Episode 203: Yucking on Your Yum

In this enlightening episode, Lauren explores the all-too-common scenario of sharing exciting news, only to be met with negativity or criticism. She introduces us to the concept of "yucking on someone's yum," a phrase that encapsulates the act of diminishing someone else's joy with our own skepticism or negative reactions.

Lauren, with her characteristic wit and insight, shares personal anecdotes and observations from the wild world of Reddit, where she engages with the community to spread positivity. She reflects on her own experiences, both as the recipient and the perpetrator of yucks, offering a candid look at how sarcasm and negativity can inadvertently affect those around us.

Through engaging stories and practical advice, Lauren encourages listeners to foster an environment of support and celebration, rather than criticism. She stresses the importance of emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and the impact of our reactions on others' joy. This episode is not just a call to action to stop yucking on the yum but a comprehensive guide on how to uplift and validate others' achievements, creating a culture of positivity and support.

Whether you're sharing news of a pregnancy, a new job, or simply a piece of joy, Lauren's insights will equip you with the tools to respond with grace and enthusiasm. By the end of this episode, you'll be inspired to start your own joy parades, carefully considering who you invite into your audience. Tune in to "Yucking on Your Yum" on The Spitfire Podcast and embrace the joy of building others up.

So, if you're tired of the negativity and ready to change the narrative around success and celebration, this episode is a must-listen. Let's stop yucking on the yum and start creating an environment where everyone's wins are celebrated.

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Episode 202: The ELMO Dilemma: Leadership, Respect, and Psychological Safety in Meetings

In this episode, we're peeling back the layers on a seemingly innocuous meeting management tactic that's sparking heated debates among business leaders: the "ELMO" method.

Imagine you're sharing your thoughts in a meeting, only to be abruptly halted with a card that reads "ELMO" – shorthand for "Enough, Let's Move On." While some hail it as a productivity hack, our host Lauren delves into the darker side of this practice, exploring its implications on team dynamics, psychological safety, and the overall culture of respect within organizations.

1. Share the Insights – Have someone in your world who would benefit from this episode, we would love it if you would pass this episode along! t

2. Did This Episode Ignite a Spark? Drop a Review and Let Us Know! – Leave us a review or comment on how this episode impacted you.

3. Subscribe and Stay Focused – Subscribe for more empowering content  Apple Podcasts | Google Play | Spotify | Our Website

Episode 200: Talk vs. Action: Transforming Leadership Frustration into Forward Momentum

In this milestone 200th episode of The Spitfire Podcast, we're diving deep into a common leadership dilemma: the frustrating chasm between talk and action. Have you ever found yourself trapped in a meeting marathon with no finish line in sight? Endless discussions, but not a step forward? We've all been there, and it's time to tackle this head-on.

What's on the Agenda:

• The Real Cost of Inaction: Unpack the true impact of all talk and no action in leadership circles. How does it stifle progress, demoralize teams, and what can we do about it?

• Clarity is King: Discover the power of setting crystal-clear objectives for every meeting. We'll share how to ensure your meetings aren't just talk-fests but focused sessions with tangible outcomes.

• Curiosity Circles - Your Secret Weapon: Learn about this innovative technique that can transform your meetings from mundane to mind-blowing. How asking the right questions can unlock creativity, encourage participation, and pave the way for action.

• The 45-Minute Magic: Why keeping meetings short could be the key to maintaining focus and maximizing productivity. We'll discuss strategies for making every minute count.

• Expectation Management: Get the lowdown on how setting and managing expectations can prevent frustration and build trust within your team.

• Navigating Leadership Labyrinths: Tips and strategies for "managing up" when you're faced with senior leadership's action paralysis. How to approach the situation with curiosity and tact to foster understanding and prompt action.

Join us as we dissect these challenges with our signature blend of expert insights, practical strategies, and, of course, that Spitfire sass. Whether you're a seasoned leader or aspiring to be one, this episode is your guide to bridging the gap between talk and action, turning frustration into fuel for success.

Why Do My Coworkers Say Yes to Everything: Workforce Whisperers with Lauren and Ebony (Episode 4)

In this episode of Workforce Whisperers, Ebony and Lauren discuss the issue of coworkers taking on too much and the negative impact it can have on both individuals and teams. We explore strategies for setting boundaries, delegating effectively, and fostering a culture of collaboration.

Join us for a thoughtful conversation about work-life balance and avoiding burnout in the workplace.

How to Interpret Kudos and Communication Remotely: Workforce Whisperers with Lauren and Ebony (Episode 3)

In this episode of Workforce Whisperers, we explore the topic of how kudos and communication is handled in a remote situation. Ebony and Lauren discuss the impact of empty praise on team morale and provide tips for giving and receiving genuine recognition in the workplace. Join us for a candid conversation about the importance of authentic feedback and building a positive team culture.

