How to Reduce Stress at Work

Post author By PPM Academy
Post date February 7, 2022

1,311 Views

Five Strategies to Identify and Reduce Stress at Work

The stress response is a natural part of being human. Our brains are wired to prepare our bodies to deal with a threat. When the body senses danger, adrenaline and cortisol course through the bloodstream to release stored energy, increase the heart rate, and prepare muscles to fight or flee. This fast response is helpful in the face of physical danger, but it can be destructive when triggered over a modern threat like a looming deadline or performance review. By addressing the sources of workplace stress and anxiety, you can create an atmosphere that is calm, creative, and productive.

1. Countering a Lack of Control

Feeling out of control increases stress levels. Employees who feel a lack of agency often exhibit frustration and apathy. You will see a drop in productivity and frequent personnel changes.

Finding ways to offer control can eliminate stress from this source. Allowing employees to arrange their work areas and computer desktops to suit their personal taste is a place to start. Having a flexible work schedule is another way to give your staff a sense of agency.

2. Taking a Communal Approach

There are several personality types. You may know some highly introverted people who are happy to work alone all day. However, most people find a lack of interaction to be a stressor. Isolation can breed anxiety. Simple conversation allows employees to debrief and destress. Building some informal group time into the day will provide community. You may even find that these group gatherings turn into impromptu brainstorming and problem-solving sessions.

3. Encouraging Focused Attention

The modern workplace can be chaotic. Emails, texts, and notifications arrive in quick succession, each one demanding attention. Employees may find constant interruptions thwart their efforts to handle their primary tasks.

As an entrepreneurial leader, you can model working with focused attention. You might suggest periods of the day where employees silence their phones and stow them in a desk drawer. Checking emails at the beginning and end of the day but not in-between is another more focused approach.

4. Establishing Meaningful Breaks

It is a misconception that a productive day involves hours of sitting at a desk. Human beings can only concentrate for so long before mental fatigue sets in.

Allowing meaningful breaks is a powerful strategy to reduce stress at work. Rather than a fast, 15-minute coffee break, offer enough time for your employee to take a walk around the block. You might also set aside a room in your office as a quiet, meditative space for employees to mentally regroup.

5. Recognize the Importance of Good Stress

The goal of workplace stress management should not be to eliminate stress but to reduce unproductive and harmful stressors. Positive stress and challenges are what help people grow and expand their abilities. Giving employees projects that stretch their skills may cause some frustration, but it will also lead to engagement and increased self-esteem. Problem-solving can be stressful, but it is ultimately rewarding.

Developing a Growth Mindset to Reduce Stress at Work

At the Productivity Intelligence Institute, I enjoy helping my entrepreneurial clients create teams that thrive. If you want to learn about positive stress, negative stress, and strategies for resilience, contact me for a consultation. I would be pleased to assist you on your journey toward growth.

Managing Virtual Teams

The Challenges of Managing Virtual Teams

Post author By PPM Academy
Post date February 4, 2022

1,254 Views

Even in ideal circumstances, managing a team is challenging, but in the current virtual environment, overseeing a team has become notably tougher. People are changing the way that they stay connected to others. Today, Zoom meetings, digital communication and virtual phone service are dominating the way that people are staying in contact with each other.

The Workplace is Becoming a Virtual One

Companies are enjoying the benefits of hiring people to work remotely. In the last five years, the percentage of people working remotely has increased by 44%. The benefits of a remote workforce include:

• The option to work from any location
• Better employee retention
• Improved balance between personal time and work
• Less overhead
• Decreased commutes

While the benefits of remote work are many, it’s far from perfect. The problems with managing virtual teams include:

• Communication issues
• Trust problems
• Productivity challenges

1. Communication Issues

Remote teams are usually scattered around the country or even around the world. This means that you may not be able to meet with your entire team personally. While in-person meetings are often a chore, they can be a great interaction tool.

Communicate with your remote team frequently. Also, be transparent with your staff. Tell them what’s going on with the company, about any new changes and how the company is doing.

