Eric Schurke

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Preparing adequately for a team collaboration and brainstorming session is essential to ensure that everyone is on the same page and that the session is productive.  Collaboration and brainstorming are critical components of many successful projects. However, they can be challenging to execute effectively. Below, a panel of Fast Company Executive Board members offers some tips to help you prepare for a team collaboration and brainstorming session that can lead to more successful outcomes. Whether you're working on a project with colleagues or leading a team, these tips can help you get the most out of your collaboration and brainstorming sessions.

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In today's hyper-connected world, it's easy for criticisms and negative comments to spread like wildfire, potentially damaging your reputation and credibility. Being a company leader who is also a public speaker or author of books and articles comes with its own set of challenges. One of the biggest challenges is dealing with public scrutiny, especially when someone doesn't agree with your professional viewpoint or is upset about what you said. To help leaders face this situation head-on, a group of Fast Company Executive Board members explores some strategies for handling public scrutiny and saving face when dealing with criticism or backlash. Whether you're a seasoned public speaker or a new author, these tips can help you navigate the rough waters of public scrutiny and emerge stronger and more successful.

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The world is always turning, business is always evolving, and happy people make the world go round.

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Apply these strategies to enhance your team's performance levels and standards. To set your team up for success and the confidence to meet department expectations and throughout the company, it's critical to start the conversation early.  Providing clear context, consistently, about big-picture goals and objectives will encourage employees to stay accountable, collaborate effectively, and become even more invested as they learn more about the "why." Below, 16 Fast Company Executive Board members are sharing their tips to inspire individuals, motivate teamwork, and achieve better outcomes. 

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By doing better with your data, you ensure a cycle of sustainable working practice and growth.

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Are you meeting your clients where they're at to help them reach their ultimate goals?  As the digital marketplace continues to evolve, there are plenty of opportunities through technological advancements for leaders to gauge the customer experience and real-time behaviors.  But to ensure a brand is meeting client expectations and market standards, it's more than just collecting artificial intelligence or emailing a mass marketing survey. For companies truly aimed at staying in alignment with their base and increasing satisfaction rates, it's about developing quality products and services that actually work, and letting the clients lead the way. Here are 10 tried and true methods that Fast Company Executive Board members highly recommend and rely on to measure a greater customer experience, find solutions, and build on continuous improvement.

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Living up to their own set of standards enables managers to increase credibility, mutual respect, trust, and engagement with their teams. Whether it's a start-up business owner or the CEO of a Fortune 500 company, it's important to lead by example if managers expect their employees to emulate the core values and mission they promote to meet business goals. Expressing constant negativity about the challenges of work is also counterproductive for leaders who want to encourage an open-door policy for communication and build a culture of psychological safety. Being an active and collaborative listener, who is willing to consider the ideas and feedback of staff seriously, also inspires trust and team morale.  Below, experts from Fast Company Executive Board are here to explain 16 behaviors that managers should aim to avoid, and how they can improve on breaking the cycle.

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Here's how department leaders are breaking the conversation barriers to improve their team relationships. To encourage ongoing dialogue, and inspire an employee's enthusiasm about their contribution to the job, a leader must be relatable, humble, and willing to show up to support their team on a daily basis.  Revealing a sense of humanity and their commitment to staff in the workplace also demonstrates their openness to receive feedback. This, in turn, empowers employees to stay engaged when given a voice—to brainstorm collective solutions that make the organization even better. Below, 13 Fast Company Executive Board members share their best practices to spark some safe, transparent, and meaningful discussions in the office.

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Consumer psychology 101: Apply these engagement strategies to your sales funnel process. Keeping your fingers on the pulse of what's going on inside the mind of today's consumers, in real-time, doesn't have to be a hit-or-miss situation. If you utilize the proper tools and techniques available, you'll be able to quickly identify ways to elevate the customer's journey and exceed their satisfaction.  Once you've discovered what is working, or how to make the necessary tweaks in their experience with your products or services, you'll also be on track to gaining their long-term loyalty, trust, and support when it comes to advocating for your brand. Below are 15 methods that Fast Company Executive Board members are implementing in their business practices to engage with prospects and gather key information, which leads to sales.

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Here's how a CGI-AI-powered assistant can free up staff time and enable a smoother client journey. Chatbot systems have come a long way, thanks to artificial intelligence and machine learning improvements. With a user-friendly automated service installed on its website, any business can address its customers' immediate concerns or frequently asked questions with little to no wait. This helps teams increase customer satisfaction at a higher rate.  Below are 10 Fast Company Executive Board members to share how installing a chatbot software application to their company's website has improved their business-client relationships in real-time.

