About Ingrid Kelada

Ms. Ingrid Kelada has over 25 years of experience in psychology and is a happiness expert. She lives in Montreal and is bilingual. She is proud of her recent bestselling book "21 Days to Happiness" available on Amazon and now as an interactive eLearning program @ https://kccpositivepsychology.com. She is a speaker and has facilitated over 1000 workshops all over the world on a wide range of topics such as leadership, emotional intelligence, conflict management, stress/time & energy management and more!
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Why Celebrating Company Milestones is Important

Why Celebrating Company Milestones is Important Whether you’re cheering for the completion of a contract, recognizing a company anniversary, or taking a victory lap for a team goal, celebrating company milestones is important. It’s an opportunity to acknowledge contributions that make the achievement possible and reinforce the value and strength of teamwork. Celebrating a milestone means setting aside time to recognize your journey and look at how far you’ve come and who helped make your achievements possible. Here are more reasons to celebrate company milestones. 1. Acknowledge Individual Contributions. A milestone celebration is the perfect time to recognize individual contributions. Since employee recognition is a significant driver in retention and employee happiness, take the opportunity to celebrate each team member’s unique talents. Offering a bonus or gift is wonderful, but what’s most impactful is acknowledging specific, meaningful contributions from individuals on your team. How did each member contribute to the team’s success? This is the time to let the whole world know about it. 2. Generate Team Memories and Connections. Another key factor in employee retention is positive company culture. Taking time out of the workday to acknowledge the success of the team creates positive memories and connections between team members. It also reminds your team that they are greater than the sum of their parts. Additionally, a celebration offers an opportunity for an individual to learn more about how others’ work contributes to the project. It’s a great way for people to get to know one another better, too. 3. Reinforce the Team's Mission. Remembering your “why” is critically important when stress mounts, and deadlines loom, but it’s also important to hold onto the team’s mission and the team members’ individual roles in it when it comes time to lift a glass (or a fork) to celebrate. Reminding the team why what they do matters instills a sense of pride in their everyday work. 4. Offer an Emotional Reset. A celebration can also offer a moment to reset. It can provide closure to a project or participation in a particular group. This gives us permission to clear our slate and move forward with the feeling that we’re starting fresh. This can energize the team so they go into the next project focused and engaged. Help KCC Celebrate Our 13th Anniversary! Since 2012, our team at KCC has worked to help clients achieve goals, strengthen their leadership skills, and increase employee happiness. We consider every client's success a victory, and we’re honored for the continued opportunity to participate in your growth. Has KCC made a difference for you? Share your story! Maybe one of our blog posts reached you at just the right moment. Perhaps my book on happiness helped you find joy in a new way. One of our workshops or coaches may have brought your goals within reach. How have we helped you? Celebrate with us by sharing your story! Leave your comments below, and please join us for our virtual party on March 13th.

By |2025-02-25T16:44:05-04:00February 25th, 2025|Leadership Tips|Comments Off on Why Celebrating Company Milestones is Important
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5 Reasons You Should Hire a Business Coach

5 Reasons You Should Hire a Business Coach Deciding to get a coach can be exciting yet you can have doubts. An effective coach can make a huge difference in your success, but it’s also an investment of time and money. How do you know whether the investment to hire a business coach is right for you? Hiring a coach is like having a personal cheerleader with the expertise needed to help you achieve your work objectives. Are you focusing on the right priorities and are they aligned with your goals? What are your key talents? What needs tweaking? A coach can help you answer these questions and craft a career or development plan that helps you reach your objectives. Here are 5 reasons you should hire a coach. 1. Get an Outside Perspective. When you get a coach, you bring in someone with knowledge and expertise who can help you navigate your unique work challenges. They bring a fresh perspective to the situation and can help you discover options or solutions that you may have overlooked. We all have blind spots and opportunities. A coach is trained to help you recognize yours. 2. Help You Use Your Talents. Many people assume that a coach’s primary role is to highlight and fix their weaknesses. However, the most effective coaching approach focuses on amplifying your natural talents and strengths, allowing you to leverage them even more. Instead of fixating on weaknesses, a great coach helps you manage them in a way that they don’t become significant obstacles. This shift in perspective not only enhances performance but also fosters greater confidence and personal growth. 3. Focus on Key Issues. It’s undeniable that unexpected challenges will frequently pop up at work. It’s easy to lose focus on the big picture when you spend your days putting out the little fires that crop up around you. A coach will help you see through the smoke and keep your focus on the tasks and issues that matter most. 4. Teach You Better Habits. What are you doing that holds you back? A great coach will analyze your habits, trends, and typical reactions to situations, helping you make small behavioral adjustments for better outcomes. They’ll point out ways you may limit yourself without even realizing it and offer solutions that support your growth and development success. 5. Offer Accountability. We rarely receive direct feedback at work for various reasons. A coach is distanced from your daily operations and well-positioned to offer nudges of accountability that can make the difference between staying stuck and making progress. More Reasons to Hire a Business Coach Success doesn’t happen by accident, and it doesn’t happen alone. It takes a supportive, knowledgeable community to achieve results, and a coach is a key member of that supportive team. When you hire a coach, you’re hiring someone whose entire purpose is to help you identify and clear the roadblocks between you and your goals. At KCC, we offer different coaching packages to meet [...]

