Category: Leadership

Heatwave Office

Management Expert Share Tips to Keep Your Team Motivated During a Heatwave

Posted on | by Akeela Zahair

This week the Met Office issued its long-range forecast which predicted “very warm conditions” with the start of June and the summer months officially upon us. 

While many will be looking forward to sunnier weekends, periods of extreme weather temperatures can often see a drop in productivity and motivation at work.

Now, Leadership and Management Tutor, Neil Finegan from flexible study providers, DLC Training, shares his tips for management and HR professionals to motivate their teams during a heatwave.

 

Communicate and acknowledge

“The first step to keeping your team motivated during a heatwave is to acknowledge openly the potential impacts to your team” Neil explains. “Communication is important if you want to prevent your employees from suffering the negative effects of extreme heat. Provide relevant and timely information across your organisation to educate on the signs of heat-related illness.”

 

Casual dress

Neil explains why letting workers opt for cooler and more casual clothing can impact productivity:

“Try to relax your dress codes if possible. While this might not always be possible depending on the industry you’re in, providing workers with an option to dress down a little and embrace cooler clothing will have a direct impact on their comfort and productivity.”

 

Remind your team to stay hydrated

Building on from the importance of proper communication, Neil emphasises the importance of keeping the team hydrated:

“Set hydration reminders to encourage employees to stay hydrated throughout the day. If you’re in an office environment a verbal nudge every few hours will help to remind employees. Of course, if your team is remote then it may be worth setting up reminders or sending messages across instant messaging services. Staying hydrated is essential for maintaining energy levels, focus and cognitive function.”

 

Embrace flexible working

Lastly, Neil encourages management to embrace flexible working. “Offer flexible work arrangements if possible. If you can, allow your employees to work remotely or encourage flexi time. This means your team can avoid working during some of the hottest times of the day as well as starting and finishing earlier to embrace the cooler hours.”

How CEOs Can Find Time for Stock Trading & Investing with the Help of Apps

Posted on | by Jennifer Spencer

Being a CEO is a demanding role that requires immense dedication and time commitment. 

However, many CEOs are also keen on exploring stock trading and investing to grow their personal wealth. 

Finding time for such activities can be challenging, but with the advent of trading apps, it has become easier to manage investments on the go. 

In this article, we will explore some strategies that CEOs can employ to make time for stock trading and investing while utilising the convenience of trading apps.

Embrace Technology and Trading Apps

Trading apps have revolutionised the world of investing by providing CEOs and other professionals with a convenient platform to access markets, research stocks, and execute trades from their smartphones or tablets. 

These apps offer real-time data, intuitive interfaces, and various tools to aid decision-making. 

By leveraging the power of trading apps, CEOs can effectively manage their investments even amidst their busy schedules.

Set Clear Objectives and Define Investment Strategies

Time is a valuable resource for CEOs, so it is crucial to set clear investment objectives and develop well-defined strategies. 

CEOs should establish specific goals such as long-term wealth accumulation, capital preservation, or diversification. 

By doing so, they can focus their attention on stocks that align with their investment objectives, saving time on researching irrelevant opportunities.

Delegate and Automate

Delegation is a vital skill for any CEO, and it can be applied to investment activities as well. 

CEOs can assign certain tasks related to stock trading and investing to trustworthy and capable professionals within their team or hire expert advisors to manage their portfolios. 

By leveraging the expertise of others, CEOs can save time while still staying involved in investment decision-making.

Additionally, automation can play a significant role in streamlining investment processes. 

Trading apps often provide features like automated trading, stop-loss orders, and alerts that can help CEOs stay informed and take necessary actions without constant monitoring.

Stay Informed with Market News and Research

To make informed investment decisions, CEOs need to stay updated with market news, company reports, and industry trends. 

However, scouring through numerous sources can be time-consuming. Trading apps often provide access to real-time market news, research reports, and expert analysis, all in one place. 

CEOs can customise their news feeds to focus on relevant sectors or specific companies, allowing them to stay informed without spending excessive time on research.

Optimise Time and Establish Routine

CEOs can find time for stock trading and investing by optimising their schedules and establishing dedicated routines. 

By blocking out specific time slots during the day or week for reviewing investments and making trading decisions, CEOs can ensure they devote sufficient attention to their portfolios. 

Trading apps’ mobility allows CEOs to engage in investment activities during breaks, commutes, or other free moments, maximising their available time.

Learn and Network

While CEOs are often pressed for time, it is essential to continue learning and expanding their knowledge about stock trading and investing. By joining relevant forums, attending conferences, or participating in webinars, CEOs can gain valuable insights and perspectives from industry experts. Additionally, networking with fellow CEOs and experienced investors can provide unique learning opportunities and facilitate idea sharing.

Conclusion

For CEOs looking to engage in stock trading and investing, finding time amidst their demanding responsibilities can be a challenge. 

However, trading apps offer a convenient solution by providing real-time access to markets and portfolio management tools. 

By leveraging these apps, setting clear objectives, delegating tasks, staying informed, optimizing time, and continuously learning, CEOs can strike a balance between their leadership roles and personal investment activities. 

Remember, successful investing requires discipline, a long-term perspective, and careful decision-making, even with the aid of trading apps.

