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Managing problem employees is one of the most frustrating challenges leaders face.
In this episode of the Business Building Blocks Podcast, leadership coach Kristina Schmitt explains how to deal with problem employees by focusing on behavior, not labels.

If you’re a business owner, manager, or team leader feeling stuck, frustrated, or drained by someone on your team, this episode will give you a practical and effective way forward.

Instead of labeling someone as a “problem employee,” this episode introduces a better leadership approach—one that creates clarity, accountability, and real change.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why labeling employees as “problems” holds leaders back
• How to identify the real issue without emotional bias
• A simple 3-step framework for addressing behavior
• How to have clear, productive conversations
• How to follow up in a way that actually drives improvement

This is practical leadership for real-world people problems—especially in small business and team environments where every employee matters.

Listen now and start leading with more clarity, confidence, and control.

🎧 Listen & Watch
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/X7PxQqmiqZc
Direct Download: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2256331/episodes/18903989-how-to-manage-problem-employees-without-frustration.mp3?download=true

✨ Stay Connected with Kristina
Website: https://www.kristinaschmitt.ca
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@KristinaSchmittDevelopment
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristinaschmitt.ca/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristina-schmitt-development/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kristinashmittdevelopment/

Introducing Strategy Call : For Business Owners Leading a Team
https://www.kristinaschmitt.ca/strategy-call

Subscribe for more practical leadership strategies and explore the playlist on Difficult Conversati

✨ Introducing Smooth Start: The New Hire Success Kit
A simple, proven framework to help leaders bring new hires up to speed in 90 days without adding more work to your calendar.
👉 Get the Smooth Start Kit — Only $97

📅 Ready to talk about how to build that kind of culture in your team or family? Book a free 30-minute consultation:
https://tidycal.com/1gvq821/30-minute-meeting

✨ FREE RESOURCES ✨
Unlock the blueprint for leadership success – download your FREE Ultimate Leadership FRAMEWORK: 7 Steps to Building a Successful Business Without Sacrificing Your Life today!

🚨 FRAMEWORK FOR DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS: https://www.kristinaschmitt.ca/framework-for-difficult-conversations

🌱 Explore Kristina’s Asynchronous Coaching Program here: Lead with Confidence, Even When Life’s Busy

Send a text

Leaders often try to copy best practices from other companies—but still struggle to get results.
In this episode of the Business Building Blocks Podcast, leadership coach Kristina Schmitt explains why best practices fail for leaders and how to make them actually work in your organization.

If you’re a business owner, manufacturing leader, or manager who has ever implemented something that “should have worked” but didn’t—this episode is for you.

After visiting high-performing facilities and bringing back proven systems, Kristina shares what actually went wrong—and what leaders must do differently to create lasting change.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why copying solutions from other companies often fails
• The 4 biggest mistakes leaders make when implementing change
• Why behavior change matters more than the system itself
• How to adapt ideas so they actually stick in your team

This episode will help you stop chasing “best practices” and start building leadership systems that work in your real-world environment.

🎧 Listen & Watch
📺 Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/zUIOjd1WzKM
🚀 Direct Download: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2256331/episodes/18866190-you-copied-a-best-practice-so-why-isn-t-it-working.mp3?download=true

✨ Stay Connected with Kristina
🌐 Website: https://www.kristinaschmitt.ca
📺 YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@KristinaSchmittDevelopment
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristinaschmitt.ca/
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristina-schmitt-development/
🚀 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kristinashmittdevelopment/

#LeadershipDevelopment #LeadershipCoaching #BusinessBuildingBlocksPodcast #PeopleLeadership #ManagementSkills #LeadershipMindset #ChangeManagement #ContinuousImprovement #OrganizationalHealth #TeamLeadership #LeadershipGrowth #KristinaSchmittDevelopment #ManufacturingLeadership

✨ Introducing Smooth Start: The New Hire Success Kit
A simple, proven framework to help leaders bring new hires up to speed in 90 days without adding more work to your calendar.
👉 Get the Smooth Start Kit — Only $97

📅 Ready to talk about how to build that kind of culture in your team or family? Book a free 30-minute consultation:
https://tidycal.com/1gvq821/30-minute-meeting

✨ FREE RESOURCES ✨
Unlock the blueprint for leadership success – download your FREE Ultimate Leadership FRAMEWORK: 7 Steps to Building a Successful Business Without Sacrificing Your Life today!

🚨 FRAMEWORK FOR DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS: https://www.kristinaschmitt.ca/framework-for-difficult-conversations

🌱 Explore Kristina’s Asynchronous Coaching Program here: Lead with Confidence, Even When Life’s Busy

Send a text

Leadership overwhelm is real. Many leaders feel like they must handle everything at once—strategy, team management, operations, and constant “fires.”