By |2025-02-03T11:14:24-04:00February 3rd, 2025|Leadership Tips|Comments Off on 5 Reasons You Should Hire a Business Coach
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5 Steps to Set Goals You Can Achieve This Year

Happy New Year from Our Team at KCC! We hope this new year brings incredible success in both your work and personal lives. It’s a joy every time we help our clients achieve their goals, and we can’t wait to see what wonderful journeys we’ll be part of this year. 5 Steps to Set Goals You Can Achieve This Year Whether or not you’re a fan of setting New Year’s resolutions, the beginning of the year is a perfect time to revisit your goals and evaluate your direction and your progress. Are you happy in your current role at work? Do you have health issues you’ve been meaning to address but keep putting off? Setting goals sometimes feels daunting, especially if the goal involves significant changes. Thankfully, you can take specific steps to make achieving those goals more manageable and more likely. Here are 5 ways to set goals you can accomplish this year. 1. Be Specific and Intentional. Making vague plans for positive life changes is easy, but those loose ideas can leave us without momentum. Specifics and a meaningful outcome provide a motivating finish line. Getting started is much easier when you connect your goals to your “WHY” and know exactly how far you need to go. It also makes the goal more real and more personal. Here are some examples. Vague: Lose weight. Specific: Lose ten pounds by June first to get my health back on track. Vague: Get promoted. Specific: Advance to a level three engineer by September to feel more fulfilled at work. 2. Break It Down and Habit Stack. One mistake we sometimes make when goal-setting is not breaking a goal down into small steps. These bite-sized steps make even the most challenging goals more manageable. Instead of holding the whole project in your head, you can focus on one step at a time. I use a technique called habit stacking. For example, for my goal of getting super fit in 2025, one action step I implemented was to do counter push-ups and tricep dips every morning while my coffee brews. Much easier, right? 3. Write It Down and Keep It Visible and Trackable. Have you heard the expression, “out of sight, out of mind”? Don’t let your goals fall into that trap. Keep them in sight. Post a reminder on your bathroom mirror. Write it on your calendar. Set a reminder to pop up on your phone when you are most likely to need it. I recently started using an app called Structured to organize and track my daily and weekly action steps, and I love it! In a study by Dr. Gail Matthews at Dominican University in California, she found that participants were 42% more likely to achieve goals committed to writing. 4. Keep It Positive. When it comes to achieving goals, your self-talk is essential. It can feel overwhelming or discouraging if you miss a milestone, experience a slip-up, or encounter a setback. However, multiple studies have shown that guilt isn’t [...]

By |2025-01-08T17:36:24-04:00January 8th, 2025|Leadership Tips|Comments Off on 5 Steps to Set Goals You Can Achieve This Year
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The Magical Link Between Employee Recognition and Happiness

