Effective Team Meetings

One of the most underused strategies in business development is bringing people together around a theme. Think about it. Everyone is busy. Everyone gets invited to another reception or cocktail party. Most people say no because they know the value will be surface level. But when you create something intentional, something smaller and more thoughtful, people notice. They make time. A dinner for women GCs in private equity. A roundtable of next generation dealmakers. A conversation between founders and investors who have successfully scaled. These kinds of gatherings give people the chance to connect with peers who understand their challenges. They create space for conversations that don’t happen in a big room. And here’s the part many professionals miss — when you’re the one convening, you’re not just building your own network. You’re helping others expand theirs. You become known as someone who creates opportunities. That’s memorable. It makes people want to stay close to you and your organization because being connected to you means access to something bigger. But it doesn’t end with the event. The real business development happens in what you do afterward. ✔️ If two people hit it off, follow up and connect them directly. ✔️ Share a quick recap of themes from the evening to keep the conversation alive. ✔️ Create touchpoints — an article, a coffee, an invite to the next dinner. ✔️ Build continuity with a series so people look forward to the next one. ✔️ Share high level highlights on LinkedIn to reinforce your role as the connector. Bringing people together in the right way isn’t just about networking. It’s about creating community. And the professionals who do this well strengthen relationships, build influence and grow their business in ways that feel natural. Let me know when you think of this tip and if you will try it! #BusinessDevelopment #ClientDevelopment #Networking #LegalMarketing

Imagine you're walking into a meeting room, knowing you're about to discuss the annual performance feedback with one of your team members. Your palms are sweaty, and your heart is racing—not because you're unprepared, but because you're unsure of how the person would take the feedback. Feedback sessions can be nerve-wracking for both the giver and the receiver. But what if someone told you that feedback, when done correctly, could actually be a powerful tool to foster personal growth and team success? People at large often view feedback as a daunting task. The Biggest Myth is the common misconception that feedback is about the individual rather than their behaviours. Many leaders also hesitate to give feedback, fearing that it might hurt feelings or demotivate team members. However, the real issue is typically a lack of preparation. Effective feedback requires observation—increasingly difficult in today's hybrid work environments—data to back up claims and a clear understanding of expectations. Without these elements, feedback sessions can seem unfounded and personal rather than objective and developmental. When I took over team management for the first time in 2008, I was trained to use various methods of giving feedback, including the well-known Sandwich or Hamburger Technique. However, one model that has stayed with me is the Situation-Behaviour-Impact (SBI) model. It helped me focus on specific situations, the behaviours I observe, and the impacts these behaviours have on the team or project. Focusing on instances and outcomes allows feedback to be less about the person and more about their actions within a context, making it easier to digest and act upon. Instead of "You're not collaborating effectively," which is vague and can feel like a personal attack, one can say, "During yesterday's meeting, when you interrupted your colleague, it created tension and disrupted the workflow. Let's explore ways to express your ideas while also encouraging others to share theirs." This not only clarifies the issue but also provides a constructive pathway for improvement. Fostering an environment where feedback is regularly shared is an integral part of the leader's role. Top leaders ensure that feedback is a regular weekly process, not just a quarterly event. This shift in perspective can significantly change how team members perceive and react to feedback. The art of giving feedback is crucial for leadership and team development. Have you or someone in your team struggled to give or receive feedback? How do you incorporate feedback into your daily routine to create a positive impact on your team? If you like this, follow Gopal A Iyer for more. In Pic: A Veg Burger at Cafe Trofima in Mumbai - Inspiration for today's post! :) #Feedback #Annualperformancereviews #LIPostingChallengeIndia