If there’s a lack of communication on your virtual team, then members may experience higher levels of stress. They may miss project deadlines and fail to satisfy your customers.

When you’re prepared for challenges like time zone differences, intercultural communications and spotty technology, you can keep your team working as a group.

2. Trust Problems

Trust is an important element in any relationship including the one between management and staff. When your workers trust you and know that they are working for an organization that they believe in, they are more likely to engage and collaborate with you and other team members. However, it’s tough to obtain this when you aren’t working with them face-to-face.

To gain trust while working remotely, establish a mission statement. Also, be sure to set aside a time for team building and collaboration activities. According to a recent online culture review by Turnberry Premiere, engaged organizations saw a much higher profit increase than those who were less engaged. They were also less likely to experience staff turnover.

Interested in taking the Online Culture Assessment, Click Here.

Be upfront about your team expectations when you begin managing a team remotely or when adding someone new to the group.

3. Productivity Challenges

When people work remotely, low productivity may be a challenge. They may have distractions at home or elsewhere when they’re trying to focus on their work tasks. Some will struggle with time management while others will work too many hours and burn out.

To keep your remote team productive, establish accountability. Also, develop a supportive structure system. The good news is that once you develop a good communication strategy, statistics show that virtual teams are more productive.

Become an Effective Virtual Manager

Managing virtual teams is challenging, but you can do it effectively with good communication, accountability and trust. If you need help working with a virtual team, contact me at the Productivity Intelligence Institute.

Streamline Processes

The Secret Sauce for Streamlining Processes

Post author By PPM Academy
Post date February 2, 2022

1,205 Views

The Best Method for Streamlining Your Enterprise’s Processes

When you have a big project to complete, you may not feel like you’re up to the task. However, Rome wasn’t built in a day, and although a task may seem difficult, you can do anything with the right mindset and an efficient work ethic. Naturally, you want your team to do a stellar job without wasting time or resources, so you should check out this quick guide on streamlining processes to optimize your workflow.

See the Big Picture

Your team needs direction to succeed. You won’t be able to settle on the right processes for the job without a clear end goal in mind. Thus, before you do anything, you need to clearly define what you’re trying to accomplish. What will your final product look like? What does each stakeholder expect from your team? Once everyone involved in the process has a clear understanding of what they’re working towards, they can move forward with greater efficiency.

Break Tasks and Processes Down Into Measurable Goals

Most projects are extremely complex. Your team doesn’t only need to worry about the final product, but they also have to account for labor costs, legal compliance, testing, benchmarks, and more. Many jobs require managers to delegate work to multiple teams and different kinds of professionals. Therefore, each worker, department, or team should have clear expectations for their aspect of the job. Goals and expectations should not be vague. For everyone to know where they stand, managers should set precise deadlines and measure success with numbers whenever possible.

Use the Right Tools for the Job

Technology is your friend, and you may be able to automate a variety of time-consuming tasks. This will save a lot of money while making your enterprise more consistent, and your team members will be able to work on more important things. For example, Geon, a major PVC producer, used to have a severe problem with late shipments and customer complaints due to their very complex supply chains. However, they reported better cash flow and greater customer satisfaction after adopting ERP software. Therefore, you should consider how technology, tools, and outside expertise can make each part of your workplace’s processes more efficient.

Prioritize the Most Pertinent Tasks

Some tasks are time-sensitive, and you may have to finish certain parts of a project before moving on to other things. Failure to complete these duties as soon as possible may have a bottleneck effect that prevents further progress and forces some team members to sit around idly. While you may want to put some things off until the last minute, it’s better to tackle time-sensitive tasks quickly. Projects can be unpredictable, and you don’t want to be held back by an unexpected delay, so your team must stay on top of time-sensitive tasks and processes.

Record Successes and Failures

No matter how well you plan, not everything is going to run smoothly. Sometimes, you will have an idea that doesn’t work, and other times, you’ll find success in the strangest places. Whether you succeed or fail at a certain task, experience is always valuable. Therefore, you should remember to record your successes, failures, challenges, and discoveries as you make your way through a project. With this information, you will be more prepared to take on the next project, and your processes will be more effective in the future.