The Magical Link Between Employee Recognition and Happiness One amazing fact consistently found in workplace productivity and employee retention data is the link between employee recognition and happiness. Surveys and statistics tell the same story over and over again: employees are happier, more productive, and remain with a company for longer when they receive regular recognition for their work. Recognition doesn’t have to cost a fortune—it can be as simple as a heartfelt thank-you or a small gesture of appreciation. Studies consistently show that employees who feel recognized are not only happier but also more engaged, productive, and likely to stay with their company. In fact, fostering a culture of appreciation has a ripple effect, boosting team morale and creating an environment where everyone thrives. A little recognition goes a long way in building both happiness and success! Here are 3 ways to demonstrate recognition and create a culture of appreciation. 1. Practice Regular Recognition Recognizing people doesn’t need to be elaborate to make a difference—it’s the thought that counts. A heartfelt compliment, a quick email, or a shout-out during a meeting can work wonders in boosting morale. Whether it’s a public acknowledgment or a private note of appreciation, what matters is making it a consistent part of your culture. Make recognition a habit! I often reference the book "The One Minute Manager," which advises us to “catch them doing something right.” Encourage your team to participate by sharing praise for their colleagues during meetings or group discussions. Over time, this practice will become second nature and foster a supportive environment where everyone feels valued and inspired to excel. 2. Build Social Connections Building social connections creates a sense of community within the company. This can be as simple as having everyone sign a card for each employee’s birthday or as fancy as planning a company holiday party or milestone celebration. The goal is to create personal connections between team members and nurture relationships. Team members may realize they have the same favorite hobby or kids near the same age. That’s wonderful! Those connections help people work more comfortably together and generate a stronger camaraderie. 3. Foster a Positive Company Culture Company culture has a significant impact on employee happiness and retention. Creating a positive, healthy company culture reduces workplace stress and improves productivity and overall job satisfaction. Employees are more likely to continue working in a company with a positive company culture, which helps an organization provide continued high-quality service and maintain a good reputation. While birthday cards and catered lunches can boost employees' moods, one of the most critical factors in your company culture is the attitude you model. When leaders prioritize recognition and positivity, they set the tone for a thriving, motivated, and happy workforce. We’re Here to Help You Our goal is to provide you with practical conferences, training and expertise that will maximize your organization's effectiveness and your team's well-being and happiness. At KCC, we offer 30 sessions that will provide you with techniques tailored [...]

By |2024-12-08T18:54:44-04:00December 9th, 2024|Happiness Tips|Comments Off on The Magical Link Between Employee Recognition and Happiness
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5 Ways to Share Gratitude This Holiday Season

5 Ways to Share Gratitude This Holiday Season Did you know that some studies have shown that the positive effects of sharing gratitude can make you feel happier for months afterward? In his 2005 study, Dr. Martin E. P. Seligman, the father of positive psychology that I present in my book: 21 Days to Happiness, had participants hand-deliver letters to people thanking them for doing something kind. The people who did this felt an immediate increase in happiness, and the effects lasted for months after the delivery of the letter. Gratitude can be a powerful force that brings happiness to ourselves and others. Here are 5 ways to share gratitude and give lift your own happiness level. 1. Hand-deliver a Note Thanking Someone for Kindness Just like the participants in Dr. Seligman’s study, you can write and hand-deliver a note, card or letter to someone you’ve never thanked for their kindness. It only takes a few moments to write a short note acknowledging someone for their thoughtfulness. You can make the note as simple or elaborate as you would like. The important thing is to express thanks and deliver the message to the person you’d like to show your appreciation for. Of course, if hand delivery is not practical, a simple text, email or post will do the job! 2. Start a Gratitude Journal In one study on gratitude, participants wrote down five things they felt grateful for each week. They reported a greater sense of optimism and fewer instances of headaches, colds, and skin issues. Making note of your blessings or things you’re grateful for in a journal also allows you to flip back through the past entries and reflect on what you’ve listed. You may want to start a yearly ritual of reviewing everything you listed in the journal for the past year. This is a great activity to do with a partner, friends, and family as well. This habit is so impactful that I chose to write a whole chapter on it proposing a variety of suggestions to make it a habit. 3. Do Something Kind for Someone Else An act of kindness can be as simple as holding the door for a stranger or picking up coffee for a coworker or friend. It doesn’t have to be a grand gesture, though those can make someone feel special, too. The beautiful thing about doing something kind for others is that it boosts our happiness no matter how large or small the favor is. 4. Be Present As we head into the holiday season, be careful not to let the to-do lists and holiday plans crowd out the quiet spaces in your mind. Make it a point to stay in the moment as you go about your day, especially as you have conversations with others. If you notice your mind wandering, it’s okay. No shame! Simply draw your attention back to the moment. 5. Let Gratitude Guide You This Season As you make holiday plans, think about the [...]

