This month, I’m sharing three ideas about how we work and lead: why being together doesn’t necessarily mean feeling connected, five emotional intelligence skills to help you communicate more effectively, and why our instinctive response to feeling overwhelmed isn’t always the one that will help us most. And on a personal note, I’m getting ready to check something off from my bucket list that has been there since I was a little girl.

Workplace Loneliness: Being Together Isn’t the Same as Feeling Connected

Nearly one in five employees in the United States and Canada experienced loneliness a lot of the previous day, according to Gallup’s 2026 report, State of the Global Workplace. 

But creating connection in the workplace doesn’t necessarily mean leaders need to manufacture friendships or add more social events. It means being intentional about whether people feel seen, included, and part of something bigger.

Leaders can help create the conditions for connection by building trust, connecting people to a shared purpose, and inviting their perspectives. In a recent Forbes Coaches Council panel, I suggested using meetings to ask a simple question: “What’s important to you?”. Then, help people see how their roles connect to others’ work and what the team is trying to accomplish together.

A few other ideas from my fellow Forbes Coaches Council members are worth considering:

• Create opportunities for people to feel part of something bigger. Build connection, collaboration, recognition, and belonging into how the team works.

• Become a leader worth connecting with. Model the trust, belonging, and engagement you want to see across your team.

• Get to know employees as individuals. Learn what matters to them, what they value, and the impact they want to make.

Workplace connection doesn’t happen simply because people share a location. It happens when leaders make space for people to know one another, contribute, and see how their work connects to something larger.

What Do You Know—and What Are You Assuming? 5 EQ Skills for More Effective Communication

You sent a colleague an email three days ago about a project you’re working on together and still haven’t received a response. Before long, you may start filling in the blanks: They’re not committed to this team. Not replying is inconsiderate. They ignore their emails. Frustration builds and the follow-up email you’re composing sounds a little sharper than it might have otherwise. But here’s the catch: “I haven’t received a response” is something you know. The rest is the story you’re telling yourself about why.

This is where emotional intelligence can change how we communicate. Here are five emotional intelligence skills from the EQ-i 2.0 that can help: Emotional Self-Awareness helps us notice our frustration before it takes over the conversation. Reality Testing helps us balance our emotions with the facts and consider what might be clouding our judgment. Empathy encourages us to consider what the other person may be experiencing, while Impulse Control creates space to pause before responding. Assertiveness helps us communicate what we need clearly and respectfully.

These aren’t just concepts on an assessment. They’re skills we can draw on in an email, a difficult conversation, a team meeting, or any interaction where emotions begin influencing how we communicate.

The next time you find yourself reacting strongly to an email, conversation, or meeting, ask yourself: What do I know? What am I assuming? What else could be true? The goal isn’t to replace a negative assumption with a positive one. It’s to recognize when an assumption has become a fact in your own mind and check it before you communicate from it.

If you’ve completed an EQ-i 2.0 assessment with me, this might be a good time to pull out your report again. Which EQ skill could you lean into—or perhaps dial back—to help you communicate more effectively?

A Note From a Coaching Client

One of the most rewarding parts of my work is hearing how coaching has helped a client build confidence, gain clarity and approach their work differently. I recently received this note as we wrapped up our work together:

“Kathy helped me identify the areas where I could grow most and develop more effective approaches to communication around clients’ priorities. She strengthened my approach to building trust and nurturing long-lasting working relationships. I really appreciated Kathy’s warm, clear, and thoughtful coaching style, which I found to be encouraging and inspiring!”
— Recent Executive Coaching Client 

What I’m Reading: Burnout and Our Default Response

Twenty-eight percent of workers say they feel burned out at work “very often” or “always,” according to Gallup’s report, Prevent and Overcome Burnout: A Strengths-Based Guide. That finding aligns with what I hear in my own work as a corporate and team coach. People talk about exhaustion, stress, setting boundaries, and the cumulative weight of work and life.

As I’ve been reading the Gallup report, I’ve also been thinking about what we do when we feel overwhelmed. One finding caught my attention: The coping strategy that comes most naturally to us may not be the one that helps us most. Gallup found that people tend to respond in ways consistent with their strengths, but those instinctive responses aren’t always the most effective at reducing burnout.

Here’s one example that may resonate with high achievers and people like me who are really good at getting stuff done. When people with strong Executing talents feel overwhelmed, their instinct may be to get back to work as quickly as possible. Gallup found that they may benefit more from doing the opposite: pausing to think through the situation and reframing it.

Try this: The next time you find yourself pushing harder because you’re overwhelmed, pause and ask: What is creating the pressure? What is most important right now? And what is one next step that would help?

ASAE Webinar: Missed It Live? The Conversation Continues!

What happens when three career coaches, one fantastic moderator, and an ASAE staff partner get together after a webinar? Apparently, we become a very fun illustration! 😊

We had a great time talking about career moves, confidence, leadership readiness, getting unstuck, and finding your next step during ASAE CareerHQ’s The Career Moves Every Association Leader Needs Right Now.

Couldn’t join us live? You can still catch the conversation on YouTube.

When I was a little girl, the iconic Treasures of Tutankhamun exhibition traveled to six American cities, but Boston wasn’t one of them. I remember thinking that someday I would just go see it myself, as if Egypt were a place I could hop in the car and drive to like Connecticut.

I’m finally making good on that promise to my younger self. I’m off to Egypt and Jordan to see the pyramids, experience places I’ve imagined since childhood, and take some real time away from work. Sometimes the things we dream about take a little longer than expected. This one has been worth the wait.

The next issue of the newsletter will be in December.

See you then,
Kathy

hi@think-statice.com | 410-707-8716
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