20 business strategies for engaging and connecting with your audience

Shayne Fitz-Coy contributed to Fast Company’s expert panel, “11 ways introverted leaders can strengthen remote work relations.” REDUCE INHIBITIONS WITH AWKWARD ICEBREAKERS OR ‘WORST PERFORMANCE’ CONTESTS. Learn from improv troops. To build authentic connections in remote teams, create intentionally awkward social situations. Shared discomfort fosters stronger bonds than forced positivity. Try awkward icebreakers or “worst…

Shayne Fitz-Coy contributed to Fast Company’s expert panel, “20 business leaders share their best advice for the next generation.” PICK UP THE PHONE. Pick up the phone and call. In a world of asynchronous, low-friction interaction, telephony can be your secret competitive advantage. Most want to hide behind email threads and chat platforms, but I’ve…

Shayne Fitz-Coy contributed to Fast Company’s expert panel, “20 tips to boost employee wellness and lower absentee rates.” MAKE YOUR COMPANY WORK ENVIRONMENT A FUN DESTINATION. To promote employee wellness and reduce absenteeism, employers can focus on joy. Often, we get so focused on the bottom line that we forget to make the work environment…

Shayne Fitz-Coy contributed to Forbes’s expert panel, “20 Tools To Stay Organized And Prevent Leadership Burnout.” Sleep I track sleep, not tasks. After nearly derailing during a major deal after weeks of nights with four hours of sleep, I realized my to-do lists were pointless if my brain was running on fumes. My sleep app…

Shayne Fitz-Coy contributed to Fast Company’s expert panel, “15 potential pitfalls to eliminate from the innovation process.” BUILDING AN ‘INNOVATION TEAM’ Don’t treat innovation like a department; make it a habit. I’ve watched companies build “innovation teams” that become expensive idea museums. At my company, we scrapped our innovation group and instead embedded “possibility sessions”…

Shayne Fitz-Coy contributed to Fast Company’s expert panel, “19 leadership principles to strengthen lasting client relationships.” NOT FEARING THE HARD TRUTHS Tell uncomfortable truths. When a client wanted a project 30% faster, my team wanted to say “yes” while knowing we couldn’t do it. Instead, I said, “We can’t do that, and here’s why.” There…