By |2024-11-18T12:30:25-04:00November 18th, 2024|Happiness Tips|Comments Off on 5 Ways to Share Gratitude This Holiday Season
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5 Ways to Boost Engagement at Work

5 Ways to Boost Engagement at Work One element the long-term success of any organization depends upon is employee engagement. A team invested in the work they do has a contagious energy that helps an organization build momentum. Boosting engagement also helps to boost employee satisfaction and retention, creating an upward spiral. Investing in your individual team members leads to benefits for the organization, which adds to the success and happiness of the team members, which adds to the organization’s success, and so on. Here are 5 ways to boost employee engagement on your team. 1. Recognize and Invest. Take a genuine, personal interest in the members of your team. What are their individual talents and goals? What do they do well? Recognize the value they bring to the team individually and to the group. When someone notices the hard work we’re doing, it helps to energize us to continue performing… tell them when you notice, and I will quote the famous book, The One Minute Manager, “catch them doing something right” on purpose! Additionally, invest in getting to know each member of the group. What excites them? How do they spend their free time? Cultivate respect for each person by getting to know them a little bit. 2. Solicit Feedback. What does the team think is going well? What obstacles make their work more challenging? Give your employees a chance to express concerns or issues and hear them out. Resist the urge to explain or defend. What action can you take to address the group's concerns? If something can’t be addressed in the way the team desires, be frank about that, too. Openness cultivates trust, another essential component of boosting employee engagement. 3. Communicate. Communicate. Communicate! Meet regularly to discuss what’s new, provide status updates, share success stories and talk about issues as they arise. This helps ensure that everyone stays focused on the same priorities, is informed of new information, and has an opportunity to ask questions or point out any challenges that have arisen. Communicate changes clearly and make sure your team gets the answers to the questions they have, even if it means you have to research answers first and respond later. Make sure you follow through with promises to provide further information. Failure to do so can make the team feel like their concerns are unimportant or that you’re unwilling to address concerns. Both can sap motivation. 4. Support Initiative. As the team builds working relationships with one another, you may notice certain members emerging as natural leaders. Make space for people to take on additional responsibilities or lead initiatives that make sense. This recognition and response to new ideas can foster a creative and positive work environment. This allows the group to run more effectively, boosting not just engagement but also outcomes. 5. Provide Professional Development Opportunities. Professional development is critical for any organization to stay ahead of shifting customer expectations and advancing technologies and solutions. Provide opportunities for your team members to earn [...]

By |2024-10-21T09:30:28-04:00October 21st, 2024|Leadership Tips|Comments Off on 5 Ways to Boost Engagement at Work
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5 Critical Keys to Collaboration

5 Critical Keys to Collaboration Now more than ever, succeeding at work involves teamwork. The great news is that the right team generates results that far exceed what its individual members could achieve. An ineffective team, however, can slow down the group’s processes and innovation. Full team engagement comes from knowing their “why” and using their unique talents to contribute to the common goal. That’s why these 5 critical keys to collaboration are so important. These pillars of successful teamwork will help boost employees’ investment in the group and their confidence in their own work. They promote innovation and creative solutions that simplify workflow and improve performance. Read on to learn how these 5 keys to collaboration contribute to effective teams. 1. Time Management. Collaboration doesn’t always require a lot of face time. Once the team establishes clear goals and tasks, each member needs focused time to work on their tasks. Make sure that the ratio of time spent as a group to time spent individually working best suits the needs of the group and doesn’t distract from getting the work accomplished. Can you guess the most common complaint that we hear when we give our time-management session? Too many meetings! 2. Communication. Communication is a make-or-break component of any team project or collaboration. To boost successful communication, give some thought to how the team will communicate. How will members share issues or ask questions? Is this best done via chat? Emails? Holding questions until a set meeting time each day or week? Establish the preferred communication methods for each type of situation and evaluate whether this works for everyone after a few weeks. 3. Innovation. In the best collaborative teams, the sum far exceeds the abilities of the parts. How does this happen? One key to successful collaboration is to encourage innovation through brainstorming, engaging new ideas, and supporting out-of-the-box thinking. Even ideas that are not themselves feasible solutions can be useful because they tend to trigger other, potentially more useful ideas. Ensure that the group remains a safe place to brainstorm new ideas. 4. Celebrate Team Successes. As the team develops new ideas, builds useful tools, and adopts new processes, find ways to celebrate each of these successes. Call out team members whose ideas have solved problems or moved a project forward. Acknowledge those who went above and beyond to ensure that deadlines were met. Thank team members whose diligent work keeps the project on track. Celebrating these successes reminds the team of their power and effectiveness as a group and reminds each team member of their value to the group. 5. Collect Feedback. Ask your team for feedback on what practices best support their collaborative efforts and what can be improved. Having a say in how the team operates will boost its efficiency by allowing adjustments that directly aid its members, but it also generates deeper investment in the team. Build Your Own High-performing Team Join us for a training session that will show you how to [...]

