leadership

  • News

    Lessons from the Fed – Work on Strengths to Achieve Greatness

    What a fabulous weekend of tennis. It was particularly satisfying to see two such powerful women compete in the final. As a player myself, I find the talent and discipline of these young professionals so inspiring.

    But something impressed me even more than Sabalenka’s serve. That’s her acknowledgement of her team. “We’ve been through a lot of downs last year. We worked so hard. You guys deserve this trophy; it’s more about you than about me,” she said.

    It’s tempting to think of singles tennis as purely individual success. But we’re getting increased exposure to the teams behind the greats (with a little help from Netflix). So, what lessons can we take from the courts to the workplace?

    Tip #1: Play to Your Strengths

    “Working on your weaknesses may make you a complete player, but it will never make you dangerous,” says “the Fed”. I took this photo of the great Roger Federer in 2020. Watching him live is an experience I’ll cherish forever. And his advice to play to one’s strengths is top of my list.

    When we apply this subtle shift in focus within our organizations, we benefit enormously. First, allow employees to develop their strengths instead of focusing on their weaknesses. And soon, your teams will be comprised of members who bring diversity and passion to their work.

    Tip #2: Natural Strengths Give You Energy

    Marcus Buckingham defines strengths as those things that give us strength. And not what others tell us we’re good at. This approach means we’re the only ones who can decide our strengths. And better yet, we all have strengths.

    I’ve found my strength and passion in helping organizations and individuals realize their full potential. It’s what gets me up in the morning. And it gives me as much pleasure as my (recreational) tennis. So contact me if you want to know how we can inject some strengths-based thinking into your company.

  • Leadership, News

    Mums in the workplace: How to support them

    From putting their career on hold while taking maternity leave to raise children, to balancing childcare and work, the role of a working mum can be very challenging. According to the Women in the Workplace Report 2021, mums in the workplace also do significantly more childcare and housework than men. That means, even if they’re working full-time, they sometimes go home to do a ‘double-shift’ of work around the home.

    So, what can leaders do to support mums in the workplace?

    Supporting their return to work

    Aside from the logistics of childcare, returning to work from maternity leave can also prove an emotional challenge for someone with a new baby. Be empathetic to the needs of a team member re-entering the workplace after maternity leave. Consider offering a staggered return (such as reduced hours for the first month or so). Also communicate clearly any company changes or developments that have occurred while they have been on leave.

    Work-life balance for mums in the workplace

    Leaders can look at ways of establishing clear work-life boundaries. Try and ensure that meetings are held during normal working hours. If this is not always possible, at least have policies in place that allow mums in the workplace to recoup their overtime as time off in lieu.

    Leaders should appreciate that lots of employees – not just women – feel like they are always ‘on’. So, rethink that after-hours email, or make it clear to your team beforehand that you don’t expect them to respond out of work hours. This goes for you too – ensure you are striking a good work-life balance and be a positive role model to your team.

    Flexibility with working hours

    Have a ‘family first’ outlook. Kids get sick, they also take part in all kinds of extra-curricular activities and are rewarded in lots of different ways at school. Enabling your working parents time out to be there for their children when they need to be will help to keep them engaged at work. So, consider allowing mums in the workplace flexibility with their hours. You could even give them the option to leave work for the school run and then finish the rest of the working day from home, for example.

    Enabling this kind of flexibility could help you to retain talent – after all, many companies are now starting to offer this kind of working practice so employees might consider looking elsewhere if you lag behind in this area. In fact, the Women in the Workplace Report 2021 found that 93% of companies now say more jobs can be performed remotely, and nearly 70% predict many of their employees will regularly work remotely a year from now.

    Help mums in the workplace to climb the career ladder

    According to a recent report, mums in the workplace who work full-time are typically paid just 70 cents for every dollar paid to fathers. That amounts to an average deficit in working mums’ pay packets of $1,500 a month or $18,000 a year.

    Why is this still happening?

    Some leaders may view working mums as being unable to take on challenging work because they are often stretched at home with chores and childcare. They might also consider any time working from home – to take care of a sick child, for example – as somehow inferior to that spent working in the office.

    This might subconsciously (or even, unfortunately, consciously) mean that mums in the workplace aren’t afforded the same opportunities to advance in their career as their colleagues without children.

    Ensuring that you have policies in place to mitigate this gender bias when it comes to pay and promotion will go a long way in helping mums in the workplace take their rightful place at the leadership table.

    I have a special interest in helping women fulfil their leadership potential. Contact me now to see if I can help you.

  • Human Resources, Leadership, Leading Self

    Top 5 qualities of a better leader

    If you want to build a better business, you should be working on becoming a better leader.

    So, what qualities do better leaders have in common? Where should you start on your journey to becoming a better leader? Here are my top 5 suggestions.

    1. Build your personal brand

    To be a better leader, you need to understand who you are. If you stay true to your personal values, you’ll find it easier to be your authentic self at work. This, in turn, allows your team to understand what makes you tick – both at work and, to some degree, in your personal life – which will help to build trust.

