Can Your Job Candidates Think for Themselves?
2/8/24
I was speaking with a friend of my recently who told me that he was on a virtual panel interviewing a new candidate for his organization. He said every time the candidate was asked a question the candidate would pause for a moment, appear to be contemplating his answer, and then would give the perfect response. Occasionally the candidate would ask the panel if he could think for a moment or two first before answering.
Amongst themselves the panel messaged one another. They knew the questions into ChatGPT to come up with his ‘perfect’ responses.
How does this affect your company’s Ethiture® – the intersection of Ethics and Culture?
My suggestion to my friend was, in the future to ask the candidates to hold their hands up in plain view of the interview panel and the computer monitor. Or they would be required to have set-up a camera over their shoulder that would show their hands and their keyboard to ensure that they were not getting their answers from ChatGPT. There would also need to be a scan of the room so the candidate did not have somebody nearby who was getting answers for them.
Situations like this make me glad I no longer deal with the challenges of recruiting. A recruiter’s jog is hard enough with the variables and expectations in front of them. Now we don’t even have candidates who can show whether they think for themselves.
Why a Great Company Culture is Revenue Producing
2/23/23
Researchers, consultants and practitioners frequently refer to the direct correlation between company culture and business performance. In short, these experts believe that building a strong company culture can improve performance and increase revenue. But how and why is this even possible?
I’m a full believer that company culture is a major influence which can significantly improve the bottom line of any business.
The Correlation Between Revenue and Company Culture
Company culture doesn’t produce revenue directly or anything tangible for that matter. However, a thriving culture is often the sign of a productive company and research shows how productivity can greatly affect profitability. Recent events have also required companies to evolve and essentially prioritize factors which influence employee performance. For instance, the recent pandemic required companies to care more about the health and well-being of their people. In short, this is because employees can better understand customers when they feel supported at work and commit to tasks or solving every-day problems they face. The opposite of this statement is also true, when employers do not feel supported at work, they simply cannot commit to tasks in the same way as when they feel content, satisfied and valued at work.
This is just part of the story and merely to explain how a strong company culture can help establish a more productive and profitable work environment.
Why Employers Need to Invest in Company Culture
There are many practices, beliefs and values which define company culture. These dimensions directly influence the patterns of thought and behaviour which then dictate the productivity and efficiency of a workplace. Employees also expect more from their employers nowadays and these expectations are usually tied to their core values. Such values usually relate to integrity, respect and responsibility and these principles directly impact the way employees feel, think and behave in the workplace. If a company can establish a culture which reflects these core values, there is a high probability that their employees will be more loyal and more invested in what they do.
Studies also support this theory as companies with a strong culture are consistently shown to increase revenue over time. Which leaves us with a question; Why would you not invest in making your company culture great?
The Challenge of Building a Strong Company Culture
Employees inherit their opinions and views over time and often before they join a particular company. The range in views can make it challenging for leaders to manage employees and encourage them to adopt the new company culture. Having said that, I’m an advocate of careful selection that includes company culture fit in recruitment. Not ejection mould “we’re all the exact same”, yet enough to know you aren’t hiring complete outliers who don’t embrace what the company stands for.
This partly explains why things can’t happen overnight and it takes time to build a strong company culture. Strong leadership is needed to communicate the core values of a company and inspire employees to embrace the new culture. Leaders also need to have a strong connection which enables employees to co-develop the company culture over time.
You must be willing to “slay the villain of stagnation” and do more than just talk about it. You have to do the work. Experienced company culture consultants can help. Developing a strong company culture is never easy but a sustained effort is certain to improve productivity and revenue over time. Building this company culture should also be viewed as an essential long-term investment and one which will help define the workforce and the future prosperity of the company.
Why Employees Shouldn’t be Shocked by Lay-offs and other Transitions
12/14/22
It’s all over the news, Major tech companies including Twitter, Amazon and Meta recently announced lay-offs to reduce the size of their respective workforce. As a result, articles began circulating about how the affected workers were feeling shocked and even mistreated. But should we really be surprised when these things happen?
Why We Should Expect and Prepare for Transitions
A client recently told me that she was “shocked” because she might be out of a job soon due to merger involving her employer. Although I feel compassion for this client, and anyone affected by job loss, I couldn’t help thinking that she shouldn’t be so surprised. While data shows a demand for workers elsewhere in the labor market but experts also warn this could change quickly if interest rates continue to rise.
It’s true, nobody actually expects something like this to happen and losing a job can be detrimental to health. I’ve been the HR person who had to assist this painful process, and I’ve also been a casualty of it.
But mergers, acquisitions and transitions are part of business which means almost anyone can lose their job at any time. This is also why employers don’t say otherwise in a job contract and why we shouldn’t feel so surprised or shocked in the event of a lay-off or similar disruption.
However, it’s not always that cut and dried for employees.
Unfortunately, many leaders complicate the matter by failing to address critical issues in the right way. That is to say, the effects of bad communication are well documented and leaders often neglect core values which enable employees to digest bad news and know exactly where they stand as a result.
How Effective Leaders Deal with Critical Issues
Effective leaders know how to respond proactively, not react, in the face of a crisis or triggering event. This is an important distinction because reactive decisions are often motivated by fear, bias, speculation, and lack of factual information. Responsive leaders do the opposite by bringing everyone together and digging deep into critical data to better understand the situation. It is this consideration which enables great leaders to take calculated choices instead of making knee-jerk decisions. This is what I mean by Built to Thrive™, these are companies that know how to be proactive, transparent and value-based.
- Great Leaders Use Transparency
People respect transparent leaders because this honesty is often a bridge which helps them relate to a leader. In times of crisis, transparency can help maintain morale and ensure there is no room for toxicity to spread. This is why it’s always best to take a transparent approach to major transitions and avoid scenarios in which employees are likely to question the integrity of their leader.
- They Communicate the Right Information
Effective leaders use clear language and tell employees exactly what they need to know to understand the situation. It’s also important not to saturate employees with information and to keep focused on the most relevant points. If leaders can ensure clear communication, there should be no need for surprises and employees are also far more likely to know how to respond. Simply put, effective leaders make tough information easier to emotionally digest. I’ve been in the shoes of employees pending a layoff, more than once, and know first-hand how scary the rumour mill can make any situation.
- They Understand that Timing is Everything
Effective leaders don’t leave everything to the last minute. While they might need to wait until sufficient information is available, the bad news is always delivered at the right time. This means a leader might also refrain from telling employees too early to avoid the risk of harming morale or performance. And again, staving off of gossip and miscommunication.
Conclusion
It makes sense to expect transitions in life rather than ignore the fact they can happen at any time. Lay-offs etc. are also common during an economic crisis and preparing for these situations can help leaders ready their employees for a major shift. It’s never the news they want to hear but with the above approach, leaders can at least minimize the impact and help employees avoid the surprise, stress and shock that they may feel as a result of a transition.
Why Leaders’ Resistance to Change is Impeding Company Culture
11/17/22
Most change initiatives fail and according to research by McKinsey & Co, more than 70% of change efforts fail due to resistance to change. This research specifically cites “employee resistance” as the problem but a closer look suggests this resistance to change is just as likely to lie with company leaders.
In this article, I would like to explain why more leaders need to start “walking the walk” and taking more responsibility for the change they wish to inspire.
The Widening Gap Between Leaders and Subordinates
A stagnant company culture can manifest itself in many ways. Morale and productivity suffer, while even the act of communication becomes a chore. It goes without saying that every leader would like to inspire a company culture that helps improve these factors but they firstly need to be on the same page.
Recent studies by MIT indicate the gap between the perception of employers and employees about their company culture is widening. In other words, leaders and their subordinates simply don’t see things the same way and when these leaders might talk about improving such things as focus, productivity and customer service, they end up preaching to a dispirited choir. With this in mind, we might imply that leaders need to change before they can expect any change from anyone else. But why are so many leaders resistant to change?
Why Leaders Fear Change
Change can make leaders (and people in general) feel as though they’ve lost control. It interferes with autonomy and most people are wired to choose certainty over the unknown. It’s often easier to say ‘no’ than ‘yes’ and then there’s matter of routine. Because leaders are creatures of habit and sticking to the old ways is unlikely to upset routine or the way everything gets done.
And that’s just part of the story.
What if the change doesn’t work? It’s common for leaders to express skepticism about new ideas and they risk losing face if these fears are realized. Change also requires more work and the path of least resistance theory should help explain why they might opt for short term fixes that boost moral rather than changes that secure the long term future of their company culture.
But how can leaders protect and improve company culture while making sure employees are at least ready and open to consider any upcoming changes?
Let’s take a look at some ways in which leaders might do this:
5 Ways to Inspire Positive Changes in Company Culture
Planning – Leaders should outline a clear plan and steps that create certainty around the process. This means leaders should not try to craft changes behind closed doors and should provide a map for the road ahead for all to see.
Announcements – That being said, it’s wise not to announce everything at once. Planting seeds over time can help accustom others to the prospect of a bigger change that will affect company culture.
Decision Making – Competent leaders know when to invite and involve others in the planning process. They will even ”leave the room“ and give them ownership in terms of changes that will affect the way they work.
Minimizing Differences – It’s always recommended to maintain as much familiarity as possible without minimizing the desired changes. Change for the sake of change is not the goal and retaining a degree of certainty will minimize the extent of differences which need to be introduced with the change.
Communication – It’s important for leaders to acknowledge the team and the hard work they put into the change process. Rewards and extra perks are also recommended so that participants are recognized for their unseen sacrifices.
Final Thoughts
Leaders need to be the change they want to inspire and it’s rarely a good idea to craft such changes in private. While you can never make everyone comfortable with change, it’s also possible to minimize discomfort and orient employees slowly in a new direction. However, identifying the source of any resistance to change is the first step and this is often why leaders need to take a closer look at their own ways before preaching about change to a dispirited choir.
Why Company Cultures Stagnate Due to Authoritarian Leadership
10/20/22
Authoritative leadership seeks to assert dominance and control over subordinates. Such leaders have an excellent understanding of company goals and challenges and use their presence to inspire an approach that says “come with me”. They have a clear vision for the path to success and provide guidance and direction, while inspiring subordinates to reach their potential.
Sounds good right?
Research by Gallup shows a large number of todays’ leaders are out of touch when it comes to their subordinates. This suggests they might still have control over systems, decisions and even company culture but there are more than enough reasons to believe this way of leading must (and will) come to an end.
But why is there suddenly a need to change these ways?
Why Authoritarian Leadership Can Damage Company Culture
If you make people resent or fear you, it’s unlikely they will feel motivated to support your endeavours with their ideas. It’s a rather simple theory but one that rings true for humans in any role, job or industry. Most talented employees also have options to work elsewhere which furthers the demand for creative minds and the importance of innovative ideas. In other words, holding on to top talent is critically important to remain competitive and viable in any market.
