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Embracing Diversity in the Workplace

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Despite the rise in political tension happening throughout the globe, we are still living in an exciting time for globalization that is largely expanding from the business world.

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As the digital-first workforce expands its reach into all areas of industry the need for international representatives is growing as well. By breaking down cultural barriers, we are more easily able to focus on the future of hi-tech and less on the cultural/political divisions that have been re-emerging in recent years. We continue to see a more rapid rate of exponential growth in technology.

As the mercantile trade has evolved into the modern business world, it has also promoted one main vision: Globalization of services. This allows business leaders to bring on employees from all genders, races, and cultures. Thought, the biggest hindrance to the expansion of the merchant world has consistently been the warring factors that come with cultural, religious, and political differences. Selective alliances have created friction for the connecting of top minds – an ideology that we have seen breaking down over time and quickly transitioning into the future.

There is nothing more beautiful than stepping into an event to see people comfortable discussing their business goals without the fear of being judged by the “accessories” that allows them to proudly represent their religion/culture without fear of judgment. Only by educating each other through calm, open discourse can we truly begin to understand each other. That means expanding our education of Eastern and Western cultures and finding fusion that entices people from all backgrounds.

One way to start changing the business world is to have a Chief Diversity Officer on your team. Someone who is unbiased and is curious to understand all of your employees. Not just how they operate in a business sense, but also how their culture/religion/upbringing shapes them. Only by truly understanding all sides, can we begin truly work towards building our teams with the strongest/firmest foundations to take us into the future.

Have you found the right Chief Diversity Officer for your team?

Do you have comments, questions, ideas, or suggestions? Share with us at: [email protected]

Sharing Your Story: Addressing the Difficult Aspects with Positivity

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We all like to share our stories. One of the most difficult aspects of leadership revolves around being open with your employees and others.

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Not every experience is a positive one. These conversations can dredge up bad memories, foul emotions, and may come off as bitter to your listeners. Being honest about the darkest moments of our careers can feel like a slippery slope to drag us back to that place. With the right techniques, we can embrace and share our previous setbacks with grace and humility.

Keep your tone light/neutral. People quickly take notice of tone of voice. Speaking in a light or neutral tone will undercut any tension others might take away from your story. Laugh it off even. People will be more inspired by the ability to recognize the situation for what it was, and success may have been delayed, but never completely hindered.

Be sensitive of directly using names. Unless you are endorsing the other party in the story, try to avoid using names. We are all human and we all make mistakes. Directly using names of the people, places, or organizations can sound like an attack. That should not be the intention of telling one’s story. You made it through those rough times and that should be the main focus.

Take responsibility for your end. There are three sides to every story: your side, the other persons, and somewhere in the middle is the truth. Address where you fell short. Where there may have been miscommunication. Simply putting the blame on others without recognizing your part comes across as playing the blame-game. Taking responsibility for your side exhibits humility and a growth mindset.

Express gratitude for the learning opportunity. It is important to note the lessons you took away from the experience, as well as for the other parties. Even if there is no more communication between parties, it does not mean that anyone’s journey stopped there. Reenforcing the mutual growth from the situation will showcase continued respect and support from having the opportunity.

Try not to spend too much time harping on past mistakes and struggles. Convey these moments as speedbumps along the way that needed to be managed, then move on. People will always have their own, natural reaction and oftentimes this will lead to further questions. Be receptive. The tough times do not define us, they help use become stronger and wiser along the way.

Do you have comments, questions, ideas, or suggestions? Share with us at: [email protected]

Strengthening the CHRO’s Strategic Role

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Over the last two decades, the market has indicated a rise in number of Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) and Chief Human Resources Officers (CHROs), while the adoption of automation tools has caused a decline in the retention of Chief Operating Officers (COOs) and Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs). Despite the increase in CHRO retention, there still remains some pushback from CEOs in regard to their strategic acumen.

According to recent data presented at the Visionaries Summit by Professor Rick Smith, Johns Hopkins University, Faculty Director, Human Capital Development Lab:

  • 55% of CEOs view CHROs as being a key player in strategy.
  • 48% of CEOs view CHROs as having strategic business skills.
  • & only 36% of CEOs think that the CHRO role is clearly understood by fellow leadership.

What steps can be taken to help the CHRO role become more strategic and more clearly defined?