    No-one is perfect and your team isn’t expecting you to be. Acknowledge your flaws and weaknesses and improve them to become a stronger, more confident leader. Being a better leader is about nurturing your team so they can be the best they can be – and this should start with yourself. Continual self-development and learning should be a part of your personal brand as a better leader.

    1. Build a culture of trust and transparency

    Trust is important in the workplace. According to the Harvard Business Review, people who work in a business with a culture of trust report “74% less stress, 106% more energy at work, 50% higher productivity, 13% fewer sick days, 76% more engagement, 29% more satisfaction with their lives, 40% less burnout”.

    Pretty impressive statistics!

    Your job as a better leader is to help cultivate trust in your business. Make sure that your people can trust you to keep your word, even if it’s not always the easiest option.

    It is also important to be transparent. Most people will appreciate you for telling it how it is, especially if you are also empathetic (another key quality of a better leader).

    And make sure your team are kept in the loop as much as possible. Communication is integral to this. See below for some tips on ensuring communication is not overlooked in your business.

    1. Better leaders cultivate Emotional Intelligence

    Emotional Intelligence at work is the art of understanding what motivates your team and how to get the best from them. You are aware of your emotions and can use them in a positive way to build your team up, resulting in a more productive, profitable organisation.

    Being aware of, and working on, the 5 elements of Emotional Intelligence as proposed by Daniel Goleman is a great place to start when it comes to becoming a better leader. These 5 elements are: ⁠Self Awareness⁠, Self Regulation⁠, Motivation⁠, Social Awareness⁠ and Relationship Management⁠.

    For a full explanation of Emotional Intelligence and how it relates to the workplace, read my blog on the topic here.

    1. Better leaders communicate, communicate, communicate

    If you consistently hear the phrases ‘I didn’t know about that’, or ‘Nobody told me’, chances are you need to up your communication game.

    Better leaders communicate with their entire business, not just other leaders.

    Internal communication tools can include:

    Staff newsletters – these are a great way to help communicate any changes in the organisation, break down barriers between colleagues and inform them of any social events.

    Teams – this Microsoft program is an easy way to bring people together. You can set up different channels for your different teams and it also allows for more informal interaction (using emojis and gifs, for example).

    Regular face-to-face meetings – be sure that any decisions made at the top level (that your team should be made aware of) are filtered down throughout the entire business. An effective way to do this is to have each leader or head of department hold their own team meeting to encourage two-way conversations with employees.

    1. Treat your people as individuals not robots

    In a world where we are becoming more isolated (thanks to many of us now working from home, social distancing and the like), the need for human connection is more important than ever.

    And, as many of us spend as much, or more, time at work as we do with our family, it’s important that we get that human connection in the workplace – whether it’s remotely or in an office.

    Not to mention that being treated as an individual is a simple matter of respect. Better leaders treat their people as individuals, not money-making machines. Emotional Intelligence and communication are key factors here.

    It’s about making someone feel valued at work. Those employees who feel heard, valued and understand that they are making a real difference to the business will stick around longer and be more motivated in their role.

    Plus, embracing individuality can help formulate new ideas – which just might boost your profitability.

    Now you’ve made a start on your leadership journey – why not continue? Speak to us about our leadership development training or executive coaching programs.

     

     

  • Leadership

    Bad leadership: Why do we tolerate it?

    I have a saying, “Never sacrifice the team for one person”. Yet I continue to hear how badly people are being treated in the workplace because of bad leadership.

    People leave leaders not companies!  According to a Gallup survey of 1 million employees, a massive 75% who left their job voluntarily did so because they had a bad leader.

    Recognise this person as a leader:

    • Arrogant
    • Huge ego
    • Know-it-all
    • Disrespectful
    • Has a group of favourites in the team
    • Not interested in you as a person
    • Takes the credit for your ideas?

    (Also the kind of leader who will send ranting emails in red bold caps…on a Friday night – more about this later).

    Why do organisations continue to accept bad leaders?

    So, we can all probably agree on the type of person that qualifies as a bad leader.

    Why, then, do poor leaders continue to be at the helm of our companies? Could it be that it’s simply too hard to manage the problem of poor leadership? That organisations are worried about how these leaders will react if confronted about their leadership style? That business owners have condoned these bad leadership traits for so long that these managers are almost an ‘iconic’ part of the culture (think The Devil Wears Prada)?

    Whatever the reason, it’s clear that poor leadership is detrimental to business success. Who would want to work for Mr or Mrs Arrogant, when they could work for a human-centred leader instead?

    Good leadership v bad leadership

    Human-centred leaders value good communication, respect their employees and provide a clear picture of the organisation’s goals and how team members can help to attain those goals. Great leaders listen, are transparent and help their people grow.

    While bad leadership tears a company down and leads to poor engagement and increased turnover, great leadership helps build a company up. It does so by developing a company culture that values its people, increases motivation and lowers turnover – all while increasing profit.

    Those leaders that invest in their employees understand how much an engaged, motivated, productive employee means to their company. And the respect works both ways. Employees that trust their leader are more likely to follow their leader.