Business Leaders

From Canoeists to Healers, Business Leaders in 2023

Posted on | by Akeela Zahair

By Thom Dennis, CEO of culture change and leadership specialists, Serenity in Leadership

According to a survey conducted by Trvst in 2019, 81 per cent of respondents said that to judge a leader as successful, they must be able to lead them through “more complexity and ambiguity”. Few could have predicted exactly how leaders and businesses would have to navigate themselves through the tumultuous health, social, political and economic crisis after crisis over the last three years, but what is emerging is a clear need for leaders and their teams to take some time to regroup, repair and regenerate.

One in 4 people will experience a mental health condition every year in England according to Mind and suicide is the 4th leading cause of death amongst 15-29 year olds according to the World Health Organisation.  In March of 2022, the WHO also stated that the Covid-19 pandemic was responsible for a 25% increase in the prevalence of anxiety and depression on a global scale.  With 1 in 14  UK adults reportedly feeling stressed on a daily basis, it is no surprise that two-thirds of full-time employees say they have experienced burnout at some point in their careers, but 36% of workers state that their organisations have done nothing to help stave off employee burnout. Additionally, burnout rates are reportedly higher in female leadership positions, with 50% stating that they are consistently burned out. This has a knock-on effect on workforces, with approximately 13.7 million working days being lost every year in the UK as a result of work-related stress, costing approximately £28.3 billion annually. 

 

Those who succeed during a crisis, lead like a canoeist

I once had the privilege of rafting down the Grand Canyon, and a few canoeists came with us. Before each of the powerful rapids, we would all stop and assess the layout and plot a route through. This applied to everyone, even those who had been down the river a number of times as each journey is unique and changes depending on the power of the water. What I came to realise was that actually once you are in the rapid there’s very little you can do except be agile, use your experience and sense, work with the flow, not against it, and make small alterations as you go along to keep yourself on a safe route. It feels like a really strong metaphor for businesses surviving hard times – as opposed to leaders who jump in like an action figure, think Elon Musk and Twitter, and try to work against the flow, or even worse, dictate the flow. However, if the canoe has become damaged, we need to spend time fixing it, and not with small plasters and quick patches. The leader that instigates the sometimes painful process of healing following a difficult period of time, is the one who can lead their team to safety and growth through learning.

 

So what are the best ways to start the healing and regeneration process?

Understand what the priorities are.

We need to deal with the hard things first. Look at what you are not attending to that actually needs to be dealt with.  Assess what’s in your ‘too difficult’ tray and start there. Get back to what is the DNA of the business whilst being curious about opening up to new opportunities and looking at new dimensions. 

 

Know that the difference between good leadership and the misuse of power is fear and control.

To repair and rehabilitate a business involves the unification of those in a shared environment.  So often, businesses will attempt a silo approach of addressing issues in isolation which often ends badly and with only the stimulation of personal agendas that facilitate greater issues and contribute to the fracturing of the business.

Leaders need to use power in a different way. The exercise of power is more about ego, and so naturally fear, authority and control play assorted parts in the equation.  Good leadership is actually a kind of giving, being a role model, guiding individuals and helping to enable their personal achievements as well as success for a greater common interest. Great leaders come from a place of humility and service.

 

Cut out all that is unhealthy and be honest.

Being open with your workforce and addressing the difficult issues is the most healing decision for the long-term future of the business.  Telling the truth with respect and clarity leads to repair and renewed health.

Aim for the transformation of a stagnated culture.  Call things out bravely in the moment and take positive action rather than let the toxicity grow. Talk about the ‘elephants in the room’ because they sap so much energy.  Excise what is noxious and seek to keep all healthy tissue where possible. It’s so easy to trigger each other with gossip, office politics and micro aggressions rather than taking any issues we may have to the person, but strong leaders must prioritise the restoration of unity and bring together any areas of the workplace that are fragmented or exiled.  A lost sense of community is unbelievably damaging.  We need to find a way to re-create this especially in work from home or hybrid communities.

Start deep listening. Stop what you are doing when someone is talking to you, don’t send emails, just look at them and bring your full self to the interaction.  Often when we are in trouble, we don’t want a solution, we just want someone to hear what we are thinking and feeling, and someone’s full presence can facilitate that. Society has conditioned us to think we need to find solutions for others.  Unless they ask for help just listening can quite often be enough. In this way they feel supported to dig deep, use their own resources and work out what to do themselves. This is both empowering and compassionate.

 

Know your purpose and show wisdom.

Good leaders have a high level or self-awareness; they consistently work to improve themselves, developing their CQ and EQ, fully embedding care and inclusion in their strategy. It is important also to understand one’s personal purpose, what drives one and how this is affecting behaviour, impact and strategy. They prioritise these aspects as much as profit and success. Today, if purpose is not embedded in your strategy and seen and experienced throughout your projects then you won’t get engagement from talent, especially from the younger generations.

Address all diversity, inclusion and equality issues.  If combined with cultural intelligence, the more diverse the workplace the better it is for the business and its people.  There is rarely only one right answer and so the more possible answers you have the better.

Know your people and what is going on and what is missing. Look for greater wisdom by walking around the office several times a week and chatting with colleagues.  Look at your team and the dynamics and what’s going on amongst them, especially if not everyone is in the office at the same time.

If you are in a hybrid situation, ensure that when people are in the office, they spend less time on their emails, and more having face to face relating and community building.

 

Rebalance your emotional and physical selves.