Introducing Workforce Whisperers with Lauren and Ebony

Welcome to the Workforce Whispers with Lauren & Ebony, where we dive deep into the realms of work, leadership, and the fascinating world of work, leadership, and Reddit.

Join us, two highly experienced Master Certified Coaches, as we explore thought-provoking topics, share invaluable insights, and engage in lively discussions. Get ready for a transformative journey of knowledge, inspiration, and growth.

About Lauren LeMunyan MCC  www.youtube.com/@spitfirecoach 

About Ebony Smith MCC  www.youtube.com/@EbenumEquationCoaching ​

Episode 167: Can You Say More With Less?

Can you get your point across in fewer words? 

Every day we are consumed with messages and pieces of information that we're expected to read, understand, and act on, but the reality is we don't have time or attention for it.

So many times, our message is getting crowded, leading us to feel misunderstood, misrepresented, and lost in the shuffle.

So how do we get heard and understood in our communication? Listen in today and learn how to say more with less.

Episode 161: It's Time to Tell the Whole Truth

Are you ready to tell the truth about yourself?

It's time to let go of the qualifying language, the minimizing lens, and the lies from past stories.

Imagine seeing yourself for who you actually are. In today's show, I'm sharing insights from a recent conference and coaching sessions on the theme. 

Can you handle the truth?

Episode 139: The Dark Side of Servant Leadership

I see so many people, like putting up this placard of what kind of leader they are. The reality is, we are not all one way all the time.

So what happens when you go all in as a Servant Leader?

Episode 128: Thriving as an Introvert with Alan Heymann of Peaceful Direction

Who says introverts can't be awesome spitfire leaders?? Not Alan Heymann. Today he shares his insights for the introverts out there to get ahead in the virtual and hybrid world.

About Alan Heymann

Alan Heymann specializes in coaching through transitions — such as the transition from individual contributor to leader, the transition into a larger and more complex role, or the transition into a different career. He brings a warm, open and energetic presence to his coaching clients. To date, Alan has coached leaders who were born in 13 countries and work on 5 continents.

An expert communicator and engaging speaker, Alan spent more than two decades in public, government and nonprofit communications -- leading teams from 2 to more than 100 people who use words and images to inspire positive change in society. Inspired by a career transformation he brought about with the support of an executive coach, Alan decided to become a coach himself. He founded Peaceful Direction in April 2019.

Episode 120: Compounded Employment Trauma and The Impacts of Workplace Resentment

Raise your hand if you've ever...

Rolled your eyes when someone was speaking.

Been super annoyed when a client messages you.

Gotten agitated at the sight of a name in your inbox.

Blown up at a colleague.

Raise your hand if any of those things have happened to you.

My guess is most if not all of you who are reading this have been on the giving and or receiving end of resentments in the workplace.

Today we're talking about the compounded effects and what you can do to stop the cycle.

Episode 111: How to Build Trust Remotely

This is Episode 111 and I've listened back to a couple of these episodes. I've looked at the titles to think, you know, what would be changed, if anything and what I was saying and not a lot has changed as far as the things that are most important to us.

These are universal principles that can be adapted in any environment. It's mainly how do we show up in the way that we want to how do we get the best result from The people that are working around us by igniting the best in them.

How do we build trust? How do we communicate? How do we defuse conflict? How do we see and hear people?

Now the way that we're seeing and hearing people are different. It's going to be different for a while. And even when whatever normal comes back, it's going to be different, too. But these are the points and the principles that are going to help us all adjust when these new catalysts of change happen.

So today, we're going to talk about something that came up in my coaching session just before this, and it's talking to all about trust. He is someone who travels a lot every four to six weeks, he is going in an office in his company on in another part of the world. There is a lot of relationship building that's happening in casual water cooler conversations or in networking that's happening outside of the office.

Obviously we can't do that now. We can't pull people aside. We can't have a drink with them. We can't invite them to a meal in a pub or restaurant. We're not necessarily just happening to have casual run ins with people. This is a time where we need to be really intentional and deliberate.

So I wanted to kind of peel back the layers and see where the value is in this casual, organic or serendipitous meeting. Where's the value that this individual is getting?

For him, it came down to building trust to having a human to human connection that gets lost when we're only focused on building agendas. We're not really seeing people, if we're they're just accomplishing tasks and and stating what our objectives are.

This is an opportunity for us to look at how do we go from one extreme and then the other extreme so going from hyper professional and hyper casual what is that in between Let's be honest, we're not wearing our business suits to zoom calls or conference calls, most of us, maybe not, haven't even showered, or hopefully we've brushed our teeth. But we're not showing up in kind of our armor. We're not showing up in this professional attire, that's even giving the impression that things are similar.

We can have an in between that can merge the benefits from having professional objectives and also bring our very human and casual self into it, which allows us to build trust.

During our session I said, “You know, you mentioned the word trust. So tell me what the building blocks of trust are for you?.