In this episode of the Business Building Blocks Podcast, Kristina Schmitt shares practical strategies for leaders dealing with leadership stress and overwhelm. Drawing from her experience as a plant manager and business owner, she explains why high achievers often try to carry too much—and how to reset your leadership focus.

You will learn:

• Why leadership overwhelm happens when everything feels urgent
• How clarifying your leadership role reduces decision fatigue
• How to identify what is most important right now
• Why delegation and external perspective are critical for leaders
• How to reduce stress while staying accountable for results

Kristina also walks through a practical exercise that helps leaders identify their core roles, prioritize their time, and decide what should be delegated or temporarily removed from their plate.

If you are trying to lead well while balancing competing priorities, this conversation will help you refocus on what truly matters.

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/hc9j0r16pYQ
Direct Download: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2256331/episodes/18827099-leadership-overwhelm-how-leaders-reduce-stress.mp3?download=true

Stay Connected with Kristina:
Website: https://www.kristinaschmitt.ca
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@KristinaSchmittDevelopment
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristinaschmitt.ca/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristina-schmitt-development/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kristinashmittdevelopment/

Introducing Strategy Call : For Business Owners Leading a Team
https://www.kristinaschmitt.ca/strategy-call

#KristinaSchmittDevelopment #BusinessBuildingBlocksPodcast #LeadershipD

✨ Introducing Smooth Start: The New Hire Success Kit
A simple, proven framework to help leaders bring new hires up to speed in 90 days without adding more work to your calendar.
👉 Get the Smooth Start Kit — Only $97

📅 Ready to talk about how to build that kind of culture in your team or family? Book a free 30-minute consultation:
https://tidycal.com/1gvq821/30-minute-meeting

✨ FREE RESOURCES ✨
Unlock the blueprint for leadership success – download your FREE Ultimate Leadership FRAMEWORK: 7 Steps to Building a Successful Business Without Sacrificing Your Life today!

🚨 FRAMEWORK FOR DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS: https://www.kristinaschmitt.ca/framework-for-difficult-conversations

🌱 Explore Kristina’s Asynchronous Coaching Program here: Lead with Confidence, Even When Life’s Busy

Send a text

You built your business with passion, grit, and long nights.

Now you're asking:

“Why don’t my employees care like I do?”

In this episode of the Business Building Blocks Podcast, leadership coach Kristina Schmitt breaks down the real reason employee engagement drops — and it’s not laziness.

When teams feel:

• Unclear about direction
• Disconnected from meaningful goals
• Unrecognized for consistent performance

They disengage.

Kristina shares 3 leadership shifts that increase employee engagement immediately:

1️⃣ Provide consistent direction and communication
2️⃣ Connect individual roles to goals that truly matter
3️⃣ Recognize and reinforce consistent performers

She also explains the 10-80-10 principle and why the “watchers” in your organization determine your culture.

If you’re a business owner, founder, or team leader who wants a culture of ownership instead of quiet quitting — this episode is for you.

👉 Listen now and start building a team that cares.

👍 Like, comment, and subscribe for weekly leadership insights.

🎧 Watch / Listen
📺 Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/lPAGuzBzoKk
🎧 Listen here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/businessbuildingblocks/employee-engagement
🚀 Direct Download: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2256331/episodes/18784893-employee-engagement-how-to-get-employees-to-care-more.mp3?download=true

✨ Stay Connected with Kristina
🌐 Website: https://www.kristinaschmitt.ca
📺 YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@KristinaSchmittDevelopment
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristinaschmitt.ca/
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristina-schmitt-development/
🚀 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kristinashmittdevelopment/

#KristinaSchmittDevelopment #BusinessBuildingBlocksPodcast #EmployeeEngagement #LeadershipDevelopment #TeamCulture #PeopleManagement #Execu

✨ Introducing Smooth Start: The New Hire Success Kit
A simple, proven framework to help leaders bring new hires up to speed in 90 days without adding more work to your calendar.
👉 Get the Smooth Start Kit — Only $97

📅 Ready to talk about how to build that kind of culture in your team or family? Book a free 30-minute consultation:
https://tidycal.com/1gvq821/30-minute-meeting

✨ FREE RESOURCES ✨
Unlock the blueprint for leadership success – download your FREE Ultimate Leadership FRAMEWORK: 7 Steps to Building a Successful Business Without Sacrificing Your Life today!

🚨 FRAMEWORK FOR DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS: https://www.kristinaschmitt.ca/framework-for-difficult-conversations

🌱 Explore Kristina’s Asynchronous Coaching Program here: Lead with Confidence, Even When Life’s Busy

Send a text

Want to involve your team in decision making… without losing leadership control?

