Category
Company Culture
Why Trust Matters More Than Talent in High-Performing Teams
Your team is keeping score. Not on productivity metrics or quarterly goals, though they notice those too. They’re tracking something more fundamental: whether you do what you say you’ll do. Whether your words match your actions. Whether it’s safe to tell you the truth. You can see it in the small behaviors that shift when...Read More
Gossip vs. Venting: How Leaders Build or Break Culture
Every workplace has talk. The water cooler conversations. The internal chat messages. The hushed exchanges in hallways, breakrooms, and parking lots. The real question is whether that talk is strengthening your culture or slowly poisoning it. Here’s what most leaders miss: venting and gossip are not the same thing. And when you don’t understand the...Read More
The Cost of Monday Dread
Monday dread isn’t a personality issue; it’s a cultural signal. Research shows that anticipatory stress, unclear expectations, and low-trust environments make Mondays feel heavier than they should. The good news? Leaders can change this quickly. Here’s how to turn Monday dread into drive and help your team start the week with energy and clarity.Read More
How Turning Your Back Can Help You Lead Better: The Improv Game That Revealed My Leadership Blind Spot
After 17 years of teaching improv, I recently experienced one of those rare “aha” moments that forever changes how you approach your craft. It happened during a seemingly routine class teaching the classic improv game “Freeze Tag,” and it reminded me of a powerful lesson that applies far beyond the stage. As a teenager in...Read More
Critical Thinking Meets Creativity: Business Innovation Guide
By Gina Trimarco Listen up, because what I’m about to share isn’t your typical academic snooze-fest about cognitive processes. After years of running businesses, training leaders, and yes, performing improv on stage, I’ve discovered something that most experts miss when they talk about critical thinking and creativity. They’re not opposing forces – they’re dance partners,...Read More
Employee Disengagement Costs: 2024 Statistics and Solutions [Complete Guide]
By Gina Trimarco I’ve been diving into the numbers behind employee disengagement in U.S. companies and let me tell you – the figures are shocking. The impact on productivity, profitability, and business performance is far worse than most leaders realize. Let me break down what I’ve found. The Price Tag Will Make You Wince: The...Read More
Employee Retention & Engagement: A Critical Business Imperative for 2025 and Beyond
As organizations navigate an increasingly complex workplace landscape, employee engagement has emerged as a defining challenge. Recent data from Chief Executive Group reveals that 60% of CEOs considered retaining and engaging employees their top priority for 2024, up from 57% two years ago¹. This heightened focus comes at a crucial time, with only 30% of...Read More
Bridging the Leadership-Employee Expectations Gap: A Comprehensive Approach
In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, organizations face a critical challenge that’s costing them up to 7% of their annual revenue: the growing disconnect between leadership practices and employee expectations. Recent research reveals a concerning gap between executive priorities and employee satisfaction, suggesting the need for innovative solutions that combine traditional management approaches with emerging...Read More
5 Critical Challenges of Hybrid Work: Why Human Connection Still Matters
Let’s talk about the elephant in the Zoom room: COVID didn’t just change where we work – it fundamentally shifted HOW we work, and not always for the better. While many celebrate the “new normal” of remote and hybrid work (and yes, there are definite benefits), I’m concerned about what we’re losing in the process....Read More
Leveraging Your IIQ (Improvised Intelligence™️)
You’ve heard of IQ. You may have also heard of EQ. Well, let me introduce IIQ – Improvised Intelligence™️. My work in the area of and fascination with emotional intelligence inspired me to coin the phrase Improvised Intelligence™️. From Daniel Goleman’s EQ, to Dr. Travis Bradberry’s Emotional Intelligence 2.0, to Jeb Blount’s Sales EQ—the parallels...Read More