Understand the business as a whole. The main focus of a CHRO lies with the people inside the organization. One of the most beneficial ways to support fellow colleagues is to understand the challenges they face. Ask guiding questions regarding the situations and people that affect their role in the workplace, whether that be: co-workers, clients, Sales Goals, etc. This will aid the CHRO to better understand: What are the different viewpoints? Are there cultural/religious differences? How do they communicate best? How can I best guide them to connect on the same level?

Sit with the different teams and learn from them. Sit with different team members in all of the departments to fully grasp the full scope of their role. Understand any and all challenges they may be facing, the different team dynamics, realistic timelines for operations, and what tools each team utilizes. Additionally, through attending department meetings, there will be a deeper understanding of all operations to better navigate and strategize strengthening the team.

Create a growth roadmap for employees. Take the initiative to help develop employees’ career path. Offer continued learning opportunities to further enhance your teams’ skills. Speak with team members regarding their career goals and make a plan with them to achieve each victory on the road to success.

Throughout each of these steps, it will be important to understand “why” colleagues operate in the manners they do and how to best support them. Employees will find a new appreciation for their CHROs as they will be considered more of an active member of the leadership team. Adapting small changes to include the Human Resources more in the day-to-day of all departments can help close the disconnect between their team and other leaders in the organization.

Do you have comments, questions, ideas, or suggestions? Share with us at: [email protected]

Impactful Questions Drive Growth

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Slicing through the noise, an insightful question will zero in on the elements that drive revenue growth.

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Asking impactful questions fuels economic advancement by shaping the trajectory of a company. There is profound significance in asking the right questions as it hones in on the crux of the matter. This habit also provides new perspectives that cultivate an environment of thinking differently and expanding the dialogue, which enriches long term economic growth.

How To Begin?

“A habit must be established before it can be improved,” James Clear wrote in Atomic Habits. It does not matter how seasoned we presently are at asking questions, as we regularly invest in the practice, improvement will blossom. An example could be to ask one well thought out question per week. The individual establishing this habit will be in a different league in one year’s time. An impactful question isn’t necessarily a question of high-level language, but rather of high-level importance and clarity.

Inquiry, An Essential Leadership Habit

The skill of asking profound questions is an invaluable asset, let’s explore how:

Customer-Centric Disruption

To drive innovation that resonates with customers, questions like, “What unmet needs are our customers experiencing, and how can we create solutions that address these pain points?” focuses on investing in present and future customer growth.

Feedback Loop Enhancement

Leaders can use questions to improve team dynamics and innovation. “What aspects of our current processes hinder collaboration and idea-sharing?” By soliciting candid feedback, leaders create opportunities to refine internal practices and foster an atmosphere of continuous improvement.

We Didn’t Know That We Didn’t Know

A gap in knowledge may not be immediately uncovered. By creating a habit of regularly asking questions, we create a habit of uncovering key information that we may not have known we needed. By probing beneath the obvious, we can expose hidden opportunities as well as potential risks that might otherwise remain unnoticed.

Challenging Assumptions to Spark Innovation

Innovation flourishes when assumptions are challenged. Instead of settling for the conventional path, consider asking, “What if we approached this challenge from an entirely different angle?” This question prompts your team to break free from established thought patterns and explore innovative solutions that may have previously been overlooked. By encouraging ‘why’ and ‘what if’ questions, leaders open the door to disruptive ideas that fuel growth.

Reverse Engineering

Leaders can further encourage innovative thinking by asking questions that reverse engineer existing solutions. “If we were to start from scratch, how would we solve this problem differently?” This prompts teams to reexamine assumptions and discover novel approaches that can lead to breakthroughs and more efficient operations.

Interdisciplinary Exploration

“How can principles from a seemingly unrelated field inspire us to innovate in our industry?” This approach stirs fresh perspectives, invites in new angles, and opens potential interdisciplinary collaboration.

Clarifying Objectives

A good question has the power to distill complex goals into their essential components. Leaders who master this technique clarify the overarching objectives and guide their teams to channel their efforts purposefully. The result is a workforce aligned with a shared vision, propelling the organization towards revenue advancement.

Examples of Impactful Questions Organizations Could Be Asking

What Are Our Blind Spots?

What Can We Learn from Our Competitors’ Successes?

Are We Innovating from the Customer’s Perspective?

How Can We Make Decision-Making More Well Rounded & Wholistic?

What ‘Best Practices’ Are We Holding Onto, That Are Holding Us Back?