In order to be great for their people, leaders need also to be good to themselves and respect the need for self-care.  Healers understand the benefits of the feminine which expresses emotion whilst the unhealthy masculine rejects it and spends much of its energy suppressing it or expressing it dysfunctionally. Healer leaders encourage the sharing of emotions in themselves and in their people. There is a lot of toxicity and imposter syndrome at the moment and those people suffering need support because they inevitably bring their damaged selves to work.  You can’t be creative and productive and thrive when you are feeling terrible.

 

Serenity In Leadership is co-hosting an executive leadership retreat in Guatemala in late September 2023 aimed at enabling leaders to understand themselves and what drives them much better, developing leadership skills and authenticity through an experiential deep dive.

7 Critical Leadership Skills For Any Business

Posted on | by root

Successful entrepreneurs think creatively and get the most out of their employees as possible. These leadership abilities are especially useful for new company owners who need to demonstrate the worth of their product or service via branding. Having excellent leadership abilities in the business world may help you attract new investors, pique the attention of key stakeholders, and keep your organisation’s objective on track.

Running a business is a rewarding but difficult endeavour, with surprises and obstacles around every corner. It requires a strong leader to coordinate the many moving pieces of a company to the point where it can survive on its own. Leadership is crucial to the success of any organisation, whether you’re the boss or the boss’s employee. The leadership of a company may either propel it forward or drive it to its demise. You can help your organisation reach its full potential by developing your business and management acumen.

Tips To Improve Your Leadership Capabilities In Business?

You are already showing signs of leadership potential if you are interested in developing your business leadership abilities. To motivate others, natural leaders strive towards peak performance. In order to be a successful leader and businessperson, consider the following advice.

Inspire Your Followers, Don’t Dominate Them

A hallmark of effective leadership is its ability to inspire its followers to give their all at all times. Effective corporate leadership encourages teamwork rather than imposing obligations on employees. When everyone in a team is confident in their place and knows they are contributing, ideas flow freely.

Be An Example To Follow 

You need to set an example as the leader of your company. It’s not always good to order your employees. Rather, you should develop a strong bond with your team members to get the most out of them. When you lead by example, you provide the groundwork for your company’s culture to flourish. Honesty, integrity, and trustworthiness are qualities you should exhibit so they may be associated with your brand.

Ask the Team To Bring Cost-effective Solutions

Cost is a major factor that a true business leader must keep an eye on. Always ask your team to come up with cost-effective solutions to save your company’s finances. Whether it is about technology tools or software, I prefer to use free auto bots. Many successful businesses make use of free auto bots like bitcoin buyer to execute business operations. By cutting costs, you can see a major difference in a company’s progress towards achieving goals. . 

Be An Expert Communicator

Leadership and corporate success depend on leaders’ abilities to effectively communicate with their teams, customers, and other business and community partners. You may better customise your message to your audience and increase the likelihood of it being comprehended if you take the time to identify your team’s and your own communication styles. In addition to raising the bar for everyone else in your company, your verbal and nonverbal communication abilities will benefit every facet of operations.

Develop Your Conflict Resolution Skills

Disputes will arise in the workplace regardless of how effectively its members interact with one another. To be an effective company leader, you must master the art of defusing tension and turning roadblocks into openings. Mastering the art of negotiating is crucial in resolving conflicts. Successful negotiation may prevent any side from walking away from a quarrel feeling like they lost or won. Instead, everyone will feel that they’ve gained insight and settled on a reasonable outcome that may serve as a springboard for better planning in the future.

Celebrate Success

The best teams are those that often celebrate their wins, no matter how big or little. In an effort to make adjustments and progress, it might be tempting to dwell on failed business agreements, underperforming personnel, and team blunders. It would be a mistake, though, if the triumphs weren’t celebrated and the people who went above and beyond weren’t recognised. Using positive reinforcement as a regular part of your leadership repertoire may have a significant impact on your company’s morale and productivity.

Conclusion 

Productive results depend critically on the presence of competent leadership. Considering the importance of organisational efficiency in a global environment, it is essential to examine the challenges in a global economy. Leaders in business take charge of their organisations and are responsible for several different tasks. Organisational leadership is a complex system comprised of several individuals working together to achieve common goals.

Business people in office cooperating at the wall with the stickers. Mixed team of entrepreneurs
Leadership

How to Be a Leader Employees Don’t Leave

Posted on | by Akeela Zahair

By Suzanne Ogle

There are hundreds of articles written daily on traits of fantastic leaders and toxic leaders; hundreds of buzzwords abound in the media on these topics.   Of course, there is also the age-old debate of whether great leaders are born or made.  When it boils down to being a leader that people want to stick with and not leave, that leader has to create a compelling vision of where they are going and taking their team and communicate it in the same compelling manner.  The leader needs to exhibit alignment between this vision and their values, cultivate a culture of trust and know who they are leading.  Finally, this leader needs to know the people they want to follow them.

Traits that are required to create and communicate this type of vision requires leaders to focus on what is important to their company, their values and their team. The vision has to align with the company’s mission, the leaders values and what matters to their team.  A leader has to be crystal clear on depicting this vision and communicating it in several ways to land with all members of the team.  There must be a laser-like focus on where they are going and how it achieves success – for the company, the leader and their team.   The leader has to ensure this vision has marked progress points, a beginning and an end, and can be understood by the many.  A leader demonstrates their competence by aligning the vision with the mission of the company. They continually build their credibility across the organization by knowing where they are going is directly related to where the company needs to go to be successful.

