Joanie B. Connell's Blog

In my work consulting to technical leaders, I often observe that while technology may be advancing exponentially, the human side of work remains as essential and as complex as ever. Today’s STEM leaders, in pharmaceuticals, tech, and healthcare, for example, are navigating increasingly turbulent waters. From regulatory upheaval to AI integration, to workforce shortages, to economic uncertainty, the technical landscape is shifting faster than most organizations can adapt.

So how do leaders sta...

I recently attended a training by David Caruso, one of the preeminent researchers of Emotional Intelligence and co-author of the highly regarded MSCEIT (Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test) assessment instrument. In the training, he discussed the development of the MSCEIT® 2 instrument and why the ability model of emotional intelligence is important to leadership development.

Some people consider emotional intelligence to be a personality trait, which would make it difficult to c...

First, and most importantly, get off social media. People often come to me demoralized after they have applied to dozens of jobs on social media platforms and haven’t heard back from any of them. The reasons why are (1) the job listings on these platforms are receiving hundreds, perhaps even thousands of applications, (2) the applications are being reviewed by AI algorithms, not humans, and (3) when a person applies to so many jobs, they probably don’t use the exact right keywords to precisely f...

I was in an executive meeting not too long ago and one of the other team members wanted to raise the cost of the company’s biggest product. I was strongly opposed because I thought it was already too expensive and I was concerned that we’d lose sales, or at least customer loyalty. They stood their ground though. They said that the cost of manufacturing the product had increased and to maintain the same level of functionality, we’d need to raise the cost. If not, we’d have to stop supporting ...

No matter where you are in the organization, it is important to be able to influence people. Take for example, David, a team leader in a technology company who was tasked with leading a cross-functional team to develop a new software product. David didn’t have direct authority over all the team members because they came from different departments, including design, programming, and marketing. David’s ability to influence was critical to fostering collaboration and driving collective success. To ...

Managers sometimes hesitate to give feedback to employees because they fear that their feedback may be perceived as biased or unfair. They might struggle with how to provide feedback that is objective and equal for all employees. Undeniably, delivering feedback constructively and tactfully can be challenging and uncomfortable. It takes training and practice to become more fluent in delivering quality feedback. But many managers aren’t trained and, as a result, they hesitate and the performance p...

During a critical team meeting at a fast-paced tech startup, Miguel, a zealous programmer, openly criticized his coworker Victoria’s proposal. “This plan is ridiculously flawed and unworkable. I can’t believe you wasted our time with this,” he scoffed, rolling his eyes dismissively in front of the entire team. His blunt words hung heavily in the air, instantly shattering the collaborative atmosphere of the room. The team members looked at each other in surprise and discomfort, while Victoria’s f...

How do you get comfortable delivering feedback to people? How do you do it in a nice way, so it’s not awkward or demeaning, but not so nice that it gets ignored? Here are some tips.

First, let’s acknowledge that giving feedback can be hard, especially if you don’t know how to do it effectively. That is why so many people avoid it. But giving feedback gets easier with practice and if you follow the tips below. Before getting to the tips, it is also important to recognize that receiving good qu...

Research has shown that separation between work and life can be very important for health and wellness, as well as for work and life satisfaction. When people work from home, the separation disappears. People may end up working in the kitchen or bedroom. Kids or other family members may interrupt workflow. Employees may be distracted by managing house projects alongside work projects. There are certainly advantages to multi-tasking and reduced commute time, but there are also disadvantages.

L...

Authenticity has resurfaced as a buzzword in the workplace. In the early 2000s, authentic leadership became popular in response to Bill George���s 2003 book called Authentic Leadership. Leaders found that being more genuine and transparent helped them build trust among their followers. This meant showing a new level of vulnerability, such as admitting mistakes or sharing their weaknesses. It also meant leading with values and having the courage to follow their own path instead of letting the exp...