How Can We Foster Interdepartmental Synergy?

What Can We Learn from Our Former Employees?

How Can We Create More Value for Our Partners And Relationships?

What Could Make Our Customers Loyalty Waver?

What Are We Not Asking That We Should Be?

Are We Overlooking Low-Hanging Fruit?

It can be daunting to ask questions as it brings seemingly dormant problems to the forefront, but in truth, it is actually bringing solutions to the forefront! When members of an organization embrace the art of questioning, an atmosphere of continuous improvement is nurtured. This fuels profitable growth as teams rally around improving their systems and products as well as innovative problem-solving.

“Ask questions the other person will enjoy answering,” said Dale Carnegie. Not all of our questions may achieve this, but when higher order questions also intersect with the interests of others, engaging and fruitful conversations often occur.

The power of inquiry remains a steadfast anchor guiding leaders and their organizations towards sustained success. Irrespective of titles, leaders who hone the skill of asking impactful questions are key in driving organizational growth.

Do you have comments, questions, ideas, or suggestions? Share with us at: [email protected]

Mitigating Toxic Employee Behaviors: Maintain a Healthy Work Environment

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Employee retention is one of the most important factors of successful businesses. During the hiring process, managers look for attitude – Can this person represent my company at the highest level? Over time, attitudes and behaviors can change. Sometimes these changes can be caused by stress, lack of passion, or, in the worst scenario – an employee’s true colors begin to show. When the toxicity becomes too much to bear, how should we best approach the situation?

Assess the mission of your organization. the actions of the employee that you have taken note of and how it is affecting the reputation of the organization, the potential to suffer further from toxic behavior, and how these behaviors are lowering the organization’s Brand.

Industries such as sales, politics, and the military often foster a “win at all costs” mindset, which can lead to competition between teams. However, employees in any industry should exercise self-control to prevent toxic behaviors from harming the team as a whole.

If your organization promotes an altruistic mission, this mentality is more likely to cause a well of tension over time. This is especially true if you claim to represent a group of people, yet you become/are made aware that some employees are ostracizing target audience members who don’t fit their idea of what that group should be – who don’t “fit the bill”. For example, if your organization supports a minority group, but an employee views someone as a “black sheep” of that group, they may make that person feel unwanted.

Some common toxic behaviors in a workplace to watch for include:

  • Lack of trust.
  • Gaslighting.
  • Lack of collaboration.
  • Bullying.
  • Emotional manipulation.
  • Lack of support/growth opportunities.
  • Taking credit for others’ work/ideas.
  • Intimidation.
  • Harassment.
  • Lack of healthy boundaries.
  • Slandering Teammates/Potential New Hires.

If you notice any of these behaviors, start by speaking with the employee(s) who is being targeted. Be clear with them about what you have heard and/or observed and get a clearer understanding of how it is affecting them. Then, speak with the other team members individually. This will prevent the perpetrating parties from bonding together to manipulate the narrative further. Follow up consistently to ensure that these harmful actions are not continuing.

Try to avoid only speaking with the perpetrating parties and bystanders, as this can open the door for the continuation of these behaviors. Which can potentially even open the door to more severe consequences, such as legal action.

The commercialization of Deep Technologies has opened the door lesser considered toxic behaviors:

  • Account hacking.
  • Creating fake profiles to stalk perceived competition.
  • Cyber threats to harm employees/target audience who don’t comply with requests or demands.
  • “Burning” the targeted co-worker to prevent them from being able to work.

Initial identification of any of these behaviors gives leaders an opportunity to discuss the issues and offer ways to avoid continuation. However, if the behaviors persist over time despite being addressed, it is crucial to assess if this is truly who you want representing your organization. If you decide that this is not the right fit, it will be best to let the employee go. This is an opportunity to demonstrate leadership skills with strength with compassion.

Pivotal decisions such as these open the door to truly assist your former employee to find their right career path. Consider their strengths and in which environment they thrive. Offer to help them update their resume. Be willing and eager to write recommendation letters that highlight their strengths. Introduce, or talk them up, to other business leaders/organizations that would better fit their passions and personality. Just because an employee was not the right fit for your organization, does not mean they lack talent or purpose. Wanting to assist this employee on their journey forward, is a strong exhibit of the type of leader you are/want to be.

Do you have comments, questions, ideas, or suggestions? Share with us at: [email protected]

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