Change is uncomfortable, but it challenges us to think and operate differently. Katharine Foley reflects on how COVID-19 has changed the way she works with media.

Emotional intelligence is a vital and competitive advantage for leaders in the midst of a crisis. And what could be more of a crisis than the year that is 2020?

COVID-19 forced many people to become reliant on technology for work, entertainment and keeping in touch with loved ones – both near and far.

Without the comped courtside seats to basketball and baseball games, lavish dinners, endless meetings for drinks … or even the “I was in the neighborhood” drop-by’s … some sales executives have found new ways to remain relevant, empathize with their prospects, pivot their pitch and continue closing deals.

If you own or manage a business in Wisconsin and you’re contemplating how to reopen your company, you may feel as though you are operating in a vacuum. Because for the most part, you are.

Prior to March 2020, if you were to drop the word “influencer” into a conversation or even Google it, the presumptive response or search result would have been references to lifestyle wonks touting everything from high fashion to makeup, food, vacations, and even more generally, lavish lifestyles.

We may be getting tired of the phrase, “the new normal.” But it is apparent that the COVID-19 pandemic is reshaping how we do business, where we do business and with whom we do business.

We are collectively getting used to being on camera and revealing our personal abodes for the world (or at least our co-workers) to see. So, how can we be sure that our communication skills are effective when we may or may not be wearing pants?

Join us for a webinar, Friday, June 5 at noon, featuring Timothy R. Sheehy, President of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce, Manfred Elsig, Deputy Managing Director and Professor of International Relations at the World Trade Institute of the University of Bern, Switzerland., and Rick Appleby, Certified Business Coach and Experienced EOS Implementer™ with Strategic Planning Solutions.

The simultaneous crises of the COVID-19 pandemic and the global economic collapse have left many executives cowering in their C-Level bunkers. Carl Sheeley Jr. is having none of that.

COVID-19 has been labeled by some as “the great revealer” – tragically showcasing the many disparities that have existed for decades in our society by impacting certain communities and segments of the population at greater rates than others. The pause button this pandemic placed on our lives has shed light on issues that many activists have been asking us to listen to for years.

a pandemic? How do you find truth when mixed messages and misinformation swirl around you? How do you personally handle the tragedy and deep divisions created by this pandemic? And how do you find stories and report on information other than COVID-19 today?

Katie Rasoul loves working with leaders. She believes awesome leaders build awesome teams. And that making leaders a little more effective will have a positive impact on people and businesses. After several years in HR and talent development leadership roles in the Milwaukee area, Rasoul decided to strike out on her own and launch her own company, Team Awesome Coaching. Her goal: to focus her energy on what she’s most passionate about – helping leaders grow and hone their ability to apply a lense of humanity and belonging to the decisions they make. For Rasoul, it’s not so much about the goals employers pursue, but rather how they do it. In her view, leaders always need to keep in mind the people who work for them.

Singer/songwriter John Prine was 23 years old and working as a mailman when he wrote that song in 1971. The lyrics reflect an astute sense of empathy for senior citizens by such a young man with his whole life ahead of him.

I’ve been thinking a lot about John Prine and his life’s story lately. As you probably know, Prine recently passed away from complications caused by COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic has stretched and challenged our leaders to manage so much more than just their operations. They have needed to manage emotions on a scale like never before. When employees are dealing with fear, anxiety and other emotions, how do you motivate? How do you possibly deliver even more bad news when they are already feeling so much? And what emotional toll does this take on our leaders?

In this webinar, Kimberly Kane sat down with three Milwaukee business leaders to capture their advice on how businesses can ensure they maintain strong cultures that help attract and retain great talent during and after the current COVID-19 crisis.

Our team at Kane Communications Group is responding with decades of crisis communications experience.

COVID-19 is first and foremost a human and public health tragedy. As the likelihood of prolonged social-distancing measures increases in Wisconsin, across the U.S., and around the world, the virus could have a significant impact on business and on the economy.

There is no rule book for what we are experiencing right now in Milwaukee and around the world. The coronavirus pandemic and the rapid spread of the disease caused by the virus, COVID-19 are unprecedented.