Equipped For Change®

There are so many dreams, gifts, talents and abilities that are within each of us. But when it comes time to choose to follow those dreams and utilize those gifts, oftentimes we fall back instead of failing forward. We think "small" because we fear failure. We doubt our abilities because we don't want to experience pain (again). What would life look like if we led from a place of no regrets? What...

Today I had an interesting conversation with a woman who had spent years in corporate America at a huge company. She talked about how committed the company was to her professional development and growth and when I asked what they did that made her say that, she said that each person received a professional growth plan that listed their path to promotion and itemized a list of courses/training that...

Building cooperative, collaborative and inclusive environments requires a willingness to create relationships that are built on the premise of win-win where everyone benefits, instead of gimme-gimme where it's more about what's in it for me. Tune in as Keisha A Rivers provides five tips on how you can create win-win relationships that will help you to achieve the outcomes that you desire. This is...

Recently I've had conversations with people where the phrase "I don't see color" has come up more and more. To be honest, I was a bit conflicted about the reaction hearing that has caused in me because, on the one hand, I understand that they're simply trying to convey that they don't judge people based on skin color or race; but on the other hand, I don't believe that you can truly "see" me (or a...

Personal and professional development requires assessing, reflecting, planning, thinking and implementing. There are tons of different tools that can be used to provide data and insight on individuals, teams and organizations. In this episode, Keisha A Rivers of The KARS Group LTD provides an overview of how the SWOT Analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) can be used to enhanc...

Toxic work culture is perhaps the number one reason why employees leave and are disengaged. In fact, according to a study by SHRM, 49% of American workers have thought about leaving their current organization and the cost of turnover due to workplace culture has exceeded $223 BILLION dollars over the past five years. We all know that effective leaders are focused on more than just the tasks that g...

We've all heard the horror stories of "lazy" employees/team members who don't seem to do more than the bare minimum. But if you find yourself grappling with people like that on your team, what is it that you can do to change them from compliance to having a commitment to excellence? Join Keisha A Rivers, President & Chief Outcome Facilitator of The KARS Group LTD as she provides tips, tools an...

The Boogeyman doesn't live here anymore! Our decision-making ability is rooted in our belief systems and the way in which we see the world and our place in it. Our views of the world are largely rooted in our perceptions—and nothing clouds and shapes our perceptions—and therefore causes more issues when it comes to creating a successful life—than fear. Join Keisha A Rivers, President and Chief Out...

Having a vision of what you want and where you want to go is key to assisting you in planning your approach, but sometimes we get so focused on a specific outcome or expectation that we don't allow ourselves to accept other possibilities. In this episode Keisha A Rivers, President and Chief Outcome Facilitator of The KARS Group LTD talks about her experience dealing with tunnel vision and how you...

So often we think about leadership and growth as something that applies to our work with teams and others within our organizations. But to really be successful as a leader, you have to first know yourself. Join Keisha A Rivers, Chief Outcome Facilitator of The KARS Group LTD as she provides strategies, tips, insights and actionable steps to help you to understand how to spur your own learning, lea...

Leadership Development is perhaps the #1 request for training and development services that we receive. But what does that mean really? For most people, they're talking about developing skills such as decision making, productivity, process and talent management. But what if instead of focusing on those skills for a select number of people, your organization creates an overall culture where EVERYON...

In team and group dynamics inevitably you're going to have to ask questions in order to work together and achieve outcomes. But how can you ask questions in a way that allow you to enhance and further the discussion instead of making others think that you're just challenging what's being said? Join Keisha A Rivers, President & Chief Outcome Facilitator of The KARS Group LTD as she provides ins...

We all do it. Even if we don’t admit it—we all talk to ourselves. Most times there are all of these “under your breath” type of comments that we make, like “How could you forgotten THAT?” or “I hope no one else saw that”. But then there are the other comments that are a bit more critical and sometimes downright mean—“OMG how could I have been SO stupid?” or “I’m a complete idiot. WHY do I keep mes...

Being serious about your career means that you're serious about improving your skills, enhancing your leadership abilities and invested in making the right connections. But even in doing all of that, could you be missing one of the most important things--your finances? Join us as we sit down with Sonya Smith-Valentine, President of Financially Fierce, as she discusses how ignoring your money manag...

So many times we find ourselves doing the same old thing and approaching life the same old way. Well, what would your life look like if you were a bit more open to the art of improv? Join us as guest Caitlin Drago of Inspire Improv provides great tips and insights on how you can use the art of improv in your personal and professional life to create more dynamic relationships and more successful ou...

So many times we ask ourselves "What was I thinking?!" when we run into situations and circumstances that don't turn out just right. But what if instead of waiting until AFTER things didn't turn out the way we'd hoped, we thought about what we're thinking BEFORE or DURING the event/episode? Join Keisha A Rivers as she talks about the importance of thinking about what you're thinking and how that l...

How do we get more done?! That seems to always be the question that people, teams and organizations want answered. Join Keisha A Rivers, President & Chief Outcome Facilitator of The KARS Group LTD as she provides 3 tips that you can immediately implement to assist you in solving your Productivity Problems. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or ge...

Failure is the dreaded F-word in any organization, but should it be? How do we learn if we don't create a culture where we're encouraged to try new things and test the waters? How can we create teams and organizations that are innovative and cutting edge if we don't "fail" at some point? Join Keisha A Rivers, President & Chief Outcome Facilitator of The KARS Group LTD as she outlines key diffe...

So many organizations are providing countless training opportunities in reaction to issues that arise. But what if "training" wasn't the answer? Join Keisha A Rivers, President and Chief Outcome Facilitator of The KARS Group LTD as she talks about why training isn't the answer and lays out the fundamental components of how to create a learning environment that will speak to and enhance your succes...

Far too often organizations and teams are focused on keeping what they have in order to protect their "piece of the pie". But if you want to build truly collaborative networkings and partnerships that will create sustainable outcomes, you have to employ the Stone Soup approach. Join Keisha A Rivers of The KARS Group LTD as she outlines just what IS Stone Soup and provides strategies and action ste...

Having difficult conversations about race, diversity, inclusion, equity, performance, restructuring and team dynamics are oftentimes necessary--but oh SO uncomfortable! How do you navigate the minefield and know what to say and do? Join Keisha A Rivers, President and Chief Outcome Facilitator of The KARS Group LTD as she outlines several key considerations and provides actionable steps that will a...

For many of us, our lives are filled with goals and "to-do" lists of things that we want to accomplish and check off. But at the end of the day, what impact are you making? Once the lists have been completed and the goals have been achieved, what mark are you leaving on the world? Join Keisha A Rivers, President & Chief Outcome Facilitator of The KARS Group LTD for this Mic-Side Chat as she sh...

In order to be successful, teams have to begin from a foundation of truth that will enable them to move forward. Join our guest Heather Younger "The Employee Whisperer" as she shares nuggets of truth, strategies and actionable items that can help you in your journey. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit equippedfo...

So often we set goals for what we want in our life, only to get frustrated when we "fall off the wagon". Join us as Scott McCarthy, Chief Leadership Officer of Moving Forward Leadership, gives us his formula for helping you to set and keep P.O.W.E.R. Goals! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit equippedforchange.su...

When we talk about creating truly diverse and inclusive organizations, we focus on checking the boxes of race, gender, etc. But to create a truly inclusive and dynamic learning-focused organization, we have to identify and understand how our people learn. The way that we learn and interact with information shapes the way we apply it and influences our outcomes. Join Keisha A Rivers, President &amp...