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Interaction Associates Blog

Our blog is filled with actionable insights on collaboration as well as practical approaches to implement these insights within organizations.

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Leadership Personal Development

How Emotional Intelligence (EQ) Drives ...

Emotional intelligence (EQ) is more than just a buzzword your boss might toss around during performance reviews. It's..

by Jake Blocker
One employee in a wheelchair sits at a table, meeting with two other employees.
Meetings

How to Make Meetings More Accessible

Ever feel like some voices get lost in meetings? It's often not intentional, but traditional meeting formats can leave..

by Jake Blocker
Person giving thumbs up during virtual meeting, laptop screen showing grid of video call participants
Virtual Working

Facilitation: The Must-Have Skill for ...

There's a lot to love about virtual and hybrid work arrangements. From increased flexibility to reduced commute times,..

by Jake Blocker
A skilled meeting facilitator guides a hybrid meeting, ensuring all participants are engaged and contributing effectively.

A Guide to Virtual/Hybrid Meeting Facilitation

There's a lot to love about virtual and hybrid work arrangements. From increased flexibility to reduced commute times,..

by Jake Blocker
Screen displaying Zoom meeting with everyone's face visible
Virtual Working Meetings

How Camera-Off Meetings Can Support All Team ...

I'm sure we've all had those days where the last thing we want to do is turn our cameras on and attend yet another..

by Jake Blocker
Employees sitting in a meeting intently watching a speaker in front of them.
Meetings

What Bad Meetings Tell Us about Employee Burnout ...

Meetings are meant to bring teams together, encourage collaboration, and drive progress. Yet, for many employees, they..

by Jake Blocker
Woman on virtual meeting using AI tools to improve her meeting process
Leadership Virtual Working

How AI Can Improve Your Meetings

We have all attended meetings where we sit back and think to ourselves, “This really could have been an email.” Whether..

by Jake Blocker
Leadership Collaboration

The Power of Mindfulness: Cultivating Presence in ...

In today’s fast-paced world, where distractions abound and stress levels seem to rise incessantly, the concept of..

by Larry Rosenberg
Leadership Meetings

3 Ways To Revamp Your Company’s Meeting Culture

Article originally published for Forbes Business Council and reprinted with permission. As a general rule, people hate..

by Chris Williams
The Profile of a Resilient Leader
Leadership Collaboration

The Profile of a Resilient Leader

We are in times of change, and recently, I had a conversation about what makes a resilient leader.

by Ian Lipson
Leadership Collaboration

Three Best Practices For Solving Employee ...

Article originally published for Forbes Business Council and reprinted with permission.

by Chris Williams
Collaboration Meetings

Time is Precious, Stop Wasting it in Bad Meetings

I’ve written before on the good and bad of meetings. You know, corporate America’s favorite pastime. So, I thought I’d..

by Jake Blocker
Leadership Personal Development

Why Attend an IA Public Workshop?

When was the last time you found yourself in a classroom, eager to absorb new knowledge and refine your skills? In the..

by Katy O'Connor
Meetings Personal Development

What Can Meeting Leaders Learn from AI Prompt ...

Meetings are the backbone of collaboration and decision-making within an organization. They serve to convene the group..

by Chris Williams
Leadership Engagement

3 Tips to Tame the Micromanaging Monster

Micromanagement: a word that sends shivers down the spines of employees everywhere. If you've ever been on the..

by Nina Fojaco Reed
Leadership Engagement

Navigating the Ever-Changing Workplace: The Power ...

It's early afternoon, and exhaustion has already settled in. Your day has been a whirlwind of back-to-back meetings,..

by Eve Keller
Engagement Personal Development

Lessons I Learned from RuPaul About Conquering ...