Effective authoritarian leaders need to consistently demonstrate certain competencies. For instance, self-confidence to inspire others, adaptability to transcend problems, and empathy to anticipate the emotions of subordinates. It’s a lot to ask of any individual and a potential vulnerability for any business.
A good “modern” example is Adam Neumann, the ex-CEO of WeWork who was eventually pushed out of the company by investors due to authoritative leadership. Neumann lavished trips and perks on employees to drive company culture and much of this “fun” involved partying, drinking and spontaneous trips to summer camps. But then everything came crashing down for the CEO…
Due to complaints of harassment, over-partying and unprofessionalism, WeWork hit the news for all the wrong reasons. Simply put, Adam Neumann was building a company culture based on his own view and only that. Some reported how his ego dictated the company culture and that Neumann revealed in his power to make every little decision which affected the many.
This is an example of how authoritarian leaders and unilateral decision-making can often alienate employees and even destroy company culture.
Here’s a few more examples of how authoritarian leaders can cause problems:
Productivity – Negative moral among employees can drag down others and in essence, affect the productivity of a team. This reduced productivity affects profits and increases the cost of having more than one unhappy employee!
Recruitment – A reputation for having an unhappy workplace will also reduce the pulling power of companies that want to attract talent. Word gets around and disgruntled employees will often take to review websites with their woes.
Company Culture – Low moral can spiral quickly and authoritarian leadership is not best equipped for turning such instances around. This can not only have a short-term impact but also cause irreparable damage to the company culture.
Recent studies also show how younger generations care more about purpose than income. They want jobs that help them learn and grow and companies that care about the well-being of their staff. These studies also indicate the importance of having managers who demonstrate the same qualities and attributes which these leaders expect from everyone else in the workplace.
Final Thoughts
We can talk all day about why some leaders stick to authoritarian ways. Maybe some are addicted to power, while others are afraid of failing at something new. Change has a tendency to interfere, and many leaders fear change or alternative styles of leadership simply because humans are creatures of habit.
At the same time, companies like Google and Apple have long demonstrated how superior productivity can still be achieved when employees are given more freedom and control. Positivity is notably high at these workplaces and company culture seems to help drive almost everything they do. Either way, the above studies illustrate how things have changed and employees want much more than job security and a fair salary. They want meaning, purpose and opportunity and they fully expect leaders to respect these wishes and not just tell them what to do!
Built to Thrive™ Companies Don't Let Great People Leave.
I develop organizations that are Built to Thrive™.
What do I mean by that?
I mean that these are organizations that slay the villain of stagnation.
Stagnation, the worst thing you can have in your company. That’s the thing that keeps you sitting still and not having any momentum to move forward and do what it takes to improve your company’s culture, and keep it consistently moving forward.
Here’s a case in point. A relative of mine worked for a company for over four years.
They were dedicated, they were on time, they really pulled extra weight during the COVID shutdown, and really knew the job inside and out.
On the local level, everything in this organization’s culture was really great. But on a corporate level, as soon as the C-suite, people showed up everything tanked. They were so demoralizing to the people in the organization.
They wouldn’t listen to feedback. They wouldn’t pay attention to what happened in surveys, if they even asked.
Nothing. They were totally victims to what I call “stagnation”.
So, sure enough, my relative was recruited away by a competing organization.
And when they wrote the letter of resignation to their, now past, employer…
Nothing.
Nobody reached out to say, “Why are you leaving?” “What can we do to make you stay?”
“Is there anything we should know?”
Nothing. And yet, this was a corporate entity that was constantly harping on them to recruit.
They were low on staff. They wanted them to hire, and hire, and hire. And yet did nothing to maintain, and appreciate, the people that they had.
And so, they were in this constant Ferris wheel type of thing of recruiting, recruiting, recruiting.
What a shame.
Really? Why would you let good employees go like that?
Why?
Why would you not do everything you could to maintain the staff that you have?
If you’re interested in how you can make your organization Built to Thrive™, call me.
Let’s have a conversation. (480) 646-2400.
Todays’ Leaders Need to Adapt and Temper the Power of Generation Z
Studies suggest a growing number of leaders are “out of touch” with the younger workforce and running the risk of falling behind as a result. Recent trends of high turnover and applicant ghosting support this view along with what seems to be a reluctance to move on from the old way of doing things. But might leaders instead benefit from adapting to the “demands” of Generation Z?
In this article, we consider what motivates the younger workforce and why leaders need to adapt in order to recruit and temper this talent to better position their business for future success.
What is Generation Z and What do They Expect from Leaders?
Generation Z refers those who were born in the late 1990’s or 2000’s and they grew up with the online world. We sometimes cite this generation as being addicted to technology and social media and managers will often regard them as lacking work ethic or being “difficult to work with.”
Gen Z certainly has a different outlook than previous generations. A recent study by ThoughtExchange illustrates how most participants from Generation Z want to feel included and valued in the workplace. They care about social issues and want to work for a company that has an ethical mission. Generation Z wants to work on various skillsets as opposed to mastering one, and 79% of those surveyed expect managers to care about their personal welfare and development.
While this only scrapes the surface of what motivates the younger workforce, it points to a new set of priorities which today’s leaders need to understand and acknowledge in the work environment.
Why Today’s Leaders Need to “Change their Ways”
The Google Consumer Survey shows how many managers believe the younger workforce to be hard to manage and difficult to communicate. It also suggests why some leaders believe that previous generations have a stronger work ethic and willingness to work within existing structures.
Hesitancy is also common among leaders due to the fact that change is never easy. We get used to certain processes and change upsets the very way we go about our work. What worked in the past can also seem like the right option for moving forward. However, the old ways are not necessarily the best ways and Gen Z has even spoken in this regard by clearly indicating that whatever worked in the past is not going to work for them today. It is here that i remind my clients that stagnation will be the undoing of their organization.
It sounds like a no-win situation but when you dig deeper, this same study points to positive changes among leaders. It illustrates how 44% of those surveyed view Gen Z’s experience with technology as an advantage. These leaders also recognize that older generations will always feel a certain resistance to change, while a younger workforce can bring new ideas to improve the workplace.
But how exactly can leaders adapt to embrace Generation Z? If they want to outlive, outlast and outperform the competition they will embrace it as a welcome, and necessary, challenge.
Final Thoughts
The truth is, younger generations are often better equipped and better informed to thrive in the modern world. These workers are sometimes smarter, and faster, and they grew up with the very technology that continues to drive every sector of every industry. Leaders can benefit from these advantages and learn to temper whatever seems to be getting in the way of progress.
Todays’ leaders need to give workers more freedom and demonstrate a willingness to be flexible as much as possible. Meetings, updates and messaging is required to reinforce a sense of teamwork and the younger workforce needs ongoing encouragement to expand their skillset. Its also important to nurture patience at a time when instant gratification is almost expected and to request feedback which will help workers feel valued, while making sure leaders are on the right path. Numerous surveys and interviews prove that feeling valued is one of the highest ranked expectations employees have.
It’s understandable that some leaders might feel frustrated with the added expectations as they require extra work and responsibility. However, the above studies indicate a clear shift in values and it makes no sense for leaders to oppose, or ignore, what is important to this younger workforce.
Simply put, today’s leaders only have two choices: to embrace the wants and needs of this younger workforce or succumb to the villain of stagnation by ignoring the obvious and fall further behind and even further out of touch.
50 Years Since Geneva
Posted Sept. 1, 2022
50 years! It’s hard for me to believe it’s been 50 years since I was a 12 year old and moved to Geneva Switzerland for my father’s one year teaching sabbatical as a professor of pediatric neurology. I haven’t lived with my father in four years since my parents’ divorce. Since then he had a new wife and I had a step brother and step sister. When he had the teaching opportunity come up he had his choice of Denmark or Switzerland and he chose Switzerland because it had been neutral during the Second World War. He invited my brother and me to go with him because it would be an opportunity for us to live overseas.
I had gone to school my whole life with most of the same kids since elementary in the beginning of junior high school and so here I was in Switzerland like a fish out of water. we chose not to go to public school because by law, we would have been required to repeat the same grade when we went back to United States. so we went to the International School of Geneva, L’Ecole Internationale, which had 1/2 that pure French and half that was English. I went to the English speaking side but had two classes a day in French. And from just living in Geneva with a stepmother who is from Luxembourg and fluent in French I learned French really fast period so fast in fact that when i came back to the United States there wasn’t a French in my in my junior high that was advanced enough for me and so I became the teacher’s assistant but it didn’t take long for me to be bored out of my mind! I’ve barely had an opportunity to speak French since then and have forgotten practically all of it.
During the year I was in Switzerland I had amazing experiences and made some good friends. My best friend and I are still in touch thanks to the wonders of social media.
But it was a difficult year all the same. I could rarely communicate with my own mother we had to write letters and we had scheduled phone calls only twice during the year because it was so difficult back in 1972. All the friends from my junior high who said they would write to me never did. I started out writing them letters but I never got any in return. So when I got back to the United states it was awkward integrating back into American life. My best friend had made friends with two new girls at the school who became my friends too but it was never quite the same with her. I had a boyfriend (if you can call it that when you’re 12 and 13!) but he went on with his life too even though we are great friends to this day and I appreciate now with all my heart. But it took some work to rebuild relationships. Many of them are dear friends to this day and may even see today’s post!
I’ve had four exchange students so I could relate to them and tell them about what my year away from home had been like although there are significant differences I was still with part of my family as awkward as that was but since the entire school was made-up of diplomats children, some that were there for years and some that were as transitional as I was it was different than being exchange student who can often be treated like a superstar at the school because there are so few of them. I went to a school where there were people from all over the world joined together; Europeans, Americans, Middle Eastern countries, African countries Asian countries and more.
In 2013 while on a six-week trip to seven European countries I took my husband and daughter to Geneva. I haven’t been there since leaving in 1973. It was an amazing experience to show them the house that I had lived in and the school campus and all of the places that I cherished during that amazing year.
Part of your organization’s Built to Thrive™ company culture is to remember that people come from all different backgrounds even if they’ve never lived farther than a few miles from where they work their upbringings are often very different and their origins may be very different period and i think that it helps to recognize that everybody feel a fish out of water at one point or another and that your support and understanding can go a long, long way and even make memories that they will appreciate 50 years later.
#BuilttoThrive #leadership #international #employees #retention #turnover #companyculture #ethiture
The Real Reason Why Employers are Struggling to Fill Job Openings
Posted 5/31/22
I recently returned from Atlanta and Little Rock to give a series of presentations. When I went to area restaurants their staff shortage dilemma was no different than my home of Phoenix. Long lines and long waits were common. And that’s not just the restaurant industry, it’s a pervasive complaint from all of my clients and conference session attendees.