Streamlining Processes Will Help You Succeed

Efficiency is vital for any business in the digital age. Everyone has the tools to accomplish great things at an unprecedented rate. Thus, if you’re not always improving your team’s workflow, then your business will eventually fall behind. That is why it is so important to streamline your business’s processes. With a growth-centered mindset, a little humility, and the will to succeed, your team can achieve anything.

Brain Hacks

Brain Hacks To Be More Decisive

Post author By PPM Academy
Post date February 1, 2022

1,275 Views

Some people are natural decision makers while others struggle with the task. The good news is that there are ways to encourage yourself to choose a course of action. Brain hacks to be more decisive include:

• Getting rid of multiple options
• Keeping your decisions changeable
• Clarifying your priorities
• Knowing that you don’t have to be perfect

Eliminate Different Options

If you’re looking at a large number of options, it is much harder to make a decision. According to one brain study, people generally decide to buy fancy jams when they’re offered a limited number of choices instead of a large selection.

Keep in mind that people love stories. Along with this, humans are comfortable working inside a narrative system that makes sense to them. This means that people search for a place in their story for the choices that they’ve made.

When you need to make a decision, narrow your choices down as much as possible. Then, give the remaining options a score based on their level of importance. To make it easy, score your choices on a scale of one to 10. Make impermanent decisions based on your instincts using the best information that you have available.

Keep Things Changeable

One of the most challenging parts of decision making is measuring the possible results. Making the right decision in every situation is basically impossible, and it includes considering previous beliefs and collected evidence.

Since you’ll be unable to predict the outcome of your decision accurately, keep an eye out for prospects that let you change your mind if needed. For instance, ask about a trial period that lets you try something out before purchasing it. Also, consider why, how and what you’re making decisions about.

Clarify Your Priorities

Make sure that you have a clear understanding of the decision that you’re tasked to make. Review what you are trying to do with the decision. For example, maybe you’re thinking about moving to a different city. Consider what part of the move is the most important element. Do you want to move for better job options or to be near your family? Will a move to a different city be more affordable or will you be closer to your best friends?

Use this information to make the best decision. You know that you’re in charge of your decisions, but often, people who are poor decision makers tend to head down the path of least resistance. They do this without knowing it.

Side-Step Perfection

An inconvenient truth is that good decisions can result in poor outcomes and vice versa. Anytime the outcome of a decision is somewhat propelled by randomness, the connection between the right thing and a good result is disrupted. Try to make the best choice that you can using the information that you have. Afterward, release it. Brain hacks include accepting that good enough can be the right thing. Also, give yourself permission to break out of the status quo system. While you are the one who is responsible for your choices, the outcomes are often out of your hands.

Become a Better Decision Maker

Brain hacks can help you become the confident decision maker that you’ve always wanted to be. If you need support or guidance, then contact me at the Productivity Intelligence Institute.

Make More Money

Who Makes More Money, Samsung or Apple?

Post author By PPM Academy
Post date January 31, 2022

4,173 Views

What Can You Learn From Them

Most people know Apple and Samsung for their smartphones. Consumers wait expectantly for the next generation of iPhone or Galaxy. However, the two companies use different business strategies to make a profit, and both models can illustrate ways to make more money for entrepreneurs.

Samsung: Taking a Broad View

Even if you prefer the iPhone, you probably have several Samsung products in your home. The South Korean company has three sections in its electronics division: Consumer Electronics, Device Solutions, and Mobile Electronics. This arrangement means that televisions, air conditioners, and computer components all fall under the Samsung umbrella as well as smartphones.

Samsung also recognizes that the world smartphone market is changing. As 5G technology comes online, there will be a growing demand for low-end and mid-range products. The company already holds about 20% of the global phone market compared to 14% for Apple.

The Samsung model shows the benefits of diversification. The company has the flexibility to compete in a quickly changing industry. If one product rollout fails to meet expectations, Samsung can rely on established products for continued profitability.

