Category: Leadership

5 Use Cases of Text Analysis In Business Management

Posted on | by root

What’s worse than not having access to the right data? Having a massive amount of unstructured data that’s hard to read and make sense of.

If that sounds like you, you’re not alone- as per reports, about 82% of organisations haven’t been able to put their unstructured data to good use. Text analysis is a breakthrough technology that helps process this data without much manual intervention.

What is text analysis?

Text analysis is an AI-powered technique that turns textual data into insights. This data can be a series of customer reviews you received for your products or your website analytics data.

Text analysis presents this data as trends, relationships, patterns, themes, and categorised and structured data. You’ll find great resources to learn more about text analysis, and Levity’s guide to text analysis is one such comprehensive bank of information.

It uses AI-powered technologies using machine learning and Natural Language Processing (NLP) to analyse textual data at scale. The process is either semi or fully automated.

Use cases of text analysis

1. Customer experience

For a business, customer interaction is a day-to-day activity. From chatbots to support tickets, emails, and social media chats, massive amounts of data keeps piling up.

This is where your text analysis capabilities come in handy. You get an analysis of:

The trends in customer feedback and conversations from all channels in a consolidated report help you position your product well.

Your Net Promoter Score (NPS)—a metric that rates your overall customer experience and sentiment over time.

The redundancies in customer communications and automate them to improve productivity.

Your audience and how to segment them into groups—ones that are happy or dissatisfied with your product.

Your tickets to categorise and tag them based on the type or priority.

2. Employee engagement

Only 15% of employees are engaged globally—meaning they’re either unhappy or do not find their work rewarding.

When you’re able to identify these patterns and behavioural changes, it makes the job so much easier.

Text analysis powered by ML and NLP is a solid combination that helps you uncover the sentiments of your employees over specific problem areas.

Whether a policy change, a workplace update, or management practices, text analysis helps you gather feedback and conduct bias-free surveys for 100s and 1000s of your employees.

It helps you devise policies that are in favour of your employees

You’re able to keep a close check on mental health problems such as depression or anxiety and intervene appropriately

Employees will love showing up regularly, and you’ll see a spike in the retention rate as well

3. Marketing campaigns

Social listening

With social listening tools, you can respond to customer queries proactively or engage with your audience. When launching a new marketing campaign, they help you capture the analytics in real-time and instantly pivot based on the metrics while comparing them with the historical data.

Competitor analysis

Text analysis tools will help you closely analyse competitors’ strategies and the keywords they’re ranking for. You’ll know what works for them and how to outrank them and stand out.

Branding

Text analysis lets you know what customers and prospects think about your brand or your competitor’s brand. This way, you’ll be able to map out the perfect strategy to target your customers and move them down your funnel.

4. Product analysis

You’ll get prompted when anyone on socials, emails, websites, or any other platform talks about your product.

The sales team can use this information, marketing teams, product teams, and other departments to align their efforts to maximize the launch potential.

Moreover, have insights from the warranty data of your customers showcasing their problem areas. This way, you can assess the market landscape for your brand and see what’s working and what new features to ship next.

5. Recruiting

Helping a candidate get their dream job is a highly satisfactory but quite challenging job. What makes this job even more challenging is when there’s limited staff in the HR department and 100s of candidates to assess.

Text analysis helps in automating processes, including:

Identifying skillset the job requires

Gauging candidate experience and selecting ones that fit the bill

Evaluate potential hires based on their employment history, reviews, and past records

Ready to uncover great insights?

Text analysis is your saviour when it comes to processing a massive amount of business data. With the right technology, you’ll be able to parse them and convert them into valuable insights.

Successful business women. Well educated female leaders. Young and mature ladies standing together confidently over light wall.

New Report Calls for Workplaces to Enable Women Leaders by Scrapping Alpha Male Cultures to Thrive in Today’s Disruptive, Complex and Volatile World

Posted on | by Magdalena Lew
  • New research study interviewing 40 leading women sheds light on what makes women successful
  • Study provides alternative view to ‘Lean In’ philosophy that focuses on encouraging women to assert themselves at work and at home
  • Organisations can succeed in today’s complex, disruptive and volatile world by disincentivising alpha male cultures and encouraging women to succeed on their own terms

 

London, BRIDGE Partnership – a global organisational transformation and leadership development consultancy – has launched a landmark study titled, ‘How Did She Get There?’, analysing why leading women become successful. The research, conducted in collaboration with We Are LeftField and featuring interviews with 40 CEOs, entrepreneurs, and senior leaders, counters prevailing thinking such as the ‘Lean In’ philosophy and provides powerful recommendations to help organisations be more meritocratic and effective.

 

Commenting on the study, BRIDGE Partnership UK Client Director and Research Lead, Jane Sassienie, said: “We’ve known for a long time that organisations have been institutionally geared towards supporting men in work, however this research uncovers the potential of doing things differently. If organisations can encourage women to succeed on their own terms by dismantling alpha male cultures, they stand a better chance of thriving in today’s increasingly disruptive, technologically advanced economies.”

 

The interviews revealed common characteristics that helped these leading women be successful such as their upbringing (good and bad), being able to take diverse routes to the top, being authentic rather than trying to fit an ‘alpha male’ archetype, having empathy and intuition, and choosing partnership over dominance in the workplace. 

 

For too long women have been treated differently to men in the workplace, from unequal pay and less promotion opportunity to experiencing sexual harassment and other forms of bias against them. In its 30 years of working with global organisations and businesses, BRIDGE Partnership had often seen solutions focused on fixing women rather than tackling ineffective, institutionalised workplace cultures. While creating a leadership programme for women in a global bank in 2019, BRIDGE Partnership realised that most academic research was focused on how women fail in the workplace. This spawned a first-of-its-kind study shedding insight on common factors underpinning successful women across a breadth of sectors. 

 

The research revealed 5 recommendations for organisations and leaders:

 

Parental power: a woman’s upbringing is critical towards success.  BRIDGE Partnership say people can re-parent themselves to overcome aspects of their lives that hold them back.