Salary expectations is often cited as a driving factor behind the “The Great Resignation” but there’s much more to this economic trend than meets the eye. It’s true, many employers are focused on giving employees higher pay but less attention seems to paid to flexibility, culture and other factors that truly motivate employees.
In this article, I would like to explain why so many employers are struggling to fill job openings and why they need to better understand the other factors behind this trend.
The Real Reason Behind the Great Resignation
Recent studies by the Bureau of Labor Statistics show job openings are growing in the United States but employers are struggling to attract candidates. Employees are also quitting at record levels and the unemployment rate is holding at 3.6 percent.
But what is causing this rate to stabilize?
Low salary and unsustainable workloads are cited as two of the main reasons behind the Great Resignation. Research by Glassdoor shows a 43 percent surge for salary expectations in 2022 and according to a recent survey by consulting firm McKinsey & Company, employees are quitting in numbers due to the lack of career opportunities.
These should be quite sobering statistics for employers but not something we should merely put down to economic recovery. The truth is, the great resignation didn’t start with the pandemic and organizations now need to examine the root cause of these problems. A lot has changed in recent years and a type of awakening seems to have given employees reason to expect much higher expectations for their workplace.
Employees Want a More Meaningful Workplace
According to the above cited recent survey by consulting firm McKinsey & Company, employees are also quitting for reasons beyond salary expectations. People are wanting meaningful perks like mental health therapy, family leave and days off. One leadership consultant in the above article sums things up when she says that people are realizing they were not designed to work like machines and that they deserve better working conditions.
But that’s just part of the story…
In all my years working as a consultant, I have witnessed the power of company values and culture. These studies are pointing to the fact that employees want to work for leaders who care and companies that foster an autonomous culture. They show how people now expect to be valued as individuals and to be treated as though their values really do matter. We should also see this from a rational perspective because flexibility, meaningful work, and support for health and well-being are some rather obvious reasons that motivate people to perform at their best.
And where do we go from here?
The current problem with employers struggling to fill openings goes far beyond workload and salary expectations. While they matter greatly, employers need to examine how they plan to address the other factors mentioned above. It’s not an overnight process and it takes everyone in the organization to actively participate but a high-level consultant can provide guidance and advise them through the process.
Overloaded with Information: Do we no longer need to think for ourselves?
Posted 1/18/22
Is the age of information and over-reliance on Google impairing our capacity to think for ourselves? While knowledge is power, many studies suggest the overload of information is affecting our ability to decipher and process information. I have personally encountered these issues at seminars in which attendee’s struggled to learn or understand how they might apply certain theory in their given role. It’s also apparent in the workplace, where both information and technology seems to remove the need to think and seemingly enable people to “slide” through their jobs!
But might we accept these drawbacks in return for so much valuable information?
After all, in the knowledge economy, data is our most valuable commodity.
Why “Too Much Information” is Impairing Our Ability to Think/Do
Research by Harvard Business Review suggests that increasing levels of information can not only interrupt productivity but also lead to adverse affects on a person’s well-being, innovation and decision making. For instance, these studies demonstrated how the average person might take more than twenty minutes to return to a task after being “interrupted” by an email. In terms of innovation or decision making, this surging volume of information requires more time to decipher and process data, which will often cause distress and maybe even dishearten or discourage the individual.
We all know the saying – “Too much information”.
The truth is, while industry data is widely available and online studies, opinions and Wikis can be valuable for getting the job done, researchers are pointing to the fact that excessive information can often get in the way of how we think and what we do.
There is also reason to believe the over-reliance on social media and technology is reducing people’s intelligence. The Apeiron recently noted that we’ve lost the ability to think critically, and question our sources of information. And as if that’s not enough, Patricia Greenfield, a researcher and professor of psychology at UCLA, recently stated that while visual skills seem to be improving with the growth of technology, our skills in analysis and critical thinking are most certainly on the decline.
Now, that’s not to say this surging volume of data or technology is a bad thing but rather to say we might need to change how we work and know when to stop.
Time to Change and Think about How We Use Information?
It seems to me that we have become over-dependent on information and technology to the point in which our capacity for critical thinking is in steep decline. For me, this explains why more and more employees and conference attendees have seemingly lost their ability to be resourceful and to decipher information in such a way that it applies to them. It’s almost like an addiction and this flow of valuable information is endless which requires a need for individuals to know when to turn off the tap and re-learn how to depend upon their own critical thinking.
Or maybe people no longer need to think for themselves?
I’d like to think we are still early with these issues and ready to shift back toward our own thinking for the sake of future innovation, decision making and mental well-being.
Is Company Culture the Key to a Successful Merger or Acquisition?
Posted 10/13/21
An acquisition or merger has the potential to transform a company overnight and have a profound effect on company growth, capital and even the stock price. However, there’s always a degree of risk involved, and it certainly doesn’t always go to plan.
In fact, 60% of the Leaders and Human Resource professionals I polled, whose company experienced a merger or acquisition in the last five years, felt that it negatively affected the organization. And while many factors can disrupt the process, the management of company culture is often the difference between a successful merger and a slow, painful and costly process that could have been avoided.
Let’s take a closer look at company culture and a quick overview of how to better manage and understand the role of company culture during a corporate merger.
How Company Culture Can Disrupt a Merger or Acquisition
Company culture is the vision that drives a company, the working norms that characterize a workplace and the values that guide employee behavior. In order to properly integrate two companies, it’s essential to address this company culture effectively and ensure all teams and employees are on the same page as leadership.
After all, a company’s vision is usually clear among leadership during a merger but a greater challenge comes in getting the actual work done. That is to say, friction or misunderstandings between teams/employees is common during a transition and without careful management, the plan and overall process is sure to suffer.
But how can this kind of situation be avoided?
3-Steps to Manage Company Culture During a Merger/Acquisition
A strong and cohesive company culture is at the heart of every successful merger and significantly increases the likelihood of success. However, a comprehensive approach is needed to define this culture and ensure a successful integration for both sides.
Here’s a quick look at three steps to managing culture during a merger/acquisition:
- Diagnose the Company Culture and Establish How Work is Done
Leaders need to have an exceptional understanding of the culture in both companies. It’s necessary to take a scientific approach during this diagnosis as opposed to using assumptions or gut-based thinking which will expose the merger/acquisition to more risk.
- Manage Differences and Build a Comprehensive Change Plan
It’s necessary to manage any differences in terms of the “way of working” between two companies in order to build one cohesive high-performing culture. The most suitable behaviors and management practices are identified and used to create a comprehensive change plan with specific themes and initiatives for the new company operating model.
- Rolling Out the Model and Tracking Progress
It’s then time to hard-wire these changes into the company model with the assistance of a top team (and leadership) who will model these new aspects of the company culture. The implementation of these initiatives/themes also needs to be tracked and clear milestones should be set in order to monitor progress. Further, surveys and focus groups can keep track of employee moral and the top team should be held accountable for all progress.
Final Thoughts
When integration is slow or ineffective, desired targets are often missed and cost savings are almost impossible. Aside from economic performance, a poor culture promotes unethical behavior and often leads to mistrust among employees. As if that’s not enough, lack of attention toward company culture can have a negative impact on the physical and emotional well-being of employees from both companies. But with better understanding and management, a smooth and successful merger or acquisition is more than possible.
The High Price of Stockholder Satisfaction
Posted 8/10/21
Still appropriately socially distanced, the VP of a national organization and I met for coffee. The conversational update about how the business was doing gravitated to the spate of Glassdoor complaints that former employees had posted. The VP acknowledged they were bad reviews but also pointed out that they stemmed from the home offices in another state. There, he said, the culture was pretty toxic. Lots of emphasis was placed on whether stockholders were satisfied with their numbers. It was there that the company turned to layoffs when profits were taking a hit. Not a new tactic. And an often misguided one.
I looked into this practice a little more and found a couple articles of interest. I also polled Leaders and Human Resource professionals whose companies are publicly traded, and 60% of the respondents felt satisfying Stockholders factored highly into daily operations. Therefore, they were forced to make tough decisions on labor based on that pressure.
In his article Negatives of Maximizing Shareholder Value Gregory Hamel writes, “Another negative consequence of shareholder value maximization is that it can hurt employees. The lower a corporation’s costs, the more profit it stands to make if its total revenue is constant, so corporations can benefit from cutting employee benefits and wages. If domestic labor is not cheap enough or not productive enough, businesses can outsource labor to foreign workers who are willing to work for lower wages.”
In a study researched by Agnes Zdaniuk and Nita Chhinzer found that who relays the message even affects the outcome. Nita Chhinzer Associate Professor, Human Resource Management and Business Consulting (Dept of Management), University of Guelph (Canada) wrote:
“Excuse-and apology-based explanations highlight the fact that a company’s actions, as well as errors in forecasting and responding to changes, contributed to job losses. There’s also a larger drop in share prices in response to excuse- and apology-based layoffs when the CEO delivers the message, compared to any other messenger. Essentially, shareholders view the layoff more negatively when the announcement comes from the CEO, and the layoff explanation can be attributed to a failure to respond to internal and external changes. That means using a human resources manager, legal counsel or another manager rather than the CEO to make the announcement can minimize the negativity of stakeholder reactions to layoffs.”
One of the first times in my own life when I was exposed to the idea of laying off employees to save money, was when I was in my very early 20s and my mother told me that the newspaper she worked for as a reporter was going through financial difficulties. But rather than lay employees off the newspaper offered early retirement along with a small financial package and the timing it was perfect because my mother was interested in moving overseas and so the option to accept the early retirement worked out perfectly for her.
My husband also took a similar package after working for his employer for 31 years.
Along with offering with offering early retirement, and other incentives to leave, as an option there are other possibilities that employers can offer such as the following:
Hiring Freeze – to be perfectly honest there’s nothing that screams hypocrisy more to employees being laid off then watching new employees enter the organization.
Freeze Salary and Benefits – studies and surveys have shown that employees are willing to hold off unexpected salary raises or increased benefits to protect their job and to protect the company. Knowing that when times are better those increases will probably be reinstated.
Let temporary employees and contractors go – your first commitment is to your own employees first. Most of them are willing to work harder if it protects their job in the long term.
Don’t fill vacated positions from terminations layoffs and normal attrition – This is the perfect time to take advantage of people leaving of their own accord.
Reducing pay or work hours – this can have serious ramifications to the morale of your employees. Before taking this action look very closely at the possible consequences.
Short term furloughs – same as the above this is a decision companies should not enter into lightly, but it might be the only choice for short durations. Be aware that when you are able to ramp up your employee headcount those that have been furloughed need to be the first ones called back to the organization.
All of these actions can and will have consequences to your organizational culture and how you handle them will have a direct impact to your organization organization’s future. That includes your own future as well.