In this episode of the Business Building Blocks Podcast, Kristina Schmitt shares how leaders can invite team input while still maintaining clear direction for the business.

Because here’s the reality:

You can ask for feedback
You can listen to concerns
Your team can disagree

…and your leadership decision can still be right for the company.

In this leadership development episode, you’ll learn:

✔️ How to involve employees in decision making without losing authority
✔️ How to gain team buy-in during organizational change
✔️ The difference between collaboration vs. consensus
✔️ What should be open for discussion—and what shouldn’t
✔️ How to lead through emotional resistance to change
✔️ How to communicate leadership decisions with clarity and confidence

If you're navigating change management, team pushback, or leadership decision making challenges, this episode will help you lead with confidence—without compromising direction.

🎧 Watch / Listen to the Full Episode

📺 Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/D-sTEaxKFjI
🎧 Listen to the Podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/businessbuildingblocks/leadershipcontrol
🚀 Direct Download: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2256331/episodes/18726013-how-to-involve-your-team-in-decisions-without-losing-leadership-control.mp3?download=true

✨ Stay Connected with Kristina

🌐 Website: https://www.kristinaschmitt.ca
📺 YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@KristinaSchmittDevelopment
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristinaschmitt.ca/
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristina-schmitt-development/
🚀 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kristinashmittdevelopment/

#KristinaSchmittDevelopment #LeadershipDecisionMaking #TeamDecisionMaking #ChangeManagement #Leadershi

✨ Introducing Smooth Start: The New Hire Success Kit
A simple, proven framework to help leaders bring new hires up to speed in 90 days without adding more work to your calendar.
👉 Get the Smooth Start Kit — Only $97

📅 Ready to talk about how to build that kind of culture in your team or family? Book a free 30-minute consultation:
https://tidycal.com/1gvq821/30-minute-meeting

✨ FREE RESOURCES ✨
Unlock the blueprint for leadership success – download your FREE Ultimate Leadership FRAMEWORK: 7 Steps to Building a Successful Business Without Sacrificing Your Life today!

🚨 FRAMEWORK FOR DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS: https://www.kristinaschmitt.ca/framework-for-difficult-conversations

🌱 Explore Kristina’s Asynchronous Coaching Program here: Lead with Confidence, Even When Life’s Busy

Send a text

Decision making under pressure for leaders is one of the hardest parts of leadership.
When you're making 100+ decisions a day, clarity matters before the stress hits.

This episode is for business owners, manufacturing leaders, and people managers who need to make aligned decisions — even when there’s no perfect answer.

In this conversation, you’ll learn how to:

• Make better leadership decisions under pressure
• Align choices with personal and company values
• Use strategic anchors to simplify tough calls
• Balance consequences when there is no good option
• Ask simple questions that improve decision-making in real time
• Communicate early to mitigate risk and stress

Strong leadership isn't about making perfect decisions.

It's about making intentional ones that align with your values, company strategy, and long-term goals — even in high-stress situations where every option feels wrong.

By gaining clarity in advance through:

• Personal values
• Company values
• Strategic anchors
• Long-term life alignment

…you can reduce decision fatigue and lead with confidence.

If you found this episode helpful, consider subscribing for more leadership development insights, or share it with a leader who makes tough decisions every day.

🎧 Watch / Listen
📺 Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/01GwLmgtRGs
🎧 Listen here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/businessbuildingblocks/leadershipdecisionmaking
🚀 Direct Download: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2256331/episodes/18698703-decision-making-under-pressure-for-leaders.mp3?download=true

✨ Stay Connected with Kristina
🌐 Website: https://www.kristinaschmitt.ca
📺 YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@KristinaSchmittDevelopment
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristinaschmitt.ca/
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristina-schmitt-development/
🚀 Faceb

✨ Introducing Smooth Start: The New Hire Success Kit
A simple, proven framework to help leaders bring new hires up to speed in 90 days without adding more work to your calendar.
👉 Get the Smooth Start Kit — Only $97

📅 Ready to talk about how to build that kind of culture in your team or family? Book a free 30-minute consultation:
https://tidycal.com/1gvq821/30-minute-meeting

✨ FREE RESOURCES ✨
Unlock the blueprint for leadership success – download your FREE Ultimate Leadership FRAMEWORK: 7 Steps to Building a Successful Business Without Sacrificing Your Life today!