Photo Credit: RuPaul Charles poses for a picture at the Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, September 19, 2021. (Mario..

by Jake Blocker
Leadership Engagement

Stop Measuring Productivity and Do This Instead

How do you measure the success of employees who may be in the office, working from home, or function in a hybrid..

by Chris Williams
Leadership Personal Development

What Gen Z Is Looking For in the Workplace

by Bella Cebrero
Collaboration Engagement

IA Chat: Women in the Workplace

In this edition of Interaction Associates Chat, a group of IAers got together on a Microsoft Teamschat to discuss what..

by IA Team
Leadership Meetings

Will AI Eliminate the Need for Meeting ...

A few years ago, I moved into a new home. The home had ‘good bones’ as they say in the real-estate industry. It was..

by Chris Williams
Leadership Personal Development

Beyond the Pitch: 4 Key Leadership Insights from ...

Ted Lasso, the feel-good TV show that has captured the hearts of audiences around the world is more than just a show..

by Katy O'Connor
Leadership Personal Development

4 Tips on Outwitting Your Imposter Syndrome

It was midnight on October 21, 2022, and I had just poured myself a cup of Tazo’s Glazed Lemon Loaf Hot Tea (highly..

by Jake Blocker
Leadership Collaboration

What a Career in Education Taught Me About ...

Every year, we unwrap a new gift - an opportunity to set a new cadence for our lives, build shiny new habits, and give..

by Priti Ahuja
Collaboration Engagement

IA Chat: Managing Stress & Maintaining Your ...

In this edition of Interaction Associates Chat, a group of IA leaders got together on a Microsoft Teamschat to discuss..

by IA Team
Leadership Collaboration

Why Facilitation is the New Required Skill

Three tasks stood out from my to-do list this week. The first was a “beginning of the year pep talk” meeting with my..

by David Alan Brown
Leadership Virtual Working

How Time Blocking Can Save Your Sanity

Recent news about the modern workplace has been awash with CEOs pushing for higher levels of worker productivity. In..

by Chris Williams
Meetings Engagement

An Introvert's Survival Guide to Meetings

Years ago in a previous role, I recall sitting in a meeting room (an ACTUAL meeting room, remember those?). There were..

by Jake Blocker
Collaboration Engagement

3 Strategies for Receiving Constructive Feedback

Receiving feedback. While a net positive and necessary aspect of a successful workplace, it can also be the most..

by Eve Keller
Leadership Collaboration

Tips for End of Year Reviews & Goal Setting

In this edition of Interaction Associates Chat, a group of IA leaders got together on a Microsoft Teams chat to discuss..

by IA Team
Meetings Engagement

Quiet Quitting: A Generational Discussion

In the first edition of Interaction Associates Chat a group of IAers representing four generations in the workplace got..

by IA Team
Leadership Collaboration

Ask IA: What Am I Missing in Onboarding?

My company has grown significantly over the last few years. We went from an organization of just under 100 to over 300..

by Nina Fojaco Reed
Leadership Meetings

Improve Your Meetings with Preventions & ...

“You have no authority here Jackie Weaver!” How to Keep Your Meeting from Going Off the Rails.

by Chris Williams
Meetings Engagement

Ask IA: How Do I Get Focus Back When Meetings Go ...

As a project manager, I tend to lead 10-20 meetings each week. While I do make an effort to set my meeting up for..

by Jake Blocker
Meetings Engagement

Turn on the Camera: Improve Your Online Meetings ...

It’s Monday morning and you’re kicking off your workday with a team meeting. You open your virtual room but keep the..

by Jodi Cahn
Virtual Working Meetings

The Real Challenge with Hybrid Meetings

For the last two years, the pandemic transformed millions into remote workers and redefined workplace flexibility. As..

by Chris Williams
Leadership Engagement

Retaining New Employees by Re-Imagining the ...