If you want to learn more about how we help your organization’s culture repair itself after these events just give me a call. Let’s chat about it.
#stockholders #salaries #employees #furloughs #layoffs #salary #benefits #satisfaction #terminations #companyculture #humanresources #ethiture #jointheculturalmovement
Hire the Right People
Posted 7/28/21
I was with a group of executives recently doing my workshop Leading the Pack – How a Culture of Learning Puts You Ahead. One of them was particularly troubled by the fact that he was fully staffed but he had several employees that regularly showed up late, and it was stressing him a great deal.
As an HR practitioner my “go-to” question was, “Do you have corrective action process?” Not only did he not have one, but he said that his version of correction was to tell his employees, “Be here on time!” Let’s be honest if his employees continue to be late then his imperative clearly wasn’t getting through. He wasn’t correcting, and he wasn’t taking action.
What he really needs, as harsh as it may sound, is to clean house. He needs to let go the people that won’t get there on time and hire people who will. Because it might be that these employees do good work once they’re there, but that still doesn’t make them the right employees for his organization. The right employees find a way to get to work on time and have a desire to be there on time. If this isn’t high on the employee’s priority list then clearly the success of the company isn’t either.
The most important part of building and maintaining a positive and thriving company culture is to have the right people. It’s not enough just to have people that have that have technical skills and know-how for the job. It’s also important to look at the candidate’s desire to support your company’s values. Your employees don’t need to be stamped out of the same mold, but they do need to share the same sense of key ideals your company is based on.
Inc.com offers a succinct article to help you understand if an employee is the right fit in three clear dimensions. There are also a plethora of evaluation tools, and as long as all of your candidates are tested consistently and uniformly (which is the legal way to do it by the way) you will find these a great means of separating the candidates who fit from the ones who won’t.
I’m also certified in Development Dimensions International’s Behavior Based interviewing method, “Targeted Selection” and I can’t say enough good things about this process. While there is a lot of front-end work to create the right interview questionnaire for the specific jobs, it pays off in making the cream of the crop bubble to the surface. In addition, it helps recruiters prevent wayward questions that get them in the danger zone or waste an interview opportunity by not getting relevant information to reveal itself.
You’ll also learn a lot about cultural fit through the workshop, Company Culture Is Not a Game – Unless It Is. The ability to spark safe discussion among the participants helps organizations get a grasp on what their organization’s values are and create initiatives that follow-suit.
For example one organization decided to participate in a number of non-profit and community related volunteerism. This was not only great for employee morale and public relations for the company, it also gave them a series of discussion points and questions for interviews that revealed candidate fit.
Want to chat more about this? Give me a call! (480) 646-2400
Who’s Ghosting Whom?
Posted 7/13/21
At an out-of-town convention where I spoke recently, I had the opportunity to sit with some attendees during breakfast the morning following my presentation. These we’re all business leaders and they began to express a sentiment that I hear every time I speak with business leaders. That is that they have a terrible time recruiting.
A couple of years ago I had written an article about this very subject. And one of the things that came up, in that article, was how frequently applicants, or new hires, “ghost” the employer. Either the applicant schedules an interview and never shows up for it, or the new hire gets the job and either never starts or goes through training for a week, or so, and then never comes back.
This is very sadly nothing new. When I worked for the hotel and the hospital, I used to manage human resources for, it happened. And it was frustrating.
Nobody wants to have a revolving door or to spin their wheels wasting time on recruiting applicants that really don’t care about staying at the job.
What we all see, however, is that this is happening a lot more often. It’s become so prevalent that employers consider themselves lucky when someone shows up as promised.
I think there are several reasons why. Starting with the fact that work ethic just isn’t what it used to be. Perhaps most kids aren’t being raised with it. (I’m happy to say my daughter’s work ethic is remarkable). Employees today know that it’s an employee’s world and they have extremely high expectations for the workplace. They are no longer satisfied with the eight to five and “Here’s your paycheck” every two weeks lifestyle of the baby boomers and the generations before them.
Did we cause this?
Isn’t it also possible that in part we are getting what we ask for? Here’s what I mean. I know a lot of business coaches, consultants and independent contractors – people like myself that are entrepreneurs that are basically looking for work every day in terms of networking and outreach. How often do we contact a company via email or telephone and never hear anything back? Company reps just ghost us. They won’t take the time to say, “Thanks but no thanks”.
Since I also do career transition work, I have the opportunity to help a lot of candidates for the workforce who say that they interview with the company and never hear anything back. And so, they’re left wondering, discouraged and disenchanted. It’s a bad reflection on the company. You see the commentary on Social Media.
Change the Way We Connect
If companies took a little bit more time to respect their applicants, to simply follow-up and let them know that they’ve gone another direction, or chosen another candidate, it would at least be some news. But because most companies are not respecting candidates enough to take a moment out of their time to let them know the status of their application most candidates don’t feel like they need to take the time follow through with the employer either.
While that doesn’t fully explain the unprofessional behavior of ghosting an employer after already accepting and starting a job, it does speak to the prevalence of the behavior altogether in today’s society. I think that if we both work together to follow-up and follow-through we can change the way we connect with one another for the better.
Open Door or Revolving Door? That is the Question.
Posted 6/28/21
When I worked in Human Resources at my two previous companies, I was proud of my open-door policy. But sometimes it came to haunt me. There was one staff member, in particular, who was always standing outside my office door first thing in the morning. Literally! I would be on my way to my office, hadn’t even set down my purse or grabbed a cup of coffee, and there he stood outside my door. Every day was a new problem and a new complaint. Most of which were trivial things. It made him a high maintenance employee.
The dilemma
Maybe what I just wrote raised your hackles. When you’re in Human Resources you get to know the legitimate HR related or personal issues you’re help is needed with – and you also get to know when people have issues that a little resourcefulness could unveil the solution to. Let’s face it. Some people like to gripe.
When you’re in Human Resources you want to be there for the members of your organization. Or, rather, you should want to – otherwise HR isn’t the best career choice for you. In Human Resources, you are the liaison and the one person that’s the cushion between non-management and management.
If someone has a problem with a health issue, their family, or a workplace complaint, whatever it may be, we need to be there to help.
See the fine line?
I recently surveyed human resources professionals and leaders and I asked them what percentage of their time they were spending on employee’s personal issues. 55% of leaders and Human Resource professionals said they are spending excessive amounts of time dealing with employee relations disruptions.
What if those issues were actually caused by management?
One client I spoke to said that in her company the most frequent employee complaint is employees talking to one another about unfair expectations by management. In their company they see their clients by appointment only. Management wants them to double up on appointments to squeeze more clients into each day. But when they do, clients complain because they feel like they are not getting the one-to-one attention that they deserve. There have been multiple complaints on public forums, such as Yelp, about the lack of personalized attention that customers experience when the provider doubled appointments. Then upper management criticizes the employees every time there’s a negative complaint. It’s a terrible “Catch-22” because the complaint comes from something that management required and the employees don’t recommend doing. But they can’t refuse.
In another organization, an employee told me that they have requirements to fulfil by management that are unrealistic. Since management doesn’t actually do the job, or understand how it works, so the requirements are unachievable.
I once had a similar situation when I was required to fill every new hire requisition within 30 days. I would do the preliminary interviews and take my interview notes to the hiring manager for them to do a second interview. But then the paperwork sat on their desk week after week after week gathering dust. No matter how many times I reminded the manager, second interviews never seemed to be scheduled.
I would get negative rankings on my performance evaluations for not filling each req in the 30-day timeline. A more achievable goal which would have been that I do the pre-screening interview within two weeks. Then my obligation would end once the paperwork went to the hiring manager.
Here 7 tips on how you can avoid spending excessive amounts of time on employee related complaints at your organization:
- Value all of your employees, including race, ethnicity, disability, religion, LGBTQ and all differences. All people need to feel valued, connected, that they have opportunities for growth and there is hope. Regardless of our age race ethnicity disability religion or status, if you respect your people they will want to do their best for you. It’s just the right thing to do.
- Have frequent and open communication: companies that are highly transparent have great cultures. Even if the news that you share isn’t good news if you are forthcoming your employees will almost always be supportive and understanding and they will stick with you in good times and bad.
- Acknowledge birthdays and important family occasions: See number one. people want to feel seen and for almost everyone acknowledging birthdays or important family occasions really makes them feel acknowledged. On a cautionary note, be aware that some people’s religions are not as receptive to this or some people may feel uncomfortable because of cultural norms. So if you are aware of those then of course you’ll want to abstain. But even if you acknowledge the birthday or important occasion of somebody whose faith or culture does not celebrate these events they will typically know that you had the best of intentions.
- Have frequent fun activities: BBQ, Escape Rooms, Bowling and so on. Include online ones for remote workers such as games learning opportunities virtual coffee breaks and team meetings. Most people love opportunities to see each other outside of of the workplace and to see people in different environments. You never want to make these occasions mandatory because that will immediately work against you. But invitations to something fun well nearly always create connection and fond memories for your employees which only enhances the culture of your organization.
- Ensure that your company regularly discuss is the company mission and values. Did you know that only 6% of companies regularly discuss their organization’s vision and mission statements? Most people don’t even know what they are. And that means that your employees don’t really know the purpose of what they’re doing and what the end goal is. Make opportunities in employee meetings, and events to talk about your company’s values and mission and make sure that your employees can discuss them in a way that shows that they really understand what your organization stands for.
- Participate in community volunteering and giving and foster a strong sense of community at the workplace: when employees have opportunities to volunteer if they choose to it helps their self-esteem to be involved in something for the greater good. In addition, obviously it makes our communities better for all of us. Whatever your organization can do that’s beyond just check writing, make opportunities. I have heard great feedback from.
- Review and respond two submissions to your suggestion box: a kiss of death for an organization is to have a suggestion box that gets ignored. Employees will resent that in a heartbeat. Even if you can’t act on every entry that makes its way into your suggestion box at least get back to the submitter and help them understand why. Suggestion boxes can be a excellent method for getting great ideas from employee’s past experience at previous employers, and from what they’re currently doing on their job, that you may not be seeing which can add great value to your organization.
These are just a few of many possible ideas and they all appear on cards in my Company Culture Board Game, a highly interactive element to my company culture workshop. Gamification is a proven way to engaging your whole workforce into creating collaborative initiatives. If you want to learn more about this workshop just reach out to me to discuss if it’s a fit for your organization.
Losing Your Grip – The Perils of Outsourcing Staff
Posted 5/25/21
Every company changes over time. The way people work also changes due to change in leadership. Every leader brings forward a new approach with regards to the resources, and their values.
