✅  Practical tips for adding meaning and connection into your day-to-day

 
 
 
 
 

Additional Resources

"The Transformative Power of Engaging in Ritual" from Psychology Today - Explores how rituals provide meaning and foster deeper connections, particularly in team settings. (Article)

"How Ritual Increases Social Connection" by Baya Voce - Explains why ritual and regular socializing are the simple keys to feeling connected and less alone. (TED Talk)

"The Power of Rituals at work" from Radical Candor podcast - Everyday actions, when turned into rituals, can manage emotions and create a sense of control and purpose. Michael Norton explores the significance of rituals in reducing stress and enhancing productivity, both at work and in personal life. (Podcast)

"Rituals for Work: 50 Ways to Create Engagement, Shared Purpose, and a Culture That Can Adapt to Change" by Kursat Ozenc and Margaret Hagan - Offers actionable rituals designed to enhance team dynamics and workplace culture. (Book)

Cultivating and Benefitting from Male Allies: An Interview with Faisal Feroz

Faisal Feroz
Faisal Feroz is Senior Director of Partner Engineering, recognized for his commitment to supporting women in the workplace. In this interview, we’ll explore the transformative power of allyship—how individuals can uplift one another and create inclusive environments. While we’ll highlight how women can cultivate and benefit from male allies, it's essential to recognize that the principles of allyship extend beyond any single group. By embracing allyship, we can build equitable workplaces that empower everyone to grow.

We’ll delve into Faisal’s journey, discussing what inspired him to become an ally, the challenges he has faced, and the impact of his actions. Additionally, we’ll explore practical ways to cultivate allyship in our workplaces and foster a culture that values diversity and inclusion. Through these insights, we aim to empower everyone to embrace allyship and create environments that support and elevate all individuals.

 
 

Additional Resources
“A Guide to Becoming a Better Ally”  by Rakshitha Arni Ravishankar - This guide emphasizes concrete steps employees can take to practice allyship, like speaking up, listening to marginalized voices, and committing to continuous learning. It outlines challenges allies may face and strategies to stay committed to allyship. (Article)

“The Will to Change” by Jennifer Brown - This podcast explores diversity and inclusion topics, including allyship in the workplace. It features interviews with leaders and professionals sharing their experiences and challenges in being allies.. (Podcast)

“How to Support a Friend Going Through Something Tough” by Tessa Alexander - Although not directly about the workplace, this TED talk emphasizes the importance of being present and supportive, a core part of being an effective ally in any setting. (TED Talk)

“The Wake Up: Closing the Gap Between Good Intentions and Real Change” by Michelle MiJung Kim - This book highlights the need for ongoing commitment to diversity and inclusion, challenging readers to go beyond performative allyship and take impactful, sustained action. (Book)

What Every Employee Needs to Know About Leading a Team (Even if You Don’t Lead a Team)

In this training session, we learn tools to be a stronger leader, no matter your job title. We cover essential self-leadership skills and give you ideas to help you positively contribute to the work culture around you.

Key learning points: 
✅  The #1 Leadership Enhancer - Boosting self-awareness is easy and impactful
✅  One size doesn't fit all - Learning how to flex your communication and approach
✅  Your Difference Maker - Getting intentional with feedback to speed up growth and development

 
 
 
 
 

Additional Resources Coming Soon

Why Self-Leadership?  by Birkman.com- Delves into the benefits of self-leadership, including increased self-esteem, better decision-making, and improved resilience. It emphasizes that self-leadership is crucial for all individuals, regardless of their formal position.    (Article)

"The Look & Sound of Leadership" with Tom Henschel
This podcast frequently addresses adaptive leadership strategies, focusing on how leaders can enhance their leadership presence and tailor their communication to different team members. Listen here. (Podcast)

"Insight: The Surprising Truth About How Others See Us, How We See Ourselves, and Why the Answers Matter More Than We Think" by Tasha Eurich (Revised Edition, 2018)
This book delves deep into self-awareness, providing tools and techniques for leaders to better understand themselves and their impact on others. (Book)

Optimize the Intersection of Career & Life with Susie R. Lecker

Susie R. Lecker
Global Executive, Advisor & Speaker

Susie R. Lecker is a seasoned, authentic executive with a background in CPG and proficiency in the Toy and Licensing Industries. Her career has spanned 25 years in marketing and general management leadership roles across multiple consumer packaged goods industries with a focus on children’s brands. Susie has extensive experience in developing and scaling new brands/products, leading cross-functional teams, and successfully managing relationships and P&Ls.