At least one good parental role model helped some women to see their own potential and have the self-belief to succeed and lead. Sophie Neary, Group Director UK&I at Meta, said: “They instilled in me a self-belief, an inner confidence”. While some women who lacked any kind of caring adult when young were forced into leadership roles earlier. Both paths resulted in them sidestepping the ‘Brilliance bias’. 

 

Taking a different path. BRIDGE Partnership say organisations can empower women to succeed and retain top talent by supporting them to take multiple pathways upwards.

Rather than embarking on a meticulously planned career and life journey from an early age, most of the successful women interviewed had taken a winding path towards success. Their journeys were led by four principles: purpose and values, following curiosity, taking risks, and hard work. Vasiliki Petrou, Group CEO of Unilever Prestige said: “My first CEO valued diversity. They believed that positive disruption came from hiring people that don’t fit ‘in the box’. This nurtured a culture that valued alternative thinking and we all did better for it.” When the women were surveyed about whether they identified with the ‘Lean In’ approach, over 80% felt that being led by purpose and passion was more important.

 

If you are a unicorn don’t try to be a horse. BRIDGE Partnership say organisations should embrace diversity and dismantle the prevailing alpha male culture that often dictates how many organisations are run.

Rather than fitting in with alpha male workplace cultures, many women learned to lead with authenticity and embrace their differences as strengths. It was this shift that was key to their success. This evolution often began with a moment of self-awareness, often through good mentors, managers, or a challenging experience. Tracey Clements, now the SVP (CEO) of Mobility and Convenience for Europe at BP, recalled the early stages of her career, saying it was “Utterly exhausting and untenable”, suppressing qualities that felt more natural to her such as listening and learning from her people and customers. Talking about her moment of realisation, “Almost overnight I reclaimed myself.”  

 

Lead Like These Women. BRIDGE Partnership say organisations should begin learning from women and appropriately valuing their contributions. 

Rather than fixing women, our interviews revealed that characteristics and skills such as empathy, facilitation and intuition – skills that have been typically undervalued and overlooked by organisations – enabled the women to thrive and navigate complex challenges.When Lorna Davis, Board Member at B Lab, led a large advertising campaign for a brand that was close to collapse, she learned the value of listening. “I learned how to listen to consumers… I turned the brand around and set it on a growth trajectory… there is very little I can’t solve if I listen carefully and let the information in.”

 

Partnership not dominance. BRIDGE Partnership say organisations can foster a culture of mutuality by enabling diverse networking among their employees, encouraging collaboration and partnership rather than competition and dominance.

The women interviewed were not afraid to ask for help, taking the opportunity to learn from others and forge long term partnerships. Leonie Foster, Customer and Digital Director at Selfridges, spoke about becoming part of a network of highly capable senior women supporting one another: “We knew each other well and were each other’s support… we would operate by supporting each other’s position.” These partnerships were often rooted in purpose, as opposed to achieving personal success. 

Occupational Stress

Do You have the Positive Energy to See Out Another Economic Downturn?

Posted on | by Akeela Zahair

By Mark Perrin is an advisory partner at accountancy firm, Menzies LLP.

As business leaders prepare for yet another economic downturn, driven by rising inflation, skills shortages and ongoing supply chain disruption, it is more important than ever that they adopt a positive mindset to optimise their financial performance and productivity. But do they have the positive energy leadership skills to navigate their way to a brighter economic future?

The current economic instability and political turmoil has pushed the importance of management best practice to the top of the corporate agenda. However, even well-managed businesses will struggle to fulfil orders and maintain good standards of customer service if they are shedding skilled staff, or they are unable to attract the right people to the right roles. At a time when many industries are facing skills shortages, employers are finding it increasingly difficult to recruit and retain talented people.

Practising positive energy leadership behaviours can help businesses to retain and motivate staff and maintain outputs during challenging trading periods. However, with so many day-to-day challenges to deal with, some business leaders may feel they are stuck in fire-fighting mode and lack the time to dedicate to improving their leadership skills.

To make matters worse, rapidly rising energy and fuel costs are forcing many employees to make difficult decisions about how to manage their household income, and consumer confidence has dipped. The Bank of England has warned that the UK economy is heading for recession and as many business leaders know, this can encourage feelings of job insecurity and impact workplace morale. Demonstrating positive energy leadership can help to improve business resilience by creating a strong workplace culture where individuals and teams can thrive, while strengthening stakeholder relationships and improving cashflow management.

Positive energy leadership involves encouraging individuals and teams to be the best that they can be by promoting positive, team-focused behaviours and encouraging a positive attitude led from the top. These techniques can be used to influence all areas of business, from sales teams through customer service, as well as cashflow and supply chain management.

Whilst positive energy leadership should ideally be practiced all year round, the true test comes when the business is facing challenges and things aren’t necessarily going to plan. How leaders respond in these circumstances can have a lasting impression on the management team and the workforce as a whole, and help to nurture a dedicated, motivated group of people.

For business owners or managers looking to build positive attributes into their processes and procedures, it is important to consider their impact on all areas of business. Creating a strong communication network within a business is one way that leaders can ensure information is getting to and from the right people, as efficiently as possible. For example, positive energy leadership could involve reaching out to the workforce for cost saving ideas and implementing them. It could also involve setting up cross-functional teams to discuss pricing strategy, deciding how much cost can be passed on to customers or identifying opportunities to push for a keener price from suppliers.

This focus on positivity can also be applied to business data. For example, sharing sales data transparently across the organisation can generate opportunities to celebrate success. When staff see others doing well, this can motivate them to behave similarly and find their own way of having a positive impact on the business.

When applied to financial management, positive energy leadership will enable management teams to take a proactive and forward-looking approach. Strong working capital management based on three-way cashflow forecasting, allows business leaders to see what the future looks like using a range of scenario-based models. Positive energy leadership also means a rigid focus on cash management in areas such as credit control and pricing, protecting margins and delivering value to the bottom line.

Another way that business owners can promote positive behaviours is to make it part of their business model by demonstrating a commitment to Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG). This will help to attract talented people to the organisation. It is also important to ensure employee benefits are aligned to what workers really want. For example, putting a focus on wellbeing can be achieved by offering flexible working options, which have become a staple expectation of many employees. Promoting diversity and inclusion and embedding this into recruitment practices is also important when building an engaging employer brand.

