The Smart Thinking Podcast

Episode 378: Campfire Conversations Elevate: A Process to End the School Year or Journey

Too often we miss the opportunity to grow together at the end of a journey or school year. Don't let the ending screw up your next beginning.
Take a listen as we describe a campfire process to support growing together, increasing engagement as well as recognition and acknowledging effort in order to elevate teams and shared culture. 
This process will increase collective wisdom and support individual understanding of their part in the collective accomplishments of the team.
Smart Thinking Retreat Registration 
Here are the referenced prompts: 
What was our single biggest "aha!" or breakthrough moment, and what triggered it?
Think back to a moment when things weren't going according as planned. How did we handle that pivot, and what does that say about our team dynamics?
What was the most unexpected challenge we encountered that wasn't on our radar, and how did we overcome it?
If you could magically go back and rewrite one specific decision or day on this project, what would it be and why?
What is one thing a teammate did—no matter how small—that completely saved the day or made your job significantly easier?
Explain how well did we respect each other’s time, expertise, and boundaries during high-stress periods of the year or journey?
Looking back over the journey - -describe something you grew through that will make you stronger next year or next time.
List the areas you need to get development in so that you can tackle the next year or project with more confidence.
If you were in charge what is one thing you’d make sure, we never had to do or experience again.
What was your very first job—no matter how small—and what is the one lesson from it you still use today?
If we visited your hometown for 24 hours, where would you take me to help me understand who you were at seventeen?
Is there a story your family tells about you that perfectly captures your personality as a kid?
What is a "sliding doors" moment in your life—a time you almost took a completely different path?
What is a subject you’re an "expert" in that has absolutely nothing to do with your current job?
What’s the biggest difference between how you solved problems in your 20s versus how you solve them now?

Episode 377: Engagement and Strengths - A Conversation with Emily Lorenz and Tim Hodges (Leadership)

Join us a for a great and in-depth conversation on the latest research around employee engagement and the application of your strengths in life and leadership. 
Tim and Emily are colleagues at Gallup and are friends of the podcast. Both Tim and Emily share strong insight into our current state of life at work and how to use our strengths to navigate through these "interesting" times. 
 
Walton research link: https://www.gallup.com/analytics/659819/k-12-teacher-research.aspx
 

Episode 376: A Needed Conversation (Leadership)

On this episode Ted revisits his favorite conversation with Greg Harden. Greg Harden was a legendary motivational figure and peak performance coach, best known for his influential work as an administrator and counselor at the University of Michigan. Often described as a "secret weapon" for elite athletes, he played a pivotal role in the mental development of stars like Tom Brady, Michael Phelps, and Desmond Howard. Through his coaching, Harden specialized in teaching individuals how to master their own emotions and build the mental resilience necessary to succeed both in sports and in life.
Greg's book: Stay Sane in an Insane World: How to Control the Controllables and Thrive - is one of the ten reads for Smart Thinkers! 

Episode 375: The Danger of Assumptions in Your Culture: The WHAT Principle

We are living in an age where people are believing the headlines (gossip) and not reading the story. As a result, people are making assumptions about the circumstances in their world and commenting before acquiring the facts. This leads us to a need to ask “what?” and follow the WHAT principle.
This episode will help you frame and recognize the need to once again focus on the facts and not the comments as well as be the leader to close the gap between headlines and comments by using "truths." 
Wonder about the headline and intent
Help yourself by being curious and asking questions
Acquire the facts
Truth focused communications

Episode 374: Normalize Positivity (Leadership & Process)

In nature, negative is always attracted to positive. In human nature however, negative attracts more negative. Take a listen as Ted breaks down how to normalize positivity with behaviors and processes.
It is time to normalize positivity in our lives and workspaces. This can only occur if we, as individuals, begin to challenge the norm of negativity. 
Follow Ted's four steps:
See positivity
Seek positivity
Be a supermodel of positivity 
Expect positivity 

Episode 373: Books for Break (Leadership)

Spring break is around the corner and that means we'll have time to reflect, reenergize, and maybe even relax. Since we are all leaders, that means we all need to invest in ourselves so that we can increase our ability to serve others. On this episode we explore six texts and a process using AI -- to help us increase the application of our learning.
Leaders are Readers! 
 
The books:
Yes to Life, Viktor Frankly
13 Things Mentally Strong Women Don't Do, Amy Morin
The Inner Game of Tennis, W. Timothy Gallwey
The Digital Delusion, Jared Horvath
Who is Government, Michael Lewis
Theo of Golden, Allen Levi
Plus a great new release produced at Golden Bear Studios: 
Roots Run Back to You by Day Ashworth 
 
 
 
 
 

Episode 372: Lead Like A Meteorologist – Change Management (Leadership & Process)

Spring is a season of change and when we lead change, we need some reminders to help us help ourselves and others get through the natural storms of change. We will explore the key behaviors for supporting change by focusing on processes that forecast the changes for others as well as providing tools and processes to support behaviors that will allow for others to find success in all the natural newness. People are pretty good at responding to changes in the weather – if they’re prepared. The same goes for organizational change!  
 
Smart Thinking Retreat Registration: https://events.cesa6.org/events/30986398049

Episode 371: Coach Yourself and Others!!! (Leadership & Best Practices)

Each of us need to grow forward. Coaching yourself and others through tools and processes is the best way to increase your leadership capacity and skill sets. Take a listen as we explore how to apply some of the best practices in coaching to support all those we serve and mostly ourselves. This type of coaching is applicable in every arena we find ourselves in – personally and professionally. 

Episode 371: Coach Yourself and the Others! (Leadership & Best Practices))

Each of us need to grow forward. Coaching yourself and others through tools and processes is the best way to increase your leadership capacity and skill sets. Take a listen as we explore how to apply some of the best practices in coaching to support all those we serve and mostly ourselves. This type of coaching is applicable in every arena we find ourselves in – personally and professionally.

Episode 370: A Conversation with a Conversation Expert: Craig Weber (Leadership & Tactics)

Take a listen as we discuss how to increase your ability to have meaningful conversations. Ted and Craig discuss how to lean into our difference, and they review strategies to support strong interactions that are purposeful. Vulnerability and authenticity are always difficult at work and finding impactful processes and behaviors to increase empathy are key. This episode will help you see new ways to approach conversations so that you are more confident and authentic when working with and leading others.
 
Craig: https://weberconsultinggroup.net/