    Dealing with poor leadership styles

    So, if your business is having problem with staff retention and morale, it’s worth taking a closer look at those on your leadership team.

    If you determine that an employee’s leadership style is lacking, there are some steps you can take to solve the issue:

    1. Understand why they are making poor choices as a leader

    Has the business undergone significant recent growth or has the nature of the leader’s role changed? The leader might be feeling out of their depth or lacking the confidence to lead a team because of these changes. Do you have clear business goals? It’s impossible to lead a team if a manager is not sure where they should be leading them. Are they simply a poor communicator? This can lead to many different problems within the team, including confusion and mistrust.

    1. Provide leadership training

    Once you are aware of the areas in which your leaders are lacking people and culture skills, you can provide training to address those gaps. There are many valuable courses (both online and in person) specifically designed to strengthen specific leadership skills.

    1. Conduct performance reviews regularly

    Use these sessions to set clear expectations of your leaders and review past performance. These reviews will help you to identify any areas of weakness so you can implement a plan to address them right away.

    If the above fails, you might need to replace these bad leaders with human-centred leaders that will bring your people together, working towards clear goals – happy, engaged and productive.

    It’s important to make a positive, proactive people and culture change in your organisation as soon as is needed, before employees seek it elsewhere. After all, it’s rare that an employee will stand up to bad leadership – especially if it is seen to be accepted by you, the business owner.

    “Be a voice – not an echo.” – Albert Einstein

     

    My experience with an arrogant leader 

    I had a leader that would send what I called the ‘Friday bomb’. At least once a month on a Friday at 5pm I would receive an email in CAPS shouting at me about something in the business. The first time it happened I was so upset that it ruined my weekend. Still, I responded politely and it was never spoken of again.

    The next time it happened, I called him and he did not answer, ruining my weekend for a second time. Again, I responded politely and nothing was mentioned after the incident.

    The third time it happened, I was so angry that he treated me this way that I booked a meeting with him on Monday.

    In the meeting, firstly, I asked him why he was sending these emails at that time and why he didn’t pick up the phone. Secondly, I said the matter clearly wasn’t important as he did not respond to my reply. Thirdly, I stated that if he did it again, I would report his behaviour to his manager as it was unacceptable.

    I’m happy to say I never received an email like that again! My learning? Deal with any issue immediately by discussing it with your leader – and don’t allow incompetent leaders to ruin your weekend.

     

    If you need help making a positive people and culture change in your business, get in touch with me here for a free, confidential consultation.

  • Leadership

    Top 5 Leadership Lessons for Business Owners

    Great leadership can motivate people. Great leaders nurture, inspire and grow with their team, communicate their ideas effectively and are flexible enough to solve problems along the way.

    If you take a closer look at how great leaders actually run their business, you will find that most have similar methods of ensuring they get the most from their people, and themselves.

    Here are my top five leadership lessons for business owners so you can develop your skills.

    1. Continue to learn

    The workplace is always evolving. Not just in terms of the people and projects that may come and go, but in the way that it needs to be run to ensure growth and profitability. Like any professional, leaders must keep their knowledge and skills up to date to better equip themselves to deal with the changing landscape of business.

    The past two years are a great example of how those in leadership roles must also be able to adapt to better guide their team and continue to drive profits, even in challenging times. Most businesses who have weathered – or even excelled in – the Covid-19 storm have leaders who are flexible and committed to learning how to guide their people in the most trying of circumstances.

    Self-improvement is the cornerstone of learning – to understand how to lead people, you must first understand how to lead yourself. Lead by example and you will gain the trust and respect of your people.

    “Never stop learning because life never stops teaching.” – Unknown

    1. Ensure you have the right people in the right role

    Job satisfaction is key to ensuring an engaged, committed, highly-functioning team. You could have an excellent team member who is reliable, a great communicator and goes above and beyond, but if they are not in a role where they can flourish, they will never be truly satisfied at work.

    An unfulfilled employee will also likely be more reliant on external drivers, such as bonuses, and will be more likely to leave if a better monetary offer comes along, even if you have the best people and culture practices in place.

    However, those in the right role are more likely to be self-motivated and self-fulfilled because they are doing a job they enjoy.

    An accurate job description can help ensure you get the right person for the right role, even before you start the interviewing process. Also try and think of ways to assess compatibility with the role beyond an interview – having them complete a role-based task, for example, or an aptitude test.

    “You can’t make a square peg fit in a round hole. The time you waste trying to figure that out could be spent finding a round peg.” – Unknown

    1. Don’t underestimate the importance of your personal leadership brand

    Just as your business brand conveys your values to your customers, your personal brand helps communicate what you stand for to your team – your values, goals and beliefs.

    Your personal brand is about curating the aspects of your personality that make you the best leader you can be. Draw on the personality traits that your close friends and family admire about you and use these attributes as a cornerstone of a powerful personal brand that people respect, trust and want to emulate.

    It is also important, however, to acknowledge your weaknesses. This makes you more human and more relatable to your people. It comes back to leading by example. Be the person you want your people to be – aware of their strengths and weaknesses and striving for self-improvement. Provide a nurturing workplace culture to allow this.

