Change is certain. Getting it right isn’t. Whenever leaders introduce bold change, creating workforce desire and understanding are vital. Without these two things, any change investment will amount to nothing more than pushback and anxiety. Large-scale artificial intelligence models like ChatGPT and Stable Diffusion are reshaping the workplace and world. A quick look at the Stanford University AI index provides several data points confirming the rapid expansion of AI and its broad implications. There are many reasons for excitement and concern. Navigating your company’s introduction to AI well could ensure growth in the future. But, poorly navigating the workforce transformation could cost your company significantly. No pressure, right? Here are three steps toward getting the people side of your company's AI deployment right. Why your AI workforce introduction matters A new workplace relationship between employees and machines is being created through AI. The value of AI comes from automating and augmenting the way work gets done. The changes created by AI range from enhancing the image from your iPhone camera to using AI to rebuild our trust in the internet by exposing deep fake images and videos. AI is being used in healthcare to improve the prediction of future medical issues in patients to save lives by bringing AI in behind humans to make them better at what matters most. Some of the many ways different business functions could begin utilizing generative AI in the workplace now are: Marketing and sales functions - writing sales copy and creating product user guides. Operations - improving customer service and identifying production errors and defects. Engineering - writing code and generating data tables with contextual information. Legal - drafting legal documents and answering questions from large amounts of legal documentation. Human Resources - creating interview questions for candidate assessment and self-serve support. Communications - creating presentations and employee communications. The introduction of AI in the workplace is resulting in new jobs. Have you heard about the new hot tech job, AI Prompt Engineer, that can pay up to $335,000 annually without an engineering degree? This position helps companies build context around their AI language model by understanding user needs and creating custom prompts that improve the user experience. Given these benefits, there are reasons for excitement but also for concern. A recent global survey revealed that only 35% of respondents in the US agree that products and services using AI have more benefits than drawbacks. There is a growing interest and concern with ethics associated with AI models. Also, there are fears that job automation will worsen job loss and income inequality. Deploying artificial intelligence has the potential to dramatically transform your company with improved results and harm it if the workforce introduction is not handled well. Whether it is the visible impact of an unanticipated departure of an employee or the more devastating hidden impact of a disengaged employee collecting a paycheck and creating problems in the organization. With today’s highly competitive employee-driven market, you cannot afford to make a mistake that negatively impacts your employment value proposition. Here are three practical steps you can take to get your company’s people side of AI-related change started off right: Workforce AI Introduction Step 1: Create a vision statement for AI in your company. Starting with the end in mind is a significant first step. Get ahead of questions and concerns with transparency and authenticity. Update your company vision. An ideal future state for your organization should include improved results and relationships. Change is an opportunity for the growth of your business and team. As a leader, establishing a shared vision of a bold future is vital . Here is an example from Microsoft on how they cast a balanced vision for AI: Microsoft is a technology company whose mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. We strive to create local opportunity, growth, and impact in every country around the world. Our strategy is to build best-in-class platforms and productivity services for an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge infused with artificial intelligence. Workforce Introduction Step 2: Engage your employees in meaningful conversations about AI. Being guarded promotes distrust. Start the AI conversation with employees. Plan a team meeting with company leadership to discuss: What is AI? What does the future of AI look like? What is the potential company use and vision for AI? In this meeting, listen to both verbal and nonverbal communication. Your goal is to uncover the differences, commonalities, hopes, and fears of your team. These meetings are the beginning of a dialogue that engages those impacted by the change in the discussion on the change; toward that bold future. To follow up on these meetings, capture the conversation and share key points. Likely these conversations will identify future topics. Most likely, you won't feel fully prepared with having all the information wanted or needed to have this conversation. Although leaders are expected to convey an image of competence, confidence, and power, followers already know you are not perfect. Being vulnerable as a leader requires courage. Vulnerability in the workplace enhances trust, collaboration, innovation, employee retention, and a feeling of connection that improves the quality of leader-follower relationships and employee performance. The following short video from Simon Sinek expands on the tension leaders face and how to show vulnerability in the workplace as a leader. Workforce Introduction Step 3: Conduct a strategic workforce planning session. One way to rise above the talent challenge is with workforce planning. Identify the roles that will be strategic, operational, and supporting for introducing AI to your company. Next, consider the various roles and needs to identify what talent you can develop internally and what expertise you will need to attract into your company. Lastly, based on the gap and competencies required to grow internally, develop a plan for employee development according to the different roles. Demand for AI-related skills is growing fast. Labor analytic data revealed that AI job postings increased significantly in the US, especially in California, Texas, and New York. Employers in the US are increasingly looking for workers with AI skills. Every industry (except one) increased AI-related postings year over year, even those that are not directly associated with AI. Every AI-related skill category grew in 2022, with Python being the most requested AI skill. Projections are that 97 million jobs involving AI will be created in the next three years. The discovery of fire by Neanderthals was life-giving. The control of fire was the cultural turning point that led to life-altering innovation. Likewise, today, the invention of AI is giving life to new organizations and jobs. The future of AI is controlling its deployment and introduction in your company. What's your real workforce AI deployment challenge? References: Beckett, E. (2023). The 2023 Stanford AI Index: Demand for AI skills continues climbing. Chui, E, Roberts, R., and Yee, L. (2022). Generative AI is here: How tools like ChatGPT could change your business. McKinsey. Edelman. (2022). Trust in technology. Gebrekal, T. (2022). What worries the world. IPSOS. Maslej, N., Fattorini, N., Brynjolfsson, E., Etchemendy, J., Ligett, K., Lyons, T., Manyika, J., Ngo, H., Niebles, J., Parli, V., Shoham, Y., Wald, R., Clark, J., and Perrault, R. (2023). The AI Index 2023 Annual Report. The Institute for Human-Centered AI, Stanford University.

Technology is collecting a deluge of information that has the potential to make or break any organization. In a 2019 Gartner survey of HR leaders, only 21% believe their organizations effectively use talent analytics to make better decisions. To extract value from the vast amount of available information and thrive in the reality of everyday chaos, organizations must face two significant challenges. The first challenge involves gathering, processing, and warehousing high-volume, high-speed, and highly diverse data sets. The second challenge is managing the sheer volume of information mined from the data. If not done well, organizations can get buried in the data missing the opportunity presented. "Analytics-based decision making is essential for making big decisions and thousands of little ones." Bartlet, 2013 Talent Data Analytics Strategy If you have a talent strategy , the data analytics journey begins for many organizations with moving from bad data to high-quality data. This involves working to clean existing data and restructure the data into a format aligned with the talent strategy. Based on my personal experience, this step can be costly and sometimes involve moving two steps back for every single step upward. It is easy to feel like the journey is not worth the challenge, but you will love the view when you complete this first step. The next part of the journey then involves figuring out how to get clean data into the hands of decision-makers to be analyzed and used in a timely manner. The journey's final leg typically involves developing or hiring data science expertise for advanced analysis and tools such as R, Python, and SPSS. Taking these steps can unlock a competitive talent advantage and lead to transforming the work, the worker, and the workplace. Unlocking Competitive Advantage There are many creative examples of how descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive data analytics create a competitive advantage through performance improvements, efficiency, better management decisions, and increased revenue. One company used the competing values framework and operational performance descriptive analytics from 250 firms to identify which operational practices best benefit specific corporate cultures. In another example, a company used insights to ensure the right talent is placed in the right jobs and ensure optimal workforce planning levels to provide outstanding customer experience. Another company used health and wellness data to deliver preventative care avoiding spending millions of dollars on urgent care costs. The trick to creating a competitive advantage through organizational talent data analytics is to discern what is needed from what is wanted. If you need help getting started with a talent strategy or data analytics strategy, we can help. Use the following link to contact us: Link . References: Bartlett, R. (2013). A practitioners guide to data analytics: Using data analysis to improve your organizations decision making and strategy . McGraw-Hill. New York. El-Khalil, R. (2015). Simulation analysis for managing and improving productivity: A case study of an automotive company. Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, 26 (1), 36-56. doi:10.1108/JMTM-03-2013-0024 Gambi, L. D. N., Boer, H., Gerolamo, M. C., Jørgensen, F., & Carpinetti, L. C. R. (2015). The relationship between organizational culture and quality techniques, and its impact on operational performance. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 35 (10), 1460-1484. doi:10.1108/IJOPM-12-2013-0563 Ledet, E., McNulty, K., Morales, D., & Shandell, M. (2020). How to be great at people analytics. McKinsey & Company. https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/organization/our-insights/how-to-be-great-at-people-analytics Upcoming Webinar Series We know you are going to love these complementary leadership and professional development events! Organizational Talent Consulting’s webinar content is developed to help leaders meet today's complex workforce and digital challenges. Our free live webinars deliver superior leadership development based on the latest research with no travel costs. Participants interact directly in question and answer discussions with subject matter experts and authors on crucial topics to enhance expertise. Webinars are recorded and shared with participants for convenient on-demand access after the live event. Topics include leadership, strategic planning, coaching, change management, and more ( register and learn more ). About the Author: Jeff's knowledge and expertise include leadership development, coaching, and workforce strategies to achieve influence and grow organizations. Jeff Doolittle is the founder of Organizational Talent Consulting in Grand Rapids, MI. He can be reached at info@organizationaltalent.com or by calling (616) 803-9020. Visit https://www.organizationaltalent.com/executive-coaching to learn more about executive coaching services provided.