🔍 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐅𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐚 𝐅𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐏𝐘𝐏 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦𝐬 🌱 Creating a strong feedback culture in an IB PYP classroom is essential for student growth, reflection, and agency. Feedback should be constructive, continuous, and student-centered, allowing learners to take ownership of their progress. But how can we ensure that feedback is meaningful and engaging? Here are 𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐞𝐬 that can help foster an effective feedback culture in your classroom: ✨ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 "𝐅𝐢𝐱 𝐈𝐭" 𝐋𝐢𝐬𝐭 – Encourage students to maintain a list of areas they need to improve. This strategy promotes self-reflection and goal setting. ⭐ 𝐓𝐰𝐨 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐖𝐢𝐬𝐡 – A simple yet powerful peer and self-assessment tool where students highlight two things they did well and one area for improvement. 💡 𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐰 & 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 – Students and teachers use "Glow" (positive feedback) and "Grow" (constructive feedback) statements to guide reflection and progress. 🔄 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐥 – Students rotate in small groups, giving and receiving feedback on each other’s work, ensuring varied perspectives and deeper insights. 📝 𝐄𝐱𝐢𝐭 𝐓𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐭 𝐅𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 – A quick and effective way to gauge student understanding at the end of a lesson. Students write reflections or questions on a sticky note before leaving. 🔍 𝐈 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞, 𝐈 𝐖𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫, 𝐈 𝐒𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐬𝐭 – A structured reflection framework that encourages students to observe, inquire, and provide constructive feedback. 📌 𝐒𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐲 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐞 𝐅𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐖𝐚𝐥𝐥 – A collaborative space where students leave anonymous or named feedback on their peers' work, promoting a supportive learning environment. 🚦 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐋𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 – A self-assessment tool where students use red, yellow, and green indicators to express their level of understanding and confidence in a topic. 🤝 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫-𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 – One-on-one discussions between educators and students that allow for personalized feedback and targeted support. By incorporating these strategies, we empower students to develop their metacognitive skills, become reflective learners, and take ownership of their learning journey. 🌍✨ 📌 What feedback strategies do you use in your classroom? Share your thoughts in the comments! ⬇️ 𝐉𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐲 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐬𝐀𝐩𝐩 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲:-. https://lnkd.in/gzX_x8Hj 𝐓𝐨 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐲 𝐏𝐘𝐏 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐥𝐲 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭: https://lnkd.in/g2ijMEsW #inquiryClassroom #IBPYP #StudentAgency #FeedbackCulture #InquiryBasedLearning #IBEducation #Reflection #AssessmentForLearning #PeerFeedback #GrowthMindset

Last week I shared how AI helped analyze our retreat feedback survey data in minutes. Today, I want to highlight the three elements that our team rated most impactful from our recent company retreat in Ireland... - [New addition] "Connection Court": We created a dedicated space in the castle with games, snacks, and comfy seating that was open throughout the day and late into the night. This gave people a relaxed place to connect in case of bad weather and removed the pressure to drink or socialize in high-energy environments. This was great for introverts and those who don't enjoy the bar scene and provided more inclusive evening activities that worked for everyone. - Doist Build (our company hackathon) hit different this year: We surveyed the team for "hack-worthy" topics ahead of the retreat, pre-selected the top 10 we felt could make an impact on the company, and revealed them the day before so people could start brainstorming. Morning of, it was first-come-first-serve with limited seats per topic, which created some incredible energy to start the day. Best part? The winning team's project was implemented right there at the retreat and immediately improved our onboarding metrics 🚀 - "Choose your own adventure" itinerary structure: Instead of forcing everyone into the same activities, we offered parallel options during free time. We balanced physical activities (hiking, sports), cultural experiences (castle tours, local music), and team building events (escape rooms, group games). This approach let people naturally form smaller groups around common interests, creating deeper connections through shared experiences. After organizing multiple retreats over the years, one principle stands out: create a flexible structure and trust your team to find meaningful ways to connect. When people have the freedom to choose activities that align with their interests and energy levels, authentic relationships naturally develop. Hope this is helpful and I'd love to hear what's working for other teams as well 👇