This article focuses on one such approach where companies let their employees be outsourced and still work for them as contractors. The company positions itself to decrease its duties and liabilities to these freelancers while basically the same output it would have from “permanent” employees. Unfortunately, polls have exposed results stating that it has a negative impact on incumbent staff and the company morale in general. Especially when leaders avoid transparency, choosing to withhold details of the organization’s conditions which lead them to that action. It’s a recipe for distrust and angst.
I recently ran a poll of my own with Executives and Human Resource Professionals in my network and results revealed that of the Leaders and Human Resource professionals whose company outsourced staff members who still work for them as contractors 85% said there had been a negative effect on them and on incumbent staff.
Organizational Change
Organizational Change drives a lot of change in the workplace environment. There are multiple short term and long-term effects of any operational change. It has been reported that after such changes in a company, employees have complained of lower clarity in their jobs. The job responsibilities and liabilities come under questionable conclusions due to organizational changes. In simple terms, they don’t know where they stand and what’s expected of them.
A long-term effect of outsourcing is that layoffs are often imminent. This frequently leads to a loss of trust between the higher authorities and the employees. Outsourcing work from previous employees adds to the inferiority complex and worsens the situation further.
One common complaint is it lowers job security as well as the productivity of the entire team. To counter the productivity loss, companies need to put more focus on the existing employees so that they can accept and adapt to the changing work environment.
Organizational changes, therefore, trigger various psychosocial effects in the workers. There are adverse effects. While some short-term effects recuperate with time and job clarity, long term issues don’t easily get erased. Outsourcing work has its own side effects. It affects the morale of the existing team and creates a disturbance in the work atmosphere. The bridge of trust between the stakeholders and the employees suffers majorly due to such organizational changes.
Outsourcing work, on the other hand, helps the companies expand their territories a lot more. It increases the window of opportunities as the company can take more risks. Having “permanent” employees is often a burden because the company is liable to pay them and maintain benefits for them.
The poll I conducted showed that 85% of the people responding had a negative effect when companies outsourced work to contractors. Therefore, it is essential for companies to change this trend to support their existing employees. This change in trend is not possible overnight and requires experienced help. That’s where I pitch in, ensuring a smooth workplace atmosphere. This adds to resolving the existing issues in the system and helps companies improve their relationship with stakeholders involved.
Concluding Thoughts
Change is never easy. Still, change is essential. A company content to standstill will eventually stagnate and fall behind the competition. Every company has their own policies, which change with time to accommodate organizational change.
Change has its own side effects too. The idea of keeping employees motivated and equally focused on work is often an issue at the workplace. But it doesn’t have to cripple you or show up as red numbers in your profit and loss statement. Smart leaders anticipate that if outsourcing is an inevitable process of their change, then heading it off at the pass with programs that will mitigate negative effects on morale are like an insurance policy, and an investment in their people.
If your office culture is struggling due to these changes, there’s always a solution to it. Book a discovery call. I’d be happy to chat with you about how we could work together to help your company outlive, outlast and outperform the competition.
Is Isolation Always a Bad Thing?
Posted 5-3-21
In a recent poll at one of my workshops, it was discovered the vast majority (80%) of employees were feeling disconnected from their work colleagues. As if that wasn’t enough, many of these same individuals were feeling lonely and isolated due to the unusual nature of working from home. But while this poll was rather negative and disheartening, I also found a very different message in the thoughts and opinions of non-attendees. With this in mind, I’d like to talk about the following question:
Is isolation always a bad thing?
The Dark Side of Isolation
Isolation is linked heavily with poor mental well-being and many serious health problems such as anxiety, depression and cognitive decline. Social isolation is also a common cause of loneliness – the consequences of which can hardly be overstated.
It should go without saying that isolation is nothing new. Stressful events or personal concerns will often leave a person feeling isolated and these instances are not native to the pandemic. That is to say, there are many ways to feel isolated: if a person is made unemployed or lacking in self-esteem, they might feel alone, and the same can be said bereavements, breakups or a person living away from home.
However, the pandemic has certainly highlighted the risks associated with isolation and shed some light on the importance of remaining connected. I believe the above-mentioned poll is also an indication that companies need to pay more attention to the impact of isolation on their employees and company culture in general.
The Good Side of Isolation
It’s not always a bad thing to spend time alone. Isolation will often remove the unwanted distractions that enable a person to “clear the mind”. Spending time alone can also boost creativity and statistics show that employees working from home are more productive – especially if they get to decide their working hours (flex-work).
In a recent interview, the HR manager at PADT said that company “check-ins” suggested most employees did not wish to return to the office full-time. Lara Maack then went on to explain how and why the workforce was more connected than ever. While some of this was due to the implementation of Zoom, MS Teams etc, there’s reason to believe that many employees are simply adjusting to the new landscape.
On a personal level, I can also say that my connection with clients (and friends/family) has benefited in many ways from this COVID-induced isolation. This is partly due to the above technology but also because differentiation (being autonomous) is an essential ingredient in any healthy relationship. What’s more, time apart allows us to better appreciate the time we get to spend with others and think more carefully about how we interact as friends, family and colleagues. But it’s not easy to structure a company culture in the midst of a pandemic and mitigate the risks associated with isolation.
As a direct outcome of my Company Culture is Not a Game – Unless It Is workshop, one of my clients made up a schedule of events for employee virtual events and they’ve been having a blast eliminating isolation.
Maybe I can help you with that? Please do not hesitate to reach out for a free 30-minute consult.
Posted 3/22/21
In a recent episode of “The Rookie” on ABC, a pearl of wisdom was shared that rhymes nicely with my own school of thought – “Empathy shouldn’t be a liability”.
It got me thinking because I often talk to my clients about the role of empathy and why empathy is the key ingredient to creating a thriving culture within a company.
And you’ll have to forgive me for blowing my own trumpet in this article, but I feel it’s important to explain a certain point for the sake of providing some context. With that said, I’d like to explain how and why empathy can foster a thriving company culture…
Why Empathy is so Important for Creating a Thriving Company Culture
According to a recent Gallup assessment, empathy is my number one strength and one which has served me well in recent years. I say this because I have always tried to deploy empathy as a consultant in order to create meaningful relationships and connections with clients and within the culture of their respective companies.
Let me explain this better from a fundamental point of view…
As with any type of society or community, empathy can help build and nurture a company culture. It’s true that empathy is not often talked about in this context but it’s important to know the significance of empathy, or lack thereof, in a workplace. Because without empathy, work colleagues have no motive to care for one another and no reason to make sacrifices for the sake of achieving a common goal. The presence of empathy has the opposite effect and encourages individuals to understand, while improving communication and productivity throughout a company.
Empathy is also a vulnerable choice but one that enables employers to connect with their employees in a more meaningful way and there are many studies back this up. For instance, mirror neurons are triggered when empathy is deployed. These neurons can help a person feel what other people might be experiencing, but without actually having the experience themselves. It’s a broad concept, of course, but this special attribute can help companies develop a better relationship with employees.
I also mentioned my recent Clifton Strength assessment on Gallup and this is something a company can also use to their advantage. “Clifton Strengths” refers to an assessment that shows the unique power of an individual. Research indicates that a person who can harness and deploy these strengths tends to be more productive, engaged and content in the workplace. Hence, these assessments are often used to inspire employees, leaders and even entire companies to improve performance.
Now, I’m only scratching the surface here, but I think you can understand why I always encourage employers to take a similar approach to company culture.
Some Final Words on the Role of Empathy for Company Culture
According to Dr. Brene Brown, a world-renowned researcher at the University of Houston, vulnerability is at the heart of all human experiences. Further, vulnerability is not a sign of weakness but rather the very-birthplace of joy, creativity, belonging and empathy. This indicates how it takes vulnerability to be empathetic and while this might feel uncomfortable at first, it’s often the way to a wealth of opportunities.
As a consultant, I act on my own empathy as much as possible, and I also try to do this without expecting anything in return. I believe this helps me sleep at night, while bringing more meaning to my work as a consultant. But for some employers (and people in general), empathy is regarded as a type of soft skill and maybe even a “weak” alternative to demanding higher standards in the workplace. In other words, many folk still seem to think that showing empathy is something to fear or avoid.
Empathy is not a sign of weakness and feeling vulnerable is a risk we must take to experience meaningful relationships and true connection within a truly great company culture.
The Cost of Civil Suits and Why Companies Need to Care More
Posted 3/3/21
The Cost of Civil Suits and Why Companies Need to Care More
If you’re like me, you try to plan ahead but need a push every now and again to focus on the less enjoyable side of running a company. The cost of civil suits is one of these areas and one that demands attention. More specifically, many employers take a “it will never happen to us” mentality toward workplace bullying and civil suits can cost thousands of dollars, while damaging the morale and culture inside a company.
I won’t hold you up with too many details but it’s important to know the potential impact of bullying for a company and indeed – the cost of civil suits. Let’s take a quick look at some alarming statistics that should help bring the point home and the extent to which workplace bullying and civil suits can have on any company.
Worrying Stats and Why Companies Need to Care More
It’s true, many employers are slow to address issues related to bullying in the workplace and this only leaves the company vulnerable in a very serious way. Believe it or not, recent studies show the vast majority of workers have at least witnessed bullying in the workplace, while over 50% of employees claim their performance was has been affected by bullying.
Bullying is a common cause of high-anxiety situations. As you might find with a bullied child at school, an employee is unlikely to perform well in these situations. And employees will not only face a loss in moral due to bullying, but also a significant drop in productivity.
But what does bullying actually look like in the workplace?
The Serious Implications of Bullying at the Workplace
Bullying can refer to a wide range of occurrences such as intimidation, humiliation or verbal abuse. Further studies show these are also not one-time incidents and something that happens over long periods of time which causes further loss of productivity and moral within a company. And that’s just part of the story…
Lack of action against bullying in the workplace will cost the business money.
If an employer is proven to be liable for bullying at work, they might be obliged to pay damages to an employee. There are often rehabilitation costs or counseling fees associated with any related emotional damages. As if that’s not enough, there are also legal fees in such instances and high-profile cases have required companies to pay out millions in settlements.
Maybe you get my point already? While some employers choose to ignore the many reasons for addressing bullying at the workplace, the cost of civil suits demands such attention. And bullying in the workplace actually happens – a lot. This is hugely detrimental for employee moral and surely not the kind of environment you wish to oversee. I also suggest that companies should want to care more for the well-being of their employees for the sake of humanity and not because of productivity or profit.
I should know. It happened to me.
The Key to Outsourcing Without Disrupting Company Culture
Outsourcing work is often regarded as the best way to reduce costs, free up time and improve efficiency. It’s also quite a polarizing issue that can have negative affects on company culture and cause employees to worry about their future and job security.
It’s no surprise because outsourcing usually means laying off workers or reducing the work-hours available. This is partly why many companies avoid, or hold off with, outsourcing and opt for a more costly system for the sake of the company moral.
