Featured categories
Latest Posts
Use These Two Short Words to Ensure Clear Communication Is Status Quo (and Not a Random Act of Kindness)
Something curious has been happening lately. During calls with our Leadership Development cohorts, Erin and I always talk about the benefits of using the phrase, “I expect …” to clearly communicate about things like roles and responsibilities or to give meaningful...
Yes, You Can Get There From Here: Our New People- and Strategy Roadmap Points the Way
Imagine trying to give someone directions without knowing precisely where they are or exactly where they want to go. Impossible, right? You MUST know where you are in order to get to where you want to be. Yet business leaders seem to forget (or ignore) this simple...
What’s the Buzz: Turn Buzzwords into Strategic, Measurable Action
As the co-founders of People Spark, we’re leadership junkies. We’re always listening to Ted Talks and podcasts about leadership, and we’ve lost count of how many articles we’ve read and clever quotes we’ve memorized on the topic. Over the last few months, we’ve...
How to Keep Employees from Cringing When You Say, “I Have Some Feedback for You”
“I have some feedback for you.” When you hear these words, how do you feel? Nervous? Anxious? Optimistic? Maybe this statement instantly puts you on the defensive, ready to rebut criticism from a manager who clearly is out to get you. Or maybe you feel open-minded and...
5 Tips for Choosing Your Words Wisely—Because, Leaders, It REALLY Matters
A few weeks ago, I was doing one of my favorite things: facilitating a two-day leadership development course for a client. During the session, I handed each participant one of our favorite resources, a bookmark featuring People Spark’s “Top 10 Phrases Every Manager...
Avoid the #1 “Culture” Mistake Leaders Make—Plus, 3 Things to Do Instead
We’ve been on the road a lot these past few weeks, attending and presenting at conferences like GEAPS and MGFA. After countless conversations with ag and feed leaders, it’s clear they’re VERY interested in creating a company culture that ensures their businesses and...
The Secret to True Business Alignment? Think Hay Bales and Stars
In a previous blog, we discussed a common mistake we see business leaders make: trying to fix the symptoms of a problem with short-term, Band-Aid solutions instead of identifying and resolving the more serious underlying issues. For example, if a client is struggling...
People Spark Consulting is a Minneapolis–Saint Paul, MN based consulting company that specializes in transforming business cultures through human resources and people strategies.