To ensure positive energy leadership becomes part of the business and the way it operates, it is important to measure the difference it makes and establish some Key Performance Indicators (KPI). This can help to identify areas that still need focus, at the same time as giving managers a deeper understanding of the benefits it can bring to all areas of the business. For example, staff engagement surveys can provide a useful insight into what motivates staff to stay with the business.

As they prepare for 2023, business leaders must ensure they have the right mindset to get the best out of workers and achieve the best possible outcome financially and in terms of building a more resilient operating model. Leading from the top and applying the principles of positive energy leadership will mean businesses are better placed to deal with the challenges that lie ahead, while being ready to react quickly to commercial opportunities.

Managerial Style

Managerial Styles: Are You an X or Y Manager?

Posted on | by Akeela Zahair

A good manager knows how to motivate their team. However, not every manager has the same style. This can vary by industry, as well as being dependant on the age and skill level of your employees or your personal attitudes to work.

Two developed theories of managerial style are the X and Y theories developed by social psychologist Douglas McGregor in his book The Human Side of Enterprise. Since its publication in the 1960s, managers have been using this as a guide for their own style development.

Here, with some sights from Dominic Fitch, Head of Creative Change at Impact International, we explore the differences between X and Y managers, and how to know which managerial style is best for you and your team.  

 

What is an X manager?

For X managers, employees are not self-motivated and so need an authoritative manager to ensure tasks are completed. With over 36% of employees claiming to dislike their job, keeping a firm grip on task management is important, as X managers believe workers won’t take pride in their work and will avoid completing tasks.

The X managerial theory involves monitoring worker achievements and deadlines. The results-based focus is particularly beneficial in industries that have tight schedules, such as manufacturing and other time-managed occupations. You will have a strict grasp of routine and schedules, dictating tasks and expecting results. This is very much a hands-on approach to managing employees.

 

What is a Y manager?

Y managers believe in employee engagement and the high work ethics of their colleagues. Employees are believed to take pride in their work and are self-motivated to achieve more. They also have a strong grasp of what is required in their role, and often in others, allowing them to problem solve and avoid crises without the need of a manager. Employees take ownership and accountability for their work, using initiative and decision-making. According to Indeed, employees who have more personal responsibility in the workplace tend to have more loyalty towards their company, as well as a stronger sense of job security.

Therefore, a Y manager is more likely to adopt a participative management style. This allows the employee a sense of achievement when completing tasks. Unlike the X management style, which uses statistics and measured performance as a threatening technique, task completion under a Y manager acts as a form of reward and incentive to increase self-drive and development.

 

Choosing your style

If you prefer being proactive within the workplace, favouring a hands-on approach over a relaxed atmosphere, then the X manager theory is for you.

Certain industries will benefit from certain management styles. For example, if your company operates under a multi-level management style, then you might find that the X manager approach is better suited to your environment. As your manager, and perhaps their managers above them, demand specific results, you will expect the same from your employees. However, if your company is a collaborative one in which teams communicate effectively, allowing all levels of employees to actively participate, you may benefit from the Y management theory.

However, it can also depend on your workforce. A young or low-skill level team will benefit from the presence of an X manager from time to time. Due to the training needed to bring their skill levels up, you will be expected to micromanage and handle crisis moments with more direct attention. An established workforce within a company, on the other hand, will not require this level of attention, so you can adopt a more relaxed approach.

Ultimately, it depends on your own preferences. Some managers prefer to have an oversight of production, so they can guarantee that deadlines are met. Others might prefer a more creative, collaborative approach in which employees take the lead on initiatives. You may even find that a balance between the two styles is useful as the company progresses.

 

Managerial styles vary depending on many factors from industry size and demand to the office environment. However, how you view employee engagement is crucial in all sectors when establishing yourself as a manager. Believing in the attitudes of your workers can dictate the course of action you need to be an effective manager and produce the results necessary to keep the business progressing. Remember, managerial styles can be flexible. You may adopt one style and change it over time.

Business Leadership

How Business Leadership Qualities Vary Around the World

Posted on | by Akeela Zahair

Although all corners of the world conduct business in some way, different countries do so in different ways depending on their goals, cultures, and beliefs. Before you embark on your international business management degree, it would be beneficial to have a firm understanding of how managers and owners in different countries approach business.

We understand that making the jump from college/sixth form to university can be a daunting one, but there are things you can do to get ahead of the curve and ensure you have the best possible start. Here, we’ll be taking a look at how the approach to business management differs across some cultures.

 

United Kingdom

Let’s start with the area of the globe that you’ll probably be most familiar with: the United Kingdom. The UK is the sixth-largest national economy in the world, and behind this thriving economy are business leaders with a particular way of doing things.

Here, leaders will encourage and promote discipline and punctuality among their employees, as these two factors are seen as the key to a successful business. In addition to this, they expect excellent time management skills from anyone they do business with, whether that’s staff, partners, or clients.

Not only do they expect deadlines to be hit without compromising on the quality of work, but they also expect people to arrive on time or, in many cases, earlier than expected. This demonstrates manners, organisation, and commitment.

Employees are encouraged to work as a team and a good manager will enforce this; individual ambition should not be prioritised over the success of a team effort.

British business leaders are polite but often indirect, which can be confusing for foreign guests. Although decisions and requests can sometimes sound like an invitation to discuss, this is not the case. There is authority behind the courtesy.

 

France

Patience is huge within French business culture. As a leader, you don’t expect decisions to be made on the spot or even shortly after the meeting has closed.

French businesspeople prefer to discuss things at length before deciding on something, especially if the business owner was not present at the meeting and therefore executives need to give an exact account of what took place.

Leaders in France are direct, straightforward, and have no trouble asking questions, whether that be to staff or executives from other organisations who are hoping to come to a business arrangement.

Sometimes a leader may even interrupt somebody before they’ve finished their point; this is supposed to be a positive sign as it means they’re actively listening/interested in what the person has to say.

