by Caroline Leach | Mar 31, 2024 | Learning
How can you use AI more often in your daily work? 🤖
I’ve been contemplating how to best use AI in my communication, consulting, and coaching business.
And it feels a bit overwhelming at times.
When that happens, I break things down into simple steps.
What’s the easiest way to start?
For me it’s been using the existing AI features in my business and personal tech stack – all the digital tools I use frequently.
Most everything has AI features, so increasingly I’m using them. Just a few:
1. LinkedIn: rewrite with AI
2. iStockPhoto: AI generator
3. MS Teams: speaker coach
In the last example, I’m now using the Speaker Coach feature of Microsoft Teams in meetings where I’m presenting.
Speaker Coach analyzes your speaking along six dimensions:
1. Filler words
2. Pace
3. Inclusiveness
4. Intonation
5. Monologue
6. Repetitive language
It sends a private report just to you as the user right after the meeting.
A sample report from a client meeting is below.
During the meeting, I got a private notification that I was speaking too fast.
Although it was momentarily jarring, it helped me slow down in the moment.
Filler words are also a challenge for me. Too often I say “like” and “you know” that can detract from my message.
In this client meeting, I used filler words 6 times.
In a bigger presentation later the same day? Only 1 time.
So AI is helping me be a better speaker. And a better communication coach for other leaders.
How is AI helping you do better work? Drop a comment 👇
by Caroline Leach | Jan 28, 2024 | Change, Learning
How do you learn to do something new?
Not by thinking, planning, or strategizing.
Instead, we learn simply by doing the new thing.
We learn by being okay feeling uncomfortable and awkward.
We learn by experimenting and having a beginner’s mindset.
Over the weekend, I was reminded of this.
One of my new endeavors for the year is taking adult ballet classes.
It’s been decades since I studied dance almost daily as a teen.
My mind remembers, but my body needs to re-learn how to do the steps.
Our instructor told the packed classroom at the outset, “the way to learn to dance … is to dance.”
So simple. Yet maybe it’s not the first thought when we start something new.
It could be anything new, whether it’s leading, marketing, designing, or something else.
For those who follow me, you know I’m learning to speak Spanish.
This year I’m also learning more about AI. I’m curious about how to better apply it to my work communicating, coaching, and leading.
One of the cool new LinkedIn tools is “rewrite with AI.” So this post appears in two versions, A and B. What resonates with you in each post and why? Drop a comment and let me know. 👇
This is Version A, written by me.
_____________________________
This is Version B, rewritten with AI.
How do you learn to do something new? Not by overthinking, but by simply doing. We learn by embracing the discomfort of being a beginner and experimenting with a beginner’s mindset. This weekend, I was reminded of this while taking adult ballet classes. Though it’s been decades since I last danced daily, my instructor reminded us that “the way to learn to dance…is to dance.” It’s a simple concept, yet one we often overlook when starting something new. Whether it’s learning a new language like Spanish or exploring the possibilities of AI, the key is to take action and learn by doing. So what new skill are you looking to tackle this year? Share in the comments below.
__________
P.S. One of the most fascinating learnings from this “rewrite with AI” experiment? I did it 3 times as I made slight edits to my post, and each time the rewrite was fairly different. Trying to decide what to make of that.
by Caroline Leach | Dec 28, 2023 | Change, Work/Life
How was your 2023? What are your hopes for 2024?
Here’s a fun and easy exercise to consider both. It’s called “The Wheel of Life,” from the the Co-Active Training Institute.
Pick a number between 1 and 10 for your satisfaction in these areas of your life (1 is the lowest and closest to the center of the wheel; 10 is the highest and closest to the outer edge of the wheel):
- Career
- Family and friends
- Significant other
- Fun and recreation
- Health
- Money
- Personal growth
- Physical environment
Feel free to modify the categories if you like.
Each category is like a wedge or a slice of pie in the wheel.
Plot your numbers around the wheel and then connect the dots.
The purpose? To see how smooth or bumpy your ride of life is.
The bigger the variation in numbers among categories, the bumpier the ride.
You can also use this to reflect on:
- What’s going well in your life?
- What would you like to improve?
- What actions will increase your satisfaction?
The wheel of life is one of the first exercises I learned in coach training at CTI.
It was fun to revisit it today with year-end reflection and year-ahead planning.
What are your reflection and planning rituals? Would love to know in a comment!
by Caroline Leach | Dec 17, 2023 | Social Media
¡Hola! This fall semester I am both a communications professor at UCS and a student taking Spanish at El Camino College. Our last day of Spanish class was this week. I am grateful to our wonderful professor Maria Barrio de Mendoza and my fellow students.