When you think about outstanding military leaders, commanders like Winston Churchill and inspiring orators like Martin Luther King Jr. come to mind. These leaders accomplished incredible feats against the odds. But like leaders in any successful business, they require the commitment and hard work of others to achieve their goals. In 1941, the US established the first intelligence agency led by General William "Wild Bill" Donovan. The agency aimed to coordinate intelligence and conduct counterespionage to destroy an enemy from the inside. Their missions trusted small teams to perform heroic acts of sabotage and train resistance fighters. General Donovan published the Simple Sabotage Field Manual with the ominous instruction not to allow the manual to fall into unauthorized hands. If it is true that teams and organizations can be destroyed from the inside. One of the most important things a leader can do is reverse engineer these now-declassified sabotage tactics. Here are three especially compelling saboteur tactics and countermeasures you can use to bring out the best in your team. How to motivate saboteurs (or your team) Wild Bill suggested that engaging others to commit acts of sabotage requires motivation. As stated bluntly in the manual, "purposeful stupidity is contrary to human nature." The manual emphasizes the need to provide the saboteur pressure, assurance, and information. Here are the three motivation tactics identified in the manual that lead to destruction and the leadership countermeasures busy leaders can successfully use. Motivation Tactic #1: Make it Personal The average citizen likely has no reason for sabotage. Make it personal by specifically connecting acts of sabotage with personal gains, show how the saboteur is part of a larger organization, and assign responsibilities for sabotage. Leadership Practices to Make It Personal As a leader, answering "what's in it for me" is one of the best motivation tools in your arsenal for implementing change. The answer to this question ensures others in the organization know the benefits and not just what is changing. When followers recognize how their actions connect to the larger vision, it leads to engagement by creating a sense of belonging. Social Identity Theory suggests that we share identity with individuals we associate with. As a result, followers are more likely to trust those individuals than individuals and groups with whom they do not share an identity. Are you assigning work effectively, also known as delegating? Research has found that effective delegation improves job satisfaction, performance, intrinsic motivation, confidence, and career development. It is thought that delegation signals trust and support from the leader to the delegate, resulting in increased follower effort and performance. Additionally, effective delegation improves the employee's perception of the leader's performance. If you want to do a few small things right, do them yourself. If you want to do great things and make an impact, learn to delegate. – John C. Maxwell Motivation Tactic #2: Provide Encouragement Saboteurs need to believe they are acting in self-defense by committing acts of destruction. Also, the use of humor can ease tension and reduce fear. Leadership Practices to Encourage Your Team There are many good reasons why leaders should think twice before using humor at work. However, evidence suggests that humor during times of crisis significantly improves employee engagement and organizational performance. Much of the positive influence of humor is due to a biochemical response. Laughing reduces cortisol levels, which have a calming effect, increases endorphins, creating a runner's high, and increases oxytocin, which creates warm feelings toward others. The recipe for getting humor right at work includes: knowing your audience keeping it positive keeping the topic close to you and not others understanding yourself and potential blindspots associated with your natural style In this TEDx, Karyn Buxman expands on the science of humor. Motivation Tactic #3: Minimize Risk Bad news spreads quickly. The number of opportunities and degree of perceived risk limit the effectiveness and efficiency of a saboteur. Leadership Practices to Minimize Performance Risk Observe and eliminate or modify the desired behavior's negative, immediate, inevitable consequences when possible. If followers are required to work in a freezer, you can provide warming jackets to reduce the adverse effects of the cold. After you attempt to reinforce the desired behavior, observe if performance improves. If not, learn and adjust. The ABC model, also known as the three-contingency performance management model, provides a foundational understanding of why people do or do not perform a given behavior. The "A" stands for those things that prompt desired behavior (antecedents). The "B" stands for the desired behavior. The "C" stands for consequences. The consequences that the employee experiences after or during the behavior have the most significant impact on performance . Specific suggestions for sabotage (or leaders) Clear expectations improve a team's understanding of goals and create organizational alignment. The Simple Sabotage Field Manual identified several specific techniques for different types of targets. The following is a selection of tactics identified in the manual specifically for managers and supervisors. Demand it in writing Ask endless questions and use long messages Make objections when possible Do everything possible to create delays Don't provide the team with new tools and resources Demand the most expensive tools and resources and complain if you don't get them Complete unimportant tasks first and give the essential functions to the least skilled team member Insist on perfection and accept defective work Give incomplete or misleading instructions when training new employees Reward poor performance Go to conferences and meetings to avoid getting the work done Create duplicate files Create policies and procedures for everything The leadership countermeasure to deploy for these simple sabotage suggestions is to use this list as a checklist to reflect on your leadership habits. Then, commit to doing the opposite. In addition to individual reflection, you can capture some additional benefits by reviewing this list with your team to identify if they see any of these acts of sabotage within the team or company. You may have laughed nervously and shuddered a little as you recognized some of these tactics and tendencies in your leadership or where you work. The countermeasures for the sabotage tactics that General Donovan made indispensable to intelligence officers can make you a leader indispensable to your team and company. How does the Simple Sabotage Field Manual inspire you as you think about your unique position and opportunities? References Aaker, J., & Bagdonas, N. (2021). How to be funny at work. Harvard Business Review. Chevrier, S., & Viegas-Pires, M. (2013). Delegating effectively across cultures. Journal of World Business: JWB, 48(3), 431-439. Daniels, A. C., & Daniels, J. E. (2006). Performance management: Changing behavior that drives organizational effectiveness. Performance Management Publications. Doolittle, J. (2023). Life-Changing Leadership Habits: 10 Proven Principles That Will Elevate People, Profit, and Purpose. Organizational Talent Consulting. Drescher, G. (2017). Delegation outcomes: Perceptions of leaders and followers' satisfaction. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 32(1), 2-15. Joiner, T. A., & Leveson, L. (2015). Effective delegation among Hong Kong Chinese male managers: The mediating effects of LMX. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 36(6), 728-743. United States. Office of Strategic Services. (1944). Simple Sabotage Field Manual . Project Gutenberg. Yukl, G. and Fu, P. (1999), "Determinants of delegation and consultation by managers ," Journal of Organizational Behaviour, Vol. 20 No. 2, pp. 219-232.