Staff are encouraged to take sufficient lunch breaks that usually span 1.5 hours. In some areas of the world, such as the United Kingdom, employees are guilty of eating lunch at their desks because they’re so busy with the task at hand. Well, this action is against the law in France, with managers and staff using the allocated time to eat a good meal and allow it time to digest, or visit the gym and run errands.

 

Spain

Spain is a diverse country and a ‘one size fits all’ doesn’t work across all business owners. However, there are certain traits and habits that can be identified among leaders in all areas of the country.

Leaders are generally more relaxed when it comes to deadlines and timescales because that’s the Spanish culture in general; people tend to take their time in doing things and deal with each day as it comes. Business owners will likely see more people engrossed in their work at 20:00 than at 09:00.

This part of the world is one of the leading countries for expats to live and work, with foreign workers making up around 15 per cent of Spain’s total labour force.

Working hard as an individual is much more highly regarded than teamwork, so it’s not uncommon for leaders to acknowledge success that comes as a result of a single person’s work as opposed to a whole department or team.

 

Japan

Respect for age and status is very important in Japan’s business culture as well as their general culture. Managers and owners of a business are aware of their position at the top of the hierarchy, and they expect those below them to actively respect their prestigious rank.

Status among employees is determined by their job role, where they went to university, and marital status, so it’s common for business leaders to make important decisions based on the background of their staff.

Owners and managers in Japan prioritise relationships above all else, and they make certain that they know and trust somebody fully before engaging in business with them.

If an introduction is being made between two businesses, the person leading the introduction will usually choose an informal gathering involving food and drink to bring the two leaders together, first ensuring that the two parties are positioned within the same place on the hierarchy.

 

United Arab Emirates (UAE)

In a similar way to Japan, the business culture in Dubai focuses strongly on hierarchy. Business leaders in the UAE are the key decision makers and tend to be older and more experienced from the top down.

Age, money, and family can also determine where in the hierarchy someone is positioned; leaders are more likely to base hiring decisions on these three factors, as opposed to who would be the best at the job role.

It’s very rare a leader will accept ideas, suggestions, or any kind of input from lower-level employees. They are expected to always listen and follow, and overstepping could be seen as rude and disrespectful rather than innovative and ambitious.

Leaders dress moderately and expect their staff to do the same – most men wear a kandura (an ankle-length white shirt) and most women wear an abaya (a black flowing garment that covers most of the body).

Personal relationships are at the centre of all business in Dubai, and face-to-face meetings are prioritised over phone calls and emails as these forms of communication can sometimes be seen as impersonal.

 

The common denominators

Of course, business is handled differently across the world and leaders adopt different approaches based on culture, but there are consistent factors no matter which part of the globe they’re being conducted in.

In every country, the leaders have more than likely gained a good education, as well as have a particular set of skills and thorough knowledge relevant to their business sector.  

An international business management course will help you develop important skills, such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication, that can be transferred and applied to different parts of the world. Good luck with your studies!

Employee Welfare

Planning for the Unexpected: How to Overcome Employee Welfare Challenges

Posted on | by Akeela Zahair

Businesses have many complex challenges that they need to overcome, from financial difficulties to supply chain issues and recruitment. But while there’s no way of knowing what the future holds, being prepared when it comes to employee welfare can make all the difference. 

In the past, many managers would have expected personal problems to be left at home, but it’s a counter-productive attitude that more and more business leaders are waking up to. In order to foster an open, productive and happier workforce, employees need to feel supported in all aspects of their lives. The fact remains that in order to keep your staff safe and happy, you need to be able to support them in overcoming welfare challenges that could arise unexpectedly. 

 

Poor health

The threat that ill health poses when it comes to job security can make many people fearful of telling their boss or manager that they’re struggling. From physical issues and chronic conditions to mental health concerns, there are many challenges that employees can face which affect their ability to work. But as with any condition, employees who have help in receiving treatment have a far better chance of recovering than those who don’t. 

There’s a lot of stigma around mental health in society, and it is a serious problem that more businesses need to prioritise. Managers need to feel that they can confidently speak with employees if they spot worrying signs or have staff come to them with a concern. Part of the way they achieve that is creating a culture of open communication. Employee Assistance Programmes are also beneficial to offer counselling and support services to employees in need. 

Similarly, if an employee is dealing with a chronic condition, find ways you can support them. Maybe you can invest in office equipment to make their working day more comfortable, or move their schedule around so they can take breaks more regularly throughout the day and work flexibly to accommodate their condition. Having someone take a few days off to recoup and recover is preferable to them trying to work through their difficulties and worsening their symptoms. 

 

Accidents and injuries

Accidents can happen in any workplace, no matter how careful you and your staff are. But knowing how to respond to those accidents is essential to supporting your staff if they suffer an injury. As an employer, you’re responsible for workplace safety and staff wellbeing whilst they’re at work. Quite naturally it’s also important to support them if they suffer an injury outside of work too. 

Employers should provide an opportunity for staff to talk following the injury, should they wish to, as well as be vigilant of any after effects and symptoms of PTSD, offering time off if they need it. But remember that the responsibility doesn’t end there. Employees are well within their rights to make a personal injury claim against their employer, and in accordance with employee law, businesses are not allowed to dismiss them for doing so. With this in mind, one of the best ways a business can help staff overcome the challenges they face as a result of a workplace accident is to support them in any injury claims they make. Have a system in place for reporting the incident and making a note of any details pertaining to the accident, inform other staff of what happened so they can be vigilant in the future, and learn from the experience to further develop risk assessments. 

 

Financial difficulties

Finances are one of the biggest causes of stress for people, especially with today’s economic climate. As an employer, you play a key role in peoples’ monetary circumstances, so your primary role needs to be one of support. Understandably, given the taboo around talking about money, employees may feel shame and embarrassment at struggling to pay their bills or coping with debt, and that can worsen their stress and anxiety even further. 

In addition to paying fair living wages, employers can help their staff by providing money management resources, debt charities or credit brokers, as well as financial aid services to help them overcome financial struggles and money-related perks. Depending on the type of business you operate, overtime may be an option to help staff boost their income, or there may be ways for them to sell some of their annual leave. Ongoing financial education can also help staff to tackle their money worries and avoid future problems. 

