Reach Partners
  • Home
  • What We Do
    • Case Studies
  • How We Do It
  • Who We Are
  • Blog

Putting a Pause on Politeness

10/16/2023

0 Comments

 
Picture
​In the moments before the launch of an event or project, I’ve heard Anita repeat a sort of pep talk with the team at hand. It always comes during the inevitable scramble that occurs as a project comes to fruition.
 
During this speech she reiterates the purpose of the activity, project, or event. She also tells the team that she’s intentionally pausing on politeness during this last-minute crunch. From that moment until everything is running on its own, the team will not hear Anita say please or thank you.
 
This speech marks a moment of distinction when the project transitions from planning to execution, when the team moves from preparing to doing. At this moment, Anita shifts her role from relationship manager to focused executor. Declaring this small, but philosophically significant juncture, gives her the critical permission to “go,” and signals the team to do the same.

Read More
0 Comments

Plan a Wrap-Up Session (Every Single Time)

8/21/2023

2 Comments

 
Picture
Reach Partners knows the value of a wrap-up or lessons-learned meeting and how that can offer insight into future projects. We have talked about how best to present a Post Activity Report and who should be part of this kind of reflection.
 
But recently, someone asked whether it’s necessary to plan a wrap-up session when the event is never going to happen again.
 
The short answer: yes. The longer answer, here’s why:

Read More
2 Comments

Why You Should Ask for Help

7/24/2023

0 Comments

 
Picture
Asking for help is hard. Or, at least for many of us that’s true.

When we hesitate to ask for support, however, we unnecessarily suffer through difficult situations at work, at home, or even in a relationship.

The reasons we avoid asking for help vary.

Maybe we don’t know how to ask. Maybe we are too proud or scared to show vulnerability in our Midwestern culture. Perhaps we carry generational baggage that tells us we are not worthy of needing assistance.
​
Whatever the barriers are, we need learn how to rise above them. Leaders who ask for help are the kind of people with whom Reach Partners thrives. They are humble and know their limitations. Leaders who ask for help tend to value expertise that others bring.
​
To get better at asking for help, we encourage you to think about the obstacles and why it’s worth overcoming them.

Read More
0 Comments

How to Create More Energy

6/22/2023

0 Comments

 
Picture
People often say they need something specific to generate more energy and are disappointed when they never seem to have enough of it. I suspect this gap occurs because we focus on the things that gives us energy instead of the processes we set up.

Think about it: How often have we been asked, “What gives you energy?” How often have you been asked, “How do you produce energy?” Maybe it’s the “how,” not the “what,” we should seek. After all, we have more control over the “how.”
​
As I reflect on this, I want to share a few ways you can create positive, helpful energy:

Read More
0 Comments

How to Gather Helpful Feedback

5/23/2023

0 Comments

 
Picture
I was once invited to give feedback on an activity my child participated in. I’m confident the leaders had good intentions – after all, they asked parents to fill out a survey. But, I didn’t feel fulfilled after answering the questions. I didn’t understand why my input was needed. Was I helping to make the activity better for the next year? Was I understood?
​
You’ve likely found yourself in a similar situation. The experience prompted me to think deeper about why we need feedback and the best way to gather it.

Read More
0 Comments

Practicing Opening Questions

2/20/2023

0 Comments

 
Picture
We have found one of the best ways to start a meeting is with an opening question.
​
The simple act of asking a question at the beginning of a meeting builds a stronger, more effective team. It’s a great way to ensure that people who need to work together get to know each other better. Here’s how:

Read More
0 Comments

Practicing Mindful Self-Compassion

1/23/2023

2 Comments

 
Picture
​It’s hard to take time for yourself when the calendar is full, but I’m learning that might be the perfect time to do so.
 
Recently, Rachel and I took an online course on self-compassion from experts Kristin Neff – if you’ve ever heard anyone referencing self-compassion, it was likely her! – and Chris Germer. They have been working together since 2010.
 
We didn’t have an extra 12 hours in our schedule, but making time for that course was worth it. We want to be the best human beings and project managers that we can be. We accomplish this by learning, growing, and expanding our thinking.

Read More
2 Comments

Clarifying Roles, Responsibilities

11/14/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
In late October, the Project Management Institute asked its Twitter followers to scare a project manager in five words or less.

The answers were creative and relatable, but one stuck out: Don’t define roles and responsibilities.
Yikes! That would certainly scare me.

​Clarifying roles and responsibilities for people is necessary to achieve project success. I don’t want to work with a team or group that thinks this level of detail isn’t required. Taking the time to define this is critical, yet we repeatedly run into situations where people don’t recognize the importance of this step or don’t know how to do it.

Read More
0 Comments

Be Vulnerable: Ask for Help

10/17/2022

2 Comments

 
Picture
It can be hard to ask for help.

We have been programmed to believe that strength is individual, that asking for help is a sign of weakness.

This mentality, however, deprives us of the power that can come from working together, instead of alone.
At Reach Partners, we have observed that good leaders recognize that they can’t do everything alone.

We’ve seen that the best leaders take that one step further; they know how to ask for exactly what they need while empowering others to contribute.
​
Here’s how that played out recently:

Read More
2 Comments

Why Pacing Matters When Planning Projects

8/22/2022

2 Comments

 
Picture
When a team invites Reach Partners to join them, we’re asked to provide focus on a project. Even if the team members work side-by-side each day, they often need help with the pace of the project – the way a project’s progress moves forward.
​
Different than a timeline or milestones, pacing is about understanding when to pause or slow down and when to speed ahead. Every milestone in a project’s plan deserves its own sense of pace.

Read More
2 Comments
<<Previous

    Reach Partners

    Your partners in leadership.

    Categories

    All
    Anita
    Beauty
    Communication
    Connection
    Empathy
    Events
    Facilitation
    Gratitude
    Integrity
    Meeting
    Partner Stories
    Possibility
    Project Management
    Rachel
    Resources
    Strategy
    Team

    Archives

    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    September 2016
    July 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013

Join our newsletter
CONTACT US
Reach Partners, Inc
3330 Fiechtner Dr. Suite 100
​Fargo, ND 58103-2321
701-271-8170
Copyright (C) 2023  Reach Partners Inc.
  • Home
  • What We Do
    • Case Studies
  • How We Do It
  • Who We Are
  • Blog