The warning reads: "Objects in the mirror are closer than they appear." While driving, you likely don't think twice about it as you have probably seen and read this warning hundreds of times. It's a realistic warning about the dangers that can come from a distorted point of view. We see the world through a lens shaped and molded by culture and our experiences. Are you aware of your performance management blind spots? In a complex and fast-paced workplace, leaders need to be able to recognize and avoid the performance management pitfalls that come from common organizational dysfunctions and cognitive biases. Why recognizing performance management blind spots matters Cognitive neuroscience research over the past few decades confirms that our biases are normal and flawed. Many decisions we make, especially those about people, are heavily influenced by our cognitive biases. Research has also demonstrated that noticing cognitive biases takes intention and awareness. Left unchallenged cognitive biases result in inaccurate views of performance. These blind spots have invisible yet powerful effects on our lives and those we lead. The following popular video demonstrates the impact of blind spots. Watch the video of two separate groups passing a basketball and count how many times the white team passes the ball. Recognizing cognitive biases requires deep self-awareness . Generally, leaders find it challenging to achieve a higher level of awareness because they spend much of the workday rushing from meeting to meeting, having too much to get done, or taking shortcuts with decision-making for the sake of time. Setting clear expectations and providing fair, honest, and timely performance feedback is essential for bringing out the best in people. A lack of feedback can either launch or shortcut a career. Also, most leaders recognize that their followers are the company's greatest asset. Every result is the direct contribution of someone, somewhere, doing something. Effective performance management has broad personal and organizational implications requiring leaders to account for the powerful impact of cognitive biases and organizational dysfunctions. How to recognize cognitive biases Everyone experiences automatic thoughts triggered by the environment and emotions. These shortcuts are often highly believable. Sometimes these subconscious algorithms are helpful. Like when I saw a wild grizzly bear this summer, I knew to stay in the car at a safe distance because it could attack. However, unlike our computers, none of us are entirely logical. Sometimes these automatic ways of thinking reflect inaccurate judgments in processing. These errors are described as cognitive bias, an assumption that is skewed. Sometimes we might jump to the worst conclusion for a meeting or blame ourselves for things that were not our fault. Here are a few of the more common assumptions that lead to performance management cognitive biases: Positive and Negative Stereotypes : Past performance is how performance is always going to be. These broad generalizations and assumptions can be negative performance presumptions, such as incompetence in one area or another or presuming a lack of character or trustworthiness . The stereotypes can also be favorable performance presumptions, such that the leader doesn't follow up on performance or always blames others and the environment for poor performance. Recency Effect : When the last few weeks or current event influence perceptions of how performance is for the entire evaluation period. Halo or Horns Effect : A strength or weakness in one area shifts perceptions of how performance is in all areas. Employees are given the benefit of the doubt, success is assumed, or employees are put in a box, and failure is assumed. All or Nothing : Performance is either one extreme or the other for aspects of performance. Feedback on one part of performance influences how all performance is viewed. One exceptional strength or weakness seeps into ratings across different areas. Elitism : Individuals are perceived as superior or inferior to others because of certain aspects such as longevity with the company, degrees held, previous positions, or visible characteristics seen through a positive or negative filter. Jumping to Conclusions : Rushing to give numerical scores for a speed advantage rather than wasting time considering performance as a whole. Scoring generates a number; therefore, it must be rational and objective, right? This data closes minds to new or contradictory evidence. Contrast Effect : A leader compares performance only to the last person evaluated instead of performance standards in a series of evaluations. Attribution Error : A leader interprets the performance of others based on beliefs and opinions rather than rational facts. The following Cognitive Bias Codex graphic identifies over 180 identified cognitive biases: How to recognize organizational dysfunctions There is no perfect leader, and there is no perfect organization. It is best to consider them works in progress. Organizational dysfunctions are systemic and affect every leader and follower in the organization. A fast-paced digital and complex workplace creates situations that can impair leadership perceptions making them more vulnerable to cognitive biases and developing bad habits. Common organizational dysfunctions include: Absence of feedback culture: Organizational culture is the one thing that impacts everything. Performance management requires fair, balanced, and honest feedback to be effective. Workplace cultures that can't accept interesting failure or have high leader-follower power distance create barriers for leaders to receive and give feedback. Role overload : Doing more with less and working leader roles keeps leaders rushing from meeting to meeting and spending enough thoughtful time soliciting and providing meaningful feedback. Lack of training: Organizations wanting to reduce costs cut performance management training investments and make a flawed assumption that every leader knows how to handle performance management. Lack of process: To avoid having one more process or a policy that no one follows, companies avoid establishing the criteria between what is preferred versus required performance management standards. Lack of monitoring and accountability: No updates or companywide reporting to create check-ins and organizational alignment on performance standards. Lack of continuous improvement: No after-action reviews with leaders and employees on the performance management processes to understand what is working and is not. Leaders are left to re-create the wheel repeatedly. 3 Helpful Performance Management Thinking Habits The first step is becoming aware that you, like everyone, experience automatic thoughts that, if left unchallenged, can profoundly impact your leadership and those you lead. Next, here are three helpful performance management thinking habits: Reflection is a powerful tool for helping you create helpful thinking habits. Consider the list of cognitive biases and organizational dysfunctions. Do you recognize yourself or your workplace in any of these? Examine the evidence for and against your thoughts in each performance management situation. What is the evidence for believing that your thoughts are true? It is easy to create reasons why a thought you hold is true, but you may find it helpful to get help from others on why a particular view might not always be accurate. Conduct performance calibration meetings. Invite peers and your leader to review and critique your performance reviews before they are finalized. This can help you rationally consider the evidence for or against a perception you hold. You may find it helpful to ask them to play the "devil's advocate" so they know it is OK to challenge your thinking. So what is your cognitive bias or organizational dysfunction challenge? References Kahneman, D., & Egan, P. (2011). Thinking, fast and slow. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Korteling, J. E., Brouwer, A. M., & Toet, A. (2018). A Neural Network Framework for Cognitive Bias. Frontiers in psychology , 9 , 1561. Moody, J. (2015). Rising above cognitive errors: Improving searches, evaluations, and decision making. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. Rachman, S., & Shafran, R. (1999). Cognitive distortions: Thought–action fusion. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy: An International Journal of Theory & Practice , 6(2), 80-85. Whalley, M. (2019). Cognitive distortions: An introduction to how CBT describes unhelpful ways of thinking. Psychology Tools.

Building a highly-skilled self-directed team and paying them well doesn't guarantee success. Motivation helps to explain the differences between times when employees just show up versus getting things done. Numerous studies suggest that work motivation regulates high-quality performance and creativity. But work motivation is not commonly understood and is a growing source of frustration for leaders in a complex employee-driven talent marketplace. So, if motivation is vital, what can leaders use beyond the traditional carrots and sticks? Here are two leadership tactics that are proven to create optimal work motivation conditions. Why work motivation matters Work motivation is a catalyst for business growth and organizational effectiveness. Motivation is what drives people to take action to satisfy a need. Work motivation is the force within (intrinsic) and beyond (extrinsic) an employee to initiate work-related behaviors. The degree of an employee's motivation influences the intensity and duration of work behaviors. Researchers over the past couple of decades have identified numerous predictors of work motivation: Personal factors such as age, educational level, health status, and family support Emotional intelligence and interpersonal relationship quality Social situations and interactions Culture Psychological needs Global studies have revealed that increased work motivation leads to: Improved performance Increased productivity Enhanced innovation and creativity Decreased absenteeism Decreased employee turnover Understanding the motives behind work motivation One of the earliest and most discussed models of motivation is Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory. Maslow suggested that physiological needs motivate employees. The needs for food and water are at the most basic level, and self-actualization is at the highest level. Another early model from Herzberg suggested that work motivation is mainly influenced by challenge and reward reinforcement. Motivators increase job satisfaction, such as performance achievement, recognition, job status, and development. Hygiene Factors decrease job dissatisfaction, such as salary, working conditions, physical workspace, and supervisor quality. More recent studies have led to the categorization of work motivation into four categories: Positive-Negative. Positive motives include things perceived as pleasurable. Negative motives are those things perceived as punishment or fear. Intrinsic-Extrinsic. Intrinsic is doing something because it is inherently interesting or enjoyable, and extrinsic refers to doing something because it leads to a reward. Cognitive-Affective. Cognitive includes doing something for knowledge and mental or intellectual development, whereas affective is doing something for feelings or emotions. Economic-Moral. Economic motives are to achieve a goal associated with a basic need or support a desired standard of living. Moral motivation is to do something right or avoid doing something wrong. Evidence suggests that intrinsic motivation is more effective than extrinsic motivation. In his book Drive, Daniel Pink popularized the Self-determination theory (SDT). This theory suggests that intrinsic work motivation stems from the psychological needs of employees to possess: Autonomy leads to satisfaction from good performance achieved from personal decisions. Mastery and competence lead to confidence Purpose and the care of others and the care for others Self-determination theory research revealed that autonomy and purpose are significantly linked to higher performance levels. When employees feel they have control over their activities, they are more confident and, in return, more motivated to work. Likewise, when employees feel connected to their team, they are motivated to work harder for the organization. Research into whether mastery positively impacts performance is not as evident. Here is a short video of Daniel pink speaking on the gap between science and what business frequently does with motivation. 2 Intrinsic work motivation tactics There is a big difference between making someone do something and work motivation. Here are two practical tactics that are proven to create the optimal conditions necessary for intrinsic work motivation. Tactic 1: Organizational culture Organizational culture is more influential than anything else in the organization. It is the one thing that impacts everything. A working definition of organizational culture is the taken-for-granted assumptions and beliefs in a company's norms, actions, and what you can see, hear, and feel. Numerous studies suggest organizational culture is a crucial factor influencing intrinsic motivation. Why employees work makes a difference in how employees work. Research studies demonstrate that the most motivating workplace cultures : Maximize the motivation behind the work itself Enhance the value of the work because of its impact Increase the potential of work to support employee goals Minimize emotional pressure to comply Avoid using negative reinforcement Don't lead with a "do it because I said so" approach The Competing Values Framework is a simple approach that a leader can use for assessing and describing an organization's or team's culture to facilitate culture change that makes the group more effective. By simplifying the cultural description to only two fundamental dimensions of either flexibility or stability and internal or external focus, the Competing Values Framework creates a straightforward way for leaders and groups to become aware of and reflect on their current culture. Then, instead of prescribing one ideal culture, the Competing Values Framework enables leaders to take steps toward a preferred culture that aligns with the organization's strategic objectives. Tactic 2: Servant leadership How you lead makes a difference. Studies suggest that servant leaders create an increased leader and follower commitment, yielding increased intrinsic motivation that amplifies workforce alignment and business strategy benefits. Servant leadership is an emerging 21st-century leadership style. The motivations of the servant leader are to serve others first and lead second. This paradigm stands in stark contrast to traditional transactional leadership. Servant leaders desire to bring out the best in their followers by giving them the best of themself. According to Robert Greenleaf, attributed by many as the founder of servant leadership, the best measure of success for a servant leader is to see those served become healthier, wiser, freer, more self-directed, and ultimately more likely to serve others. The seven servant leadership virtues that direct the actions of the leader are: Love Humility Altruism Vision Trust Empowerment Service Servant leaders practice selfless love. They can apply empathy to be aware of, feel and take on the emotions of what another person is experiencing and demonstrate the compassion to understand and help others. Selfless love is a radically different paradigm from a transactional worldview of the workplace. The ten characteristics of a servant leader are: Listening to identify a group's will and help clarify that will. Empathy to understand and empathize with followers. Healing self and the relationships with others. Awareness to understand issues of ethics and values. Persuasion over positional power. Conceptualization to see beyond the day-to-day realities of a situation. Foresight to see around the realities of the present situation. Stewardship of the greater good for society. Commitment to growth and development of followers. Building community among the team and organization. Have you ever wondered if you are a servant leader? You can take this free Servant Leadership Style Checker to get your Servant Leadership Style Score. Now, what is the real work motivation challenge for you and your team? References Greenleaf, R. K., & Spears, L. C. (2002). Servant-leadership: A journey into the nature of legitimate power and greatness (25th-anniversary ed.). Paulist Press. Kirkwood, C., Lin, A., Rager, M., Shah-Manek, B., Welch, A., & Williams, N. (2017). Point/Counterpoint: Are outstanding leaders born or made? American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 81(3), 58. McGregor, L., & Doshi, N. (2015). How company culture shapes employee motivation. Harvard Business Review. Reed, C. (2022). The truth about motivating employees to be more productive. National Business Research Institute. Spears, L. (2010). Character and servant leadership: Ten characteristics of effective, caring leaders. Journal of Virtues and Leadership. 1(1). Vo, T., Tuliao, K., & Chen, C. (2022). Work Motivation: The Roles of Individual Needs and Social Conditions. Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland), 12(2), 49. Walumbwa, F., Hartnell, C., & Oke, A. (2010). Servant-leadership, procedural justice climate, service climate, employee attitudes, and organizational citizenship behavior: A cross-level investigation. Journal of Applied Psychology, 95(3).