¡Hola! Este semestre de otoño soy profesora de comunicaciones en USC y estudiante de español en El Camino College. Nuestro último día de clase de español fue esta semana. Estoy agradecida a nuestra maravillosa profesora María Barrio de Mendoza y a mis compañeros de estudios.
_______________
So many of you encouraged me at the end of August when I started my Spanish studies.
My daughter got me started on the Duolingo app over the summer.
Learning Spanish was on my to-do list for YEARS.
We think we have plenty of time, but we never really know.
So I enrolled in Spanish 1 this fall to formalize the learning process.
Why?
1. I live in Los Angeles, where there are millions of Spanish speakers
2. Learning a new language is like taking my middle-aged brain to the gym
3. The flow state of studying is a welcome respite from our troubled world
Here’s what I learned, in addition to 2 years of high-school Spanish …
HAVING A BEGINNER’S MINDSET IS BOTH HUMBLING AND NECESSARY. It was hard to speak up in class week after week, not always giving the right answers or pronouncing words correctly. What I came to realize, though, is that’s part of the learning process. Making mistakes is how we learn.
IT’S POSSIBLE TO LEARN ANYTHING NEW AT ANY AGE. Yes, it takes me a lot longer now to memorize Spanish words and verb conjugations than it did when I took French in high school. Keeping at it and pushing through the messy and difficult parts was the breakthrough.
OUR COMMUNITY COLLEGES PROVIDE SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES. Our class was blessed with a dedicated professor in Maria Barrio De Mendoza. She made learning fun. It was inspiring to meet students who are decades younger than me and forging their paths in the world.
LEARNING A SECOND LANGUAGE SHINES A NEW LIGHT ON ENGLISH. As a communicator, I’ve always been fascinated with the English language and the nuances of word meanings. Learning Spanish is making me re-examine English and how I write and speak.
IT IS HEAVENLY TO BE IN THE FLOW STATE OF STUDYING. The world can be a difficult place, and there are many problems that don’t have nice, neat answers. But in studying a language there’s always a right answer. And somehow that makes solving other life problems easier.
by Caroline Leach | Nov 30, 2023 | Leadership
How can you lead successfully in a diverse world? This was the topic of a vibrant panel discussion recently at the UCLA Anderson School of Management.
Speaking to Executive MBA students, we talked about what defines a high-performing and inclusive business; examples of successful equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) practices; and key leadership traits to foster inclusion.
High-performing and inclusive leaders lean into:
1. Humility
2. Empathy
3. Curiosity
3. Authenticity
4. Vulnerability
In our complex world, leaders can’t always know all the answers. Problem solving is a collaborative effort. It means ensuring a wide range of voices and views are involved in giving input and making decisions.
I learned so much from fellow panelists TeNita Ballard, MBA, John Iino, Terra Potts, Alexis Tirado, and Mark Zee.
It was a delight to help organize this panel with school EDI leaders Mana Yamaguchi (and panel moderator) and Purvi Mehra MD, along with career development school rep Ryan Hayes.
The Career and Leadership Development director Tom Larsen along with Jasmine Perrett were instrumental in bringing the experience together.
Many thanks to all who were involved!
A special bonus: it was also hashtag#BruinFamilyWeekend. My son Connor Leach and I enjoyed chatting with and hearing from faculty, staff, parents, and students. Connor is a UCLA anthropology and history major. So proud of him, and energized by the learning scene!
by Caroline Leach | Oct 31, 2023 | Social Media
As a busy leader, how can you get more done?
How can you be more effective in less time?
Here’s a two-word solution: SKIP PERFECTION.
Get a project, a task, or an email to “good enough” place, and call it complete.
Submit that deliverable, and move on to the next task.
Because that frees up your time for the real work of leadership: spending time with people:
* Sharing a vision
* Inspiring action
* Giving feedback
My LinkedIn content creation journey is an exercise in skipping perfection.
In July and August, I posted daily as an experiment. More here: https://lnkd.in/g6qsVmJS
Now I’m posting a few times a week, a more sustainable cadence.
What enables me to do this?
* Not overthinking or overdoing
* Considering the ROI of more effort
* Tapping “post” before I feel fully ready
Of course, this doesn’t mean doing sloppy work or abdicating responsibility.
It simply means asking: what is the true level of effort needed?
It may be much less than we think.
P.S. Perfection is a theme I’ve explored before: https://lnkd.in/gVpwuJjv. So it’s no surprise that this week I was drawn to the Hidden Brain podcast episode on “Escaping Perfectionism.” Psychologist Thomas Curran joined to talk about the dark side of perfection and better ways to walk through life. Highly recommended!
by Caroline Leach | Sep 25, 2023 | Social Media
A lot can happen in 3 months.
