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The workplace in 2021 requires employers to rethink priorities and development of necessary skill sets. Businesses should embrace a dynamic approach to reskilling talent as new skills become relevant and necessary.
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No one knows what lasting effect the coronavirus will have on our economy. We have no idea the timeframes or the long-term repercussions on our businesses.
This disruption is testing everyone’s emotional and social operating system and functioning, which is better known as emotional intelligence. As Darwin deduced, those who survive “are not the strongest or the most intelligent, but the most adaptable to change.” It’s the responsibility of leaders to show empathy, optimism, and flexibility that will lead businesses out of this crisis. It may all come down to our ability to be problem-solvers. This crisis will probably not end in the next few weeks, and with so many people experiencing high anxiety, this could be a good time to refresh our emotional Intelligence Skills. Be Empathetic Keep in mind that this event is impacting everyone, not just you and your business. Remind yourself that you have no idea what someone else may be going through. Sensing that everyone is in a similar situation is a remedy for elevated levels of stress and pessimism that may only compound your frustration and ability to Solve Problems. Managers are often reluctant to delegate as many believe in the adage that “if you want something done right, you must do it yourself.” Although this may be true in some cases, a core component of leadership is getting work done through others.
Why do managers under-delegate? Although the number one reason why most managers under-delegate tasks is the fear of failure due to putting important tasks in someone else’s hands, there are other reasons too. Some feel that proper delegation takes longer than simply doing the task themselves, and others even question their own ability to choose the right person for the task. However, by realizing the benefits of delegation, it is possible to overcome these objections. Four benefits of delegation: 1. It keeps You from multi-tasking/taking on too many projects at once. Today’s managers are driven to succeed, and often take on more projects than they can handle alone. The fear of failure drives them to avoid delegation for fear that someone else will not get the job done correctly. When managers are juggling priorities at the same time, they are more likely to make mistakes. 2. It builds trust, open communication, and engagement among team members Another benefit of delegation has to do with building trust, a feeling of openness, and engagement among team members. Leaders who fail to delegate adequately often have employees who are afraid to take initiative or who feel apprehensive about bringing new ideas to the table. Managers who delegate tasks adequately help to build trust and that trust is driven even further when those managers remain open for communication and listening. 3. It stimulates creativity and develops skills in your team Those who give their team members the freedom to tackle delegated tasks in their own way are empowering their team and giving them a creative license. These employees become driven to succeed, not only for themselves and their own futures but also for the future of their employer. What’s more, this personal initiative can lead to creative breakthroughs, which can benefit everyone involved, and it helps team members build some very specific skills along the way. 4. It creates a positive business culture Perhaps the best reason to delegate tasks to others has to do with the type of business culture a leader hopes to create. Delegation helps to boost team morale, improve efficiency and productivity, and promotes enthusiasm, innovation, and cooperation. Although delegation is vital to the success of any company, it is important for managers to remember that it is not a way to push off unsavory tasks to others. What’s more, leaders should never micro-manage delegated tasks. They should delegate effectively and offer communication and support but allow for autonomy and creativity at the same time. Employment branding is the term commonly used to describe an organization's reputation as an employer and its value proposition to its employees, as opposed to its more general corporate brand reputation and value proposition to customers.
An employment brand is the market perception of what it's like to work for an organization. In other words, it's the image that your prospective, current and past employees have in their minds about the employment experience at your company. Employment strategies cover several components which often influence employee retention. Some strategies include:
To help build and/or improve on a brand, it is vital to consider the channel of how employment branding is marketed upon others. Some popular channels are the company’s website, media ads (television, radio, print), collateral materials such as brochures, appearances at job fairs, campuses, or at other types of sponsored or non-sponsored events. In today’s job market, employment branding is becoming important as the demand for skilled and talented workers increases. With the latest reliance on technology, the job searching and recruiting process has also impacted who is and who is not applying with particular organizations. The need for employment branding cannot be overlooked since it implies that hiring and retention rates may be stabilized. The goal is to make sure employees are satisfied, ensuring business goals are met, while being competitive and unique to one’s own core values.  The workplace is going to look different over the next several years. With people living longer and often postponing retirement for financial reasons, we are entering a phase where four, possibly even five generations will be working side by side. Over the next few years, this change can lead to employers managing a wide age range of employees from any of these five generations: Traditionalists (born prior to 1946), Baby Boomers (born 1946-64), Generation X (born 1965-78), Generation Y or Millennials (born 1979-1997), and the newest to enter the workforce, Generation Z (born 1998 – ongoing). Each generation has distinct characteristics and values stemming from the particular time in history that they were raised. These common experiences affect their attitudes, motivations, and the way they approach work and life. It is important not to stereotype but to take these general differences into account. Here are some best practices and tips to make the multi-generational workplace more productive and harmonious.