    Read more about developing your authentic leadership style here.

    “Your brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room.” – Jeff Bezos

    1. Seek and embrace new ideas in leadership

    A sure-fire way to make your people feel undervalued is not allowing their opinions to be heard.

    No-one has all the answers, not even those in a leadership position. As I said before, flexibility is key to navigating the ever-changing business landscape. Those businesses that embrace new ideas are the ones that are more likely to profit – and you have a great source of new ideas in the form of your people.

    To find new ideas for your business:

    • Stop talking and start listening
    • Actively ask your team for ideas – you can use meetings, surveys, 1:1s, etc
    • Keep an open mind

    By embracing new ideas, you gain respect from your team, and might just unearth a winning business strategy in the process.

    “Creativity in life is about saying yes to new ideas.” – Nolan Bushnell

    1. Give back to the community

    Of course, everyone should make time to give back to others. The great thing about giving back as a business is that you also get to make a difference to your people.

    Giving back as a business makes employees proud to work for the company, boosts morale and directly impacts the very community where your employees and their families live.

    You might also want to consider company-sponsored volunteering when it comes to charitable giving as it is shown to:

    • Broaden skill sets and improve staff leadership – reported by 92% of staff
    • Boost employee wellbeing – reported by 77% of staff
    • Boost morale – reported by 70% of staff
    • Strengthen bonds with work colleagues – reported by 64% of staff

    (Source: https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/us/Documents/us-deloitte-impact-survey.pdf)

    “Those who are happiest, are those who do the most for others.” – BT Washington

    Which of these leadership lessons do you think is the most important for aspiring business leaders? What other lessons do you live by as a leader?

  • Leading Self

    Emotional Intelligence

    Your Emotional Intelligence or EQ is your ability to understand other people, what motivates them and how to work cooperatively with them. You have the ability to understand and use your own emotions in positive ways to relieve stress, communicate effectively, empathize with others, overcome challenges and defuse conflict.⁠
    ⁠
    Can you improve your EQ? Yes you can:⁠

    • By practicing how you react to people⁠
    • Observe how others react to situations⁠
    • Self reflection on your own emotions

    ⁠According to Daniel Goleman there are 5 key elements to EQ:⁠

    1. ⁠Self Awareness⁠
    2. Self Regulation⁠
    3. Motivation⁠
    4. Social Awareness⁠
    5. Relationship Management⁠

    Element #1: Self Awareness

    Over the years I’ve often heard… “he or she is just not self-aware”. Actually I’ve said it myself. Self Awareness is simply understanding how you feel, why you feel that way and how it impacts our behaviour. I say simple but it can be challenging for many. The good news it is something you can work on and develop.

    How can you develop self-awareness?
    Know what triggers your reactions to situations
    Reflect on how you respond to situations
    Think before you speak or act – give yourself time
    Understand what makes you happy

    Are there benefits? Absolutely
    You will become a better leader
    You will improve your happiness
    You will grow as a person
    You will have better relationships

    Element #2: Self-Regulation and Emotional Intelligence

    You’ve decided to do dry January and your friends invite you out for a drink. You decide to order a mocktail or non-alcoholic beer. This is an example of practicing self-regulation.

    Self regulation is the ability to manage your thoughts, emotions, behaviours and actions.

    There are 2 types of self-regulation:
    Behavioural self regulation – how you respond to situations
    Emotional self regulation – how you control your emotions

    People who practice self-regulation have the following traits. They are:

    • Self-aware
    • Persistent
    • Adaptable
    • Optimistic

    Can you develop or improve self-regulation? Absolutely!

    How?
    Educate yourself
    Practice self-awareness (see last week’s post)
    Be kind to yourself
    Exercise
    Seek feedback

    What are the benefits of self-regulation?
    A positive mindset
    Improved well-being
    Stress management
    More productive
    Stronger level of discipline to achieve goals

    Element #3: Motivation and Emotional Intelligence

    When discussing motivation as an element or skill of emotional intelligence, we are talking about intrinsic motivation. This means you are motivated by the act of doing something without any obvious external rewards like money. If you eat a chocolate – you are doing so for the joy of it. If you play tennis, you do it for the love of the game or for fun.

    Why is intrinsic motivation a key element? It simply drives performance. Motivated people and leaders consistently work towards achieving goals and have high expectations of themselves.

    Daniel Pink says “we are motivated by other forces: autonomy, mastery and purpose.” He defines these as:

    “Autonomy: This is the need to self-direct.
    Mastery: This is the intrinsic motivation to get better, to master a skill.
    Purpose: This is the ability to connect to a larger cause, the highest form of motivation”

    Can you develop intrinsic motivation? Absolutely!

    Ask yourself why you are doing what you are do.
    Do things you are passionate about.
    Do things that make a difference to others – do something for the greater good

    Element #4: Social Awareness

    Social awareness as an element or skill of emotional intelligence, means that you understand how you react to different social situations and effectively modify your interactions with other people so that you achieve the best results.