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In connecting with, nurturing, and inspiring your people, you can generate a positive and long-lasting legacy far beyond your tenure.

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Implement the following strategies to form better alliances for your products and services. When you're running a business, the only way your company will be able to elevate itself in the marketplace for the better is by being extremely open to constructive criticism and new ideas. Encourage a company culture that is transparent with leaders that practice active listening skills if you plan to connect on a more meaningful level with stakeholders who will advocate behind what your business stands for as you lean in to help meet their ongoing needs as well.  For further ideas on how to get honest feedback from current and potential clients, Fast Company Executive Board members share some proven methods that continue to serve their company well.

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The rate of innovation is only going to increase exponentially.

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People are the biggest asset in any organization, and they should be treated like the celebrities they are.

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No matter what kind of day or week you're having, there are some simple ways to keep your energy and performance high at work. Everyone has dips in their energy and productivity. However, when you're trying to lead a business, it's tough to lose valuable work time to a slump in motivation. The key to maintaining high energy levels and positivity at work isn't resolving to "power through" the slump and burn yourself out; rather, it's about integrating small, simple habits that may help reduce the likelihood of that slump in the first place. To help you stay in optimal performance mode, a panel of Fast Company Executive Board members would like to share how they manage to keep themselves at their peak, regardless of what's happening throughout the week.

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An office celebration (once it's safe for large groups to gather in person again) can be seen as an investment into a company's future, adding value long after the last taxi home.

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Negativity on the job leads to critical issues for leadership and their staff members. Enabling a toxic environment in the workplace may result in the tarnishing of the professional reputations of the parties involved or the company's downfall. Still, many managers choose to turn a blind eye, and subordinates are too intimidated to bring the office drama to their leader's attention. To help supervisors and their direct reports nip their concerns in the bud, 16 Fast Company Executive Board panelists provide key signs of a toxic environment and share some practical advice for management to consider as they try to clean up the workplace.

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Being a leader can be mentally and emotionally taxing, so it's important to prioritize wellness and self-care as a manager. The COVID-19 pandemic ushered in a new era of thinking about mental health and wellness in the workplace. Business leaders have begun advocating for the wellbeing of their employees in growing numbers, transforming mental health support from a perk to a workplace imperative.  Even as leaders across industries strive to improve support for their teams, many face their own mental health challenges. To help fellow leaders cope, a panel of Fast Company Executive Board members offered their best advice for managing the unique pressures of leadership and prioritizing mental health and wellness as a manager.

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Making simple but effective changes to your customer experience can make a huge difference in how your brand is perceived. When it comes to customer service, it's often the little things that make the most difference. Simple actions like using the customer's first name more often or delivering a personalized order confirmation are easy enough to automate and execute, but they can have a big and lasting impact on how a customer feels about your brand. There are plenty of opportunities to pick the "low-hanging fruit" and start improving your customer experience right away, without breaking the bank or expending tons of resources. To help you do this, 15 members of Fast Company Executive Board shared some easy ways they’ve boosted their customer experience and why it was so effective.

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Clear expectations are essential for managers to get the results they want while empowering employees to do their best work. As a business leader, you're not only responsible for completing your own work but also for ensuring that your employees are clear on what they need to do and have the resources and leeway to accomplish the goals you’ve set. Your team members want and need to know what you're expecting of them, but if you don't establish and present this information clearly and carefully, it can lead to confusion and anxiety. It's critical to check in with your employees and ensure that they understand what needs to be done to meet (and hopefully exceed) your expectations. Below, the members of Fast Company Executive Board share 15 smart strategies for setting expectations with your employees the right way.

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Putting sustainability into practice is about engagement.

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When it comes to getting the word out about your business, your own online reputation can be a boon—if you manage it carefully. With more communication channels than ever available for free, right at our fingertips, there are plenty of options for a CEO to broadcast their business. However, as quick and simple as it can be to talk up your business online through your business and personal social media accounts, it's just as easy to make the wrong move—one that can hurt your company's reputation. Indeed, a CEO's reputation can affect how people view their business. In today's marketplace, consumers tend to make personal connections with the businesses they patronize, and they may well choose to buy from (or pass by) a company depending on what they think of its CEO. Company leaders need to devote time and resources to building up a positive public image online. To help, 15 members of Fast Company Executive Board have shared their top personal branding tips for CEOs. Follow their advice to cultivate an online reputation that's a positive for both you and your business.