By |2024-09-23T19:29:33-04:00September 23rd, 2024|Leadership Tips|Comments Off on 5 Critical Keys to Collaboration
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3 Big Benefits of Ongoing Training

3 Big Benefits of Ongoing Training In today’s fast-paced and ever-evolving job market, ongoing training isn’t just a luxury—it’s a necessity. As industries transform and technology advances, the once cutting-edge skills can quickly become obsolete. Investing in regular professional development can unlock new opportunities, boost performance, and ensure that both individuals and businesses remain competitive in a rapidly changing world. As kids head back to school, take a moment to think about how returning to the classroom (literally or figuratively) would benefit you and your team. Ongoing training provides much more than critical opportunities for career advancement. It offers a path to increasing your team’s productivity and boosting employee retention. Continued development for your employees also enhances the organization’s reputation. Let’s take a closer look at how this works. 1. Increased Productivity. Learning new skills allows your team to streamline workflow using new tools. From improving technology to optimizing processes to increasing customer satisfaction and retention, training offers a multitude of benefits to an organization. Training also improves accuracy, and efficiency and boosts confidence. There’s no replacement for the satisfaction that comes from doing a job well. 2. Improved Employee Retention. Not only does continued training help your team members do their jobs more efficiently, but it also improves engagement. Training is an investment. It sends a signal to employees that you value them and want them to succeed in their careers. In many cases, it also provides opportunities for advancement or job enrichment within the organization. Though continued training takes time away from the daily tasks employees must manage, improving employee retention means you spend more time boosting your existing team’s productivity and less time bringing brand-new employees up to speed on performing basic tasks. 3. Enhanced Company Reputation. Another big benefit of ongoing training is that it enhances your company’s reputation. In this competitive economy, finding something that sets your organization apart from others can be the difference between success and failure. Continued education is a great way to differentiate your team from others in the field, as it shows dedication to excellence and investment in a positive customer experience. A better reputation also benefits the organization in the job market. When it comes time to add a new team member to the group, having a great reputation in your industry will help attract high-quality candidates who recognize the organization’s value for its employees. Get Back to School Now is the perfect time to invest in continuing education for you and your team. Start a wish list of training topics your team would benefit from and commit to a budget for continued training. Need help getting your list started? Check out our 30 interactive sessions, based on scientifically proven methods and led by industry experts. Have questions about our topics? Contact us today for further information on how we can help you and your team work smarter, not harder.

By |2024-08-19T16:10:18-04:00August 19th, 2024|Leadership Tips|Comments Off on 3 Big Benefits of Ongoing Training
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5 Ways to Boost Client Satisfaction