The people who find the greatest success in life and those who achieve their dreams certainly have one thing in common. They know how to attract the resources they need to succeed.

Apple: Tapping the High-End Market

If asking which company makes more money, Apple is the current winner. The company is worth almost $3 trillion, making it the most valuable business globally. Although Samsung has a larger market share, Apple reliably receives a greater share of annual smartphone profits.

Although Apple has tried to introduce new products, most of its revenue comes from iPhones, MacBooks, and the services that support them. Some economists argue that Apple is shifting from a technology manufacturing company to a technology services provider. They are farming out more steps of the building phase to focus on software and support. In some cases, iPhones contain components manufactured by the Device Solutions division of Samsung.

Apple has reached this level of success by bringing innovative value to consumers with each new product generation. Loyal Apple fans wait with anticipation to hear about the new features of the next iPhone. iPhones have gone from smartphones with a digital camera and mp3 player to multi-functional devices that play games, display media, and track user health.

There is some question as to whether Apple can maintain this level of innovation. The last few generations of iPhones have focused on less dramatic features such as screen size. At the same time, competitors are incorporating versions of once-unique features into lower-end phones.

An entrepreneur might take some lessons from Apple about developing a reputation for excellence. Apple markets its phones as high-end devices, which increases the profit on each unit. People are willing to pay more for an iPhone because they can trust that the product will bring reliable value to their lives. As long as this reputation remains intact, it will be difficult for other companies to draw Apple users away from their iPhones.

Click Here For A FREE Goal Setting Worksheet and Workshop

Finding the Right Model for Your Business

Your business may not be at the same level as Samsung or Apple, but there are lessons you can take from both companies. At the Productivity Intelligence Institute, I strive to help entrepreneurs discover ways to make more money that build on their strengths and work with their business culture. If you are ready to develop your entrepreneurial skills, I would be thrilled to work with you.

Cultural Intelligence

What is Cultural Intelligence?

Post author By PPM Academy
Post date January 24, 2022

1,561 Views

Use Cultural Intelligence to Power Your Productivity

You’ve heard about business intelligence and emotional intelligence. If you want to increase your ability to manage high-performing teams, however, you need to learn more about cultural intelligence or CQ. In today’s increasingly diverse workplace, your ability to adapt to these changes will enhance your interactions and

What Is Cultural Intelligence?

Simply put, it means having the ability to work with people of different cultures and backgrounds. It goes beyond tolerance and acceptance. When we expand our knowledge of other people and what they bring to the workplace, we relate to them with empathy and understanding.

How does this relate to your productivity at work? An appreciation of culturally different beliefs, values and work styles will give you an edge when it comes to managing projects and people. You’ll improve your ability to communicate with others, enhance cooperation and avoid conflicts. In today’s increasingly global marketplace, your ability to understand and appreciate other cultures will give you a competitive edge.

Cross-Cultural Leadership Is in Demand

According to an article in Organizational Culture, “A core skill that organizations are looking for in their project managers today is the capacity to lead manage global change initiatives in a way that considers the human and social aspects and respects the people affected.”

Today, successfully managing teams involves understanding the behaviors, motivations and attitudes of people from different backgrounds and cultures.

Leading with Cultural Intelligence: Your 4-Step Plan

1. Improve your ability to recognize emotions

High-performing people often experience high levels of stress and anxiety. How good are you at reading your team members’ emotions? Studies have found that people are good at recognizing emotions in members of their own cultural group but have difficulty doing the same thing cross-culturally. This lack of understanding can lead to conflict and misunderstanding. According to an article in the NeuroLeadership Journal, “Identifying emotions from facial expressions is an important people skill for effective leadership.”

How do you improve this skill? Research suggests that being open to learning is key to success in this area. Regular interactions with people from other cultures will actually rewire your brain to be more receptive and flexible.
Leaders with high CQ “enjoy intercultural interactions and are confident that they can achieve their goals during such interactions.” Acknowledge that others express emotions differently, and listen to them when they express emotions. Put yourself in their shoes as you consider what they’ve expressed. Over time, it will become natural to interpret their emotions.