The alignment of the vision to the leaders values it critical to fostering trust, authenticity and loyalty. People do not follow someone they do not trust.  Trust is built when a leader demonstrates, actually lives their values visibly in their everyday interactions.  A leader must be intentional in their actions and interactions with people.  The focus needed for the vision requires attentiveness so that its alignment with the leader’s values is observable.   How a leader handles themselves when the pressure is on requires thoughtful, deliberate action and response.  A measured approach that is consistent and trust-worthy will make great strides in cultivating the culture of trust in which employees desire to belong.

Finally, we all want to be seen and understood.  In order for a leader to create trust with their team, they must know their team.  Creating an amazing vision is empty air if it does not matter to the people that are working to make the vision a reality.  A leader must take the time to get to know their team, their desires, goals, objectives, and dreams in order to compel them to stay and work hard together for this shared vision.   Demonstrating compassion builds on a leader’s credibility and enables the leader to hold team members accountable.  Most teams want enough structure to know what to do and know when they are off-course.  A leader that knows their team has the capacity to keep people on track in a motivating manner; one that takes into account how joining the leader’s mission to achieve this vision also makes a difference to that team member.

Leaders can cultivate skills and learn traits to make them more equipped to communicate and articulate a great vision.  One can practice communicating in a compelling manner and improve their delivery.  Great leaders may not be born great, it takes being intentional, attentive to others and having the confidence to be authentic.  Regardless, great leaders have to work hard and know how to be successful themselves, they must live their values – everyday, and they have to truly care about their team; then they can cultivate a place where people desire to work to fulfill the vision cast.

Mitigating Risks in 2023: Strategies for Business Leaders

Posted on | by root

The UK’s business landscape has always been a fruitful and diverse one, rich in opportunity. But recent years have brought significant, unique, and unprecedented challenges to the nation – and navigating the business landscape in 2023 has become somewhat difficult for investors and business leaders.

The chief challenge that businesses and investors are having to contend with is the rise in inflation and the corresponding hikes to interest rates. In such a dynamic economic environment, it is nothing short of crucial for businesses to adopt proactive risk management practices, both to safeguard their operations and maintain longer-term financial stability. What strategies can business leaders employ to mitigate the unique risks posed by present times?

The Effects of Rising Inflation and Interest Rates

The UK has been experiencing sustained high levels of inflation for over 18 months, initially brought on by disruption to the international energy market. High wholesale costs, exacerbated by fresh barriers to trade induced by the UK’s withdrawal from the EU, rippled into other industries and consumer markets, causing the Bank of England to attempt deflationary measures through rising interest rates.

Rising inflation increases operating costs and reduces profitability for businesses while rising interest rates make borrowing more costly over time. Repayment rates can increase considerably, making cash flow more important than ever.

Prioritising Health and Safety Compliance

In the pursuit of cost savings, there are some businesses that may be tempted to cut corners with regard to health and safety in the form of reduced time and spending on training, for example. However, not only is this kind of approach usually illegal, but the risks it poses can lead to significant costs through civil action. By ensuring they remain compliant with health and safety regulations, businesses maintain safe working environments, reducing the likelihood of incidents and mitigating the potential financial and reputational consequences of such incidents. Going above and beyond with regard to health and safety can also boost productivity, through raising trust between staff and management.

Proactive Risk Mitigation Strategies

Mitigating risk is not something that can be achieved passively – nor is it something that can be achieved reactively. To react means to have endured, which often means the damage is done. Instead, businesses need to adopt a proactive approach that involves identifying potential risks and taking appropriate measures to mitigate them.

One key method to approach this is to conduct risk assessments tailored to specific industry processes, landscapes, or operations. Risk assessments are often thought of as a health and safety measure but can also be extremely useful as a structure for identifying weak points in a department, project or business model – let alone priming a business for future challenges and disruptions.

Turning the drafting of a risk assessment into a wider company culture can also help to fortify it against potential difficulties. Encouraging employees to speak up with their own concerns, whether through a concerted transparency push or an internal whistleblowing system, can be a strong way to build resilience – providing business executives are prepared to listen.

HGM Consulting

Strategy. Talent. Results.

Posted on | by Akeela Zahair

HGM Consulting (HGMC) is a distinctive Canadian consultancy firm that infuses new life into businesses and enables them to expand and prosper. By offering comprehensive turn-key solutions, HGMC serves as a crucial resource for exporters and innovators, investors and investment recipients, seeking to build valuable partnerships and development strategies. In this article, we take a closer look at HGMC’s services and highlight Dr. Alexander S. Karapetov, who was recently awarded the title of the Most Influential Export & Investment Consultancy CEO 2023 (Ontario, Canada).

In today’s globalized business landscape, companies face a significant challenge when it comes to expanding into foreign markets through international trade and investment. The complexity of market entry strategies, particularly in the technology sector, can be overwhelming and require specialized knowledge and experience. This hurdle often leaves businesses feeling stuck and uncertain about how to proceed. Fortunately, well-established consulting firms have emerged as an invaluable asset for companies looking to navigate the intricacies of international trade and investment.

HGM Consulting (Canada) is an innovative leader – it holds the torch, leads the way, and even carves out a path between its clients and their desired market for investments, business innovations, and high-tech. Its expertise covers a plethora of areas such as economic diversification and international investment attraction; business innovation and related institutional development; commercialization of IP and technology transfer; international business and technology clustering; strategic planning and management; alongside risk management; organizational performance improvement; and much more.