Encourage Feedback Keep the lines of communication open and establish a process for receiving feedback from everyone. You need to be aware of the particular generational issues that exist in your workplace so you can design your strategy to address any particular concerns. Establish a Culture of Respect Facilitate regular discussions on generational issues and help employers and employees better understand each other’s differences. Include this topic in manager training, as leaders will set the tone for the entire organization. Your goal is to create an open and inclusive environment where all ages can contribute and work with one another to grow the business. Focus on End Results, Not the Journey Workers from different generations will often have different learning styles, communication and work setting preferences. Focus on the work that is produced rather than the way he or she chooses to get it done. If you can be flexible and offer perks such as telecommuting, your employees will be able to choose the work environment that suits them best. Try to Engage Everyone High employee engagement leads to higher performance, productivity and overall employee happiness. Employees in different stages of their careers will have different needs and contributions. Seasoned employees need to know that their contributions and experiences are valued while younger, newer employees may enjoy extra projects that can help them gain experience in areas outside of their core job responsibilities. Use your employees’ strengths and interests to keep them connected to your company’s mission and give them opportunities to further develop their skills and experience. Learn From One Another Set up a program where more experienced employees can share their career knowledge and younger employees can offer training in technology and share a fresh perspective. Employees can help each other grow in multiple areas. Accommodate Different Styles The way we communicate in the workplace has changed over the past few decades so it is helpful to deliver your messages in multiple ways to effectively reach everyone. Some traditionalists, baby boomers and gen Xer’s may prefer communicating in person and on the phone, while generation’s Y and Z may be more comfortable with email, texting and instant messaging. However, it’s important not to assume a communication preference or technical ability. Communication styles are based on other factors aside from age including personality and experience. Communicate in the way that employees and co-workers prefer and help avoid miscommunications and misunderstandings. Review Your Recruiting and Rewards Your business may need to re-evaluate the compensation package and reward system that currently exists. Different generations may value certain perks and benefits and this may need to be taken into consideration. Each generation in the workforce may look, communicate and perform differently from each other but it’s important to develop practices to bring out the best in everyone. If employees can’t communicate or work together effectively, this may lead to low morale and increased turnover.  The normal staff meeting has become a colossal waste of time. No surprise, but a staff meeting is boring and even a dreaded part of the “9 to 5” world. Many consider staff meetings (or team meetings) a practical alternative to work. They feign interest and look at the gatherings as a place to jot down their grocery list or refine their drawing skills. All because there is too little thought invested in the planning or the execution of the meeting.
You can spot the signs of poor meeting management right up front. People turn off their brains; they arrive late or find excuses to skip the meeting. Meetings are held infrequently or are often cancelled or postponed. An effective staff meeting is more than a collection of bodies breathing the same stale air in the same room. It’s about a meeting of minds, full engagement and unlocking the door to self and team improvement. Turn the staff meeting around and fully engage your team and it can help you boost productivity, reduce the number of problems for you and your team and create a smoother running, more profitable operation. Following are some steps to breathe new life into your staff meeting: Link the agenda with your mission. Your company’s mission statement sets out your key business objectives and strategies. It ought to feed directly into your meeting agenda. For instance, if one of your strategies is to drive increased sales, then list “Sales” as an item on your agenda. Underneath that topic you could list one-on-one sales calls, telemarketing, follow-ups, trade shows etc. Then discuss each of those individual items. This gives you a yardstick by which to measure progress and to continue to chart your course. The same agenda should flow from week to week. Create synergy. What is the purpose of bringing your team together? Most people overlook the primary purpose: to inspire the group to achieve mission-based results faster, higher and better. When the feeling in the group is warm and supportive, it’s easier to see that everyone is in it together and the success of the team is linked directly to the success of each individual. Establish rapport. Effective two-way communication, shared in an environment of trust, is the cornerstone of a great meeting. No strategy or management edict - even yours - should go unchallenged, provided the goal is improvement. Brainstorm new ideas to find ways around potential roadblocks. Encouraging such communication leaves all participants feeling connected and important. The staff should learn from you and you should learn from them. Think outside the box. Another overlooked objective of effective staff meetings is training. Properly conducted meetings are a forum for continuous improvement. Always look for ways to improve performance by carving out time on the agenda to discuss books, articles and videos aimed at sparking new ideas or improving processes. Hold meetings regularly. The more frequently meetings are held, the better. In certain business situations, daily meetings are appropriate. In others, weekly meetings will do. Let too many days slip by and you risk sending the wrong message to your team. People will never take a meeting seriously if you don’t. if you’re constantly postponing meetings, canceling them or calling them at the last minute - that shows a tremendous lack of respect for your team. What could be more important than keeping your team informed, involved and engaged? The ideal time for a staff meeting is Friday afternoon. The workweek is almost done; phone