 

Grief

The death of a friend or family member can affect each of us in different ways, but there’s a high chance that if an employee has had to deal with a bereavement, they will be stressed, upset and struggling with productivity at work. They may need counselling or time off work to grieve properly. It’s vital, however, that they have time to come to terms with their loss rather than suppress their emotions. 

Some people may return to work to give their mind something to focus on or because they benefit from a regular routine. But whenever they do return to work, make sure that they have the support they need. If your business offers a wellbeing programme with counselling services, these can be offered to bereaved staff, or you may have third party resources you can direct them to. Offering flexible working to help them accommodate arranging funeral services or similar tasks can also help staff feel supported during what is a difficult and stressful time. 

 

Relationship breakdowns

It’s an unfortunate fact that many relationships end, for a variety of reasons, but it goes without saying that it’s an incredibly stressful time for those involved. Your employee could be facing losing their partner but also potentially having to deal with altered childcare arrangements if they have children. Separation of assets and finding somewhere new to live will also add new pressures and often increased financial burden. Being sympathetic to the situation is vital, but employers can also offer support in other ways while staff go through this challenging period. 

Once again, a well being programme can facilitate important support services, if they’re struggling emotionally, and being understanding to the fact that their work performance may be temporarily affected, can make a great difference to the way they move through their change of circumstances. Having a process in place to deal with these personal difficulties can help employers treat each employee fairly, should they find themselves in the same situation. This may be such as facilitating an extended leave of absence if the employee requests it, or offering flexible working while they handle their divorce. 

 

Take a proactive approach

Recognising potential problems before they become serious issues can help businesses put protective measures and systems in place early on to support staff with any welfare challenges they may face. Not only is this better for the staff but it also helps your organisation react to unforeseen circumstances with greater ease. 

5 Soft Skills That Every Leader Needs to Develop

Posted on | by root

The word “soft” can sometimes be associated with being weak or fragile. However, when paired with the word “skills”, it couldn’t be more the opposite. Soft skills are also known as power skills, core skills, or common skills, and in simple terms, they describe how you work with others.

Unlike hard skills, which are technical abilities gained through completing training or courses, its soft counterpart is picked up through work ethic, work style and communication style. It’s incredibly important for leaders, in particular, to have finely honed soft skills, as their roles require constant communication with different people in different capacities. Here, we explore the 5 soft skills that every leader needs to develop in order for them to flourish in the workplace.

1. Communication

Of course, communication is one of the most important soft skills there is. It’s the key to success within the workforce and is more essential than ever in a world where remote work and technology are becoming more relied upon.

Leaders who can deliver effective verbal and written communication are more likely to increase employee retention, efficiency and advance in their problem-solving. Plus, practising good communication skills is critical to understanding information more precisely and quickly – both for you, the leader – and others.

Those who don’t practice good communication are more likely to experience frustration and frequent misjudgements.

2. Teamwork

Amongst other learning and development trends at the moment, teamwork is one of the most traditional skills of all that continues to be a non-negotiable. Being able to work with others is an essential aspect of generating positive results with your whole workforce.

The better you’re able to work alongside others, the more chance your team has at becoming successful and achieving its goals. In the workplace, it’s common that your employees have to work with or collaborate with others in order to complete projects and tasks. Having 10/10 teamwork skills as a leader will make it a much easier, more enjoyable and streamlined experience for everyone.

3. Empathy

A positive and productive work environment requires empathy and emotional intelligence from its leader. It also goes hand in hand with good communication, as strong empathy skills provide you with the ability to know if you’re actually reaching and connecting with people.

Not only this, but you’re able to understand how your decisions and actions will impact your staff, as well as allow you to group people together that you think will work most effectively as a team.

Empathy also shows your workforce that you have humanity. This encourages loyalty and can create inspirational leader status. Plus, being empathetic is incredibly valuable in terms of negotiation. It helps you to understand both sides of an argument and gives you the ability to create deals where everybody wins.

4. Self Awareness

Every leader needs to be self-aware. If they’re not, how will anybody respect them if they’re not sure about the decisions they’re making? Leaders need to understand and be confident in their business goals and desires before they begin to make compromises with people. This includes employees, suppliers, clients, and other executives.

Having a strong sense of self-awareness also helps leaders manage their sensitivity better. For example, it allows them to independently pursue their own career goals while also understanding and promoting the wants and needs of their staff.

5. Adaptability

In today’s world, things are advancing pretty quickly. Whether it’s in technology or dealing with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, being adaptable to change is *so* important in the modern work environment. For leaders especially, adaptability, self-awareness, teamwork, empathy and communication all go hand in hand in achieving an invaluable all-rounded soft skillset.

Being fully adaptable enables you to keep up with moving deadlines and priorities, plus projects, technology and clients, and be accustomed to dealing with changing situations.

Embrace these soft skills as a business leader

Looking to thrive in your position as leader and be the best boss you can be in terms of client satisfaction and business results? Learning, embracing, and developing these five soft skills as a collective will ensure that you only keep on rising. Soft skill lovers, assemble

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How Today’s Healthcare Leaders Prioritise The Patient Connection

Posted on | by Jennifer Spencer

The global health crisis put undue pressure on medical facilities worldwide. From supply and staffing shortages to crowded emergency rooms and rising death tolls, hospitals, private practices, and clinics struggled to maintain control and provide adequate patient care. Although the worst appears to be over, the many obstacles encouraged healthcare leaders to rethink their approach to patient care. 

The Importance Of The Provider-Patient Connection

Chief Medical Officer at Phillips,  Jan Kimpen breaks down the future health index report of 2022 into three key components: improving the staffing experience, capitalizing on predictive analytics, and heightening healthcare data security. By focusing on these factors, healthcare facilities can enhance patient connection.

It’s important for every healthcare provider to know how to connect with their patients. One of the most common complaints people have about doctors and other healthcare professionals is that they don’t feel heard. 

Any successful healthcare leader knows that a connection between providers and patients can help improve health outcomes, provide patients with a greater sense of control, and foster trust in medical professionals. Ultimately, developing strategies and utilising digital resources that enhance the experience of medical staff and patients is essential. 

Below is a look at two technological resources today’s healthcare leaders are relying on to improve staff experience and patient care. 