Starting a new job is an exciting experience. It’s an opportunity to work with interesting people, contribute to a..

by Barry Rosen
Leadership Collaboration

Lessons Learned from 'The Great Resignation'

Recently while watching the NFL playoffs, I noticed an interesting advertising trend. Interspersed with countless ads..

by Susan DeGenring
Leadership Collaboration

Build More Adaptable Leaders

We’ve entered the 3rd year of the COVID pandemic. Like the first two, we don’t know what’s coming next. Barry Rosen, IA..

by Barry Rosen
Leadership Collaboration

Can’t We All Get Along? Moving Beyond Either-Or ...

From chatrooms to classrooms, the idea of we’re in this together is increasingly absent from America’s socio-political..

by Priti Ahuja
Leadership Collaboration

Take a Stand for Democracy

A message from Interaction Associates CEO, Barry Rosen

by Barry Rosen
Leadership Collaboration

How to Make Collaboration Work

“Collaboration is a nice idea, but ________.” Fill in the blank.

by Linda Dunkel
Leadership Engagement

Stop Stressing, Start Delegating

How are you currently feeling at work? Overworked, stressed, and constantly feeling that you’re behind? For many, this..

by Jake Blocker
Virtual Working Meetings

4 Ways Facilitators Improve Your Hybrid Meetings

Even as many businesses reopen their facilities and welcome employees back to the office, it’s clear that the future of..

by Nina Fojaco Reed
Leadership Engagement

5 Leadership Practices for Nurturing an ...

Most businesses experienced massive disruption this past year, having embarked on, as Time Magazine described it, “the..

by Barry Rosen
Leadership Engagement

Character of a Collaborative Leader: Courage to ...

On August 28th of 1963, the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom was held in Washington D.C. to advocate for civil..

by Michael J. Reidy
Leadership Collaboration

7 Practices of an Effective Leader

As a Director of Client Solutions at Interaction Associates, I hear a lot of stories from individuals about their..

by Eve Keller
Collaboration Meetings

What Baking Taught Me About Running Effective ...

April 10, 2020. I was supposed to be a few days into a relaxing vacation in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico but was instead in..

by Jake Blocker
Collaboration Meetings

Unlocking Interactions with Purpose and ...

Our lives are becoming more complex and busier than ever. We live in a world of pings and chimes, which signal more..

by Chris Williams
Collaboration Virtual Working

One Year In...What I've Learned in Quarantine

One year ago, many of us were thrown into a new way of life. We shifted, adjusted, and found our new norm. We may not..

by Kristin Mattison
Leadership Collaboration

Character of a Collaborative Leader

In more than thirty-five years of leading, coaching, and reflecting on leadership, I have observed that the quality of..

by Michael J. Reidy
Collaboration Virtual Working

Six Insights from Working Together Across ...

Interaction Associates and Vantage Partners hosted The New Norm: Working Together Across Distances & Differences on..

by Jake Blocker
Meetings Engagement

Connect People with Meetings that Matter

Meaningful employee engagement was a challenge for most organizations before the pandemic took hold. In 2018, a Gallup..

by Barry Rosen
Collaboration

Tackling Your To Do List

It’s the beginning of my work day in a new year and I’m once again face-to-face with my to do list. I must have been..

by Jen Cebrero
Leadership Collaboration

Abraham Lincoln and the Collaborative Leader's ...

When circumstances call for bold, decisive action, collaborative leaders face a dilemma. How do they get the right..

by Thomas J. Rice
Virtual Working Meetings

Football, Mindfulness, and the Benefits of ...

With the support of cardboard fans and recorded cheering, NFL teams are pounding it out on the gridiron. Yes, even..

by Susan DeGenring
Virtual Working Meetings

What to Ask Your Relative Who Voted for the Other ...

Those of us in the United States are now moving from election season to dispute season. Tens of millions of Americans..

by Jay Cone
Virtual Working Meetings

IA Recommends: Overcoming Zoom Fatigue

It's 2:00pm and you're on your fourth online meeting of the day. The coffee that got you through the morning has worn..

by Jake Blocker
Leadership Collaboration

How Are You Thinking Today?