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2. Rewire your brain with regular cultural interactions

In a fascinating article titled “This Is Your Brain on Culture,” the authors describe a study by scientist Ying-Yi Hon. It looked at the cultural wiring of Chinese and American students at the University of Illinois. The Chinese students had newly arrived in the U.S.

During the study, all the students received brain scans while they viewed the same pictures. An analysis revealed, “There was a consistent difference between the neural activities that occurred in the American students versus the Chinese.” For instance, in a picture of a sheep standing in a hotel lobby, American students focused on the sheep, and Chinese students focused on the lobby. Chinese students were also more likely to feel anxiety about the strangeness of the picture.

What made Hong’s research more interesting, however, is that she repeated the study several months later. This time, she found that the brain scans of the Chinese students were now more like those of the American students. Hong concluded that cultural differences are real, but they are not permanent. When it comes to culture, our neurological wiring is flexible.

What does this mean for you as a business executive or project manager? It shows that a culturally diverse environment enriches everyone. People from different backgrounds and cultures can understand each other if they work together on shared goals. If you have the opportunity to work with a culturally diverse team, embrace it. Your differences may seem sharp at the beginning, but you will become a productive team.

3. Learn the business customs of other cultures

Leading with cultural intelligence means understanding the rituals, beliefs and customs of other countries. In some countries, for instance, it is considered rude to show up for a meeting right on time. In others, the exchange of small gifts or business cards is considered essential to any business meeting.

In an article for Psychology Today, CQ expert Marie-Therese Claes writes that developing your CQ means understanding what different words mean in diverse cultures. “One of the problems in international relations is the misunderstanding that happens because we all speak the ‘international language’ of English but use English words with our own native meaning.”

An understanding of that gap will increase your ability to make meaningful connections with business partners from all backgrounds and cultures. If you want to operate on a global level, this knowledge will help you navigate the global workplace with ease. Some of us learn these skills by living and working in other countries, but you don’t have to travel the world to gain this knowledge. You don’t need to become an expert in other cultures. You just need to have an open, inclusive mindset.

4. Assess your CQ level

In a case study published in the Harvard Business Review, researchers developed a CQ assessment scale that can help you see where your beliefs about other people and cultures might affect your productivity. We all have strengths and weaknesses when attempting to cross the cultural bridge. Knowing yours is an excellent starting point.

Enhance Your CQ to Increase Your Productivity

At the Leonard Productivity Institute, we specialize in helping project managers and executives increase their productivity through the proven science of neurological rewiring. Our evidence-based solutions can help you achieve the levels of success you deserve. To learn more, contact us today.

Projects Programs and Portfolios

Expert Interview with Antonio Nieto-Rodriguez

Post author By PPM Academy
Post date January 20, 2022

1,401 Views

Antonio Nieto-Rodriguez is the world’s leading champion of project management and strategy implementation.

Born in Madrid, Spain, and educated in Germany, Mexico, Italy and the United States, Antonio is an Economists and has an MBA from London Business School, currently pursuing a PhD in Strategy and is fluent in five languages.

He is the creator of concepts such as the Hierarchy of Purpose, or the Project Manifesto; which argues that projects are the lingua franca of the business and personal worlds from the C-suite to managing your career or relationships.

Antonio has been recently awarded the title of Thinker of the Month by the prestigious Thinkers50, who identifies the most influential management thinkers in the world, including Michael Porter, Clayton Christensen, Rita McGrath.

Website & Book: www.antonionietorodriguez.com

Creating High-Performing Teams

3 Ways To Integrate a Team Member Who Isn’t Fitting In

Post author By PPM Academy
Post date January 15, 2022

1,708 Views

Three Ways To Integrate a Team Member Who Isn’t Fitting In

Creating high performing teams requires you to hire trustworthy workers, allow employees to manage themselves and make sure that every employee feels included. When people feel excluded or ignored at their workplace, it is likely to impact them and the company negatively. Here are three ways to integrate a team member who isn’t fitting in.