Engagement Platforms Improve Quality of Care

Telehealth services became integral to patient care amid the global health crisis. It provided a secure and convenient platform for doctors, nurses, therapists, and other medical staff to remotely tend to their patient’s needs. As a result, healthcare leaders have adopted tools that will help bridge the communication gap between other medical experts and services. 

Pharmaceutical engagement platforms, for example, help medical professionals complete health care provider responsibilities more efficiently. It enables pharmaceutical representatives to engage with HCPs and offer suggestions on the best prescriptions to enhance patient care. Such platforms streamline processes, which reduces healthcare worker stress and improves the patient experience. 

Interactive Portals Help Doctors And Patients Work Together

More healthcare leaders are encouraging their staff to promote the use of patient portals for an improved experience. These secure, user-friendly platforms enable patients to complete forms, review medical records, schedule appointments, request referrals, and interact with doctors, giving them more control over their health. 

No one wants to feel like they can have no control over their bodies. People need as many options as possible when it comes to their health, and one way to do that is to give them control over their own information. Patient portals help users make more informed decisions.

This is helpful for patients who are new in your office or those who may have trouble remembering everything that’s happened with their treatment plan. By allowing patients access to their own health information, you’ll also increase trust between you and your patients because they’ll know that they’re receiving the best care possible.

Lastly, medical databases with patient portals ensure healthcare facilities remain compliant with federal and local regulations and avoid rising cybersecurity risks by keeping patient data accessible and secure. They also enable healthcare workers to provide more efficient services by selecting the best communication medium, distributing educational materials, offering various treatment options, and following up on patient expectations and care. 

Social Platforms Improve Patient Education And Community Outreach

Yolanda Marie Johnson-Moton, a strategy consultant at USMD Health Education Development stresses the importance of healthcare providers tapping into multiple accessible platforms to communicate with the communities they serve. 

Social media, in particular, provides a safe space for the medical industry to engage, educate, and support existing and potential patients in their efforts to improve their health and wellness. From posting articles, case studies, and infographics, to notifying audieneces about upcoming events and financial assistance, social media has proven to be a beneficial tool to spread the word.

Social media has helped healthcare professionals reach millions, build credibility, and cultivate a trusting relationship that encourages followers to prioritise their well-being. 

If the past few years have taught healthcare leaders anything, it’s the importance of the provider-patient connection. As the world becomes more complex and patient needs change, healthcare executives are doing everything in their power to ensure they provide the best level of care. The use of the technologies listed above have helped medical directors, chief medical officers, and education consultants to implement systems to improve staff experience, while strengthening the provider-patient relationship.

Bad Leadership

How to Spot Signs and Overcome Poor Leadership Practices

Posted on | by Akeela Zahair
  • RADA Business shares advice to help business professionals analyse their leadership style and form new habits
  • Liz Barber, Tutor at RADA Business, provides insights and advice

Whilst leadership has always played a crucial role in any business, the increasing pressures and expectations being placed on organisations, by both internal and external stakeholders, make it clear that strong and effective leadership has never been more important.

With RADA Business recently announcing a 41% increase in sales of their leadership Open Courses, looking ahead to the next quarter, it’s clear that professionals are increasingly looking to enhance their leadership abilities to ensure they are delivering their best performance for their team and organisation.

Although there may not be a blueprint for the ‘perfect leader’, there are certain leadership skills which can be applied across many different scenarios to help strengthen team performance and connections.

For those looking to enhance their leadership skills and spot any areas which can be improved upon, Liz Barber, Tutor at RADA Business, has shared insights to empower leaders to perform at their best.

 

1. Build Trust

Leaders that are able to establish trust and trustworthiness are better equipped to lead their teams and organisations through turbulent change. In the current world, every leader is faced  with disrution and ambiguity, and when it is difficult to map the future with certainty, building trustworthiness is a crucial foundation to inspiring confidence in your decisions and ability to hold a team and organisation through the change.

In order to establish a culture built on trust, teams need psychological safety. Psychological safety is broadly described as an environment in which people are comfortable expressing and being themselves, without risk to reputation.Trust and psychological safety are co-dependant, and are vital ingredients in creating high performing teams. From this point of safety, leaders and their teams are better able to operate effectively with open discussion, collaboration and appropriate challenge. Trustworthiness is demonstrated through a number of attributes – and one area that is so often over-looked is how you show up physically and vocally. Leaders that demonstrate openness and vulnerability can create better connections with their teams. This vulnerability is demonstrated when we are comfortable exposing who we really are and what we genuinely think and feel, with both words and behaviour.

We are hard-wired to doubt leaders whose physicality is not congruent with their message. If a leader says “ we would like you to offer up your ideas of how we may improve our strategy”, but they are physically held, chest tight, arms folded and without direct eye contact, then we receive that as defensive and closed to new ideas, and we may doubt the validity of the request.  Raising awareness of your behaviours and their impact is the first stage to establishing trustworthiness.

 

2. Foster Collaboration

Collaboration within a team is crucial, as it enables everyone to have a say and feel included in the work, strategy and goals. For truly effective collaboration in a team, there must be psychological safety and trust. This ensures that everyone has a voice and feels ownership of the work, where contributions are valued and appropriate challenges are encouraged.

Creating a team culture in which healthy debate and creavity can thrive often requires additional emotional effort. This is especially true of diverse teams which, by definition, comprise diverse thinking. A leader who is able to flex their communication style to suit their audience is better placed to encourage contribution from all members of their team and create more authentic connection.

The language we use has a significant impact on our perceived position within a team. When we speak, we instinctively choose words that we think will convey our meaning most clearly to our audience, but this can also change how our audience feels and even how we feel ourselves.

Using the word “we” – for example saying “we need to get a plan together” – encourages collaboration and inclusion within your team. When performing as a leader, using “I” – for example “I need you to prepare that by Friday” – increases your authority. It’s important to understand these differences and use the most appropriate language to achieve greater impact and connection.

 

3. Engage Your Team

Sucessful leadership teams are galvanised by a clear, unifying purpose. This can be a distinguishing factor between a team of high performing leaders and a high performing leadership team working for the greater good of the business.