Susie recently established a consulting practice focused on lending her expertise to build brand franchises and support executives in making choices that shape their personal and professional vision. Prior to this, she was the CEO of FitSwoop, a wellness startup. At Mattel, Susie served as EVP/Chief Brands Officer for the Toybox division, overseeing a $2B division and driving trend- inspired innovation in toy development. She played a key role in the acquisition of the Thomas The Tank franchise and launched successful toy lines globally.

Throughout her career, Susie has been recognized for her creativity and innovation in marketing, including receiving the Women In Toys award for Marketing in 2013. She holds a BA in Psychology from York University in Toronto and is dedicated to promoting physical, mental, and spiritual fitness at every age.

In this interview, Chelsea and Susie had an inspiring and transformative discussion that covered:

✅ Embracing Duality: Learn how to hold both sides of a situation, giving yourself permission to enjoy life even when facing challenges.

✅ Overcoming Comparison: Gain strategies to overcome the tendency to compare yourself to others, fostering a healthier self-image.

✅ Breaking Free from Perfectionism: Understand the pressures of perfection and develop techniques to overcome them, allowing for a more authentic and fulfilling life.

 
 

Additional Resources


The Joy of Movement: How Exercise Helps Us Find Happiness, Hope, Connection, and Courage by Kelly McGonigal - discusses how to shift your perspective on stress, turning it into a positive force that can improve your performance and well-being. (Book)

Thrive: The Third Metric to Redefining Success and Creating a Life of Well-Being, Wisdom, and Wonder by Arianna Huffington - argues that true success is not just about money and power but also about well-being, wisdom, and wonder, advocating for a balanced life that prioritizes health and happiness. (Book)

3 Lessons of Revolutionary Love in a Time of Rage by Valarie Kaur - shares insights on transforming anger and grief into a force for positive change, which is applicable to both personal and professional challenges.. (TED Talk)

The Fallacy of Work-Life Balance by Forbes - The article argues that the concept of work-life balance is a misleading ideal, suggesting instead that individuals should strive for work-life integration where personal and professional aspects coexist harmoniously. (Article)

Resilience: Building Mental Strength in a Fast-Changing World by Medium - The article emphasizes the importance of developing mental resilience to navigate the challenges of a rapidly changing world, focusing on strategies like adaptability, emotional regulation, and maintaining a growth mindset.. (Article)

Mastering Control in Your Personal & Professional Life

During this call, we explored how to overcome the need for excessive control, by focusing on what we can actually control— our personal energy. 

We covered: 

✅ Understanding control dynamics in the workplace

✅ How to effectively manage and harness personal energy

✅ Strategies for reducing the need for control through energy management

 
 
 
 
 

Additional Resources Coming Soon

Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown - Advocates for focusing on what truly matters to maintain balance and control (Book)

Attuned: Practicing Interdependence to Heal Our Trauma—and Our World by Thomas Hübl, Julie Avritt, et al. - Explores how cultivating interdependence and attunement to ourselves and others can heal personal and collective trauma. (Book)

Energy is Real!: A Practical Guide for Managing Personal Energy in Daily Life by Gail Christel Behrend - provides practical guidance for understanding and managing personal energy levels for improved well-being and daily life. (Book)

Duality - In just 15-20 minutes a day, you’ll be guided through Duality’s mindfully crafted curriculum that will help you tap into your intuition, eliminate energy blocks, strengthen your chakras, and heal yourself & others using energy. (Online Course)

