In episode 60, Coffey talks with Ashley Smalley about leading with authenticity to create teams that connect. They discuss what it means for leaders to be connected to their teams; the difference between the means of communication and the way leaders communicate; the importance of authenticity in building relationships; avoiding transactional communication styles; communication challenges in remote work environments; the skills leaders can practice to develop successful connection; how to address difficult conversations with genuineness; and why leaders shouldn't adopt a "one-size-fits-all"  approach to quickly fix miscommunication.Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—premium background checks with fast and friendly service. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com. If you are SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a professional development credit and if you’re an HRCI-certified professional, this episode is good for half an hour of Business and Ethics recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com. About our Guest:Ashley Smalley is a certified Professional in Human Resources (PHR) with over a decade of experience in the field. She has trained employees and supervisors on topics such as unity in the workplace, communication, leadership, employment law compliance, and more. Ashley is also the Family Enrichment Coordinator for First Baptist Church in Bridgeport, Texas, where she leads the women’s and marriage ministry teams, and oversees the senior adult ministry. Her focus there is building new leaders in the church so that ministry can be multiplied. In 2022, Smalley Consulting was founded to formally blend her HR experience and her love for people into a business and ministry hybrid focused on building unity one team at a time so that people enjoy their work and do it better.Ashley speaks across the nation at churches, businesses, schools, and service organizations helping them to build soft skills and increase unity on their teams.You can hear more from Ashley Smalley and a number of other speakers at Fort Worth HR’s 13th annual The Strategic Mindset conference on September 23rd. Register today at https://fwhr.org. Ashley Smalley can be reached at https://www.smalleyconsulting.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashley-smalley-1362bb175/ https://www.facebook.com/ashley.smalley.37 About Mike Coffey:Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, human resources professional, licensed private investigator, and HR consultant.In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations firm helping risk-averse companies make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business.Today, Imperative serves hundreds of businesses across the US and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies.Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence and has twice been named HR Professional of the Year. Additionally, Imperative is included in the prestigious Best Places to Work in Texas list and has been named the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year.Mike is a member of the Fort Worth chapter of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization and volunteers with the SHRM Texas State Council.Mike maintains his certification as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute. He is also a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP).Mike lives in Fort Worth with his very patient wife. He practices yoga and maintains a keto diet, about both of which he will gladly tell you way more than you want to know.Learning Objectives: 1.  Learn the difference between modes and methods of communication.2. Understand the long-term impact of genuine connections in the workplace3.  Discover techniques leaders can d