While scientists frantically work to find a safe, effective vaccine for Covid-19, I’m focused on boosting our immunity..

by Jay Cone
Virtual Working Meetings

Are We Done with this Meeting?

As a project manager, I have tons of meetings. I can remember several meetings in my previous organization with clients..

by Eve Keller
Virtual Working Meetings

Did You Write That Down?

In 2009, Atul Gawande published the fascinating book The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right, in which he..

by Chris Williams
Virtual Working Meetings

Is Anybody Listening

In online meetings today, people are still listening. But what we hear and understand is often not what the speaker..

by Barry Rosen
Virtual Working Meetings

Why Are We Meeting?

A few years ago, I attended a meeting at my previous company entitled “Marketing Update.” This wasn’t our weekly..

by Jake Blocker
Virtual Working Meetings

Meet the Online Meeting Monster

The Online Meeting Monster™ sucks valuable time out of your busy day. In the time of COVID when people are worried..

by Kaitlyn Labbe
Leadership Collaboration

Solutions to Tough Team Challenges

After a past webinar, we surveyed the participants. Our question: What is your current top team challenge? We received..

by Beth Yates
Leadership Meetings

Meeting Roles - Infographic

Meeting roles define who will take responsibility for performing meeting functions. You don't need to use all the..

by Jake Blocker
Collaboration Engagement

Don’t Be Silent - Have The Conversation

When COVID-19 began creeping into the Boston area, my husband and I took steps that seemed right to protect our family...

by Kaitlyn Labbe
Meetings Engagement

10 Practices for Online Meetings

Online meetings are the new norm for organizations across the world. Meetings already posed numerous challenges and..

by Eve Keller
Virtual Working

IA Recommends: Podcasts

At IA we understand how important it is to create opportunities for self-care, relaxation, and joy, especially during..

by Ariel Rosen-Brown
Leadership Engagement

Delegation Can Help You Navigate a Crisis

What does the present moment demand of us as leaders? We face a host of threats and stressful situations. Many of us..

by Barry Rosen
Meetings Engagement

4 Tips to Productive Online Meetings

Picture this, you're in an online meeting and catch yourself checking your email or working on another project, you've..

by Jake Blocker
Virtual Working

The Power of a Morning Routine During Times of ...

Social distancing and other COVID-19 related restrictions have changed the world and our daily routines in a matter of..

by Lizzy Dickey-Murphy
Leadership Virtual Working

Dynamics of Effective Communication in a Virtual ...

As you think about your smartphone, where are you within the adoption curve? Are you the person who finds themselves..

by Michael J. Reidy
Change Virtual Working

How to Question Our Future

A stuck mind is disabled by complexity and uncertainty. In the face of our pandemic, stuck minds are yearning for a..

by Jay Cone
Virtual Working

Swapping Dress Pants for Sweatpants? Not so Fast!

For many of us, working from home was not an option until a few weeks ago. This shift has required a lot of adjusting:..

by Kristin Mattison
Virtual Working

Business on top, yoga pants on bottom, snacks in ...

I bet three weeks ago you thought you were busy, huh? Yeah, me too. It’s a brave new world parents. I write this to you..

by Allison McGuirk
Virtual Working

Your Office Set Up Can Change Your Work Life

The desk. If my basic math calculations are correct, this is a place you may call home for upwards of 950 hours each..

by Jake Blocker
Collaboration Virtual Working

Fully Remote: Challenges and Opportunities

As our workplaces and world have become upended due to COVID-19 in the past few weeks, we are faced with significant..

by Chris Williams
Leadership Collaboration

Pixar Magic for the Rest of Us: Making Candor a ...