When it comes to building positive team dynamics, as a leader it’s not enough to simply state your end goal. In order to engage your team in the vision or goal, you must seek to align individual purpose and get buy-in to the overall vision. For enduring engagement, leaders should seek to provoke an emotional response from their team: reason leads to understanding, emotion leads to action. 

Ask yourself: what do you want your team to feel about the journey? What’s your objective?

Verbs are a useful way to create a compelling message and engage your team. Use a verb to influence your intention, which you can portray through both physical and vocal choices.

Do you want to inspire and excite, challenge and refine, or explain and galvanise? Verbs can motivate you and others towards action. Next time you’re presenting an idea or strategic plan, see how this can influence your content and delivery.

 

4. Encourage Feedback

Feedback is often regarded as a ‘dirty’ word, synonymous with delivering difficult messages.  However, when it comes to establishing peak performance in the workplace, giving and receiving feedback from leaders is essential. It is often the case that the more senior that leaders become, the less opportunity there is to receive feedback on their performance or to be open to courageous conversations with their peers.

By establishing a culture in which feedback is delivered effectively and with the right intention, leaders are able to build teams that ensure optimum performance from each member, that are  unencumbered by risk aversion and that establish clear accountability.

Take the time to prepare: consider each feedback conversation in terms of mindset and intention. Are you driven by your own needs? Or are you focussed on the care for the receipient and developing their performance?

 

5. Reward Success

In an increasingly busy and complex environment, it’s easy to fall into the habit of focusing on what went wrong and what needs doing next. Often, we don’t thank our team enough, but praise and positivity can radically improve team engagement. For some leaders, it may mean revealing vulnerability or require extra confidence, but demonstrating appreciation of your peers and teams is an important part of maintain commitment and a focus on outcomes.

When it comes to praise, make sure it is genuine and evidence based. Don’t just thank someone for their hard work – focus on particular areas they have excelled in, using examples to back up your praise. This will not only boost the morale of your team, but will also make a big difference to your working relationships.

How CEOs Can Overcome Global Expansion Challenges Like A Boss

Posted on | by root

Most CEOs agree that global expansion is the pinnacle of success. It’s an opportunity to take your brand from a local sensation to a worldwide household name. An international presence exposes you to new markets, increases your earnings potential, and ultimately separates you from the competition. Although it’s a significant accomplishment, operating in foreign waters is a complicated battle that only the most efficient leaders can overcome.

There are many contributing factors to the success (or failure) of an international expansion that CEOs must consider before making a final decision. Just as it took years to comprehend and dominate domestic markets, expanding into new territories will require extensive research, planning, time, and money to conquer.

Though there are multiple approaches to consider, finding solutions for the most difficult challenges is ideal. Continue reading to learn more.

Legal Compliance

Every region has rules, regulations, policies, and procedures that dictate business practices and protects employee rights. If your business fails to comply with these guidelines, it could result in substantial penalties and extreme cases, the collapse of your business.

Have you researched business laws in the country you wish to establish your brand? Do you have the necessary tools and resources to comply? As international business and labor laws are complex, CEOs are encouraged to put together a team of legal experts to help them make informed decisions.

A commercial or business attorney specializing in international expansions can assist you with comprehending foreign guidelines, establishing an entity, or selecting a qualified employer of record or global employment agency to outsource your legal, payroll, and HR needs.

Global Payroll And HR

With international expansions come the need for a larger team. While international relocation is an option, it’s expensive and often challenging to find qualified professionals willing to operate from another country. Ultimately, hiring natives from other countries is a more practical solution. Of course, there are still hurdles to overcome. At the top of the list are payroll and human resources.

CEOs must ensure they pay global team members accurately, timely, and according to government regulations. Outsourcing your global payroll services ensures international teams get the pay they deserve while keeping your company compliant with diverse and complex laws. Such resources enable executives to streamline the payroll process and pay teams from varying currencies and time zones from one platform.

Human resource management doesn’t stop at payroll. The department is also responsible for hiring, onboarding, training, and managing workplace needs. Advanced payroll processing platforms enable HR teams to distribute payroll, track hours, analyse performance, and handle team member requests using a secure database and workflow management application.

Brand Awareness And Sales

International expansion feels a lot like launching a start-up. You’re introducing your vision to a foreign country. While your products and services were a hit in your hometown, it may take time, convincing, and even adjustments to generate the same results in another region.

CEOs must understand their target market and conduct extensive research to develop a marketing and sales approach that works. This process is all-encompassing and involves knowledge of various cultures and lifestyles. You must evaluate your competitors, define your niche, identify your uniqueness, and create a marketing plan that personalizes the experience for your ideal customers.

A reputable digital marketing agency with expertise in international business can help you introduce your brand in a way that draws interest and increases sales potential. Their familiarity with the region’s practices and culture can be instrumental in helping you to finetune your products and services to accommodate foreign markets.

Very few businesses survive the first five years. Even less reach global markets. If your brand is going to be among those that have succeeded, you must do your due diligence. Some of the most prolific CEOs of our generation managed to get where they are today by identifying the challenges and tapping into innovative resources to help them face each obstacle like a boss.

Business Leader

Lessons from the Pitch: What Business Leaders Can Learn from Sports Teamwork

Posted on | by Akeela Zahair

Watching a strong and cohesive sports squad perform on the pitch is always a pleasure for the eyes, whether it is a football, basketball, or water polo team. Behind the triumphs of every successful club, there is usually a leader who knows exactly how to piece the perfect puzzle together.

In this respect, business owners and managers have a similar task to sports coaches. They need to guide a team of employees towards one common goal with commitment, efficiency, and a sense of unity.

Here, we look at some of the effective ways in which athletes and coaches boost team development while highlighting how this may benefit the business world.

 

Confidence and trust in each other

One of the most important steps you can take to nurture your team is to allow relationships of trust and confidence to develop in the workplace. In sport, teammates rely on each other’s help when they need it and will go above and beyond to support their ‘colleagues’. This is because they are confident that when it’s their turn to face a challenging situation, their fellow players will also be ready to aid them.

