I am preparing the next AI workshop for Managers and I would like to plan it out. I know this is summer and not everyone wants to spend time in the evening or weekend learning when the weather outside is nice, but time is not on our side and we need to learn to stay current with the ever accelerating AI market. Please indicate when it would work best for you. I will try to find a time slot that accommodates the most participants.

I wrote this article for a magazine but thought maybe it will be useful to share with this group as well: Title: Strategic Communication for Executives: Small Changes, Big Wins In today's fast-paced business environment, strong communication skills have become a critical differentiator for leaders and operators alike. Yet many underestimate how deeply poor communication undercuts team performance, erodes trust, and slows momentum. From my experience coaching executives and building leadership programs, I’ve found that exceptional communication isn't a talent you're born with — it's a muscle you build through simple, repeatable habits. Here are the key tactics I teach to help leaders sharpen their influence and consistently drive the outcomes they want. Why Leaders Lose Buy-In (and How to Fix It) The most common mistake I see when leaders communicate to executives is they jump into "what" and "how" without addressing "why." The reasons vary: some believe their title alone should command attention; some assume executives are already convinced; others simply use the meeting to voice complaints without offering strong solutions. Instead, begin by framing the broader purpose. Selling the "why" creates alignment and urgency before discussing execution. Example: Instead of saying, "We have to update the CRM by Friday," start with: "Prioritizing the CRM update will directly impact our ability to target high-value prospects and close key deals this quarter. Without this update, we risk falling behind on our revenue targets. I am fully aware that we have multiple urgent initiatives on our plate—from finalizing the Q3 product roadmap to launching the new customer support system. However, updating the CRM will enable better segmentation and targeting across all these efforts, giving every project a higher return on investment. That’s why I recommend moving this to the top of our priority list." A few seconds of strategic framing—and demonstrating awareness of competing priorities—can unlock weeks of momentum.

@Lliam Magee @Jeff Jones Do you have any templates for scheduling work on different shifts for your employees? I need to help someone with such a task, but I thought I would ask here first. If any of you fine folks have any good templates for resource management, please share them here.

Good afternoon everyone! My name is Lliam, and I am an Assistant General Manager at a local small business and I have been looking for ways to motivate the people Im managing. Morale boosting has been a great success for me, making employees feel heard and appreciated; I feel that is what I am confident with. However I am curious to put out an open question to see how different managers are able to keep on top of monitoring and reprimanding problem behaviour. Safety is top of priority for the industry I am in, and so we must have all of our employees practicing our policies; unfortunately not everyone does that (some even feel comfortable not doing it even with warnings). And I would prefer to not slip into being the micro-managing, passive aggressive boss stereotype; nor do I want to feel that terminating all these people is a clean solution. I have been practicing the verbal warning, written warning, termination (or ‘Three Strikes System’). However, I would love to hear about different, more impactful styles. Thanks for hearing me out!

I was talking to Gerard and he mentioned this group. Looks like there’s a diverse group of people here and I’m seeing some interesting threads. Looking forward to learning, collaborating and hearing some different perspectives.