    According to Daniel Goleman the competencies associated with being socially aware are:

    Empathy: understanding the other person’s emotions, needs and concerns.

    Organizational Awareness: the ability to understand the politics within an organization and how these affect the people working in them.

    Service: the ability to understand and meet the needs of clients and customers.

    Can you develop your social awareness skills? Absolutely!

    How?
    Listen, listen, listen – generally this is a great skill to develop but quite important when it comes to social awareness.

    Repeat what is said to the person so that you are sure you heard what they intended to say.

    Pay attention to the person’s tone.

    Watch their body language.

    Place yourself in other’s shoes.

    Identify your own emotions.

    Reflect

    Element #5: Relationship Management

    Relationship Management as an element of EQ, means using your awareness of your own emotions and those of others to manage interactions successfully. Simply, it is about your interpersonal communication skills.
    ⁠
    This is the aspect of your emotional intelligence that enables you to succeed in inspiring other people and helping them to reach their full potential. It is also important in negotiating successfully, resolving conflicts and working with others toward a shared goal.
    ⁠
    According to Daniel Goleman the competencies associated with relationship management are:

    Influence: persuading others.
    Inspirational leadership: providing a vision that motivates others.
    Developing others: providing feedback and building skills and knowledge.
    Change catalyst: recognising the need for change and supporting the process.
    Conflict management: Settling disputes, differences of opinion and misunderstanding.
    Building bonds: creating and maintaining networks.
    Teamwork and collaboration: building effective teams.

    The stronger your emotional intelligence, the better you understand yourself which empowers you to make change happen.⁠

  • Employee Experience, Human Resources, Leadership

    What is Generational Diversity and How Can it Work For You?

    For the first time in history, there are five generations in the workplace. People are living longer, healthier lives, and many are delaying their retirement beyond age 65, increasing generational diversity. This is a unique development for the 21st century workplace, and a novel challenge for today’s leaders and HR managers – but also a real opportunity for businesses to grow and outstrip their competitors.

    As an ardent Diversity and Inclusion advocate, to me, embracing generational differences is just another facet of establishing diversity and inclusion, and another way to enable the positives that come from a diverse and inclusive workplace.

    What Are The Generations

    As a starting point it is important to understand how the generations are grouped and named:

    • Traditionalists—born 1925 to 1945
    • Baby Boomers—born 1946 to 1964
    • Generation X—born 1965 to 1980
    • Millennials—born 1981 to 2000
    • Generation Z—born 2001 to 2020

    Working with team that embodies generational diversity – employees who were born well before World War II plus those who have never known life without the internet – can be a challenge for leaders and HR managers. Employers need to grapple with very different motivators for these different groups. I outline at the end of this article their different world views, characteristics, communication preferences and drivers – I encourage you to read this section, it makes for interesting and surprising reading – and may offer some useful insights into what really engages and encourages your staff.

    Generational Diversity: All About Collaboration

    Beyond being politically correct or complying with legal obligations, embracing generational diversity and collaboration provides real opportunity to drive your company forward and put you ahead of the pack. There are a number of articles that outline some tips and hints on how to communicate to and motivate these very disparate groups but where I see the greatest possibilities are when the generations genuinely collaborate.

    The concept of the potential of inter-generational collaboration was reaffirmed by a recent meeting I had as a Gen Xer, with a young woman born in 2000, a Gen Zer. Our initial small talk strayed into where and what she was studying. We discussed degrees, career goals, and I mentioned that in my experience careers paths were often not linear. I also reassured her that just because she did not have everything mapped out at the ripe old age of 20, there was nothing to worry about.

    Ms Gen Z, in return outlined that although she did not have everything sorted, she was quite financially literate and commercially savvy as were most of her female friends, and this knowledge base had been encouraged by school and university educators. I found this emerging trend for young women to develop fiscal literacy greatly reassuring – and a promising skill base to bring to the workplaces of the future.

    In previous organisations, I have championed the need for women to develop greater financial awareness in order to be empowered with choices that come from having their own financial independence. Too often, women push financial responsibility to their partners, only to find themselves severely disadvantaged when there is a relationship breakdown or death of a spouse.

    So, from this inter-generational encounter, Gen X and Gen Z both gained a better understanding of the other’s worldview, became better informed and knowledgeable, plus were ultimately buoyed by the experience – and this from one chance meeting – imagine if we had actually planned to collaborate, what we could achieve?

    Three Methods To Encourage Cross-Generational Collaboration

    As we have seen, generational diversity in the workplace should be celebrated. If you do want to plan some collaborations with your staff to harness the collective knowledge that spans over 90 years, here are some options to help the age groups learn from each other:

    • Create cross-generational mentoring: Allocate each employee a corresponding partner from another age group and encourage them to meet often to share knowledge – and the subject matter can be beyond the workplace – the important aspect is the sharing of different perspectives.
    • Establish collaborative projects: Creating teams with generational diversity helps reduce bias and surfaces the skill sets of employees of different generations.
    • Go off-site: Team activities off- site help employees get to see each other as individuals rather than age-based stereotypes.