Have you ever left a conversation with regret when you dared to disagree? I have. Under pressure, I can be impulsive, leaving me wondering if I was helpful. It could be that you internalize your thoughts and cannot find the right words to say. Let's face it. Upward dissent and critical feedback are the vegetables of communication. We know deep down these difficult conversations are good for results and relationships, but most of us would prefer to avoid them. Issues too bad to ignore often are too big to fix quickly, and pushing ahead without a proven plan can leave others feeling resentful instead of encouraged. Just like any good leadership habit, mastering difficult conversations requires skill and deliberateness. With a little effort, you can give more critical feedback —with less regret later—keeping these three keys in mind. Why you should dare to critique or disagree When leaders avoid difficult feedback or do not handle conversations well, it can lead to relationship strife, failure, and missed growth opportunities. Mastering critical feedback creates the best possible outcomes for the leader, the leader-follower relationship, the team, and the company. Critical feedback can lead to exploring diverse, innovative ideas that drive organizational growth. As businesses invest time pursuing innovation, it is easy to become increasingly less willing to question an idea. But, it is essential to receive critical feedback that challenges innovation assumptions. Organizations that dare to question assumptions are able to keep the focus on the best ideas. One of the greatest gifts any leader can receive is the rare gift of being told what they need to hear but others are unwilling to say. If everyone in the room is always agreeing, you may not have the right people in the room. Isolation is a frequent challenge for executive CEOs and executives. The power distance created by their position limits the critical feedback they receive. Increasingly, leaders are looking to executive coaching relationships outside of the company to find the thought partnership needed to improve ideas. In the following Ted Talk, Margaret Heffernan provides a powerful story of why most people do not dare to disagree and why great teams, relationships, and businesses do. Key #1: Focusing on What Matters Most Masters of critical feedback create a gap between action and response to choose what conversation matters most. Like a ship approaching an iceberg, what alerts a leader of a potential problem is often what is seen, but what lies below the surface presents the greatest opportunity to be addressed. "Don't let the truth run faster than love." Erwin McManus In addition to choosing the right issue, selecting the right level of conversation is essential. There are three basic levels: Level 1: The first level is a conversation about a specific issue, such as showing up late for a meeting and exploring the cause. A simple conversation in passing may be appropriate. Level 2: The second level is a conversation about a pattern of topics, such as showing up late for several meetings. Meeting in private is best to discuss the reasons for this conversation. Level 3: The third and most serious level is the health of the leader-follower relationship. These difficult conversations result from a lack of trust, concerns about competence, or loss of respect for the other person. Key #2: Being Vulnerable Regardless of leadership level or amount of experience, all leaders struggle with the tension of being vulnerable or not. When receiving critical feedback, followers want to know their leader cares about them. But, concerns about managing perceptions can keep leaders from showing vulnerability. And when leaders are guarded, it promotes distrust. Although leaders are expected to convey an image of competence, confidence, and power, followers already know you are not perfect. Being vulnerable in challenging conversations requires courage. Leaders must learn to be comfortable without being right or having all of the information wanted or needed. Leadership vulnerability involves the willingness to be open and take risks that might create the best of what might be in the organization. There is no single checklist of potential actions that leaders can use to show vulnerability in every difficult conversation. However, the following list of proven good leadership habits that promote vulnerability: Being transparent Putting others first doesn't mean thinking less of yourself Asking for feedback and willing to learn Being selfless Taking action To identify your tendency—to be vulnerable in difficult conversations —take the following free five-question quiz and learn your vulnerability leadership score. Key #3: Checking Your MVP Fail to plan and plan to fail. To avoid regret, your communication plan should include checking personal motivation, vision, and perspective (MVP) before giving critical feedback. Motivation. Is your motivation about caring for others first? Or is your motivation to be right? Reasons for a conversation matter. It is less likely that the conversation will lead to positive changes without a positive reason. Vision. How do you see the result of the conversation going? Is it the best of what might? Or is what you see a list of all the things that could go wrong? When you anticipate a positive step in the journey, it provides a sense of purpose and direction to inspire your best and achieve success. Perspective. When the lens through which you perceive the difficult conversation is off, your results will turn out poorly. Is your paradigm for the difficult conversation that real transparent conversation will provide the best foundation for a healthy culture and your relationship? Or is your perspective that it is best to avoid difficult conversations because you need to manage your image? Conclusion: Less regret. More critical feedback. After you decide to give critical feedback, you will want to consider more than choosing when and where to have the conversation to bring out the best in others. Focusing on what matters most will ensure the greatest opportunity is addressed rather than simply reacting. Being vulnerable in the conversation will communicate that you care about them and establish trust and safety. Also, taking the time to clarify a positive motivation, vision, and perspective will keep you focused on being helpful. Giving critical feedback, in turn, encourages others to take risks with you. Leading to improved communication, productivity, and relationships. Others want to see that you care for them and are also open to learning. What critical feedback do you need to give? What is the real challenge for you? References Bartell, R. (2011). Before the call: The communication playbook. Hudson House. Berkun, S. (2010). The myths of innovation (1st ed.). O'Reilly Media, Inc. Brown, B. (2022). The Power of vulnerability: Teachings of authenticity, connection, and courage. Doolittle, J. (2023). Life-Changing Leadership Habits: 10 Proven Principles That Will Elevate People, Profit, and Purpose. Organizational Talent Consulting. Drucker, P. (2006). Innovation and Entreprenuership. Harper Business. Grenny, J., Patterson, K., McMillan, R., Switzler, A., & Gregory, E. (2021). Crucial conversations . McGraw-Hill Education. Hayes, J. (2008). Workplace conflict and how businesses can harness it to thrive. CPP Global Human Capital Report. Patterson, K., (2005). Crucial confrontations: Tools for resolving broken promises, violated expectations, and bad behavior. McGraw-Hill.