Therefore, instilling a sense of trust and confidence in a team can increase instances of mutual support, which favour the squad or the business as a whole. Indeed, your people will be more likely to be open about their experiences and will feel comfortable seeking help when they need it.

What’s more, as a company owner or manager, you act as your team’s coach. By keeping a high moral standard and setting an example, you will secure the trust of your staff. This is important as they will soon realise that they can rely on you to lead them out of tricky situations. In turn, they will do anything to take your side and strive to make your business thrive.

Ultimately, the most successful sports teams seem to genuinely enjoy playing together, trusting each other both on and off the pitch.

 

Good communication and celebrating achievements

Communication is essential when it comes to rowing in the same direction and working towards the same goals. You will notice that any sports team in action will communicate constantly, signalling the presence of an opponent and advising on what pass or move to make next. On the touchline, the coach generally acts as a motivator, encouraging his players and offering instructions as the game unfolds.

In the same way, businesses should value communication as a vital tool too. Outlining tasks, purpose, and vision in a clear, transparent manner has an array of advantages. For instance, it can increase employee engagement, improve productivity, generate a healthy workplace culture, and boost people’s job satisfaction.

Moreover, a leader or manager should not shy away from celebrating their team member’s accomplishments. At the end of a match, coaches often publicly gratify the best-performing players for their efforts and performance. Similarly, it is essential for business leaders to recognise their employees’ hard work and share their accomplishments with the wider team. Not only will this boost their morale and self-confidence, but it will also ensure that they continue in the right direction.

 

Make space for mistakes

One of the key ingredients contributing to a team’s effectiveness and overall success is ‘psychological safety’. This refers to someone’s perception of taking a risky decision and, in turn, how their teammates will respond when that risk is taken. In a psychologically safe environment, employees will feel free to throw ideas, offer suggestions, and ask for help. Conversely, in a more rigid workplace, they may keep to themselves and contribute little due to the fear of making mistakes.

In sports, coaches will condone mistakes, especially if made with good intentions. For example, a player decides to make a tricky pass toward a free teammate. If it doesn’t go to plan and the ball is intercepted, their team could suffer a counter-attack and may even end up conceding. If they succeed in their intent, they may actively be giving their squad a goal-scoring opportunity to win the game.

Likewise, in business, employees should be allowed to make mistakes. People can grow in a workplace where they have space to learn from their own errors and failures rather than feeling uncertainty or shame. Moreover, an out-of-the-box idea could work wonders for the success of a specific project. Therefore, as a business manager, offer your people the opportunity to take a chance, and don’t blame them if the end result is not always what you hoped for.

 

Embrace and adapt to change

In the world of sports, athletes change clubs on a regular basis. Similar to the business world, individuals are likely to move to a place where they may fit better, or that offers them a career-changing opportunity. Based on new arrivals, the coach and their team may have to adapt to a slightly different style of play and shift responsibilities. This may be daunting at first but can lead to great success in the long term. Change is a constant in sports, and sports teams need to be versatile and ready to deal with change.

A business leader should cherish changes and new possibilities too. It is an opportunity for the company to explore new horizons and benefit from the knowledge of new talented hires. In fact, with new knowledge and competencies within the team, you can start exploring different paths. Therefore, embracing a flexible approach and responding accordingly to diverse scenarios can truly benefit the business and allow employees to leave a tangible mark.

There is no hiding that business leaders can learn many lessons from sports teamwork. From nurturing sentiments of trust and making space for mistakes to embracing change and nailing your communication, there are several factors that managers should take into consideration.

Remote Leader

Remote Work Expert Says At-Home Workers Yearn for Personal Connection and Emotional Support to Feel Motivated

Posted on | by Akeela Zahair

At-home workers gradually shift their priorities from financial gain to work-life balance. Therefore remote team leaders looking for ways to motivate teams should consider nurturing personal connections, implementing incentives like inspiration days or paid mental health hours, and investing time into finding what encourages employees best.

Despite 60% of remote workers preferring hybrid work arrangements to fully returning to the offices, the isolation that comes with the work-at-home model might eventually result in decreased motivation. As 40% of employees state they would consider switching jobs within the next three to six months, companies are changing their approach toward motivating them to stay.

However, when it comes to remote workers, the motivational means have gradually changed over time. For instance, financial benefits are no longer the driving force to stay in their jobs as people seek incentives that would fulfill their psychological needs, like mental health support.

 

Personal care and alternative benefit packages listed as great motivators

Business experts share several means to motivate remote workers, such as digital collaboration tools, eliminating micromanaging to build trust, appreciating accomplishments, daily team calls, and others.

“What remote leaders have to understand is that the employees’ motivation relies heavily on their actions and attitude towards them. People who had decreased motivation before going fully remote are likely to be even less motivated right now, so this means that leaders have to nurture personal connections with each employee,” Ms. Diana Blažaitienė, remote work expert and founder of Soprana Personnel International, a recruitment and personnel rent solutions agency, said. “The problem does not start when it is evident for everybody to see, it starts way before that.”

She points out that the best strategy to propel motivation within a team is to ask employees what it is that makes them work in the company. “Financial gain is a poor motivator because it incentivizes for a short period before becoming the norm. For example, IT companies that used to hand out brand new phones to motivate employees are now finding that this strategy is not long-term and people value one-on-one time with leaders, the management style that aligns with their morals and principles, and honest care about their well-being so much more than expensive things. The trick is to make the remote team feel special and, most importantly, fully supported from the get-go,” the expert added.

Ms. Blažaitienė names company-wide initiatives like inspiration days—paid days to do what inspires and recharges the employee the most, paid time for mental health strengthening, personalized gifts for Christmas or other celebrations together with empathetic management style and constant emotional support as other highly motivating tools.

 

Repercussions of employee non-motivation

While it is up to remote leaders to find out what motivates each team member and put this knowledge to practical use, the consequences of discouraged employees might be dire.

“When a person loses their motivation to put in the effort and does not feel like they have formed valuable personal connections with colleagues or managers, they have no qualms about pursuing other jobs, quiet quitting, or even worse, ghosting the current employer,” Ms. Blažaitienė commented. “The fight for qualified workers is still in full force throughout many industries, so companies cannot really afford losing talent.”