But is it even possible to outsource without disrupting the company culture?
Absolutely.
Why Outsourcing is the Sensible (and Most Profitable) Way to Proceed
Recent studies suggest that outsourcing can quickly increase the profitability of a company. It’s not just the lower cost of outsourcing that makes a company more profitable but the lack of costs in general such as those associated with in-house management. There are also more than 57 million freelance workers in America and over 300,000 jobs get outsourced every year. There’s also the fact that our future is in the hands of millennials and Gen Z. These are tech-savvy generations which are more likely to work independently and seek outsourced work in the freelance industry.
Now, let’s assume that outsourcing makes sense and tackle a more pressing issue…
The Key to Outsourcing Without Disrupting Company Culture
The truth is, outsourcing will inevitably take some jobs away and be the cause of concern for any workforce. This concern is something to take seriously and also to alleviate at every given opportunity. If no effort is made to address such issues, this kind of uncertainty can have a terrible effect on employees and the company culture.
As for avoiding disruption, it’s crucial to properly communicate. This might mean reassuring certain employees of their job safety or giving perspective to the company in terms of the big picture and why outsourcing is good for everyone in the long term.
For example, the type of jobs that give way to outsourcing are often mundane or low-paid jobs that we can afford to lose. That’s not to say anyone can afford to lose their income but rather an observation that one might take this opportunity to pivot into a more suitable role with better pay. In my workshop, Leading the Pack – How a Culture of Learning Puts You Ahead, I often tell the story of a man who was so comfortable in his 30 year on the job routine that when he was taken off guard by a merger he was literally unemployable.
Final Thoughts
Communicating effectively is the key to successful outsourcing and maintaining company culture during the transition. The final point above also reminds me of the richest man in the world and his thoughts about automation, for Elon Musk once said, “Automation will make jobs kind of pointless” and that people should learn soft skills for the sake of their long-term future. Musk was referring to skills relating to communication, efficiency and observation (skills which machines cannot master yet) and how this creates an opportunity for those who might want to remain employed.
You might notice how a similar perspective might be taken when it comes to outsourcing and why excellent communication is needed to maintain company culture. Indeed, outsourcing is an instrument that can produce many benefits but as I always tell my clients, maintaining a strong company culture is the true path to profitability.
Are You a Victim of Your Organization?
In 1968 when I was in the fourth grade, girls were not permitted to wear pants to school. In years prior it never really meant anything to me but as I, and my friends, got older and pulled farther and farther away from our mothers having to pick our clothes for us, what we chose to wear made a difference.
There was something about having to wear a dress every day that made me angry. It was like a uniform. Restrictive and uncomfortable. I grew up in Denver and it was cold in the wintertime. Why did I have to walk to school with my legs freezing? Even with tights on it was awfully cold.
I rallied my friends and found everyone felt the same. We didn’t understand how what we wore had any effect whatsoever on our ability to learn. So, I gathered my girlfriends and we petitioned the principal’s office, asking for a face to face meeting. We argued in not-so-sophisticated 8 and 9 year old’s language how discriminatory we felt that was.
You know what? We won our argument! The dress code at my elementary school was changed. For the rest of my school years I never wore a dress again! Oh, except for my senior prom!
We didn’t sit around like victims, forever ticked off that we had to wear dresses when the boys could wear pants. We were so over having the guys flip up our skirts to expose our underwear, yelling “Dress up day!” and we decided to do something about it.
What our small, but mighty group accomplished was that we affected a change in the culture of our elementary school.
There’s no reason employees of a company can’t rally in the same manner. There have been countless times in my career, when I worked internally for one organization or another, where the employees sat around and lamented about how screwed-up they thought things were. But rarely did they ever actually do anything about it.
Some of them felt defeated because they’d put a suggestion in the suggestion box and nothing ever came of it, and so in my work as a company culture consultant one thing that I always impress upon organizations is that if you’re going to have a suggestion box you better check it. You find real useable gems in there. If you can’t actually implement the suggestion, management needs to at least get back to the employee and thank them for their contribution.
But back to affecting change. If you work for an organization and you’re not happy with the culture then do something about it. Offer some solutions. Maybe your organization could use training. Is there something specific that you’re not happy with it your organization? What is it? Is it that they don’t offer opportunities for learning? Is it that you feel there isn’t enough diversity and inclusion.? Is your company rigid and lacking in the ability to offer flexible schedules? Has your company failed in addressing the pandemic and making remote working as seamless as they could?
I was once with an organization where the top executive told everybody in his direct staff that when they walked down the hallway and saw an employee, they did not yet know, they needed to do more than just nod hello. They needed to stop, greet the employee, shake their hand, and spend just a few minutes getting to know them.
The atmosphere in the organization was one of the most upbeat and positive environments I’d ever had the pleasure of being in. The sense of community could not be matched because everybody felt welcomed and they felt like they were seen and their presence was valued. The sense of community was extraordinary.
There are solutions to bad cultures out there. Even bureaucratic ones. Doing something about it really doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive. If fourth graders can make a red-tape change so can you.
Why Transitions in Business Often Fail
Businesses with a strong focus on company culture are much better positioned to succeed than businesses without an organizational culture.
It’s a common theory that gets bandied around at HR meetings from time to time but a little digging should assure you of the accuracy of this statement.
It’s true; studies clearly indicate how and why a positive work culture will increase motivation, productivity and general happiness amongst employees. But as with the sun rising every morning, we also know that change is inevitable for every business and a strong company culture is needed to navigate such times.
Let’s take a look at why transitions in business often fail…
Why Transitions Happen (All the Time)
Transitions within a business take place for many reasons. If one company is acquiring another, this is also the coming together of two different cultures. Retirements, resignations or deaths are other examples of a transition, while even a change of leadership can significantly impact the company culture.
Transitions can appear rather straightforward when everything goes to plan and when a company culture is strong. However, it takes a concerted effort to ensure any transition looks seamless or “straightforward”. In fact, most businesses suffer immensely in the months and years that follow a transition. In case you might be asking yourself, a Canadian friend just told me about a recent BDC study of more than 200 mid-sized businesses in Canada in which just 20% of these companies met their financial targets after a transition.
But why do transitions in business fail so often?
Why Transitions in Business Often Fail (and Why this Shouldn’t Happen)
There are literally hundreds and hundreds of variables that can cause a transition to fail but here are a few common instances in which it might happen:
Businesses Take the Wrong Approach to Leadership
It should go without saying that not every leader is created equal. For instance, there’s a common misconception in some businesses that pressure and stress is the best way to produce better and faster results. This is simply not true and an approach which often results in a slow and lifeless workforce.
Two Merging Companies Count on Synergies
Companies will sometimes hope for a powerful synergy when two companies merge. In reality, there is rarely a guarantee in this regard and synergies are often not as powerful as expected, even when they work.
The Business is Without a Healthy Company Culture
Employees understand what’s expected of them from companies with a strong organizational culture. They know what behaviors, or outcomes, are necessary and act accordingly. For this reason, a strong company culture will ensure a cohesive effort when it comes to a transition. Further, a strong culture will often allow for grace and patience when faced with any setbacks.
My Final Thoughts
The truth is, almost any business is certain to suffer in the wake of a transition when company culture is weak and employees are demotivated. For these organizations, production is slow, quality is low and poor decisions are commonplace at the very least.
And you know what’s the worst part?
It doesn’t have to be this way and a company that applies the right approach and focus to company culture shouldn’t have to really worry about any of the above.
Empathy - A Little Goes a Long Way
If you’ve never done a Clifton (formerly Gallop) Strengths Finder self-assessment (https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/en/home.aspx ), I strongly recommend it. It’s fascinating to find out which of your strengths rank the highest, and how you can utilize those strengths to the benefit of yourself and others.
My number one strength is empathy. In my business relationships it’s surprising how often this strength, which seems so “un” businesslike, is actually my best asset. Empathy has helped me to build wonderful, enduring relationships with my clients and colleagues.
Right now, empathy is in short supply in the workplace. For many of us that means a remote work-place. The people that you lead maybe trying to do their work while their spouse, or significant other, is also working across the room. Children are trying to get class work done online and are frustrated with lack of interaction with classmates who they cannot see, play with, or do sports with right now.
Maybe your employees and coworkers are “sandwich generation” and trying to care for elderly parents in this particularly scary time.
There’s a missing element of empathy in the workplace as noted in this 2018 article “Perceptions of empathy are gendered. “Men are 15 percent more likely than women to agree that their organization is empathetic,” according to the report. Moreover, while 71 percent of men view organizations in general as empathetic, only 33 percent of women say so.” (source: https://associationsnow.com/2018/07/leaders-empathy-problem/ ). Not much had changed – even in these 2020 circumstances according to the client network I speak with regularly.
Whatever the circumstances may be being empathetic – even if it’s not your #1 strength, as it is mine, can still be fostered. Do whatever you need to do to make sure that your coworkers, supervisors and staff know that you understand that they are going through difficult times and that you will be there to assist them in any way you can. Use regular touch points with Zoom or text messages, even good old phone calls. You’ll never really know what they need most until you ask and have an open honest conversation with them. Empathy feels good as a strength – try it on.
Sometimes you just gotta spread a little publicity!
I’m pretty excited about this press release – why not share it?
Virtual Company Culture Board Game
Chandler, Arizona – Stephanie Angelo, SPHR, SHRM-SCP a speaker, trainer and consultant specializing in company culture and leadership has re-invented Company Culture – a Game of Workplace Traction not Transaction™.
Not to be hampered by COVID19 the recently released board game was immediately re-created into a virtual option. Using Zoom and on-line game hosting technology, Stephanie can accommodate groups in a single location or spread out globally.
“This is a hands-on interactive session with the first-ever board game designed to illustrate what is and is not a great company culture to help attendees compare and contrast important benefits, features and attributes to discover how they can apply it to their own organizations”, says Angelo. “This game is about getting people within companies to talk to each other. It’s about what we, as human beings, value and what people find important at the workplace. It covers some items from policies and procedures and U.S. Federal laws, and most of all what makes a company really great – its culture. Culture can be described as the personality of the company. While pay and benefits are very, very important, people want to be valued, to feel they are contributing, that their voices are heard, and their presence is appreciated. Create that, and you’ve created a great company culture!
Now more than ever, businesses need to think about how they will re-engage employees. Some will have suffered financial, and even family losses, some will be excited to return to work, and some may be brand new to the organization that’s regaining its footing. This workshop and game is an idea way to create fresh and innovative ideas for your organization.
Company Culture is a game for team building, department meetings and company events. It’s about what makes a great company culture and what helps your people thrive. This game will get everyone talking about ideas and creating positive programs that make companies a great place to work. Players have positive, productive fun and create a company culture of Traction not Transaction™.