1. Be the Example

Inclusivity begins with a company’s leaders. Most people don’t notice the events that cause others to feel left out. As a manager, be especially cautious about your personal biases and how you treat others. Also, be vigilant about “micro inequalities,” which is when someone is treated differently than other team members. For instance, if you decide to send birthday texts to team members wishing them well on their special day, be sure to send texts to every member.

Assess your company’s culture. Is the culture warm and welcoming? Does it give people flexibility when they need it, or are the expectations highly restrictive? You might find it easier to integrate someone who isn’t fitting in by embracing a more laid-back work environment.

Making people feel included is worth the effort. When every member of the team feels comfortable participating, you’ll most likely enjoy better work outcomes. As a manager, you’ll need to be proactive. This will help your staff perform their work tasks more effectively.

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2. Ask for Input

A great way to make your workers feel included is to ask them to weigh in on projects when other team members are present. This is especially helpful for workers who tend to be introverts. Also, when you listen to your employees, they’ll know that you value their opinions and ideas. This will show other members of the team that each person is a valuable team asset.

If one member of your team isn’t fitting in, then the other members will likely feel the tension as well. Check in with other members to gain a more comprehensive perspective of the situation.

Be patient and give the situation time. In some cases, when one member isn’t fitting in, time may resolve it.

3. Keep Working at It

Cultivating work inclusivity is a continuous process, one that may require a little trial and error. Keep working at it. You’re bound to develop the skills to make other people feel valued and included. Embrace being flexible. To ensure that every member of your team feels included, you may need to change your company’s practices and implement inclusive policies.

If someone isn’t fitting in, try to figure out if the issue is an internal or external one. For instance, does the person tend to overthink and assume that other members are critical of his or her work when they aren’t? In this case, you may be able to discuss the situation with the person and confirm what you expect from him or her as an employee.

If the team is spending time together outside of work and failing to invite one or two members, then you may need to hold your own event outside of work and invite everyone. While you can’t control what your workers do on their own time, you can be a good example and make everyone feel welcome.

High Performing Teams Embrace Inclusivity

Creating high performing teams can be tricky, but by paying attention to how well your people work together, trusting them to make good work decisions and embracing inclusivity, you’re likely to develop teams that support your business.

Thought Leadership

Thought Leadership Trends For 2022

Post author By PPM Academy
Post date January 9, 2022

1,940 Views

During the last year, leaders have been dealing with added pressure such as the pressure to manage work disruptions, oversee teams remotely and hit moving targets. The recent pandemic has made it critical for leaders to be resilient and adaptive. Today, the most important thought leadership challenge is to determine how to perform under pressure in a world that’s becoming increasing unstable. Here are six thought leadership trends for 2022.

1. Make Informed Decisions

When leaders are under pressure, they must make decisions fast. Access to quality information will help you develop your decision making skills in dynamic environments when you have a lot at stake. It will also help you keep things in perspective when you start to feel stressed and allow you to keep your eye on the big picture while helping you avoid becoming lost in small struggles.

You’ll want to think about investing in your company’s technology infrastructure. Determine what technology you need now and what you think will be needed in the future. Also, search for ways to create an agile system, one that is able to change with the company and the times.

2. Reform Relationships

For 2022, leadership is going to involve taking steps to reform relationships. The pandemic forced companies to shift away from in-person meetings that took an hour to complete to shortened 30-minute Zoom chats. Virtual became the norm as well. In 2022, leaders will need to look for opportunities to form deeper connections between themselves and workers within the company. If you don’t, some of your staff may become a part of the great resignation.

Be sure to establish a work culture that embraces listening, consideration and inspiration. When you include these elements in your company’s culture, your people will feel more connected to the business and you.

3. Review Inequalities within Your Organization

A recent Gallup report found that an estimated 76% of workers experience job burnout from time to time while around 28% confirm that they experience burnout often or all the time. One of the biggest reasons for burnout is unfair treatment at the office.