You can end the year strong.
BTW, calendars are an artificial construct.
But the psychology of a season and a 90-day time frame is powerful.
Here are a few questions that can help you define your autumn intentions:
👉 How do you choose to lead?
👉 What do you want to change?
👉 What are you saying “yes” to?
👉 What are you saying “no” to?
by Caroline Leach | Sep 13, 2023 | Careers, Leadership
What’s your personal brand?
Excited to speak on this topic today for UCLA Anderson Executive Education.
We each have a personal brand, whether we actively cultivate one or not.
A personal brand is our reputation. It’s:
* what people think of us
* the values we hold dear
* the value we bring to our work
What do you want people to think when they think of you?
And why should you care about this?
It’s because a strong personal brand has several benefits:
👉 building trust with people who may hire and promote you
👉 attracting sponsors who will champion your career growth
👉 accelerating the overall development of your career trajectory
Your personal brand can precede you, and open doors.
You communicate your personal brand in every interaction you have.
What do you want people to say about you?
by Caroline Leach | Sep 11, 2023 | Change, Leadership, Learning
When you’re on unfamiliar ground, how do you lead through discomfort?
Our inner critics can come out when we’re learning something new. When we’re leading through a challenge. When we’re not sure what to do next.
This inner critic may be trying to protect us from disaster by telling us we don’t know what we’re doing. We’re going to fail. We should stop right now.
But, really, how true is that inner critic?
What if we just kept going instead?
Of course, it can help to assess risk. It can be valuable to make course corrections. It can be wise to seek feedback and advice.
But overall, keep moving forward.
This uncomfortable feeling has surfaced for me as I commit to learning Spanish over the next few years.
I’m taking Spanish 1 at a local community college. More here: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/leachcaroline_learning-spanish-activity-7103129806455672832-8RjY?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
After the first week of class, my inner critic was in overdrive. It’s hard to memorize the vocabulary and accent marks. I’m not pronouncing the alphabet correctly. I didn’t get 100% on a few of my homework assignments.
The conclusion? I should just quit now.
But what if I got curious instead? What if I looked at the discomfort head on? What if I saw being uncomfortable as a sign of growth?
And the most important: what if I let go of perfection on my learning journey?
It takes time to learn anything new. There are going to be difficulties along the way. And I’m here for it. I’m okay being uncomfortable for a while.
How about you?
by Caroline Leach | Sep 4, 2023 | Careers, Leadership
What are you celebrating this Labor Day?
Maybe it’s the end of a memorable, or not-so-memorable, summer. Perhaps it’s a peek into a vibrant autumn. My wish for you is exactly what you want.
For me, today marks 5 years of my business, The Carrelle Company.
The name and the business were born on Labor Day 2018. Here’s the origin story: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/whats-name-carrelle-company-born-labor-day-caroline-leach/?trackingId=%2FYVREys1T0irvUPtHkln%2BA%3D%3D
It’s a labor of love, evolving from 3 decades in the Fortune 100. I held corporate leadership roles in communications and marketing.
It’s an ideal foundation to become an executive coach, a communications and personal branding consultant, a keynote speaker, and a university professor.
Here’s what I’ve learned, for corporate careers AND entrepreneurial ventures.
⭐ HAVE A PLAN, AND STAY FLEXIBLE
A viable business or career needs a good plan. Who are you going to serve? How will you meet their needs? How will they know about you? Why will they want to work with you?
And a plan only goes so far. Along the way, there’s feedback about what’s working. For me, executive coaching came later. My calendar showed people wanted to talk about leadership. Being flexible fueled the addition of coaching.
⭐ VIBRANT RELATIONSHIPS ARE EVERYTHING
What we want professionally usually involves getting it from another person. The strength of a network is what helps a business or a career grow and thrive over time.
In my case, some exceptional early introductions led to the establishment of key clients who continue to this day. Nurturing relationships and delivering great work are imperative. So is paying it forward to open doors for others.
⭐ DON’T FALL FOR THE “SUCCESS PORN”
Overnight success doesn’t exist, despite what our social media feeds say. “The slog” isn’t talked about much. That’s the day-to-day action toward a business or career vision. The outreach. The conversations. The proposals. And sometimes the rejection. The silence.
What really matters? Working on a business every weekday, in harmony with an overall life. Identifying opportunities, persisting through obstacles, and building on bright spots. If a door is closed, it’s possible to open a window.
What would YOU add to these lessons?
P.S. In July and August I posted to LinkedIn every day as a content creation experiment. It’s been fun and rewarding, reconnecting with many of you in the process. Going forward, I’ll post on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
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