In the summer of 2015, Pixar had another breakaway box office hit with "Inside Out." The animated movie tells the story..

by Patty McManus
Virtual Working Meetings

You Can Have Better Online Meetings

“Meetings are a microcosm of the culture of an organization.” David Straus made that assertion in his seminal 1975..

by Michael J. Reidy
Collaboration Virtual Working

Stay Connected When Working from Home

If you’re new to working from home or now have more virtual co-workers due to COVID-19 travel restrictions and social..

by Barry Rosen
Leadership Collaboration

5 Steps to Giving Productive Feedback

Giving productive feedback is crucial in having a collaborative environment. However, the thought of giving feedback..

by Barry Rosen
Collaboration Virtual Working

Today from IA: We're Better Together

COVID-19 Response from Interaction Associates and CEO Barry Rosen In communities and businesses across the globe,..

by Barry Rosen
Smiling woman sitting in front of her laptop at work.
Leadership

When Reacting is Re-Acting

Originally posted on Unstuck Minds, this blog is re-posted here in its entirety with only minor structural changes to..

by Jay Cone
Leadership

What Mr. Rogers Taught Us About Effective ...

When you think of “Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood,” do you soften and perhaps smile a bit? Us, too. If you haven’t seen the..

by Barry Rosen
Collaboration

How Girl Scouts Taught Me a Better Way to ...

Last September, I watched a group of 4th Grade Girl Scouts select field trip activities for the next school year. They..

by Lara Cohen
Collaboration

Happy 50th to Sesame Street...and Interaction ...

Many amazing things happened in 1969!

by Barry Rosen
1119_IA_collaboration_blog2-01
Collaboration Engagement

Trends: Crack the Collaboration Code

Collaboration is at the heart of most successful human endeavors. I’m referring to work and community-based..

by Barry Rosen
leader
Leadership Collaboration

Get Unstuck: 4 Questions for Effective ...

Thirty years of research and practice has led me to a one-sentence conclusion that sums up my approach to..

by Jay Cone
leadershipcoaching4
Collaboration

My Millennial Moment

My whip-smart niece visited me last month. She’s about a year into her first real job and I was curious about her take..

by Beth O'Neill
teams1
Leadership Change

Crucial Steps for Change Leaders

“Change is the only constant.” – Heraclitus, Greek philosopher

by Betina Schonberger
pharma
Collaboration Engagement

Employee Engagement: How to Tell if People are ...

High employee engagement correlates with better team and organizational performance. Engaged employees help each other..

by Jay Cone
Man at conference table talking strategy
Collaboration

Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast...and what to ...

I come from the country that built the Titanic. The ship was assembled in Belfast, a city in the north of Ireland...

by Michael J. Reidy
leaderascoach3
Collaboration Meetings

Improve Your Organization's Effectiveness One ...

I saw a cartoon years ago that showed people sitting around a table looking bored and drinking coffee. The caption..

by Patty McManus
strategicthinking2
Collaboration

What Google Learned About Teams (and implications ...

Team members at Google are challenged in much the same way as nearly everyone else in corporate life. To get things..

by Patty McManus
employee1
Collaboration

How to Survive a Bad Boss

Most of us have had a bad boss. If you google “bad boss,” you’ll find hundreds of references. They all have one premise..

by Patty McManus
virtual2
Collaboration Virtual Working

When Face Time Wasn’t an App

“Face time.” If you were reading hard-copy business magazines twenty years ago, you'll likely remember articles urging..

by Beth Yates
meetings
Collaboration

Leveraging Diversity: From Awareness to ...

Diversity is more than the inherent traits we’re born with: sexual orientation, gender, and ethnicity. Diversity also..

by Deborah Rocco
ourapproach_header
Leadership

Pressure Testing Your Leadership Pipeline

As the economy strengthens, many organizations are coming to grips with leadership challenges – and, specifically, the..

by Patty McManus
remotework_blog-05
Collaboration Virtual Working

Convening People Who Work Remotely

Since 2015, I’ve worked as a remote employee for Interaction Associates. For me, it’s been great. Working from home has..

by Chris Williams