“Traction not Transaction™ is the company’s mission to help employees gain emotional traction to grow within the organization well beyond transactional fulfilling of job duties.” says game inventor Stephanie Angelo. The description and a quick view of the game can be found at: https://stephanieangelo.com/company-culture-game-workshop/
For more information and to schedule a virtual workshop for your organization visit www.StephanieAngelo.com
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Stronger than a Post-it®
7/16/20
I wrote myself a reminder to write a blog on a sticky note and stuck it to my desk. I wanted to write next about the importance of always having fresh ideas at your organization.
Looking at that Post-it® note got me thinking how post-it notes in-and-of-themselves were a fresh and innovative idea developed by a 3M scientist named Dr. Spencer Silver.
According to the story, Dr. Silver was working on an adhesive and the one he created was so light it was considered a failure. It took several years to realize how useful it could be to have an adhesive that was so light that it could be easily removed from a surface without causing damage. Now Post-it® notes are so popular worldwide that even if the paper itself is not the Post-it® brand people call it a “post-it” no matter who made it.
While that might be a story of a new and innovative product, your workplace culture is no different. Fresh new ideas are what keeps a company thriving. Without that it’s like the slow uphill grind of a roller coaster. Just as it gets to the crest it drops speeding backwards instead of swooshing forward over hills and curves.
Sometimes we’re so comfortable in the way we do things we need an external perspective to help us see what’s right in front of us. Having said that, it’s equally an excellent way to reveal what is otherwise hidden. Doing a company culture workshop with your employees, is a fresh, fun way to get employees at all levels of the organization to talk about what‘s going on, and what they’d like to see implemented at the organization. As Alexander Osterwalder, Yves Pigneur and Kavi Guppta write in their article Don’t Let Your Company Culture Just Happen “Companies try to motivate their people with incentives and unique perks like ping-pong rooms and free meals, but none of those approaches address the deeper issue of why employees are so disengaged.”
One of our favorite workshops to facilitate to address employee culture and engagement, features the Company Culture board game. Company Culture is a game for team building, department meetings and company events. It’s about what makes a great company culture and what helps your people thrive. This game will get everyone talking about ideas and creating positive programs that make your company a great place to work.
Players also get to see what it’s like to walk in somebody else’s shoes. It’s positive, productive fun that results in group creation of new and innovative practices at the workplace.
Make no mistake; we are not just “playing games” this highly interactive element to our training has very targeted outcomes. If you are wondering about the investment of your training dollars – understand that this has “long term” written all over it. We care as much as you do that the training “sticks” stronger than a Post-it® and you have a strong, prosperous, highly motivated loyal and happy workforce.
A Commonly Asked Question - Or Two
Posted July 8, 2020
I’m always asked by people, “Hey Stephanie if we already have a great company culture why would we want this workshop?” Or, “What if we don’t have a great culture then what?” Both of those are great questions. There’s a third element that I’ll talk about too.
Culture is defined as a set of values that are shared by the organization. Values aren’t necessarily good. I once worked for a man who valued charging more money to hourly employees on their insurance premiums than was required so that we could put it in a shared pool that was to be divided by the executives at the end of the year. I refused to participate and lost my job as a result. At least I knew I could look myself in the mirror after that. I did not share the same sense of values.
First: If you have a great company culture, I am happy for you! It takes special people at the top to make a company culture great. It doesn’t “just happen” by itself and if your employees aren’t supported by the folks at the top great culture doesn’t last for long. The support for having the workshop is if you already have a great company culture it will stay great if you do something new and innovative to keep it fresh,
Everyone gets to be involved in the conversation, not just those on the executive board throwing ideas out based on what they think will make the organization great. Employees are motivated by being heard, valued, feeling connected and being able to contribute.
Second: For organizations that don’t have a good company culture, and are smart enough to recognize they need help, this safe and fun workshop allows people to talk freely and openly. What happens to players during the game isn’t something that the players do to each other like a mean move in the game “Sorry” where you bump somebody from their spot and put them back to start. In the Company Culture game, it’s all randomly driven by the cards. The cards are only based on a hypothetical company.
Every comment, suggestion, occurrence, or event on the playing cards comes from things that I have encountered in my professional life as a Human Resources professional, coach and representative to companies working closely with employees.
Third: The third scenario is that of the organization has a terrible company culture and they either don’t know it, or they don’t know it they still don’t care. Not that I want to point any fingers at anyone in particular, but I’ve come across my share of these kinds of companies. The fact that they flat don’t care it’s amazing to me. They typically have extremely high turnover and simply shrug it off as, “Oh well, we’ll just hire somebody else.” It’s a constant revolving door of employees – exhausting their human resources professionals. According to this 2019 article by Sheila McClear, Toxic workplaces have costs businesses $223 billion over the last 5 years
I’m sure reading that you say to yourself, “Well I don’t want to be one of those companies.”
Then don’t be. Be either one of the first two I discussed. Be a company with a great culture that always wants to improve, or one that knows that they can have a great culture and is willing to improve.
The Company Culture workshop, with its exclusive board game, can be played in-person and virtually, sparks genuine conversation between all of the players. This game is excellent for employee events, team meetings, department meetings, monthly meetings, quarterly meetings, employee events, – you name it! Any time you want to re-engage your employees.
It gets everybody involved. Employees sometimes play the roles of executives and executive sometimes play the role of hourly employees – it’s completely randomly selection. It’s one of the safest ways I know to get people talking. New ideas are generated and programs are launched.
The result is creation of in-house programs that elevate your employee morale. It keeps your company fresh and relevant, always improving its culture.
A Prime Opportunity to Engage Our Ingenuity
June 17, 2020
During a recent Company Culture workshop, I ran into a curious set of circumstances because all of the people present were owners of their own companies. Typically, this workshop’s participants are members of a single company at all levels. That’s important because leaders want to learn what their employees value and this gives their workforce a voice.
While the game is designed to elicit discussion and spark ideas about culture initiatives within the organization all of the people present were basing the outcomes on their own opinions. In and of itself that isn’t bad. I reinforced with these owners, that they need to go back to their organization, gather their employees (even if it has to be done virtually) and share the ideas with them to get their input.
The best ideas about culture initiatives come from the people that are truly in the “thick of it” not the people that are on top of the hierarchy. However, defining your culture definitely needs support and input from the people at the top.
Right now, during COVID-19 stay-at-home orders, or recent orders, depending where you live, many employees are feeling disengaged and distant from the organization. Sometimes the managers know that their employees are feeling isolated. One owner told me that his solution was that he told his employee to stop watching the news. While that can be helpful, it isn’t enough. It reminded me of the character of Michael Scott played by Steve Carell on The Office. I could see this man’s employee looking at the camera with that befuddled “huh?”
What if we took action differently in a way that engaged our employees beyond just getting their jobs done? You can do something inventive, creative and fun. Initially it may sound funny, even ”lame” however, a poetry contest, recipe sharing page, and a suggestion box of ideas both virtual and in-person work well to get your folks communicating and watching what’s going on. What if they could be sent a .pdf business book? Enrolled in an online language course? Something that improves their minds and benefits them while they’re home?
We are only limited by our imaginations and this is a prime opportunity to engage our ingenuity beyond what we normally do in our day-to-day jobs.
7 Ideas to Increase Employee Engagement During COVID-19 Dr. Leonie H Mattison, Ed.D, MBA reminds us that “The COVID-19 pandemic is a temporary bend and not the permanent end to talent development.”
The Company Culture Game workshop is designed to engage everyone in conversation. You’d be amazed at what you learn from the people playing the game and then having creative conversation. Throwing ideas on the wall, so to speak, like al dente spaghetti and seeing what sticks.
I can’t wait to see what those business owners come up with after they’ve taken the discussion from the workshop back to their employees. It was especially interesting when we talked about measurements – which ones to use and how to implement them. That seemed like something they could really wrap their heads around.
The impressive thing about this group was how willing they were to try something new. Those lucky employees – I’m excited to see what happens next!
If You’re Judging a Game by its Cover
6/4/20
I was four years old when my family moved from the Midwest to Denver for my father’s job. My mother told the Realtor she did not want a house in the “lily white high-wealth” area. She specifically wanted to be in a highly integrated neighborhood.
I grew up going to schools that were almost equal thirds: 1/3 White, 1/3 Black, 1/3 and Hispanic. At that time, in the early sixties (yes, I’m THAT old) there were not yet many people of Asian or Middle Eastern decent.
Back then, the common term was Black and not yet the term African American. African American was not coined until somewhere in the late eighties perhaps 1988 or 1989. And popularized by Rev. Jesse Jackson.
When I was growing up equality and respect among races, religions, ethnicities was not just a theme in my household. It was in THE theme. It’s all I ever knew.
I now work in Company Culture initiatives for organizations, and when I designed the Company Culture game and workshop I gave every aspect quite a bit of thought. How was I going to design it? What would it do? How would people play? What would the cards say? What is the strategy? What should it look like from the outside?
Having a clean, perhaps blue and black logo-ish corporate look to the box design had crossed my mind but I opted for something a little bit more whimsical and inviting. The artwork, by Taryl Hansen, was conceptualized while she observed a group playing the game and drawn, literally and figuratively from what she heard us saying.
Make no mistake, purpose of the game and the workshop are to address the roots of problems within an organization. The goal is to weed out issues at the roots and resolve them. Then keep those solutions maintained for years to come, always addressing them, refreshing them. Then looking for new initiatives and solving any problems early – should they come up at all.
If you’re judging the game by it’s cover, then please stop. That would be no different than judging a book by its cover or a person by their appearance.
This workshop is designed to address real issues and achieve real goals. Right now is the perfect time to talk about painful issues across America that affect every organization. If you have questions about how to address these issue causing tensions then let’s talk. It’s time to have honest conversations and for both sides to do a lot of listening.
When Your Employees Put the Customer First
Picture this, a client comes into your store and the employee who assists the customer is doing whatever they can to make sure that that customer’s needs are met before anything else.
Businesses are beginning to reopen, many with safety guidelines, and the employee interacts with your customer with an attitude of pride and enthusiasm. The customer and the employee engage in everyday light banter and at some point, the customer says to the employee, “You seem to really like working here”. The employee responds, “Yeah, I really do. I love this job”.
“Why is that?”, the customer asks. “Well, they always make me feel like they value my opinion and appreciate what I do. I’ve made suggestions that they’ve listened to and sometimes they’ve even used them. Last year I had some unexpected things happen in my family and I really needed to take time off, and they were so willing to work with me and be flexible. It was such a stressful time and I’ll never forget how much I appreciate that they made it a little bit easier for me”. “So, do you think you’ll stay here for a while”, the customer asks. “Yeah, I really do”, says your employee. “They have a couple programs here, that I’d really like to take advantage of, that I think will make my career better. And I know that even if I don’t promote here, which I probably will, I’ll still be able to take those skills somewhere else. And they know that, and it doesn’t bother them at all”.