𝗦𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗴𝗴𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗱? 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗗𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗹𝘆  We all want to captivate our audience—whether in a meeting, on social media, or during a sales pitch. But too often, we focus on 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘢𝘺 instead of 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳.  Here’s the truth: 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂. 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗠.  Want to grab and keep their attention? Master these 5 principles:  1️⃣ 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗜𝗥 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺.   Your audience doesn’t care about your goals; they care about their challenges. Speak to the pain points they’re losing sleep over.  2️⃣ 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝘀.   People remember stories, not spreadsheets. Share relatable, emotional, and even personal anecdotes that resonate on a human level.  3️⃣ 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗲.   Engagement is a two-way street. Ask questions, spark discussions, or invite them to share their thoughts. People value being part of the conversation.  4️⃣ 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲.   Simplify your message. Avoid jargon or overly polished language. Speak with authenticity, like you’re chatting with a friend.  5️⃣ 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗩𝗔𝗟𝗨𝗘, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆.   Your audience isn’t there to applaud you; they’re looking for something that benefits them. Leave them with an actionable takeaway or fresh perspective.  👉 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝗺𝘆 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂:   Next time you’re addressing your audience, pause and ask:   ➡️ 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘰 𝘛𝘏𝘌𝘠 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘸?  When you lead with connection and value, engagement becomes natural.  𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂: What’s your go-to strategy for connecting with your audience? Drop it in the comments—I’d love to hear your insights!  ♻️ Feel this post could help someone? Share it with your network.   👤 Follow me for more insights on marketing, mindset, entrepreneurship, and connection.

The Best L&D and Talent Development Leaders I Know They all share one thing in common: An obsession with understanding what actually drives employees to learn and grow. If you’re in L&D or Talent Development and haven’t yet heard about Daniel Kahneman’s theories or Edward Deci’s Self-Determination Theory (SDT), stick around, this might reshape your perspective on employees' motivation to learn and grow. Forget gamification. It’s not about SCORM files or content formats. Real motivation is fueled by what’s inside. According to Deci's theory, three core psychological needs tap into intrinsic motivation and make learning genuinely engaging: 1. Autonomy People want to feel in control. When learners have choices in their learning paths, engagement skyrockets. Whether it’s picking the topics they dive into or solving problems their way, autonomy fosters ownership and drives interest on a deeper level. 2. Competence We all need to feel like we’re getting somewhere. When learners sense progress and feel capable, it sparks motivation. Building skills step-by-step and reinforcing growth through feedback keeps people moving forward. 3. Relatedness Motivation thrives on connection. Learners who feel part of a community, whether with peers, mentors, or even the material itself—engage more deeply. If you’re planning your 2025 strategy, do yourself a favor and ask yourself how to enhance these three areas. Want to make your L&D strategy effective? Focus on intrinsic motivation. → You will see higher engagement. → You will foster deeper learning. → You will drive genuine growth.

Disengagement rarely starts with laziness. It starts when speaking up feels risky. Last quarter I watched a brilliant teammate go quiet. Not because they didn’t care - because the room didn’t feel safe enough for a half-baked thought. ❌ We didn’t fix motivation. ✅ We fixed safety. Here’s what we changed (steal this today): 1. R/Y/G opener at the start of meetings 🚦 ↳ “Red, Yellow, or Green—where are you at?” 2. Two-question 1:1s ⚖️ ↳ “One win? One worry?” 3. Fear sweep before decisions 🔍 ↳ “What are we not saying that could bite us later?” 4. Blameless post-mortems within 72 hours 🔬 ↳ “What did we expect, what happened, what did we learn, what’s the next experiment?” What happened next wasn’t magic - it was human: ✅ More voices, earlier. ✅ “Reds” moved to “Yellows.” ✅ We shipped smarter - and felt prouder. ✅ Risks are identified before they become rework. Because when it’s safe to be human, people choose to be engaged. Engagement is the mirror; safety is the light. I've coached 200+ leaders to raise engagement by making it safe for people to be human at work. How to start this week: 1. In your next meeting ask: “What’s the half-baked idea you’re hesitant to share?” 2. Thank the first honest answer - and build from there. Which micro-move will you try first? Share below ⬇ ♻️ Share to spread that safety isn’t soft - it's how engagement starts. 🔔 Follow Eva Gysling, OLY for more