🚨 FRAMEWORK FOR DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS: https://www.kristinaschmitt.ca/framework-for-difficult-conversations

🌱 Explore Kristina’s Asynchronous Coaching Program here: Lead with Confidence, Even When Life’s Busy

Send a text

Your team is capable.
Your strategy is sound.
So why does progress feel harder than it should?

In Episode 89 of the Business Building Blocks Podcast, Kristina Schmitt unpacks how team discord—both loud and quiet—can slowly damage performance, morale, and results.

You’ll learn:

• Why division distracts teams from real issues
• How ego and self-protection stall progress
• Why “agree to disagree” is a leadership red flag
• What aligned, high-performing teams actually look like

“A house divided cannot stand.”

🎧 This episode is for leaders who feel the tension—but aren’t sure how to address it yet.

👉 Listen now and learn how to move your team from division to direction.

🎧 Watch / Listen
📺 Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/f_5R7HbeWq8
🎧 Listen here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/businessbuildingblocks/ahousedevidedcannotstand
🚀 Direct Download: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2256331/episodes/18661264-team-discord-is-costing-you-more-than-you-think-leadership-alignment.mp3?download=true

✨ Stay Connected with Kristina
🌐 Website: https://www.kristinaschmitt.ca
📺 YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@KristinaSchmittDevelopment
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristinaschmitt.ca/
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristina-schmitt-development/
🚀 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kristinashmittdevelopment/

#KristinaSchmittDevelopment #BusinessBuildingBlocksPodcast
#TeamDiscord #LeadershipAlignment #TeamHealth #BusinessLeadership #HealthyTeams

✨ Introducing Smooth Start: The New Hire Success Kit
A simple, proven framework to help leaders bring new hires up to speed in 90 days without adding more work to your calendar.
👉 Get the Smooth Start Kit — Only $97

📅 Ready to talk about how to build that kind of culture in your team or family? Book a free 30-minute consultation:
https://tidycal.com/1gvq821/30-minute-meeting

✨ FREE RESOURCES ✨
Unlock the blueprint for leadership success – download your FREE Ultimate Leadership FRAMEWORK: 7 Steps to Building a Successful Business Without Sacrificing Your Life today!

🚨 FRAMEWORK FOR DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS: https://www.kristinaschmitt.ca/framework-for-difficult-conversations

🌱 Explore Kristina’s Asynchronous Coaching Program here: Lead with Confidence, Even When Life’s Busy

Send us a text

Your business is growing.
Your team is expanding.
From the outside, everything looks successful.

So why are you exhausted, frustrated, and quietly miserable?

In this episode of the Business Building Blocks Podcast, leadership coach Kristina Schmitt addresses a truth many business owners and leaders are afraid to admit:

👉 Success without alignment leads to burnout.

Using real client stories—and her own leadership journey—Kristina breaks down:
- Why successful leaders feel trapped in their own businesses
- How Working Genius reveals hidden sources of frustration
- The unspoken expectations that quietly steal joy
- The systems and structures that create freedom, not pressure

This episode offers both immediate relief and long-term strategy for leaders who want success and a life.

🎧 If you’re building something meaningful but feel drained doing it—this episode is for you.

👉 Share this with a leader who needs to hear it.

🎧 Watch / Listen
📺 Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Vi7Y6uRv0bE
🎧 Listen here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/businessbuildingblocks/successfellsmiserable
🚀 Direct Download: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2256331/episodes/18622165-why-successful-business-owners-feel-miserable-and-how-to-fix-it.mp3?download=true

✨ Stay Connected with Kristina
🌐 Website: https://www.kristinaschmitt.ca
📺 YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@KristinaSchmittDevelopment
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristinaschmitt.ca/
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristina-schmitt-development/
🚀 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kristinashmittdevelopment/

#KristinaSchmittDevelopment #BusinessBuildingBlocksPodcast #LeadershipBurnout #WorkingGenius #BusinessOwnerLife #LeadershipAlignment #HealthyLeadership

✨ Introducing Smooth Start: The New Hire Success Kit
A simple, proven framework to help leaders bring new hires up to speed in 90 days without adding more work to your calendar.
👉 Get the Smooth Start Kit — Only $97

📅 Ready to talk about how to build that kind of culture in your team or family? Book a free 30-minute consultation:
https://tidycal.com/1gvq821/30-minute-meeting

✨ FREE RESOURCES ✨
Unlock the blueprint for leadership success – download your FREE Ultimate Leadership FRAMEWORK: 7 Steps to Building a Successful Business Without Sacrificing Your Life today!

🚨 FRAMEWORK FOR DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS: https://www.kristinaschmitt.ca/framework-for-difficult-conversations

🌱 Explore Kristina’s Asynchronous Coaching Program here: Lead with Confidence, Even When Life’s Busy