He said, “Well, I think it might be empathy or might be sympathy.”

He went back to empathy, so I asked him, “What does empathy mean to you?”

And he said, “Well, it's giving it to get it. So by sharing vulnerability by sharing personal things that you're comfortable with, it allows other people to connect with you.”

BINGO!

When we get to show up as ourselves, it signals to the other person. “Well, I can show up as myself too.”

That’s the first piece. Being the example of what you want to see and experience.

Then there’s keeping your word. If you don't keep your word, if you say you're going to do something and you don't do it, then that immediately is a trust killer.

Also, reciprocation. If someone doesn't reciprocate trust, then that is a trust killer.

Where we go wrong is when we assume there is established trust without basis. When we assume that the person sitting across from us or having the conversation has the same expectation and perceived outcome, and has an understanding of what we're doing, but there's never a communication or a shared agreement. And then we're not balanced. That's where things go awry.

All relationships break down from unmet expectations. This is where we can get curious and clarifying and verifying, and also bringing ourselves into it can really help to build trust.

So we think about seeing people for who they are, and honoring that piece of them, and also being really clear about what it is we need from them. What is it that we're willing to give? What is it that we would like to get from them?

This way we can create these shared agreements, we can create shared expectations that helped to build trust. It can take a long time to build trust, and and it probably should, we have proximities of trust to us, the people who are closest to us - those have been tried and tested over years. You know, those people that you've known for 10 years plus, that you don't have to necessarily keep tabs with every day or every week or even every month, but you know that when you come back together, the trust is still the same Because you have that shared understanding, you have shared operating principles.

There are people that you feel connected to, but trust needs to be. It needs to be verified over time. That's where these check ins on the agreements happen. That's why we review contracts. If we're in business, we're not just signing a document and walking away from it, we're going back to check on. Okay, well, what does reciprocity look like? How do I get what I need? Is this person getting what they need? And that's okay. But if we want to deepen relationships with people, we have to put ourselves out there in order to signal to other people that it's okay for them to do the same.

So just because we're not having face to face, drinks with people, we're not necessarily having those those passing moments in the hallway or are those moments at a conference that you know in a buffet line to crack a joke, we are still able to connect with people. But the two key things are we have to be intentional and we have to be deliberate This is where setting the intention before every single engagement we have with the question of how do I use this opportunity to build trust? How do I need to show up? And what does success look like for me? How do I know when I deepen trust, you will know energetically when this starts to happen.

We want to feel trust on a gradual level, that deepening that stretching that growing. You will know it when you feel it. But know that over time, each step that you make towards this, the more sustainable and manageable it is. This time period is all about R&R, what is realistic and what is reasonable and being face to face being in person with people is not it's just not realistic right now. But we can still have conversations, we can still have different types of conversations that deepen our trust, we can still get to know people, we can acknowledge and validate them, we can see and hear them.

We can't lose the human level of this technology and communication shift. In fact, we need to leverage our human connection even more.

As you're navigating this, if you're working from home, or if you're in the job hunt, or you're just trying to get by, you can use this with your friends and family, you can use this with colleagues thinking about how can I connect with this person on a more human level? How do I share a little bit more of me? And how do I get curious with them to learn more and appreciate more about them?

We are all diverse, dynamic, multifaceted beings and it's our opportunity now to stop seeing things on the surface level and to start taking a deeper and more appreciative look at what is around us.

I hope that all of you are safe and well, if you have any questions if you need any more resources, I have set up a page with telework. Working for teams or individuals to navigate this uncertain unprecedent time, whatever you want to call it at the remote leader.com we just did something on routine reset, you can schedule a complimentary routine reset with me for 15 minutes. And if you have any questions, let me know if you're if you're struggling with anything, ask me the question. I'm happy to answer it on a future podcast and to all the Spitfires out there. Keep being awesome!

Episode 75: Converting Feedback Into a Gift

If you shudder at the thought of giving feedback, you’re definitely not alone. Many people consider this to be the most anxiety-inducing aspect of their job.

Sugar-coating is often used in these situations as an attempt to “soften the blow,” but this strategy can add a whole new level of confusion and frustration to an already uncomfortable conversation. 

Ready to ditch the discomfort for good? Start packaging feedback as a gift. 

In today’s episode, Lauren introduces a teachable approach to feedback that prioritizes professional growth, offers a co-creative space, and empowers people to thrive. 

Episode 74: Your Operating Principles and Universal Rules

Organizations rely on operating principles to put their values into practice and get things done efficiently. While this is a typical process in the corporate world, what would happen if you applied this framework to yourself? 

Today’s episode is all about standardizing YOUR standards, and communicating expectations from the start to avoid challenges in the long run. 

Lauren shares strategies for getting clear on your must-haves and deal-breakers, and prompts to help you develop a structure for showing up as your strongest SpitFire self. 
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