As a strategic advisory, HGMC’s team members are more than employees – they are the very lifeblood of the business. The team at HGMC is made up of seasoned experts with a multidisciplinary background and tremendous international experience who each search for innovative solutions and sustainable ways of supporting their clients in their business ventures, including their export and investment projects. 

“The company is well-equipped to assist clients in conducting comprehensive quantitative and qualitative research, developing an investment and innovation strategy (including business planning and modelling, marketing, and related technology solutions), facilitating the investment negotiation process and in providing follow-up support in project/program design, planning, and implementation.”

Its services are well-defined, tangible, and intelligently packaged. HGMC has the innate ability to take on any project needed, and it truly knows how to navigate the turbulent waters of international investment, trade, and innovation. No matter the desired market in North America, Eastern Europe and the GCC region, or East and Central Asia, HGMC’s star-studded team can take on any challenge.

HGMC approaches every project in a bespoke manner. The company’s experts “diagnose the core problem and provide the right solution based on the integrated design that will define the right strategic target and cover all aspects essential for successful implementation – all concepts and tools critical for economic/business development and innovation”.

A lot of time is wasted when covering issues with what seems to be a one-size-fits-all approach. Whereas, with HGMC, even the most deeply rooted issue can be weeded out and cured with its tailor-made solutions.

“Broad knowledge of various markets within and outside North America, access to strategic business intelligence and to top-notch business professionals, expertise in export promotion, investment attraction and innovation enhancement, all distinguish HGM Consulting and make up the foundation for its clients’ success.”

As HGMC continues to commit itself to helping its clients in every way it can, its CEO and President, Dr. Alexander S. Karapetov consistently supports his team to do so. His professional credentials and the reputation of an influential CEO are greatly recognized by the company’s staff members, executive team, clients, and business partners, but his impact as the Most Influential Export & Investment Consultancy CEO 2023 is unparalleled.

Alexander has a wealth of strategy and management consulting experience stemming from decades of involvement in the trade. His insightful consulting skills ensure he always stays on top of his game, which inevitably guarantees a better future for all of HGMC’s clients.

Taking on each project as though it were his own, Alexander nurtures his client’s plan and transforms it so that their idea can become reality. Working in industrial investment and innovation management and international business and technology development for so many years has given Alexander a head start on the competition, making him a fantastic option if you are looking for an expert and an executive who is fully focused on understanding the trends and requirements within various investment and technology markets to ensure his clients’ success.

Alexander’s strategic economic development and management consulting skills have allowed him to make a name for himself, but his interpersonal and executive coaching skills make him truly unique as a CEO. Guiding his team and clients to success every day, Alexander’s leadership skills mimic his executive coaching approach and his personal philosophy, ensuring everyone feels seen and heard.

People celebrate Alexander’s leadership qualities and appreciate his deep experience. As just one shining example, Eugene Kritski, VP at GlobeScan Inc., said in his LinkedIn reference for Alexander, “I had a pleasure working with Dr. Alexander Karapetov on a couple of developmental projects. He showed himself as one of the most impressive executives I have ever worked with. His strategic and creative way of thinking is coupled with rich international experience in business consulting, export development, and international investments. He has a first-hand knowledge of many international markets in Europe and Asia and is a great networker and negotiator. He possesses an outstanding ability to combine a solid business intelligence and translate it into effective and well-balanced decisions and practical actions. Alexander is a talented and very reliable partner.” 

It is Alexander’s dedication to stellar teamwork and his continual professional and personal development, which make him a fantastic asset to any team he is part of. Alexander has now been recognised for his dedicated leadership and irreplaceable presence within HGMC.

“HGM Consulting is always interested in extending its horizons and is flexible in adapting to the needs of its clients. The company wants to thank all existing partners and invite those who can benefit from its assistance to reach out!”

Going forward, HGMC is set on its upward trajectory. Reliably acting as a strong, sturdy, and results-driven consulting firm with its feet firmly on the ground, HGM Consulting is a consultancy firm that will always bring success to its clients and business partners.

For further information, please contact Dr. Alexander S. Karapetov or visit https://hgmconsulting.ca/ 

Employee Wellness

Fixing the Wellbeing Gap – Employees Take a Week Off Work On Average Due to Mental Health

Posted on | by Akeela Zahair

Against the backdrop of an extremely tough year for the country, workers are facing a mental health recession and taking more time off due to mental health.

A study conducted by Westfield Health found that on average employees take a week off work due to their mental health. Despite this, the majority of workers (66%) aren’t accessing any mental health support.

Unfortunately, the study also revealed there is little sign of things improving, with 46% of those surveyed feeling their mental wellbeing will not improve in the next year.

Businesses have committed to tackling the problem, they are spending more money on wellbeing, with 42% of businesses increasing their wellbeing spending in 2022 and nearly a half expecting to further increase it in 2023. Despite this, more than half (56%) of workers with access to wellbeing support at work do not use it.

This is resulting in a wellbeing gap as mental health worsens but businesses are still not seeing engagement with the support they offer. Westfield Health warns that spending wisely is more important than spending more, especially as budgets are squeezed.

To tackle the mental health recession employers need a strong wellbeing strategy focused on what employees need. Unless the support offered by businesses has an impact, the crisis will continue to spiral and ultimately affect talent retention and the bottom line for businesses.

Commenting on this, Vicky Walker, Group Director of People at Westfield Health, says: “While it’s encouraging that businesses recognise the importance of wellbeing at work, the decline in workers’ mental health across the country is cause for concern and needs action.