5 Ways to Boost Client Satisfaction No matter the industry, creating happy clients or customers is critical to a business’s success. A satisfied client is more likely to return with future needs, and they may also leave favorable reviews or share the positive experience with other potential clients. In other words, a happy customer can become your best ambassador (the same idea applies to happy employees, by the way)! Cultivating practices that create happy customers is a powerful investment in your success. Here are 5 ways to boost client satisfaction and build trust and loyalty with your clients, keeping them coming back for more. 1. Communicate Clearly. Manage your clients’ expectations by ensuring they understand precisely how your products or services operate and what to do if they experience issues or questions. This is especially critical for any new clients. Make sure you are extra clear and responsive so that their first impression and first experience is a positive one. Additionally, clear communication means discerning your clients’ needs. As the saying goes, seek first to understand and then to be understood. Sometimes, we need to differentiate a client’s needs, wants, desires, and expectations. Take the time to ask questions and never assume anything. Correctly assessing your customers’ needs allows you to propose the best solution for them. 2. Be Consistent and use an “ACE”. Another component of the customer experience depends on how consistently you deliver results. Can your clients expect a response to inquiries within a predictable timeframe? Do you consistently deliver products or services that meet their needs or, even better, surpass them? We love the ACE concept: aim for Above Customer Expectations…an element of positive surprise could help develop the feeling that they are special and unique. 3. Be Responsive. Clients need to feel seen and heard. Whether they’re reaching out with an issue or a compliment, it’s important to respond promptly. Keep responses professional and courteous, and avoid using canned or generic text. If you can, adapt and personalize your methods of communication to their preferences, especially if you strive to offer a high-end experience. 4. Anticipate Needs and show initiative. Think of a holiday display in a grocery store or pharmacy. When you walk into the store at the beginning of February, you’ll find an eye-catching display of Valentine’s Day cards, boxes of chocolate, and stuffed bears. The store has anticipated a need and created an easy-to-find selection of popular products that someone might purchase together. Creating a “Frequently Asked Questions” page on your website is another way to anticipate clients’ needs. This page collects common inquiries in one place so clients can quickly and easily find the answers they need. 5. Value Feedback. We live in an imperfect world, and nothing reminds us of that, like our mistakes and those who take note of them. When a customer has a less-than-perfect experience, listening to their feedback is essential. Thank them for their comments. If possible, ask how the client would prefer the situation be [...]

By |2024-07-23T09:49:29-04:00July 23rd, 2024|Leadership Tips|Comments Off on 5 Ways to Boost Client Satisfaction
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Making Decisions with the Six Hat Method

Making Decisions Using the Six Hats Method Most of our decisions are made quickly and unconsciously. Once a decision is made, we often engage our analytical brain to search for data that supports our choice, creating the illusion of a rational decision-making process. Making sound decisions can be challenging and even stressful. Therefore, it's beneficial to learn new decision-making techniques rather than relying on old patterns and habits. One excellent tool for decision-making and problem-solving is the Six Thinking Hats created by Edward de Bono. The Six Hats method encourages parallel thinking and communication in a group. This reduces conflict by keeping the team focused on one aspect of a situation or problem at a time. Each “hat” represents a different style of thinking. Moving methodically through each different style leads us to consider a problem from multiple angles and fosters more balanced, comprehensive decision-making. Here’s how to use the Six Hats to separate your thoughts into distinct categories. 1. White Hat (Information) Put on the White Hat to tackle a decision through objective thinking and focus on the facts, data, and information. While your team looks at a decision with the White Hat approach, avoid the temptation to interpret data or include opinions. Ask your team to examine questions like, what information is available? What are the facts? What do we need to know? 2. Red Hat (Emotions) Put on the Red Hat and listen to your emotions as you think through a problem. Channel your inner Obi-Wan Kenobi and trust your feelings. What does your gut say? What emotions come up as you think about the decision you face? How do you feel about the options? 3. Black Hat (Critical Thinking) Put on the Black Hat and explore the potential problems that may arise with the decision your team faces. What might go wrong? What are the risks? Make critical judgments. Where might the proverbial wheels come off? Why might the potential solutions to your problem not work? 4. Yellow Hat (Optimism) Put on the Yellow Hat and think positively. Look for the benefits and opportunities each outcome may bring. List the reasons this idea is worth pursuing. What good outcomes can we achieve? How can these choices benefit the group or organization? 5. Green Hat (Creativity) Put on the Green Hat and get your creative juices flowing. Brainstorm potential solutions. Think outside the box. When your team wears the Green Hat, no idea is a bad idea. You never know what will spark a great solution or alternative course of action. 6. Blue Hat (Process) Put on the Blue Hat to organize your thinking. Use the Blue Hat to step back and look at the process as a whole. This is the time to set goals for your team and summarize outcomes. Ask questions like, what is the next step? How can we organize our thinking? Learn How to Make Great Decisions Making complex decisions is one of life’s toughest tasks. The great news is that there [...]

By |2024-06-18T11:26:24-04:00June 18th, 2024|Leadership Tips|Comments Off on Making Decisions with the Six Hat Method
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