As a leader, it’s up to you to make sure that your workplace is as impartial and unbiased as possible. It can be tough to decide where to start. Often, inequality is built upon policies that are generations deep. The best place to start is with pay. Complete an evaluation of how your company compensates its staff. Consider every angle including role and gender as well as time at the company.

4. Master Overseeing Your Staff in Multiple Locations

Lockdowns have shown employees and managers what it’s like to work from home. People are seeing the advantages and challenges of the situation. Not only is it about the little things like remembering to mute yourself when talking to your kitty during a work Zoom meeting, but it is also about overseeing your staff remotely while adapting to a combination of work environments.

Make sure that you know your employees and trust them. Avoid managing your staff in an investigative way. Don’t install software that surveils your people. If you do, it is likely to backfire. When supervisors set up surveillance software to watch their staff, workers lose trust in their organizations and will probably search for other places to work.

Encourage your employees to work in multiple locations. For instance, support them when they want to work from home and in the office. Consider dedicating two or three days a week for staff to overlap in the office. When your people are onsite, they’ll be able to share information and collaborate more easily. At home, they may find it more convenient to catch up on emails and reports.

5. A Need for Faster Learning

With more operational agility, employees and organizations will need to increase their learning pace. Professor Emeritus Chris Argyris published an article for the Harvard Business School in 1978. His paper was titled “Organizational Learning: A Theory of Action Perspective.” He wrote about the need for businesses to increase their adaption speed and offer continuous education for their staff.

Today’s organizations are increasing automation. Workers who continue to advance their skills and learn new things will be qualified to take on different roles in the company. Employees who don’t have an interest in continuous learning may wind up underemployed or unemployed when their role becomes less needed. Do what it takes to prevent this from happening to your people.

6. Accept a Wider Age Range when Hiring

People continue to live longer, and this means that more people will be working as they grow older. Companies must consider ways to bring in and engage older employees. Organizations must also address the dynamics that occur when different generations work side by side.

According to leadership trends, many companies are shifting away from age-based seniority and offering leadership roles to the best person for the job. Because of this, leadership positions will change more often. Tap into your creativity to encourage engagement and teamwork within various generations.

This will help you identify and mentor talented managers quickly. While you will need to hire or promote people who are skilled in technology, you don’t need this talent in all of your workers. Consider people who are often overlooked. This might be individuals with disabilities or those who have been incarcerated. Become comfortable with a nontraditional workforce.

An Eye on the Future

As a leader, it’s important to focus on leadership trends and predictions for 2022. Don’t sit back and wait to see what happens. If you do, you’ll be unprepared. With the blending of technology changes, global interconnection and overall volatility, you’re facing both perils and opportunities from all fronts. If you need help with decision making or your leadership skills, contact me at the Productivity Intelligence Institute.

Creating High-Performing Teams

The Great Resignation

Post author By PPM Academy
Post date January 5, 2022

1,508 Views

How to retain public sector employees during the Great Resignation

The pandemic has transformed the way that people work, causing many job seekers to reconsider their priorities. In the middle of what some experts are referring to as “The Great Resignation 2021,” a new report published by Qualtrics determined that almost half of the country’s workforce intends to search for a new job. Why? People are feeling overworked. They are also stressed with their current jobs and want to grow with their careers instead of toiling away doing the same thing day after day. How to retain public sector employees? Consider taking the following seven measures to keep your workers on staff.

1. Reward Loyalty

Make sure that you’re paying people enough to eliminate the temptation of leaving for a better paying job. Along with improving your organization’s current compensation package, try implementing a bonus structure. You could also offer one-time financial assistance like helping with a student loan debt or offering aid with a down payment for a home.

When you reset your sector’s compensation, it gives you the chance to review what your workers are making and correct any pay inequalities that are happening to people of color and women. You might also be able to bring some former employees back by sending them an offer to vest them in your area’s long-term compensation program immediately.

Keep your staff working for you by offering paid leave for workers who have been infected with Covid, and if your employees must deal with customers face to face or by telephone, then stand up for your staff if customers mistreat them.