calls and other interruptions dissipate. It’s a natural time to put all the actions of that week into perspective. Thus armed, it allows you to set an agenda for the coming week. Alternately, a Monday morning meeting works well to set the agenda for the week. Choose any other day and you risk losing momentum and effectiveness. Get in and get out. To achieve its objectives, an effective meeting should last just about an hour. No more or the sense of dread starts to sink in. No less because you won’t be able to devote the time to accomplish your objectives. Timeliness is critical to running an effective meeting. Start it on time and end when you say you will. That honors the schedules of other members of the team. To enforce timeliness, put a cookie jar in the middle of the table. Start the meeting on time. Anyone who is late by one minute puts in a dollar. Two minutes late and the charge is two dollars and so on. Same on ending time; If you run over one hour, it is one dollar per minute charge for you. When the kitty will support a pizza or sundae party, throw one. A little bit of fun never hurt anybody. Write up the minutes. The minutes provide the foundation for the next meeting’s agenda. At the beginning of the meeting, make sure someone is assigned to write up what happened and what you’re planning to make happen; in other words, who’s going to do what by when. This role should rotate from team member to team member to enhance participation in the meetings and underscore their responsibility to the team. Open the books. Always provide people a good fundamental understanding of where the business is going. Don’t just provide a cursory statement like, “Business is good” or “Profits are down.” Go into detail. The better informed your staff, the better decisions they’ll make. Avoid the temptation to launch into long diatribes or sermons that are insulting and patronizing to your team members. Following some of these simple steps will help you and your team hold more productive meetings and hopefully accomplish your goals together. Teams have become the latest management obsession. They’re the corporate equivalent of a Visa card: they’re everywhere you want to be.
Trouble is that despite their vast presence, teams rarely achieve breakthrough results. Instead, they sink to the level of the weakest performer. The fault lies not with the team or its members, but with those who took a group of individuals, charged them with improbable goals, staffed them with uninspired leadership and expected them to function as a team. Such companies succeed only in putting the “fun” back into dysfunctional. Contrast that to a well-oiled and disciplined team, one in which the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Such groups allow members to achieve results far beyond their individual abilities. The irony is that when the needs of the group take priority, the needs of the individual actually are enhanced. High performance teams do not result from spontaneous combustion. They are grown, nurtured and exercised. It takes a lot of hard work and skill to blend the different personalities, abilities and agendas into a cohesive unit willing to work for a common goal. Define the need. What is the large, desired outcome? What do you want to improve? Eliminate? Change? Don’t be afraid to dream big. But resist the temptation to handcuff the team by writing a detailed prescription in advance of the diagnosis. The vision, properly articulated, will be the engine that drives and inspires the team. It will determine who should be on the team, what resources are needed, how quickly a conclusion must be reached, what falls within the scope of the team and how success will be measured and rewarded. Recruit the right people. Now you have to find the talent that is willing to commit to your vision with missionary-like zeal. Choose members who represent a wide range of backgrounds, skills and abilities. Try to limit participation to three to five members. Any more and each individual’s contribution will be compromised. Also, look to imbue your team with a wide mix of cultural and professional viewpoints. Such diversity should give life to ideas and opinions that might not otherwise have been aired. Shared values. Not only must team members embrace your mission, they must share your values. Effective teams demand close collaboration, trust, honesty, passion and genuine appreciation for each member’s contributions. To develop that value system, challenge the team to learn more independently. Develop common goals. Goals should be formalized through a written charter – an agreement that clearly states what the team wants to accomplish, why its goals are important and how the team will work together to achieve the desired outcome. Consider an off-site retreat, free from the routine pressures of the office, to set the goals. Or consider a third-party administrator whose sole purpose is to guide and lead the team with no other agenda. Set ground rules. Make sure team members understand why the team exists and know the roles each member plays. They need to know how decisions will be made, how to deal with conflict, how to communicate and how results will be measured. The success of the team depends upon creating an environment in which team members openly contribute ideas while recognizing and respecting the differences in others. Communicate, communicate, communicate. Communication is more than talking; it’s about listening intently, and asking questions to get clarification. Keep score. A team can’t perform if it doesn’t know what it’s doing. There must be a commitment to constant improvement. To accomplish that, you have to measure performance. Don’t wait until the end of the year to address performance. Feedback should be immediate. Reward. Even though their contributions may not be exactly equal, it’s important to recognize the team’s efforts. Acknowledge individual achievement during group meetings and compliment the team as a whole on working well together. People repeat performance that garners reward and recognition. When you focus on the positive, you develop the habit of doing things right. Trust the team process. Nothing undermines a team faster than for their moves to be trumped. Teams must be empowered to achieve the results, without fear of being overridden by the “boss” Follow these guidelines and you’re well on your way to creating a high performance team. Develop the basic skills and a game plan and stick to it. |
Boost Your BusinessMaria NovakI have over 35 years' experience in Marketing Small Businesses. Categories
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