    Employers need to keep abreast of what employees need and want to stay engaged and motivated at work – because happy employees, equal happy customers and a happy business.

    Ultimately, by using all the benefits that generational diversity can provide, you can boost your rating among employees and customers and be a standout from the pack.

    Generational diversity in the workplace – Drivers and Motivators *

    Traditionalists

    Born 1925–1945

    • Dependable, straightforward, tactful, loyal
    • Shaped by: The Great Depression, World War II, radio and movies
    • Motivated by: Respect, recognition, providing long-term value to the company
    • Communication style: Personal touch, handwritten notes instead of email
    • Worldview: Obedience over individualism; age equals seniority; advancing through the hierarchy
    • Employers should: Provide satisfying work and opportunities to contribute; emphasize stability

    Baby Boomers

    Born 1946–1964

    • Optimistic, competitive, workaholic, team-oriented
    • Shaped by: The Vietnam War, civil rights movement, Watergate
    • Motivated by: Company loyalty, teamwork, duty
    • Communication style: Whatever is most efficient, including phone calls and face to face
    • Worldview: Achievement comes after paying one’s dues; sacrifice for success
    • Employers should: Provide them with specific goals and deadlines; put them in mentor roles; offer coaching-style feedback
    • Stats:
      • 65% of baby boomers plan to work past age 65
      • 10,000 baby boomers reach retirement age every day

    Generation X

    Born 1965–1980

    Flexible, informal, sceptical, independent

    • Shaped by: The AIDS epidemic, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the dot-com boom
    • Motivated by: Diversity including generational diversity, work-life balance, their personal-professional interests rather than the company’s interests
    • Communication style: Whatever is most efficient, including phone calls and face to face
    • Worldview: Favouring diversity; quick to move on if their employer fails to meet their needs; resistant to change at work if it affects their personal lives
    • Employers should: Give them immediate feedback; provide flexible work arrangements and work-life balance; extend opportunities for personal development
    • Stats:
      • Gen Xers make up the highest percentage of start-up founders at 55%
      • Gen Xers will outnumber baby boomers by 2028

    Millennials

    Born 1981–2000

    • Competitive, civic-minded, open-minded on diversity including generational diversity, achievement-oriented
    • Shaped by: Columbine, 9/11, the internet
    • Motivated by: Responsibility, the quality of their manager, unique work experiences
    • Communication style: IMs, texts, and email
    • Worldview: Seeking challenge, growth, and development; a fun work life and work-life balance; likely to leave an organization if they don’t like change
    • Employers should: Get to know them personally; manage by results; be flexible on their schedule and work assignments; provide immediate feedback
    • Stats:
      • By 2025, millennials will comprise 75% of the global workforce
      • About 15% of millennials age 25–35 live at home with their parents

    Generation Z

    Born 2001–2020

    • Global, entrepreneurial, progressive, less focused
    • Shaped by: Life after 9/11, the Great Recession, access to technology from a young age
    • Motivated by: Diversity including generational diversity, personalization, individuality, creativity
    • Communication style: IMs, texts, social media
    • Worldview: Self-identifying as digital device addicts; valuing independence and individuality; preferring to work with millennial managers, innovative co-workers, and new technologies
    • Employers should: Offer opportunities to work on multiple projects at the same time; provide work-life balance; allow them to be self-directed and independent
    • Stats:
      • 40% of Gen Z wants to interact with their boss daily or several times each day
      • 84% of Gen Z expects their employer to provide formal training

     

    *Generational profile information sourced from Purdue University

  • Leadership

    “Diversity is being invited to the party. Inclusion is being asked to dance.”

    “Diversity is being invited to the party. Inclusion is being asked to dance.” – Vernā Myers 

    Real diversity and inclusion is good for business – but many organisations are still just ticking a box.

    I make no bones that I am a passionate advocate for authentic diversity and inclusion practices to be in place across all industry sectors and our communities. Considering the benefits that come from a diverse workplace, I find it surprising that some companies are still just ticking boxes when it comes to diversity and inclusion compliance. These companies just don’t seem to realise that when they embrace diversity and inclusion initiatives, positive outcomes like a better workplace culture and a boost to their bottom line will emerge.

    Respected industry resource, McKinsey in their Diversity Matters report, confirms the link between better diversity and inclusion and better company performance.

    McKinsey’s research shows that gender diverse companies are 15 per cent more likely to outperform their industry average, while culturally diverse companies are 35 per cent more likely to outperform theirs.

    From my years in corporate roles, I have seen diversity and inclusion failures and successes and from that experience I share some observations below that I have made plus the importance of being committed and authentic about your diversity and inclusion initiatives.

    Diversity goes beyond gender

    I should clarify at the outset that diversity is not just about gender. Gender diversity is still an issue that needs addressing in Australia, and around the world; but if our diversity and inclusion dialogue is just about gender, it fails to include other forms of diversity – disability, cultural, LGBTQI, age, socioeconomic and beyond.