The future workforce is more diverse than ever. Census data confirms cultural diversity is growing faster than predicted, especially among Gen Z. A competitive talent landscape, technological advances, and global population shifts are rapidly increasing cultural diversity in the workplace. Regardless of your industry, you will likely experience vast differences between cultural expectations among employees, challenges in attracting and retaining culturally diverse talent, and the growing need to develop intercultural professionals and leaders. This article explores these challenges and, more importantly, five practical strategies you can take to solve them. Cross-Cultural Strategy #1: Culturally Agile Leadership Leaders increasingly face cross-cultural differences when working with diverse customers and employees. With over 60 global cultures identified and numerous variations in regions within the national cultures, it is virtually impossible to experience every potential situation. Cross-cultural differences require leaders with cultural agility. A large-scale global study involving over 32,000 people from 28 countries found that only 20% are willing to have someone with whom they disagree as a coworker. Cultural differences in the workplace can be substantial, quickly escalate into conflict, and limit a leader's and organization's effectiveness. Successful, culturally agile leaders can see themself through another person's perspective. They can: understand their culture, their organization's culture, and how it impacts the business. recognize and appreciate the differences between other cultures as compared to their own. use their understanding of cultural differences to conduct business within cross-cultural situations effectively. Cross-Cultural Strategy #2: Recruit for Intercultural Competence Talent acquisition is a critical process for any leader and business. Increased competition intensifies the pressures on companies to find talent capable of immediately contributing to the organization with reduced onboarding periods. Adding to the challenge is the reality that the work is changing quickly, and positions needed today may not exist in the future. The increased demand for cross-cultural professionals and leaders is multiplying the challenge for companies. To face these challenges, businesses can benefit by identifying and incorporating intercultural competencies into hiring practices. Unlike competencies that address technical and behavioral knowledge, skills, and abilities of the work, these competencies address the cross-cultural leadership aspects of the work and workplace. Recruiting practices need to attract and select leaders with the inter-cultural competence to: identify and appropriately engage in cross-cultural situations drive cross-cultural value by capitalizing on cross-cultural advantages achieve mutually beneficial outcomes presented in a cross-cultural situation Cross-Cultural Strategy #3: Apply Strategic Workforce Planning Likely you are familiar with conducting a SWOT analysis as a part of your strategic planning, where you identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to achieving your company's overall mission, vision, and goals for the future. Strategic workforce planning similarly identifies strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats that apply to the talent needed. Incorporating strategic workforce planning into your business's strategic planning process provides feedback to enhance strategy execution. Strategic workforce planning is a dynamic process to ensure a business has the correct number of people with the right skills in the right places at the right time to deliver on current and future goals. There is no "one-size-fits-all" approach to strategic workforce planning. The best approaches account for the unique context and culture of your business. It all begins with getting clear on your strategic business priorities and then integrating the following steps into your planning: Role segmentation. Identify strategic roles based on their importance to the execution of the business strategy. Environmental scanning. Conduct quantitative and qualitative analysis of the internal and external workforce supply and demand. Scenario planning. Consider a range of potential futures to improve the possibilities of future success in your business. Cross-Cultural Strategy #4: Employee Retention Interviews Most organizations conduct exit interviews, but employee retention interviews are proactive instead of reactive. Retention interviews are intended to learn from current employees about the factors that motivated them to accept the offer to work with your company and if those reasons are being met today from the employee's perspective. Retention interviews involve asking a series of questions to determine whether changes can be made to meet employee expectations before they exit the company. These interviews can be a regular part of one-to-one meetings or large group team meetings. Sometimes, human resources can administer these interviews to help with anonymity and psychological safety . Here are a few sample retention interview questions you can use: Why did you decide to work for this company? Are those reasons still valid in your current job? If you could change anything about the workplace, what would you change? If you could make this job everything you wanted it to be, what would you change? Focusing on retention and making changes where needed to meet the needs of cross-cultural employees will benefit recruiting efforts by improving the employment value proposition. Cross-Cultural Strategy #5: Talent Development There are many horror stories of organizations that have taken successful leaders with in-depth technical knowledge from one location and placed them in different cross-cultural situations, only to fail. Underestimating cultural differences from one part of the business to another is dangerous, especially in an increasingly cross-cultural context. Cross-cultural leaders are not born; they are developed. Developing a competency of cultural agility requires dedicated effort and investment to break from the typical classroom presentation or eLearning module. Developing cross-cultural talent is most effective in a blended learning environment, including assessments, cross-cultural immersion experiences, and structured feedback. Key Summary Points Businesses cannot rely on leaders' tenure and technical expertise to solve increasingly complex cross-cultural challenges. Modern leaders need cultural agility Businesses should be recruiting leaders and professionals with intercultural competence Strategic workforce planning should be incorporated into strategic planning activity Leaders need to take a proactive approach to talent retention Developing culturally agile professionals and leaders requires more than traditional approaches to learning and development What is your cross-cultural opportunity? References Caligiuri, P. (2012). Cultural agility: Building a pipeline of successful global professionals. Jossey-Bass. Doolittle, J. (2023). Life-changing leadership habits: 10 proven principles that will elevate people, profit, and purpose. Organizational Talent Consulting. Frey, W. (2020). The nation is diversifying even faster than predicted, according to new census data. Brookings. Mayo, A. (2015). Strategic workforce planning – a vital business activity. Strategic HR Review, 14 (5), 174-181.

If you are like most people, you're facing unprecedented levels of daily stress. Working harder than ever before has become the norm. While we can point fingers at staffing levels, remote work, and rapid technological upheavals, there's a deeper issue at play. The pursuit of happiness has morphed into over-scheduled calendars, feelings of inadequacy, and dwindling time for real relationships. Businesses can't afford to ignore the holistic impact of workplace stress. It's not just about those under stress - evidence suggests it's a trillion-dollar problem affecting all of us. The complexity can be overwhelming, creating uncertainty about the best course of action. What's the answer? Here are ten often hidden workplace stressors and one game-changing step every leader can take to create a healthier and better workplace. Why you need a workplace stress reduction strategy Managing long-term stress can lower your risk for conditions like heart disease, obesity, high blood pressure, and depression. According to a study by the Mayo Clinic, the personal and organizational side-effects of executives experiencing long-term stress and burnout include: broken relationships substance abuse depression decreased customer satisfaction reduced productivity increased employee turnover Employees are stressed out. A global study of 14,800 knowledge workers across 25 countries revealed: 49% of leaders and 42% of non-managers are struggling with anxiety 74% of those surveyed are looking to company leadership for help dealing with workplace stress. The costs of workplace stress and burnout are severe for individuals and organizations. Manufacturing organizations like General Motors report spending more on healthcare than they do on raw materials for their products. A recent study to quantify the costs of workplace stress found that workplace stressors in the United States account for more than 120,000 deaths per year and approximately 5-8% of annual healthcare costs. Here is a recent TedTalk on the surprising cost of workplace stress. Also, we are more connected to each other than we may recognize, and stress is an emotional contagion. Evidence suggests that co-workers can spread stress within a workgroup. For example, someone on your team who is feeling down enters a meeting. Within a few minutes, the entire team's emotions  begin to mimic their behaviors and non-verbal expressions. The following short NPR video discusses how emotions are contagious. The American Association of Psychology polled more than 1500 employees in the US and found: 87% believe their employer can take action to improve their mental health 59% experienced adverse impacts of work-related stress 44% intend to leave their current company in the next year 21% had a hard time focusing at work “Oh, you hate your job? Why didn’t you say so? There’s a support group for that. It’s called everybody.” George Carlin Workplace stressors There is a long and rich history of research into workplace factors with the potential to create stress for leaders. Here is a list of ten common stressors: Role Ambiguity— A common stressor in the workplace is unclear roles and responsibilities. Whether being asked to do more with less or reporting to a new leader, when leaders feel inefficient and are unsure how to prioritize their work, it creates stress. Self-doubt— Questioning your knowledge, skills, and abilities can result in feelings of being a fraud. Being assigned a task for the first time and not hearing any feedback can amplify these feelings and create anxiety. Organizational Culture Misalignment – A lack of alignment or conflict between the company and personal values. Mergers and acquisitions can be a common source of this stress. For example, when a company values rapid decision-making, and the leader prefers strategic thinking, it can add misalignment stress. Expectations Conflict— Starting your day feeling like you cannot win is not good. When leaders are handed a scorecard that can't be executed with the current team's capabilities, it creates stress. Role Overload - This type of stress occurs when you