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It all comes down to communication.

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Building a successful brand is all about creating and engaging a community around your business. Loyal customers benefit a business’s bottom line, but avid fans can actively increase it. Not only are they loyal customers, but they will often share their passion with others and attract new customers to your business. The secret to creating genuine fans is not just providing an outstanding product or service (although that’s an essential first step). It’s building a community that draws them together based on the interests, values and vision they share with both you and each other. Fortunately, now that the public can easily learn more about you and your company online, building a community of fans is easier than ever before—if you take the right steps. Below, 15 members of Fast Company Executive Board share their best tips for building an engaging community for your customers.

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Not only does an agile ethos save time and effort, but it also inspires, engages, and motivates people to work at their full potential.

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You’ve caught the attention of a new prospect—now you need to convince them you can really deliver what you’re promising. Across industries, marketing teams of both B2B and B2C companies employ a variety of strategies to catch the attention of new prospects. It can be a difficult hill to climb—particularly in today’s global, digital marketplace—but even when you succeed, your work may be only half done. The new prospect knows what you claim to offer, but they may not be sure—yet—that you can back it up. To complete the sale, companies need to close the “credibility gap” that may be keeping prospects from making a final decision in their favor. To help, 15 members of Fast Company Executive Board have shared ways companies can convince potential clients and customers that they are capable of and committed to following through on their marketing promises. Follow their advice to establish your expertise and land the deal.

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Feeling like you don’t belong in the position you’ve achieved in your professional life can have a negative impact on your mental and emotional well-being, but there are ways to boost your confidence in your intrinsic abilities and qualifications. In recent years, the term “impostor syndrome” has become an increasingly common topic of discussion. People with impostor syndrome may believe that they are not truly qualified for the role they hold or may attribute the success they’ve achieved to mere luck. This can lead to unfounded feelings of being “unworthy” or fears of being “found out.” And no one is immune; imposter syndrome is an issue that affects everyone from entrepreneurs and CEOs to entry-level professionals. Left unchecked, this all-too-common phenomenon can be detrimental to both work performance and mental health. Fortunately, it’s possible to combat these negative perceptions and feel more confident in your achievements, worth, and potential. Below, 16 members of Fast Company Executive Board share their best advice to help those struggling with impostor syndrome.

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Today’s consumers want to engage with the human beings behind a brand, not faceless corporations. “People buy from people.” It’s an adage that has never been more true than it is in today’s digital age. The online economy places near unlimited options at consumers’ fingertips. Even so, people crave real connections and a personal touch in their customer experience. Businesses must develop ways to reach people on a human level to convert online connections into sales. Both B2C and B2B companies will see better results if they’re able to show the human beings who drive their brands. Below, 16 members of Fast Company Executive Board discuss ways business leaders can humanize their brands, no matter what product or service they sell.

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Never treat customers like a number or a one-off transaction. Care for them not with an agenda, but with an officer of genuine support.

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New entrepreneurs often approach their hoped-for mentors first, but successful industry leaders can and should proactively reach out to help the next generation of professionals, leaders, and business owners. Often, new and young entrepreneurs are advised to seek out a mentor. Their eagerness to learn and humility when asking for help can be a huge asset in their entrepreneurial journey. However, they shouldn’t always have to do the leg work to forge a successful mentorship. Rather than waiting for an up-and-coming professional or budding entrepreneur to contact them, established business owners and leaders can be proactive and give the next generation a leg up by sharing their experiences, insights, and assistance. There are several opportunities for successful leaders to pay it forward, and it doesn’t have to be through one-to-one mentorship (although that can provide amazing insights and opportunities for both parties). Whatever the time commitment they’re able to give, leaders can and should find ways to help the next generation as they begin their journey. Below, 15 members of Fast Company Executive Board share ways to do just that.

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A culture of adaptability has helped many organizations not only survive but thrive through the challenges of the past year and will set them up for future success. Founding and leading a business or organization comes with many unknowns, but one thing seems certain: At some point, leadership will have to guide the team through a crisis. While every crisis won’t have the global reach and severity of the COVID-19 pandemic, every crisis can cause disruption, lost momentum, and even failure—if leaders haven’t created a culture of adaptability. With the right guidance and preparation, businesses and their team members can quickly make important decisions and pivot when and as needed—even in the face of a crisis. However, adaptability doesn’t happen accidentally; it’s a skill and a mindset that must be intentionally developed and cultivated every day within an organization. Below, the members of Fast Company Executive Board share 15 practical ways leaders of any business or organization can build a culture of adaptability.