“Many businesses are planning on spending more on wellbeing in 2023, but budget worries are on the horizon. Our research found that the top barrier for HR teams investing more in wellbeing was a lack of budget. It’s not just about what you spend, it’s about how you spend it.

“To avoid the wellbeing gap worsening, businesses need to get strategic. To get the most out of their investments, employers need to have a wellbeing strategy that’s effective, measurable and impactful with engagement from employees. Without a strategy, their efforts may go to waste.”

One of the top reasons why employees are not engaging with their employer’s wellbeing support is due to a lack of two-way communication. The research found that 41% of employees were not being asked to input into their workplace’s wellbeing strategy and only half (51%) feel their manager is there for wellbeing support.

Vicky continues: “Businesses need to do more with less this year and that means there is added pressure to prove a return on investment for employee wellbeing. Our research found that only 43% of workers said their employer had a wellbeing strategy or measured wellbeing.

“Employee wellbeing is hanging in the balance as mental health worsens which will inevitable hit productivity and bottom lines. Creating an employee wellbeing strategy is the most effective way for businesses to help their people through this.”

With communication and support being key, Vicky shares the steps to what an ideal wellbeing strategy should involve:

  1. Engage with employees and collect data – ask them how they feel about what they need to improve their wellbeing, the organisation’s culture, values and their wellbeing at work to identify areas of concern for the organisation;
  2. Identify themes and objectives;
  3. Review against business priorities;
  4. Create or update wellbeing strategy;
  5. Implement and monitor the strategy.

“It’s important to continually review your strategy, it’s a cycle, not a linear process. So when step five is underway, it’s time to return back to step one and repeat the process again and again.

“Measuring your wellbeing strategy’s success is what will lead to real engagement from employees. This, in turn, leads to a return on investment. At a time when HR needs to prove an impact, and balance budgets and wellbeing, the importance of strategy can’t be ignored.”

Team Manager

What Can Psychology Teach Us About Team Management?

Posted on | by Akeela Zahair

By Gaute Godager

Management continues to be a tough skill to master and shouldn’t be a one-size-fits-all approach. However, one fundamental that all successful people managers should understand is the psychology behind human behaviour, needs and ambition. This is key to creating a strong team that embraces the direction of travel of the business and part that they play.

There are some key principles of psychology that can be easily applied to everyday management techniques, explains psychologist Gaute Godager, who was instrumental in helping drive the success of Attensi, the leading gamified training specialist.

Gaute harnessed his psychological expertise and understanding of learning to create gamified training that taps into human behaviour to successfully coach managers and trainees all over the world.

Here, he explains his tips on how team leaders can utilise psychological tools to boost motivation and accelerate learning via gamified training to get the most from their teams.

 

Rewarding failure

A big part of being a good leader is understanding where the strengths and weaknesses of your team lie. To identify this there must be a fail-safe environment in which employees can make mistakes.

Gamified training rewards failure, which is something that managers are often afraid to do. People learn from their own mistakes, so when you make a mistake on a learning game, it still ignites the reward part of the brain and encourages you to try again, allowing the failures to take place in a safe environment.

Punishment in response to an error is unproductive, as it teaches people to hide their mistakes. Managers rewarding staff for learning from their own mistakes demonstrates that there is huge value in the process of learning to grow from previous failures.

 

The Silence of the Managers

Managers can often beat around the bush when it comes to delivering feedback to employees, perhaps to avoid conflict or because of time constraints. Despite the benefits to a business of candid feedback, any kind of fault-finding can often feel uncomfortable and socially challenging.

Without feedback it is difficult for employees to know where they may be falling short and as a result, they are deprived of the opportunity to improve. Consistent, honest feedback is vital for personal development and ensuring that learners remain keen to learn.

Gamified training is clear and instant in delivering feedback, highlighting errors or triumphs in a concise and non-confrontational way. This then allows employees to learn from their mistakes and make changes to their future performance.

 

Forget me not

Information overload is a common occurance for modern-day employees. Due to the volume of outlets constantly competing for our attention, it has become more difficult to retain information.  

Psychiatrist Hermann Ebbinghaus’s ‘Forgetting Curve’ states that within one hour of learning, people forget approximately 50 per cent of newly acquired knowledge. This then reaches 70 per cent after 24 hours and 90 per cent within a week.

This theory is also applicable to training, as heavily detailed training is often unengaging and forgettable. Creating training that is enjoyable and digestible makes training a lot more impactful and yields a much higher level of engagement from employees.

Gamified training breaks down learning modules into smaller, more manageable minigames and tasks, leading to more repeat attempts and higher levels of information retention. There is also a competitive element with leader boards, so employees can compete against colleagues in a fun way. This method of training also requires a higher degree of problem solving than traditional learning methods, which is another contributing factor to its levels of engagement.

By understanding the psychology behind human behaviour and motivation, managers are better equipped to select impactful and effective methods of training that support employees through continual development and working to their full potential.

Businessman talking in meeting

Are You Leading or Micromanaging? Here Are a Few Signs to Look Out For

Posted on | by Magdalena Lew

Only the teams and organisations that evolve at pace will be here in a decade, and micromanaging is a real threat which can have devastating effects on the morale of employees and the performance of an organisation. A flourishing working relationship with employees is built on a foundation of trust and respect, and micromanaging is a rapid way to kill this.

A recent survey revealed that 71% of employees have had their job performance hindered by micromanagement and 69% have considered changing jobs because of the behaviour. Cultural transformation and performance intervention specialists FirstHuman point out some classic signs that leaders could be micromanaging their team.