The Huberman Lab Podcast - Covers scientific research on human performance, including sleep, stress, and brain optimization. (Podcast)

Our Mindful Nature - Offers short, practical mindfulness exercises for daily life. (Podcast)

How to Protect Your Energy at Work by Motion - Focuses on the concept of mental energy and offers strategies to protect and replenish is. (Article)

Overcoming Patriarchy & Hierarchy: An Interview with Positive Psychology Play Coach Jeff Harry

Jeff Harry
Positive Psychology Play Coach

Jeff Harry shows individuals and companies how to tap into their true selves to feel their happiest and most fullfilled — by playing.

Jeff has worked with Google, Microsoft, Siemens, Southwest Airlines, Adobe, the NFL, Amazon, and Facebook, helping their staff to infuse more play into the day-to-day.

Jeff is an international speaker who has presented at conferences such as INBOUND, SXSW, SHRM National, and Australia’s Pausefest, showing audiences how major issues in the workplace can be solved through play.

Jeff was selected by Engagedly as one of the Top 100 HR Influencers for his organizational development work around addressing toxicity in the workplace.

​Jeff believes that we already have many of the answers we seek, and by simply unleashing our inner child, we can find our purpose and, in turn, help to create a better world. 

In this interview, Cecilia interviews Jeff for a fascinating conversation on patriarchy and how it shows up at work. The conversation covers:

✅ Overview of Patriarchy -- How it shows up and does damage in the workplace

✅ Countering Toxic Masculinity at Work - Plus, signs to be watchful of in yourself

✅ Incorporating Play as an Antidote and a Solution 

 
 

Additional Resources

“Women & Leadership: Breaking Through Barriers” by The Lead Women Podcast - Explores challenges women face in leadership and strategies to overcome them. (Podcast)

“Disruptors, Unconscious Bias and Gender Equity with Dr. Patti Fletcher” by Punk Rock HR Podcast - Discusses what it means to be a disruptive influence at work and how it can work to your advantage. (Podcast)

“The Danger of a Single Story” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - This classic TED Talk explores the importance of diverse narratives and challenging stereotypes. (TED Talk)

“The Power of Play at Work” by Greater Good Magazine - Discusses the benefits of play in fostering collaboration and innovation, potentially leading to more flexible hierarchies. (Article)

“Rediscover Your Play” by Jeff Harry - Jeff Harry shows individuals and companies how to tap into their true selves to feel their happiest and most fulfilled — all by playing. (Website)

Connect on Linked in with Jeff Harry

Communication Powerhouse: 4 Essential (& Less Talked About) Skills

Whether negotiating a promotion, leading a team, or navigating challenging conversations, you'll emerge from this session better equipped to communicate in the workplace.

In this call, Cecilia will delve into:

✅ 4 Essential Skills that Help Promote Effective Communication

✅ How Relationships, Time & Trust Play Into Communication

✅ The Equal Importance of How You Receive Others’ Communication

 
 
 
 

Additional Resources Coming Soon

"Thanks for the Feedback" by Douglas Stone and Sheila Heen (2014) dives into the importance of feedback, and specifically, how to receive it effectively. The book highlights the challenges of receiving criticism, even when we want to improve.

"The Confidence Code for Women Leaders" by TED Talks Daily (March 2024): This podcast episode features social psychologist Claire Shipman discussing confidence and communication for women in leadership roles The Confidence Code for Women Leaders by TED Talks Daily.

"5 Powerful Strategies To Build Trust In The Workplace" by Forbes (April 2024): This article discusses how trust in the workplace leads to a positive and productive environment where employees feel valued and respected. This can be achieved by building authentic connections, actively listening to colleagues, and encouraging transparency from leadership.

"Communication Is at the Heart of Positive Employee Relationships" by MIT Sloan Management Review (June 2023): This articles talk about how effective communication is essential for building positive relationships with employees. Employers should communicate openly and honestly with staff throughout the hiring process, including providing clear expectations and offering feedback. Open communication is also important for maintaining a positive work environment.

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