are given too much to do and expected to deliver it on time and with high quality. It is unrealistic and stressful. Inadequate Resources - A lack of staff, tools, materials, equipment, information, and other resources needed to complete the job. When budgets are reduced, investments are delayed, and expectations are not adjusted, it is common to feel stressed from a lack of resources. Work-Life Boundary Mismanagement— In the distraction economy, many  leaders have given up on managing work-life boundaries . However, evidence suggests that not committing to managing personal and professional expectations increases stress. Stalled Career -  Dissatisfaction with career growth opportunities and a lack of hope for a better future. Role potential stress can lead to increased turnover and decreased workplace effort. Isolation - When you are alone and feel disconnected from others, you can feel you lack the support needed to succeed. The opposite is team cohesion. This is when members are committed to one another and collectively to a task, mission, or cause. Underemployment – Feeling like you have more to offer than the company currently asks of you. Career transitions, reorganizations, and outsourcing job responsibilities can leave leaders stressed from wanting more out of their work. How gratitude makes a difference Grateful leaders experience less stress, and expressing gratitude helps both the giver and the receiver. Gratitude is a positive emotion that balances a negative mindset . Many studies link gratitude with improved health, increased happiness, and decreased anxiety and depression. An interesting recent study found that those who wrote gratitude letters showed greater activation in their brain's medial prefrontal cortex when they experienced gratitude in the fMRI scanner three months later. This evidence indicates that simply expressing gratitude may have lasting positive effects on your brain. Similar to the saying, you are what you eat. If you allow only negative thoughts and feelings into your life, it is harmful to your well-being. Consider the negative emotion of envy. It is impossible to be both envious and grateful at the same time. Gratitude helps create a barrier to negative thoughts and feelings. The following short video explains some of the science behind why gratitude matters. Feeling appreciated is linked to well-being and employee performance.  A study involving over 1700 working adults revealed that those who feel valued by their leader are likelier to report higher levels of physical and mental health, engagement, satisfaction, and motivation than those who do not. What is gratitude? According to the American Psychological Association, gratitude is a sense of thankfulness and happiness in response to receiving a gift, either a tangible benefit given by someone or a fortunate happenstance. "Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues but the parent of all the others." – Cicero. Gratitude consists of an affirmation of goodness and a source outside of ourselves. Gratitude involves both the ability to acknowledge the good in your life and feeling a sense of thankfulness. Empathy, kindness, and love  are closely related to the virtue of gratitude. Take the following six-question survey to determine and benchmark your likelihood of experiencing gratitude. The following video is from Robert Emmons, the creator of the survey. In it, he addresses what gratitude means. Getting Started Step #1: Cultivating Your Attitude of Gratitude Cultivating an attitude of gratitude is something we can all do and is a healthy leadership habit. The best way to get started is to make gathering and giving gratitude easy and gradually increase the practice. Gratefulness.io  is an app that makes getting started easy. I have used it for a few years and found it effective in cultivating an attitude of gratefulness. The app will send you a simple daily prompt asking you about what you are grateful for, and it stores your responses in a private online journal. What you record can be as simple as what comes to your mind or a purposeful reflection on something good that happened that day and why you felt good. I find scrolling through my journal very encouraging, and it also serves as a way for me to track my progress. Stop. Look. Go.  The following video explains how to get started practicing gratitude. It begins by getting quiet, looking through our senses, and then taking the opportunity presented. If you are feeling stuck about how to get started or have tried to cultivate an attitude of gratitude, executive coaching can help. Coaches work with their clients to foster a mindset shift and implement practical strategies toward meaningful goals, including gratitude-related ones. Through thought-provoking partnerships, coaches guide clients to reflect on achievements and strengths while deepening awareness and appreciation. Getting Started Step #2: Expressing Gratitude to Others Giving gratitude reduces your stress, makes you happier, and improves relationships. After listing what you are grateful for each day, take a few moments to practice giving gratitude. Not only will reflecting and journaling what you are thankful for make you happier, but showing appreciation will multiply the positive effects on your emotions. Simply send a thank you note or, better yet, deliver it and say thank you in person. Here is a simple template from Mental Health America. So, what is the real workplace stress challenge for you and your organization? References: APA. (2021). Facing compounding stressors, many American workers plan to change jobs in coming year. American Psychological Association. Doolittle, J. (2023). Life-changing leadership habits: 10 proven principles that will elevate people, profit, and purpose. Organizational Talent Consulting. Gallup. (2022). State of the global workplace 2022 report. Gallup. Harms, Zhang, J., & Perrewé, P. L. (2020). Entrepreneurial and small business stressors, experienced stress, and well being . Emerald Publishing Limited. Joshi. (2005). Stress from burnout to balance . Response Books. Williams, N. (2016). Top ten types of workplace stress. Bartell and Bartell.

An issue on the mind of leaders from the CEO to the front line supervisor is employee retention. Many different factors contribute to increased employee turnover and today's skilled workforce shortage. Employee retention directly impacts customer engagement, sales, company culture , and operating efficiency. Employee turnover is on the rise. More American employees are quitting their jobs than ever since data began being tracked by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. A survey of 2000 employees in the US and Canada found that 52% of employees have one foot already out the door. It may seem overwhelming knowing where to begin. There is something you can start doing today that will have an immediate positive impact on employee retention. Employee recognition can be a relatively quick, low-cost, and high-impact place for you to start. When starting with recognition, you will also discover many fringe benefits beyond retaining top talent. Why should you start with employee recognition? We all have a fundamental need to want to know when we have done a task right. Today, many employees are knowledge workers and do not receive immediate feedback on how they performed after completing a task. Also, let's be honest; no news is not necessarily good news in today's world. Gallup studied more than 80,000 managers and discovered that recognition is essential to having a great workplace and better retention rates. One of the most significant benefits of starting with employee recognition in addition to improved retention is improved employee productivity. Studies have shown that positive recognition generates discretionary effort. Discretionary effort is when an employee willingly gives more than what is asked or expected. Additional benefits you can expect from implementing employee recognition include improved teamwork, reduced stress, and absenteeism. 4 Essential Employee Recognition Tips The following tips will help you get off to a great start with recognition and avoid costly mistakes: 1. Don't believe that any recognition is better than no recognition. Effective recognition is positive, immediately connected to profitable behaviors, and specific about what is praised. Don't recognize the ordinary, so when you appreciate the excellent, it is more meaningful. Match the recognition type with the individual and the situation. Keep in mind there are many ways to provide recognition, such as saying, "good job" or "thank you," as well as lunch, coffee, a new computer, money, time off from work, and other desired items. Get creative and use variety, so the recognition does not feel hollow. Also, variety helps you avoid the conversion of recognition into an expectation. 2. Know what motivates your employees. Figuring out what motivates your employees, so you can effectively recognize them is crucial. In other words, gold stars may not be the best form of reinforcement for your adult employee. The golden rule does not apply, so instead, consider the platinum rule: do unto others as they would want to be done unto them. An excellent way to get to know what someone feels recognition is to listen and observe what they like doing with their time away from work. 3. Don't reward the wrong behavior. Rewarding the wrong behavior can have unintended consequences. For example, a distribution company rewarded employees for on-time performance and inadvertently encouraged risk-taking and unsafe practices. The leadership of an organization was pleased that the number of employees with active development plans had increased until an audit revealed that only 20% were well-written plans. Knowing the right behavior may sound like a simple step but take some time to give this more thought to avoid a pitfall. 4. Make recognition a daily activity. Great managers daily look for opportunities to recognize excellent performance. In addition to direct observation, consider soliciting feedback from customers or team members. When seeking feedback on an employee's performance, most people do not want to be sent another survey to complete; so, keep it simple and personal for the best feedback. Start each day by focusing on an area of your business. Keep a list of when you find excellent performance and recognize an employee to track your progress. Consider texts and voicemail as options for recognition but do not forget the value of a handwritten note. Effectively using employee recognition brings out the best in employees and boosts retention. If you don’t already have comprehensive employee retention and recognition programs, w e’re ready to partner with you to craft a solution for your organization’s specific context and challenges. If you do, make sure they align with your organization’s culture to get the best outcomes—and possibly a significant competitive advantage. References: Baumgartner, N. (2021). Achievers 2021 Engagement and Retention Report. Achievers . Daniels, A. C. (2000). Bringing out the best in people: How to apply the astonishing power of positive reinforcement (New & updated.). New York: McGraw-Hill. Daniels, A. C., & Daniels, J. E. (2004). Performance management: Changing behavior that drives organizational effectiveness (4th ed). Atlanta, GA: Performance Management Publications. Harter, J. (2018, August 26). Employee engagement on the rise in the U.S. Workplace (1999, April 12). Item 4: Recognition or praise.