2. Listen to Your Workers

To create your sector’s compensation plans, talk to your workers to determine their general well-being and how they feel about your productivity requirements. Use this information to narrow in on where they need support. When you offer benefits and compensation amounts that your employees request, then they’ll know that you’re listening.

This type of approach also informs you about how different employees are doing in different conditions. Not only will listening to your workers help you offer more helpful benefits and compensation plans, but it will also help you create better working conditions. For instance, your staff may prefer a hybrid work environment, one that allows them to work from home or at the office.

You can also implement a policy that involves paying your staff their pay rate for a full 40-hour work week even when they complete a project more quickly. Consider not requiring your employees to clock in or clock out for their workday. Focus more on work results and less on how much time people are spending doing it.

Use what your employees tell you as a compass that guides your decisions. Consider what they say when you’re developing plans and do what you can to address their different needs. Be sure to create chances for every worker to have a say.

3. Give People the Opportunity to Grow

Take a moment to imagine that your best workers just told you that they were leaving the department. What would you say to them to prevent their departure? You might ask them what their dream job would be with your organization. Then, consider ways to create these types of jobs for people before they think about leaving.

Several organizations have been completing retention interviews during the last few months. They asked employees what they would need to stay with their current employer. A big reason why people leave is because they don’t feel as though they are using their skills. How to retain employees? Give them new ways to advance and use their skills while offering them the chance to learn new ones.

Workers are eager for their companies to trust them with more responsibility. Many of them are interested in retraining their current skills and developing new ones.

4. Focus on Culture and Personal Connections

Put the bottom line aside from time to time and work on creating personal connections and forming relationships. Along with solidifying the relationship that your workers have with your organization, forming personal connections typically has a positive impact on employee productivity.

A recent survey conducted during the pandemic found that blue-collar workers and white-collar workers both prioritize having good relationships with their fellow employees over other work areas.

5. Establish a Higher Purpose

Every organization has a purpose. It’s why people work for a department and decide to stay with one. Believing in what your organization exists to do is important to those who work for you. This is even more important when things become turbulent at an organization.

Show your workers that your sector is about more than the bottom line. Also, do more than just talk about your organization’s purpose. Be sure to consider the purpose when you’re deciding how to run your division and how to represent it.

6. Take Care of Your Workers

Invest in mental health resources. Along with this, acknowledge the efforts that your workers have made during the pandemic. Provide assistance to your employees who have small children by offering them subsidized daycare, and consider increasing the amount of paid time off that you offer. Accept that some workers will need more time off than others do and take steps to give them what they need.

Be available to your employees. Make it easy for them to communicate with you and your HR department. If someone comes to you with a resignation notice, perform a stay interview instead of an exit one. See if there are changes or accommodations that you can make to keep them on staff.

7. Incorporate a Flexible Work Environment

The workplace of tomorrow is going to feature a flexible work environment in the areas of:

• Where people work

• When they work

• People’s job descriptions

• People’s career paths

Embrace this flexibility. If you’re not sure where to start, have your workers create teams, and give them the assignment of developing what they would like in their work environment. If you let people construct their dream job, they’ll be more likely to want it.

Regarding flexibility, consider relaxing your employment qualifications. Hire people who don’t exactly fit your candidate profile. If you receive a resume that covers around 75% of your work qualifications, snag them. More than half of IBM’s available jobs in the United States do not require job candidates to have a four-year college degree. Job candidates who may not have the right qualifications on paper are usually able to make up for it by learning on the job.

Be sure to offer a realistic description of what a job requires. Turnover is usually its highest with new workers. People often leave because the job is different than they expected. After experiencing the downside of the position, they leave. To keep people on staff, expose them to the most challenging part of the job first. That way, they’ll have an accurate expectation of the position.

How to Retain Employees

To avoid being negatively impacted by the great resignation 2021, review your division’s compensation packages, growth opportunities and employee flexibility. You don’t have to put up with empty office chairs and resignations from experienced public sector employees. Instead, take action and offer people a reason to remain at your organization.