New series: Fix my icebreaker 🥶🛠️ “Connection Bingo” 📋 How it works This is a very popular activity for networking events. Every attendee gets a bingo sheet with different prompts in 9 to 25 boxes. Their goal is to find a person for each box that fits the prompt. For example, people must find someone who worked in a restaurant, climbed a mountain, or has a YouTube channel. 😫 Problems What usually happens: One competitive person rushes from one person to the next, simply handing them the paper and saying: "Pick something you've done and sign it." Then, they jump to the next closest person and repeat the process. This really defeats the purpose of this activity to learn more about others and instead, rewards the person who has the shortest and most shallow conversations. 💡 How to fix it - The most important thing to improve this activity is to plan more time: Instead of 30 minutes, only use this for a full-day or multi-day event. I suggest planning 2 to 3 sessions where people continue to have conversations and fill out their Bingo sheet. - Another trick is to reward the person with the second Bingo rather than the first. Or you could make it a raffle of all Bingo winners at the end of the day, where each row of Bingo gets you an additional entry. This way, participants will continue playing rather than trying to be done first. Or, what if instead of just getting a signature from someone who fits the prompt, you can only cross off a box by adding one additional, interesting fact you've learned about the other person? - Lastly, here is an idea that I have implemented a few times at networking events I organized for entrepreneurs and at conferences: Instead of prompts like "Find someone who did skydiving," add a meaningful question to ask a stranger, like "When have you felt one of the biggest adrenaline rushed of your life?" Once they complete the conversation, they can cross off that box on their bingo card. * * * * * I have been sharing a few ideas like these on my weekly email this week and I got lots of great feedback. Do you want more posts like these? Let me know in the comments below

A fun and easy way to kick off any training, workshop, or session (instead of cringe icebreakers!). I'm calling it 'Rapid Naming'-a fun team-naming exercise that gets everyone bonding and energized. It's an adaptation of the brainstorming exercise called 'Crazy 8's', which I absolutely LOVE. Here's how you run it: Get Ready (1 minute): Divide people into groups of 3-4 and explain that the goal is to come up with a team name that represents their group. Crazy 8’s Brainstorming (3 minutes): Hand out pieces of paper and have everyone divide theirs into 8 sections. Give them 3 minutes to jot down 8 different team name ideas—one in each section. Encourage them not to overthink it—just go with whatever comes to mind! Share Ideas (4 minutes): Now, let the group share their favorite name from their list of 8. As a team, discuss and narrow it down to a few favorites that everyone likes. Vote (2 minutes): Time to vote! Have everyone pick the name they like best. The one with the most votes becomes the team name. Get Creative (7 minutes): Here’s the fun part! Grab a big piece of paper and some markers. Have the group write their team name in the center and decorate it however they want—make it colorful and unique! Show It Off (5 minutes): Each team nominates one person to present their name and the decorated poster to the whole group. They can share why they picked the name and what their design represents. After all the presentations, hang the posters around the room so everyone can enjoy them during the workshop. TIP: It’s helpful to ask each group to assign a facilitator within their group to keep track of time and ensure everything is running smoothly. This is especially useful if you’re facilitating this on a large scale! Let me know what you think of this one :)

Networking doesn’t stop once you land a job – it truly starts there. In the past six months, I’ve spoken to over 50 people, from Analysts to MDs. I’ve realized intra-company networking is one of the most underrated career strategies. No matter where you work, you already have a massive commonality: you are a part of the same company. That alone gives you an entry point to start conversations. Yet, many hesitate: What if they’re too busy? What if they won’t respond? Remember. We are all human, and we all want to feel important and useful. The biggest honor most people get in their lives, or one of the biggest, is when other people ask them for help. So, be shameless about reaching out. If you don’t ask, the answer is always NO. Talking to others can give you exposure to different teams, projects, and potential career moves within your company. If there’s a team you want to join in the future, start networking with them today. Being fearless in approaching people has already opened doors for me. Relationships > anything. And company alumni? That’s a golden asset, and I’m already seeing its value.