Being honestly heard is rare in the workplace. Rushing from meeting to meeting leaves leaders feeling trapped with little time. Most conversations hardly ever get the space to go below the surface with a focus on words rather than their meaning. And the hybrid workplace has not helped. In a digital environment, leaders receive less context and fewer cues due to technology limitations. Alarmingly, McKinsey & Co. seems to have found a leadership blindspot. A recent global survey suggests that most executives believe their workplaces are inclusive, but only 30% of employees believe their opinions count. Listening is a gift that every leader can give. Being heard leaves your team feeling valued, affirmed, and emotionally connected to you. Listening enhances relationships, eases tensions, and builds trust. Here is a quiz you can give your team to test your listening skills and how busy leaders can overcome active listening barriers. Why does active listening matter? The skill of active listening is the most effective form of listening. Its benefits are well-documented in the workplace. Evidence suggests that active listening builds trust, improves the quality of relationships, and creates a positive work environment. Employees who feel heard feel better about their work and their leader. Improved relationships reduce stress . Active listening is a skill that leaders cannot outsource. Listening to your team's and customers' implicit and explicit needs and wants leads to used and valued innovations. Also, evidence suggests that improved perceptions of respect mediate an environment for joint problem-solving and creativity. 3 Active listening skills Actively listening is your ability to hear and improve mutual understanding. When you actively listen, you pay attention, show interest, suspend judgment, reflect, clarify, summarize, and share to gain clarity and insight. When practicing active listening, you are available to the other person. Suspending judgment can be tricky for leaders who are pressed for time. Leaders are used to fixing problems quickly, so slowing down can be challenging. The goal of active listening is to hear the other person. Try to understand before you try to be understood. Listening does not mean agreement. One of the most sincere forms of respect is actually listening to what another has to say. Bryant McGill Clarifying involves asking open-ended, probing, and clarifying questions. A good starting question is to ask, what's on your mind? And follow it up by asking, and what else? You might be amazed at what you learn. Actively listening doesn't mean only listening and asking questions. But it is best to share your thoughts, ideas, feelings, and suggestions after you believe you have heard the other person. The part many leaders struggle with is empathic listening. However, statements like, "You aren't the only one feeling that way," or "I felt similarly," help to connect emotionally with followers. The following short video from Simon Sinek is about creating an environment where the other person feels heard. Active Listening Skill #1: Verbal Listening Active verbal listening comprises paraphrasing, reflecting feelings, assumption checking, and questioning skills. The words you use matter. Research comparing verbal and nonverbal active listening skills demonstrated that speaking skills are more critical for improving outcomes than nonverbal skills. Active Listening Skill #2: Nonverbal Listening Active nonverbal listening refers to your body language. Eye contact, leaning forward, and an open body position all provide cues of affirmation. Avoid checking your phone, leaning back in your chair, and crossing your arms. Whether intended or not, these are all cues you are not actively listening to the employee. Active Listening Skill #2: Empathic Listening Active empathic listening combines verbal and nonverbal listening skills with empathy. Leaders practice this listening by sensing the explicit and implicit feelings being communicated. It is vital to innovation and maintaining close relationships. 2 Ways to overcome active listening barriers The use of paraphrasing with metaphors and paying attention by slowing down are helpful tips for overcoming common barriers to listening. Active Listening Tip #1: Paraphrasing with Metaphors Like playing catch with a ball, when the conversation is tossed to you, you should put what you heard into your own words (paraphrase) and use that to make sure you hear the key points correctly. A metaphor is a phrase that conveys something typically abstract through a symbolic image with shared understanding. As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. Metaphors help create connections. For example, when attempting to clarify, you could state, "It is like driving in the fog at night," instead of asking, "Are you confused?" Active Listening Tip #2: Paying Attention by Slowing Down It is easy not to be aware that you are sending unintended signals that you are in a hurry. Put your technology on mute. Get curious about what they are saying and their emotions. This is not the time to multitask. Be natural and use verbal and nonverbal cues, such as nodding your head or saying yes, to let them know you are engaged. Active listening does not typically happen in a rushed environment. The key is not to try to force a conversation into an arbitrarily scheduled time frame. Allow the option to reschedule additional time as appropriate. Take this active listening quiz When you can't see yourself objectively and don't accurately understand the perspectives of others, you can't make the transformational changes necessary for business growth. Evidence suggests that despite being very important to employees, employees' perceptions of their leader's listening skills are very low. This is significant because perceptions are proven to influence actions. When employees don't perceive they will be heard, they will unlikely continue to speak up. Here are a few statements adapted from the research by Longweni and Kroon (2018) developed to solicit feedback from direct reports. You should adjust the wording for different audiences, such as your peers, customers, and leaders. As designed, they are appropriate for use in a formal leadership 360 survey or anonymous pulse survey. I would suggest using a seven-point Likert scale from 1- strongly disagree to 7- strongly agree. My leader can sense how I feel without me having to say how I am feeling. My leader reads my non-verbal messages when we are in a conversation. My leader reflects on my emotions to let me know that they understand how I am feeling. My leader calms me down when I become angry by reflecting on my feelings. My leader restates my words to make sure that they understand me correctly. My leader makes sure to know what I am saying in a conflict situation. My leader does not justify their actions when I complain about something they have done wrong. My leader does not get angry or defensive when corrected. How to encourage others to use active listening Everyone has been in a situation where they don't feel heard. The next time you encounter that situation, here are a few strategies you can use to try and help bring about the change you want to see in others: Find common ground. Whether you are getting to know a person or engaging an executive on a complicated topic, starting with something you share in common can help create interest. Be a role model. Being the change you want to see in the world is a powerful tool for influencing change in the workplace. Don't be the one wanting to be listened to but unwilling to hear yourself. Look in the mirror and assess your skills honestly before fixing someone else. Let them know. Often, it is not a lack of desire as to why someone is not using active listening skills. If you decide to provide this feedback, you want to use an "I" statement, such as I don't feel like you are hearing me. How to develop active listening skills If you are ready to invest some energy into developing your active listening skills, the following strategies are compiled from various studies on active listening. Daily reflection. Reflect and assess daily how you are doing. Reflect on specific conversations to identify what went well and what still needs improvement. Specifically, focus on how well you pay attention, show interest, suspend judgment, reflect, clarify, summarize, and share to gain clarity and understanding. Find a mentor or accountability partner . A mentor should be someone that is a skilled active listener. This person can role model and help ask good reflective questions to help you learn. Find an accountability partner . An accountability partner can also be someone working on building their active listening skills, or they could already be skilled. The key is that they can observe and catch you using or not applying active listening skills. Focus. Consciously focus on building active listening skills rather than expecting to learn these skills while focusing on another competency. Experiential practice. You can build active listening skills with training, like physical endurance and strength. Use blended experiential methods that require learning by doing. Active listening is influenced by the context of the conversation and cues that are best understood by doing. Don't just rely on reading about active listening. Key Summary Points: Actively listening to employees leaves them feeling valued, affirmed, and connected emotionally with you. Listening eases tensions and makes productive conflict work where resentment exists. When you actively listen, you pay attention, show interest, suspend judgment, reflect, clarify, summarize, and share to gain clarity and understanding. Active Empathic Listening is vital to innovation and maintaining close relationships. The benefits of active listening are well-documented for building trust and improving relationships and the work environment. A study of employee perceptions of their leader's listening skills revealed it was the lowest-rated competency despite being very important to employees. Using metaphors, slowing down, paying attention, and paraphrasing key points are helpful tips when practicing active listening. Being the change you want to see in the world is a powerful tool for influencing change in the workplace. You can build active listening skills with practice, like building physical endurance and strength. References: Bodie, G., Vickery, A., Cannava, K., Jones, S. (2015). The role of "active listening" in informal helping conversations: Impact on perceptions of listener helpfulness, sensitivity, and supportiveness and discloser emotional improvement. Western Journal of Communication ;79(2):151-173. Center for Creative Leadership. (2019). Active listening: Improve your ability to listen and lead, second edition, 2nd edition . Center for Creative Leadership. Doolittle, J. (2023). Life-changing leadership habits: 10 proven principles that will elevate people, profit, and purpose. Organizational Talent Consulting. Gearhart, C., Bodie, G. (2011). Active-empathic listening as a general social skill: Evidence from bivariate and canonical correlations. Communication Reports ;24:86-98. Jahromi, V., Tabatabaee, S., Abdar, Z., & Rajabi, M. (2016). Active listening: The key of successful communication in hospital managers. Electronic physician , 8 (3), 2123–2128. Kourmousi, N., Kounenou, K., Yotsidi, V., Xythali, V., Merakou, K., Barbouni, A., & Koutras, V. (2018). Personal and job factors are associated with teachers' active listening and active empathic listening. Social Sciences, 7 (7) Longweni, M., & Kroon, J. (2018). Managers' listening skills, feedback skills, and ability to deal with interference: A subordinate perspective. Acta Commercii, 18 (1), 1-12.

