As a kid, Kareem Daniel would fawn over Walt Disney – deemed a place where “dreams come true.” Now, he gets to live out those dreams in one of the top positions at the world’s biggest entertainment company. This week, Walt Disney Co. revealed plans to reorganize the company and its newly created Media and Entertainment division to focus efforts on developing and producing original content for the company’s streaming services and legacy platforms. They also revealed the new plans will be led by Daniel as chairman of the new group, Deadline reports . According to Bloomberg , the South Side of Chicago native will oversee pricing, marketing, and how consumers connect with streaming platform, Disney+ in his newly-appointed position as the company shifts gears to focus on streamlining more content. Daniel — a 14-year Disney veteran and former president of consumer products, games, and publishing — owes his company rise to Disney’s new chief executive officer, Bob Chapek, who shares that...

In theory, people who hold leadership positions should be able to communicate with anyone. The reality is, many leaders are uncomfortable communicating — especially with their employees. A Harris Poll revealed 69 percent of managers find it difficult giving direct feedback about employee performance. Demonstrating vulnerability, recognizing employee achievements, crediting others, and giving clear direction was also noted. Companies are more productive and successful when expectations are clear and positive coworker relationships exist. If conversations are not taking place, there’s a culture and productivity killer in the workplace. From giving feedback on the poor quality of work to explaining why a team member is not demonstrating company values, managers — as well as business owners –need to know how to have difficult conversations. Here’s a guide on how to handle difficult conversations at work; Prepare The more prepared you are, the easier it is to manage your emotions,...

Recently, Away Luggage Company CEO Steph Korey stepped down after an investigation by the Verge highlighted the company’s toxic work culture. From Korey reportedly using Slack to publicly critique work and label an employee “brain dead” to sending late-night messages  — Away is a case study in how not to communicate in the workplace. Like the Away company, if you have a communication problem in the workplace, chances are: Work is being duplicated (or not done at all). The finished product isn’t what you expected. There is a high turnover rate. There are recurring errors or delays in products or services. Your team is silent in meetings and no one speaks up to offer ideas or share their experiences. While it’s often second nature for managers to blame “lazy” or “incompetent” employees, frequent communication issues are often a symptom of a much deeper problem. A bad system, an outdated process or pattern of behavior from the company’s higher-ups are often the culprits. Here’s how to...