    If you’re going to do diversity and inclusion, it has got to be real

    Firstly, let me say, that the benefits that come with diversity and inclusion only come when there is “real” engagement – where a company’s commitment to diversity and inclusion in the workplace goes further than just having a policy or a code of conduct; it needs to go to the core of the company’s values and beliefs – it needs to go to its DNA.

    Also, I believe for it to be real diversity and inclusion, it needs to be evidenced by a company’s actions. It is refreshing to see a company like Vend, a retail management software company, who have introduced a diversity process that includes hiring senior leaders in mid-pregnancy, scheduling functions around family commitments, and enabling employees to self-create company initiatives around diversity issues that are important to them.

    Other organisations proactive in this area like Secure Warrior Code have demonstrated their commitment by providing specific resources to develop diverse talent, setting the tone with leadership, and ensuring all their communications reflect this – it is these types of real actions that help organisations create a stronger workforce and a high performing culture.

    Diversity means that good business decisions come from a range of viewpoints
    Secondly, real diversity and inclusion is beneficial to companies because it means decisions are based on the lived experiences from a diverse workforce – the other bonus is that your business is obtaining viewpoints that could potentially better resonate with a broader range of customers or clients. Beyond tapping into a larger target market, it’s important for you to have a team around you with different and contradictory viewpoints and perspectives. If you have people with the same point of view or similar life experience, you will see just through that one lens. If you are a leader you have access to a diversity of thinking and perspectives which ensures that decision making will be much more comprehensive, factual and balanced.

    Diversity and inclusion is not just about recruiting people with differing viewpoints, real diversity also requires creating a culture at your organisation that genuinely values those different experiences and perspectives. The value that comes from true diversity is that your people have a sense of belonging and feel that they have a voice and the ability to contribute to your organisation.

    Diversity cannot be implemented in isolation

    The ability of your workforce to make a contribution highlights the second part of diversity and inclusion – the inclusion part.

    One of my favourite quotes in this area comes from Damien Hooper-Campbell (Chief Diversity Officer at Zoom), who says, “If diversity is getting invited to the dance party, inclusion is being asked to dance when you’re at the party.”

    It is great that you have hired a diverse workforce that spans age, gender, sexuality and ethnicity, but your organisation must also integrate your commitment to diversity and inclusion for your people throughout all parts of your business.

    Diversity cannot be implemented in isolation – diversity without inclusion will result in just statistics reporting and box-ticking instead of real progress.

    Don’t just tick a box because real diversity and inclusion implementation boosts your organisation’s bottom line.

    As a final point, I also would like to emphasise that achieving diversity in the workplace isn’t a “set and forget” process. You still need to regularly review and assess your diversity and inclusion initiatives so you can ensure staff feel included, valued, and proud of their workplace.

    I encourage you to develop and instigate real diversity and inclusion initiatives, because not only will you enhance your workplace culture, attract and retain engaged staff, but your business will be equipped to outperform non-diverse companies.

    Take action, don’t just tick a box, because real diversity and inclusion, not only maximises the potential of your people to boost your organisation’s bottom line, it can also create a pathway to success for all areas of your company.

  • Leadership

    Agile leadership: how to find your leadership style and what impact this might have on your organisation

    In times of challenge and change, our leadership style can have a profoundly negative or positive impact on the people we lead and the outcomes we’re trying to achieve.

    Typically, as leaders we will gravitate towards one of 8 defined leadership styles so understanding our preference, how each style differs and what impact these styles have on the teams we lead provides a really valuable insight into how our business operates.

    Attached to each leadership style is a set of advantages and disadvantages. What works for some employees doesn’t resonate with others and this represents one of the key challenges of effective leadership today. Despite this, we know that the best leaders are those who live authentically by their leadership style and personal values.

    The 8 leadership styles are:

    Democratic
    Autocratic
    Laissez-Faire
    Strategic
    Transformational
    Transactional
    Coach
    Bureaucratic

    Some styles, such as Autocratic and Transactional Leaders, lead from the front; making all the decisions and asking (or telling!) the team to follow them.

    Others, such as Coach and Democratic, lead from the middle and they’ll roll up their sleeves to help get the job done. T

    here are other styles, such as Laissez-Faire, that lead from behind to let the team shine and take on added responsibility.

    Some styles are hands on, and others hands off. Some value highly structured environments while others harness this instability to create new, innovative ways of working.  Some challenge the status-quo, others live by it.

    We might also adapt our leadership styles over time and depending on the types of teams we lead. Typically, younger employees need more direction so we find ourselves defaulting to a more autocratic style with extrinsic motivations to help them settle in, learn the ropes and grow.

    When we lead highly experienced teams, we tend to shift to intrinsic motivations and thus, a more democratic or coach style of leadership.

    Below is a summary of each leadership style, including a definition and what to look for as the characteristics of this leadership style. Have a think about which style resonates most with you. Is this a style you think you authentically live each day or is it a style you want to develop to better reflect the type of leader you wish to be? As a lesson in self-awareness and self-reflection, it can be a real eye-opener for some.