Being a leader in today's crisis-driven workplace is exciting on the one hand and exhausting on the other. You are presented with new opportunities to make a real difference in areas where you find purpose and are frequently stretched to grow. These 'crucible moments' can leave you questioning your career. Crises disrupt healthy habits creating an imbalance. At times like these, you may not be aware that you are sabotaging yourself. Self-care is fundamental to maximizing your joy of living as a leader. Self-care is not selfish behavior. Like every living thing in this world, if leaders are not continually investing in restoring and strengthening physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health, it is deteriorating. No one in the workplace escapes this reality. What is Self-Care? Although no single definition exists for self-care, it involves a wide range of activities that promote physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health. Implementing and building healthy self-care habits leads to positive emotions, improved relationships, increased physical energy, emotional inspiration, and creativity. Self-care includes the do-it-yourself approach and the use of an executive coach . The scope of self-care ends at the point of becoming dependent on someone for achieving health.⁠ For example, a DIY approach would be independently going to the gym to exercise and receiving guidance but not assistance from a professional coach at the gym. Every leader is different in their definition of physical, spiritual, mental, and emotional health and needs. Because we each have different definitions of success and significance in life, it is natural that health and self-care activities will vary from leader to leader. What is Self-Sabotage? Many executives lack joy in life as a result of self-sabotage. These bad habits can be conscious or accidental, ranging from subtle to devastating consequences affecting every aspect of the leader's life. For example, perfectionism is a subtle type of self-sabotage where a senior leader can work tirelessly, dismissing incremental improvements as flaws or sacrificing relationships with those they love. It is easy to accidentally lose sight of physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health in a fast-paced digital, always-on workplace. Before you know it, the day is done, and you realize you rarely, if ever, got up from your desk. Maybe you worked through breaks instead of going for a walk, or you chose to eat the left-over donuts in the break room out of convenience instead of bringing in something healthy to eat. When self-sabotage is accidental, leaders simply mistake not placing achieving health on their list of priorities, or the urgent issue of the day shifts the leader's focus. Neglecting and procrastinating when it comes to taking care of yourself limits your ability to perform at your full potential . The following is a hilarious and insightful TedTalk presentation on procrastination. Organizational culture, past leaders modeling, and the fear of failing can steer leaders toward conscious self-sabotage. Unhealthy corporate cultures that emphasize working harder and longer hours can motivate leaders to purposefully self-sabotage their health. These organizations make heroes out of leaders that sacrifice achieving balance in their lives for the company's benefit. In these organizations, leaders purposely neglect self-care in trade for recognition and rewards within the organization. Self-sabotaging habits also come from past leadership examples and mentors. The previous director, who constantly was checking and replying to emails at all hours of the day, might cause the new director to neglect family relationships thinking that is the company's expectation. Fear of failing at something emboldens the inner critic. In return, the internal critic influences executives to not take risks to avoid falling instead of taking a necessary step to innovate and respond to changing environment. Self-sabotage leaves leaders feeling stuck and lacking self-confidence. Self-sabotage has the potential to stop momentum in a leader's life and career. The following video introduces seven common signs of self-sabotage and how to know if you may need help. Creating Healthy Self-Care Habits as a Leader So how do leaders navigate the new normal high-pressure crisis-driven workplace without self-sabotaging their joy in the process? Achieving balance with self-care is an individual path. However, relationships, rest, and your work environment are proven to have significant influences on physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health. Having a clean and organized workspace can provide a sense of being in control of our work. Going for a walk in the park with a friend and talking about life can give perspective during challenging times, or simply resting away from work can provide time for us to process and work through a situation with clarity. It ultimately doesn't matter where you start, but that you do start. Working on one domain of self-care, such as physical exercise, can improve emotional and mental health. For example, suppose you run in the park. In that case, you may encounter others along the run, which provides an opportunity to build relationships and improve your emotional health. It's not difficult to see how these domains can overlap, and simple steps can lead to significant improvements. The following short video helps you become more aware of your emotions. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Creating a Healthier Life guide provides an excellent step-by-step approach with resources to help promote self-care. Use this link for more information regarding the SAMHSA guide: ww.samhsa.gov/wellness-initiative. Key Summary Points: Crises disrupt healthy habits creating an imbalance in life. Every leader is different as to their physical, spiritual, mental, and emotional needs. It is easy to accidentally lose sight of physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health in a fast-paced digital, always-on workplace. Organizational culture, past leaders modeling, and the fear of failing can steer leaders toward a purposeful self-sabotage habit. Relationships, rest, and your work environment are proven to have significant influences on physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health. Visit our executive coaching page to learn more about how we help you achieve your personal or professional goals or partner with you to craft a solution specific to your organization's context and challenges. Getting started is as easy as visiting www.organizationaltalent.com or contacting us via email info@organizationaltalent.com. Organizational Talent Consulting utilizes proven, simple, and transformational personal and organizational development solutions to help our clients learn, change, and apply tools in ways that benefit their unique needs and corporate culture. References: Godfrey, C. M., Harrison, M. B., Lysaght, R., Lamb, M., Graham, I. D., & Oakley, P. (2011). Care of self – care by other – care of other: The meaning of self‐care from research, practice, policy and industry perspectives. International Journal of Evidence-Based Healthcare, 9(1), 3-24. Richards, S. (2010). The benefits of self-care. British Journal of Healthcare Assistants, 4(5), 246-247.

Acquiring, advancing, and retaining talent is essential for organizations to achieve their mission. A study of over 8,000 leaders across Asia, Europe, North America, and South Africa, conducted by the Corporate Executive Board (CEB) discovered that leaders committed to talent management achieve 25 percent higher performance . These gains in performance resulted in a seven percent improvement in revenue and a six percent increase in profit. Unfortunately, the study also revealed that less than 20 percent of senior executives possessed the commitment and capability to achieve these talent outcomes. Getting the right people leaders in the right seat at the right time is easier said than done. While there is no one single strategy that fits all situations some leading organizations are using predictive analytics to create data-based behavioral models to identify critical behaviors that predict organizational success. Social media, big data, robotics, and artificial intelligence-based applications are providing new insights to improve talent management decision making (See Table 1). Measuring Leadership While there is little agreement on a definition for leadership, there is broad agreement on leadership's importance. Effective leadership fosters innovation and creates a climate of excellence. Determining what to measure and how to measure leadership is essential to efficiently and effectively make equitable talent management decisions. Many CEOs point to a lack of qualified, ready now leadership talent as a significant threat to their organization's growth. Growth-oriented organizations need to understand if they have the right leaders with the right skills in the right jobs and have a sufficient pipeline of ready-now leaders for future growth. Companies like Agilent are using leadership effectiveness audits based on external norms to improve business outcomes. Once the organization reaches the top quartile for a given metric, it revises the audit to introduce a new leadership quality metric. A tool being used by many top-performing companies to measure leadership is the value and promotability matrix or nine-box grid (see Figure 1). Leaders are rated as low, medium, or high for performance, values, competence, and ability to promote. Beyond differentiating leaders, this matrix helps organizations create personalized development plans and accountability for growing the leadership pipeline. In my experience, when implemented correctly, this tool and the additional insights from leadership measurement can add immediate organizational value. To obtain the most value from the nine-box grid, it is vital to clearly define value and promotability and use talent review meetings to gain alignment across the organization. Ethical Considerations As organizations make investments into new technologies to measure leadership attraction, development, and retention, there are potential ethical challenges. One such challenge is equity in decision making. Technology creates the potential for unintended bias or violations of employee privacy rights. In a high-profile case involving technology-enabled decision-making bias, an artificial intelligence algorithm used to predict violent crime recidivism was twice as likely to misclassify black defendants than white defendants. Building a reporting and accountability culture is an important step toward spotting and halting technology-enabled ethics violations. We can partner with you to develop a customized solution to get the right leaders in the right seat at the right time. Walk with us and build a culture of leadership excellence that supports organizational growth. Contact us to get started today. References Dahlbom, P., Siikanen, N., Sajasalo, P., & Jarvenpää, M. (2019). Big data and HR analytics in the digital era. Baltic Journal of Management, 15 (1), 120-138. Ellehuus, C. (2012). Transforming business leaders into talent champions. Strategic HR Review, 11 (2), 84-89. Gandossy, R., & Guarnieri, R. (2008). Can you measure leadership? MIT Sloan Management Review . Larson, J., Mattu, S., Kirchner, L., & Angwin, J. (2016). How we analyzed the COMPAS recidivism algorithm . ProPublica. Ledet, E., McNulty, K., Morales, D., & Shandell, M. (2020). How to be great at people analytics . McKinsey & Company. Marr, B. (2019). Artificial intelligence has a problem with bias, here's how to tackle it . Forbes. Oster, G. W. (2011). The light prize: Perspectives on Christian innovation . Virginia Beach, Va: Positive Signs Media. Shen, K. (2011). The analytics of critical talent management [PDF]. People and Strategy. 34 (2) Sivathanu, B., & Pillai, R. (2019). Technology and talent analytics for talent management – a game-changer for organizational performance. International Journal of Organizational Analysis (2005), 28 (2), 457-473. Upcoming Webinar Series We know you are going to love these complementary leadership and professional development events! Organizational Talent Consulting’s webinar content is developed to help leaders meet today's complex workforce and digital challenges. Our free live webinars deliver superior leadership development based on the latest research with no travel costs. Participants interact directly in question and answer discussions with subject matter experts and authors on crucial topics to enhance expertise. Webinars are recorded and shared with participants for convenient on-demand access after the live event. Topics include leadership, strategic planning, coaching, change management, and more ( register and learn more ). About the Author: Jeff's knowledge and expertise include leadership development, coaching, and workforce strategies to achieve influence and grow organizations. Jeff Doolittle is the founder of Organizational Talent Consulting in Grand Rapids, MI. He can be reached at info@organizationaltalent.com or by calling (616) 803-9020. Visit https://www.organizationaltalent.com/executive-coaching to learn more about executive coaching services provided.