Oddi Aasheim, Performance Intervention Partner at FirstHuman said: “Micromanaging is a complex issue to tackle within the workplace as it requires senior leaders to take a raw and honest look at themselves and their behaviour in the workplace. The idea that poor team performance and morale could lie at the fault of the leader’s management style is a tough pill to swallow but is a sign of a truly authentic and responsible leader if they’re courageous enough to do so.”

Here are a few indicators to which senior leaders should be paying attention.

 

Reluctant delegating work

Many leaders feel that the way of working and the outputs of their teams should comply with how they themselves think a task needs to be performed. When experiencing that team members may see things differently, their fail-safe is to do things themselves or revert to detailed management of the sub-tasks to be performed. When employees experience senior leaders keeping the work to themselves it can send a message that they are not trusted to action tasks correctly or effectively. This often results in stories about how the leader is a ‘control-freak’, or wants to keep the glory for themselves if the outcome of the work is a success.

“Micromanaging is often about leaders fearing failure and being attached to ‘looking good’ to their own bosses”, Oddi said, “and very few leaders would openly admit to being a micromanager. It is common that the people who are the experts in their area are the ones that get promoted, and it becomes difficult for them to create the space for a team to experiment, make mistakes and learn. Their version of getting things right is often attached to doing things the way they would have done it. Whilst these reasons might be perfectly understandable to a leader, the effect that it has on employees are not to be ignored.

“If tasks are not delegated to employees, there is no opportunity for them to showcase their expertise and therefore very little opportunity for growth.”

 

Bristling when decisions are made without their input

Senior leaders often hold positions of power and authority within an organisation, and they may feel that their exclusion from decision-making processes diminishes their authority and undermines their ability to lead effectively. 

Oddi said: “If senior leaders find themselves being unhappy when decisions are made without them, it’s a good idea to step back and ask themselves why. If the upset is about a perceived risk to themselves or their standing in the organisation, it is time to get a good leadership coach. A senior leader wanting every decision to be sent their way will make employees abdicate responsibility, be fearful making decisions and delegate upwards overloading the leader. Empowering employees and giving them a degree of autonomy is crucial so they can develop key skills and become proactive problem-solvers.”

 

Having an obedient team

Many a satisfied leader will refer to having a team that is effective, efficient and stands ready for anything. This might sound great and can be the perfect set-up for specific situations. However, more often than not, it is a sign that the team has become compliant and highly trained, rather than being creative and generative. If a leader has a team that is a mirror image of how they prefer to work, then it is once again time for the micromanagement alarm to sound.

Oddi says: “When I hear a leader that mainly communicates to her/his team about how to complete tasks, and not about producing outcomes and results, I get worried. Training a team to be perfect in the tasks they perform is a sure sign of micromanagement. Whilst this is appropriate in some compliance heavy roles, it is a sure-fire way of disempowering people in more creative spheres.”

“If you are a leader that has a view on the long-term sustainability and success of the organisation, you need to foster people and a culture that learns and evolves quicker than the competition. You are dependent on employees that are free-thinkers and generate new ideas and ways of working. Leaders who are potentially micromanaging need to look within themselves to ensure they are not snuffing out the light of their team and causing more harm than good”.

5 Marketing Tips to Streamline Your Multi-Channel Sales

Posted on | by root

Statistics show that 73% of consumers shop on more than one channel. Furthermore, 30% higher lifetime customer values are attributed to consumers that shop across multiple channels.

A multi-channel sales approach can provide multiple benefits, including expanding your customer pool, diversifying your products, and giving you access to customer insights.

Let’s have a look at five marketing tips to streamline your multi-channel sales.

1. Adjusting prices to each channel

When using multiple sales channels, you should avoid implementing a rigid price structure. For each channel, you should take into consideration costs, customer behaviour, and the intensity of the competition.

For instance, if you are new to online marketplaces like Amazon and you still haven’t built a strong reputation in that channel, you may initially set a lower price than the one you have set in physical stores located in a regional area where your brand is particularly known and beloved.

Another example is using different price structures for certain products when sold to end consumers through a retail shop compared to a B2B sales channel because individual business clients may order the products in larger volumes when you bring the price down a bit.

2. Optimizing inventory management

Opting for multiple sales channels requires proper inventory management too. An organized inventory is essential for a successful multi-channel strategy, enabling you to maintain accurate product availability and prices across all of your channels.

For example, let’s say there are 30 black Nike t-shirts in stock. If five have been sold on Amazon, four have been sold on eBay, and four have been sold through your small physical retail store, then it’s crucial for you to update your inventory throughout all channels to the new availability of 18 t-shirts.

By doing so, you will prevent annoying situations that may damage your reputation as a seller, like having to cancel an order due to a lack of availability. Using inventory management software can help you prevent these types of scenarios.

3. Distributing personalized content through individual sales channels

When using multiple sales channels, you should also take steps to tailor your content to each channel. This means using messages and monetization tactics that can maximize results in those specific channels.

For each channel, use the tools that are effective in adding value to the customer’s journey and helping your audience better connect with your products or services. Examples range from creating video content specifically for YouTube to optimizing your website’s SEO to drive more organic traffic to using email marketing tactics to drive more sales from your customers.

Simultaneously, you should keep in mind your overall marketing and brand object to coordinate and synchronize campaigns across multiple channels.