Fantasy? Not at all. This kind of work environment can, and does, exist. When you create a great company culture for your employees, and you put them first a natural segue of that is that your employees will put your customers first. Happy customers are your best advertisers.
You’ve probably seen the flip side. It really doesn’t take a lot for negative messages to get spread. You do have to work that much harder for positive ones. People ask each other for recommendations every single day. There are web sites devoted to referrals. The goal is for your company to be the one that’s top of mind – because its good.
All of the things the employee told the customer they love about their job, and many more are elements weaved within our Company Culture Workshop. This engaging workshop helps you, and your employees, reveal what is, and what is not, happening at your organization. There’s never any pressure, or embarrassment, because what happens in the game is purely hypothetical. It’s about an imaginary company. The workshop opens up dialogue and conversation. This helps you hear from your employees what they really feel and what they want from your organization.
The single goal of the workshop is to help you create, or improve, a great company culture. The outcomes are ready-to-go initiatives created collaboratively by all the members of your organization.
A survey done by Columbia University shows that organizations with great cultures have turnover of only 13.9%. That’s excellent news and something to strive for or beat.
“Company Culture” is sometimes tossed around casually in conversation, taking away the depth and importance of the words. Company Culture is a widely shared set of values and beliefs that are shared within an organization. Like a singular “personality”.
Any forward-thinking leader will know that company culture is not only the backbone of a business that inspires putting the customer first, but also the key source of empowerment that will help their people grow and thrive. That’s what we call having Traction not Transaction™.
We Are Nothing if We Don't Learn to Adjust
We are nothing if we don’t learn to adjust. And the time to do it is now.
In January 2020 I booked a leadership speaking engagement with an organization to be facilitated this late spring. Then the world found itself in COVID19 lockdown and we are stuck in its grips for an undetermined length of time.
I offered to provide the same presentation only it would be virtually instead of in-person. “No”, they said in an email. “We only have in-person presentations.”
I responded that if they are going to train leaders to lead in tough times, whatever they may be, we have to be the ones to set the example ourselves. If they plan to have presentations by people who can only do them in-person, and expect them to do them well, they may be surprised.
I’ve been doing presentations virtually and for on-demand recordings for years. This isn’t new to me and I’m happy to adjust to my client’s needs. The particular presentation we were discussing was to be my Company Culture workshop – with a board game no less!
Shortly after COVID19 was a reality here in the United States I knew I needed to go virtual with my board game to have a second option for my clients. At this writing the virtual version is in development, and would not be ready in time for this particular group.
I was not about to let that deter me. I set up a two-camera Zoom. One camera, my desktop’s web cam, focusing down on the game board and the other, via my laptop on me.
I played the game as if I was all six players and my attendees followed along with 8 x 11 printouts of the board, so they could have some semblance of the hands-on activity and still interact with me.
You know what happened? The leaders in the group understood I was pinch-hitting the best I could under the circumstances and they still had a full workshop and the game playing experience. Of course, it wasn’t quite the same. It still worked. They were evolved enough to adapt. Which is exactly what successful business leaders do.
I’m honored to have had a front row seat to them standing up, brushing the dust off and saying, “Bring on the next challenge!” The time is now to re-engage with your employees.
We’re here to help you make that adjustment. Need to brainstorm how?
What is Your Company Culture Going to be After COVID19?
Apr. 20, 2020 by Stephanie Angelo, SPHR, SHRM-SCP
It’s not easy to imagine what the world might look like after COVID19. While the virus will pass, unemployment is rising, and questions remain about the economy. And then there’s the inevitable strain and stress that will come with returning to the workplace.
Sure, some employees will return with a renewed sense of drive and purpose. However, not everyone will be happy, and some workers might even feel resentful that you let them go. Maybe you have similar concerns about the future of your business?
The truth is, nobody knows how this situation will play out, and this is exactly why forward-thinking leaders are using this time to plan ahead and rebuild their company culture.
Why Company Culture is the Key Enabler Post COVID19
In a recent survey, the National Small Business Association stated that more than 35% of small business owners are worried about the financial security of their business. It’s true, many business owners are likely stressed about letting staff go these past couple of months. Most businesses are also struggling to pay wages, while uninspiring forecasts bring little more than anxiety and pain to an already troubled balance sheet.
But what’s this got to do with company culture?
Well, employees tend to work better when their values and needs are aligned with those in the workplace. Establishing a great company culture helps create an environment in which employees can feel this way about their work. Company culture is also the birthplace of productivity and the source of “belonging” that coworkers feel between one another. And when employees are tasked with keeping things fresh or coming up with innovative ideas, it’s the company culture that brings and holds everything together.
Moral of the story: Company culture is the key enabler for a greater sense of togetherness and an increase in productivity and profit in the workplace.
About Using Company Culture to Thrive Post-COVID19
Employers need to think about what they are going to do when they bring people back to the workplace. Whether this refers to existing staff or new employees, it’s important to realize that things have changed, and it will never be “business as usual” again. In many ways, we might even compare this situation to 9/11 and how those attacks not only heightened the need for surveillance but also changed airport security forever. For this reason, a progressive mindset will be needed in the wake of COVID19 and creating a good company culture can help employees navigate and thrive during the uncertain times ahead.
Creating a company culture is also not as formal as it may sound and something that can inject enthusiasm into the workplace. For instance, I recently developed a board game that is part of a company culture workshop I run. You can participate in these workshops in person or online, and the board game is all about creating a company culture that helps your people thrive. This game is friendly, fun competition that prompts safe conversation. It gets everyone talking about new ideas in a positive environment and creating programs that will make your company a great place to work.
Final Thoughts
“Company Culture” is sometimes bandied about and used as a buzzword which can detract somewhat from the meaning. However, any forward-thinking leader will know that company culture is not only the backbone of a business but also the key enabler that will help their people grow and thrive long after COVID19.
Transparency: Active Awareness
By Stephanie Angelo, High Stakes Mastermind Groups and Roger Wolkoff, All About Authenticity
“Can I share something with you?”
“I need to get this off my chest.”
“I need to tell you something I can’t tell anyone else.”
Depending on the context of the situation, and your personality, these questions can be either innocuous or terrifying. Let’s say it’s your closest friend and it’s just the two of you sitting in a private corner of your favorite bistro. In this case, you may think the questions are on the harmless side.
Now imagine that the person asking the question is a co-worker and it’s just the two of you on your way to a meeting. Re-read the questions in this context and note how you react, paying attention to your feelings. Startling? Awkward? Uncomfortable?
Context Matters
The concept of transparency is at the heart of each of the questions. We face conversations and situations involving some degree of transparency every day. The issue is, then, what level of transparency is appropriate, and when?
We find at the two ends of the transparency spectrum complete closure and total openness. Some people are open books, while others remain complete mysteries. And everything in between. Therefore, transparency may be straightforward on the one hand and more demanding on the other.
Which leads us to time and place; when and where transparency is appropriate. Let’s focus on the scenario that involves work and co-workers.
The Nature of Work and Transparency
Much writing exists about transparency character traits and leadership, particularly at work. Research tells us that “…trust must be mutual and reciprocal” (Bandsuch, Pate, Thies – 2008). Where does that leave us in today’s workplace? First, communication is critical. Although we seemingly drown in an ever-flowing river of words and information, words matter. How we use them matters more.
But where do we draw the line when it comes to being transparent in the workplace? There is an appropriate amount of information which is necessary for us to do our work as well as build trust with colleagues.
What happens when we cross the line? Many of us are familiar with the acronym TMI – too much information. You likely have experienced someone holding up their hand to stifle the conversation when they have heard more than they are comfortable hearing.
What’s Considered Inappropriate
There is such a thing as too much transparency. We tend to think of this as over-sharing. Co-author Roger worked with a colleague, Sandy, who had issues with boundaries, especially with what information was appropriate to share. Sandy shared heart-wrenching personal stories in work meetings and hallway conversations. They were stories best saved for a close friend, or in some cases, a counselor’s office.
One-on-one conversations with Sandy not to share her personal stories in open work forums were not successful. She insisted that she was being transparent. She believed it was in the scope of acceptable behavior to tell what she felt where transparency stories, even though she received explicit requests not to. She thought she was connecting and “letting others in.”
Instead of building bridges, Sandy burned them. She misunderstood the concept of transparency and failed to consider personal boundaries. She did more harm than good. Her actions came at a cost to her health and work relationships.
What’s Considered Appropriate
Consider this situation and the role transparency plays. Let’s say that you and others belong to a group and that group has a facilitator. There is an expectation that you and your fellow participants foster a culture of trust and transparency over time. It is the facilitator’s purpose to guide the group’s conversation and control the flow of ideas.
One more caveat: the facilitator is not obligated to share information about himself or herself. The facilitator administers the rules and guidelines of how the group operates. And it’s not necessarily their role to agree or disagree with a participant’s opinion.
There are two strong dynamics at play in this situation: boundaries and context. It’s natural in many cases for a facilitator to have personal role-based rules within the group. When you have a group that agrees to be transparent (like a Mastermind) and a facilitator whose role it is to abide by a different type of transparency, the participants and facilitator must agree to group boundaries and expectations.
Calls to Action
- One takeaway is to be self-aware about whom you share with and what you share with them. Be selective about what you share, and with whom you are transparent. We don’t advocate non-transparency, rather we encourage selective transparency.
- Another lesson is to be socially aware. Consider your audience. Whether it’s solely with another person or group of people. Look for signs or cues as you’re talking. Think about the effect what you’re saying has on the person or people in front of you. Also, think about occasionally asking the person or group if they’re comfortable with what you’re sharing. We all have different tolerances for what we consider appropriate and inappropriate information.
- And lastly, consider time and space. The age-old advice that “there’s a time and a place for everything” holds when it comes to being transparent. Set boundaries. When you find that you’re at a loss for reading a situation, find a trusted friend or adviser to help you navigate these situations.
The Dalai Lama says, “A lack of transparency results in distrust and a deep sense of insecurity.” How true. The key to transparency is awareness.
Stephanie Angelo helps companies attract, train and retain employees with keynotes and training focused on company culture of Traction not Transaction. She facilitates Mastermind Groups for business owners who hunger for collaboration with other business owners to scale their businesses. For company culture improvement visit www.StephanieAngelo.com Business owners learn more at www.HighStakesMastermindGroups.com
Roger Wolkoff will help you discover how emotional intelligence paired with authenticity improves communication, ups productivity, and positively influences culture. Visit https://www.rogerwolkoff.com/ to connect with Roger and work with him to help you deliver results and grow your bottom line. Roger is a keynote motivational speaker and author from Madison, Wisconsin.
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Email: stephanie@stephanieangelo.com
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