    LEADERSHIP STYLES

    Democratic

    The Democratic Leader involves and takes into consideration the opinions of the entire team, however makes the final decision.

    This type of leader asks, “what do you think?” and will always involve and consider all opinions, empowering the team to be part of the solution.

    Autocratic
    The Autocratic Leader makes decisions without taking input from anyone who reports to them. Employees are neither considered nor consulted prior to a direction, and are expected to adhere to the decision at a time and pace stipulated by the leader.                                                  

    This style allows the leader to dictate work methods and processes. This tends to create a highly structured and ridged work environment but establishes defined rules and boundaries through clearly outlined communication.

    Laissez-Faire

    The least intrusive form of leadership; the French term “laissez faire” literally translates to “let them do,” and leaders who embrace it afford nearly all authority to their employees

    A hands-off approach to leadership, Laissez-Faire Leaders will provide all the training, support and resources to the team and let employees make decisions. They’re comfortable with making mistakes and take accountability on behalf of the team when things go wrong.

    Strategic
    Strategic Leaders sit at the intersection between a company’s main operations and its growth opportunities. He or she accepts the burden of executive interests while ensuring that current working conditions remain stable for everyone else.

    Strategic Leaders will say “I need your help…” and “how can I help you…”. They are clear and purposeful communicators who are dedicated to getting the job done. Those with this leadership style thrive in an environment where they can challenge old conventions to create better solutions and do so knowing that everything will likely not happen as it is supposed to. They are disciplined in always keeping the objective first and maintain a structure to their decision-making process.

    Transformational
    Transformational Leaders are always “transforming” and improving on conventions. While the team will have a requirement to complete set tasks and goals within their role, Transformational Leaders are constantly pushing them outside their comfort zone.

    Transformational Leaders lead with vision; it’s a leadership style focuses on inspiration and motivation. Attuned to the feelings of their team members, People with this leadership style know how to keep their ego in check. They’re proactive and can make difficult decisions, entertaining new ideas and easily adapting to change.

    Transactional
    Transactional leaders are fairly common today. These managers reward their employees for precisely the work they do.

    Based on extrinsic motivations, Transactional Leaders reward performance and practicality. They tend to micromanage their teams and place emphasis on the corporate structure and their own self-interests.

    Coach
    Coach Leaders will focus on identifying and nurturing the individual strengths of each member within the team. They also focus on strategies that will enable their team to work better together. This style offers strong similarities to strategic and democratic leadership, but puts more emphasis on the growth and success of individual employees.

    Coaches are known for their positive outlook and enthusiastic attitude. They’re supportive, goal-oriented, observant and patient. As clear communicators, those with this leadership style come across as very knowledgeable and trusting.

    Bureaucratic
    Bureaucratic Leaders go by the books. They create power structures and relationships that discourage dissent, typically by centralising decision making and forcing compliance using rules and procedures.

    Bureaucratic Leaders favour well-structured management and more formal, hierarchical structures. They’re hard working and task-oriented and can sometimes be strong minded.

    Understanding your leadership style is a great step towards your self-awareness and development in authenticity. After all, the ultimate goal is to become an Authentic Leader.

    Understanding the leadership style you naturally lean into can help you refine the type of leadership style you’d like to emulate as well as how to get the most out of the teams you lead.

  • Leading Self

    I’m speaking…

    “I’m speaking”: How women can reclaim the conversation and speak our truth


    “I’m speaking”…     those words from Senator Kamala Harris packed a serious punch, resonating with so many women for all the wrong reasons.

    How many more times will women be talked over, mansplained or ignored by a male colleague?  We can probably all recall a time we have witnessed this same uncomfortable conversation play out in a boardroom but did that woman say “I’m speaking” like Kamala had the courage, grace and confidence to do? More often than not, she probably didn’t.

    There is something truly unsettling about seeing this familiar conversation play out during a vice presidential debate between, what should be considered, two equal opponents.

    Well, I’m speaking now and I want all women – and the men who support women – to remember this…. Stand Up, Step Up and Speak Up.

    Stand up

    To truly stand up means to call out bad or toxic behaviour as soon as you see it. It takes courage to stand up. Believe in yourself, be authentic and take a stand against those who bully, chastise and treat people badly.  Being courageous is tough, as I have no doubt when trying to stand up you will come across people who will try to push you down.

    Step up

    One small act of kindness, one small change in the way we listen or mentor other women, can make a real difference and have a significant impact on someone. When we step up to the conversation or situation, we are stepping up for the good of others.  I am particularly passionate about women stepping up to create networks that foster connection and personal growth.

    Speak up

    There are many reasons why women feel they cannot speak for themselves; some situations can be deeply personal and triggering. It’s up to the rest of us to speak up for them.  When we see a women being talked over, say it – ”she’s speaking”; when we see a man explaining a concept because he believes a women could not understand it, say “stop mansplaining”;  when you see a women wanting to make a point or statement and being ignored, say “let her speak”.

    The world needs more female leaders for true diversity and balance, for the economy and for future growth. So believe me when I say…I’m speaking to you. Please stand up, step up and speak up to make the world a better place.