4. Optimizing marketing campaigns based on analytics insights

Analytics tools can help businesses track the performance of each campaign across different channels. This allows them to make real-time adjustments to make sure that their efforts are reaching the right audiences and conveying the right messages.

Analytics can also be used by companies to compare their performance in each marketing channel and identify those that deliver the best results. This will allow them to focus their efforts and investments on those channels that are driving the most ROI.

5. Leveraging automation

Using the right automation tools can help businesses reduce the amount of manual work needed to manage different sales channels.

Automation can also increase the coordination between different channels and streamline various operations such as inventory management, product updates, and customer service.

Automation simplifies the process of amassing data from several sales channels, which can give invaluable insights into consumer preferences and behaviour. This information can be used to streamline marketing campaigns and product offerings, with the ultimate goal of maximizing prospective earnings.

Moreover, automation also helps in facilitating back-end activities like inventory management and order fulfillment, allowing businesses to trace their products through multiple channels with ease.

What Does it Take to Lead with a Global Mindset?

Posted on | by root

The rise of globalism and technology has led to a shift in the way organizations need to approach leadership. As businesses become increasingly interconnected and employees collaborate more on a global scale, it is critical for managers to develop the skills necessary for leading with a global mindset.

From recognizing diversity to understanding cultural nuances, having an international perspective can help organizations unlock greater growth potential in both customer engagement and employee productivity. In this blog post, we’ll explore what goes into becoming a leader with strong cross-cultural fluency and how you can foster this skillset within your management team.

What should a leader have to lead with a global mindset?

To lead with a global mindset requires a leader to be humble yet confident, open to new experiences and ideas, and passionate to make a difference in the lives of others. They must have an understanding that their decision-making has implications beyond their own industry or region and strive to bring out the best in team members by encouraging collaboration across boundaries.

Leaders should also possess strong communication skills so they can easily understand new cultures and respect different opinions. More importantly, they should be someone who has the courage to take risks that could move the organization forward while helping reduce any potential cultural clashes along the way.

How to become a global leader

A global leader is someone who can foster relationships across communities, cultures, and borders. To become one, you must move away from narrow thinking and develop a mindset that is flexible and open to diverse perspectives.

To achieve this, it helps to shift your focus from the domestic market to an international field. This means researching different countries around the world and learning about the different cultural values in each place. It’s also important to keep up with global current events and develop an understanding of their implications out of curiosity rather than judgment. Seek new insights and invite conversation about potential opportunities as opposed to having rigid opinions on business strategies.

Lastly, incorporate diversity into every task or idea by actively seeking input from people across various backgrounds, such as international colleagues or stakeholders. It’s impossible to be a successful leader without being able to see things from multiple angles while also considering cultural sensitivities when making decisions—this is what it takes to have a truly global mindset.

CQ – how important is cultural intelligence for global leaders

Leading with a global mindset requires a nuanced understanding of different cultures, along with the ability to not only recognize those differences but respond to them in meaningful ways. This can be achieved through the framework of cultural intelligence, which includes four core elements:

attitudeawarenessknowledgeskillsTo have a genuinely global mindset requires being aware of personal biases and actively seeking out opportunities to understand cultures different from one’s own– such as traveling abroad, reading books about different cultures, or connecting with people from diverse backgrounds.

It also necessitates developing expertise in topics such as politics and customs specific to geographic areas and fine-tuning one’s communication skills to navigate different environments and be perceived positively by members of other cultures.

Overall, it takes commitment and perseverance to develop a global mindset, but doing so will ensure effective leaders can respond thoughtfully to the changing environment they’re leading in.

The importance of upgrading skills when moving to a cross-border leadership style

Upgrading skills is essential when transitioning to a cross-border leadership style. Employers are increasingly looking for leaders who can collaborate with people from different regions, cultures, and backgrounds while being respectful of cultural nuances. Cross-border leaders must be comfortable navigating international markets, building relationships with local partners and suppliers, and communicating in multiple languages or through interpreters.

They must also have the capability to envision global solutions that stretch beyond their own immediate environment. Such proficiency can only be achieved by mastering a wide range of skills such as intercultural and interpersonal communication, team collaboration across borders, mentoring diverse teams, and effectively navigating virtual teams. In other words, global leaders must possess the technical knowledge and the flexibility to effectively manage complexity on a grand scale to draw success out of uncertainty.

WorldPrism model of culture

To lead with a global mindset, one must recognize the importance of understanding not only culture but also cultural styles around the world. The WorldPrism model holds that cultural styles can be divided into two dimensions:

shared concentratedShared cultures value collective identity and prioritize relationships, while concentrated cultures put emphasis on hard work and performance. Knowing these differences is essential to leading effectively with a global mindset, as it allows leaders to respect multiple perspectives and accept different ways of working within their teams.

Understanding both shared and concentrated dimensions helps individuals develop strategies for working well with colleagues from different backgrounds, making them more successful in navigating complex global contexts.

From a global perspective, having a strategic mindset is essential for successful leadership. Leaders must seek out opportunities to connect with people from diverse backgrounds and industries, cultivate effective communication skills, and understand their impact on the world. Investments in global knowledge help leaders create solutions that are applicable across countries and cultures alike.

While implementing a global mindset is not easy, doing so makes us better professionals, better citizens of the world, and more creative problem-solvers who are equipped for long-term success. Ultimately, being open-minded about different ways of working and looking outward with an international outlook prepares us for a future of true global leadership.