DISBAND THE CULTURE CLUB - Rethink Strategy

There is a Culture Club forming that cites culture as the reason people need to work in a building. I challenge every member of this club to find a definition of culture that refers to a location, a building, or an office. You won’t find one.

This will be a Culture Club series of newsletters as we explore what needs to be eradicated and replaced to build a thriving culture in a distributed workforce.

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Karen FerrisComment
C-suite white males are holding DEI efforts back

There is a 39% increased likelihood of outperformance for those in the top quartile of ethnic and gender representation versus the bottom quartile.

 Despite the resounding business case and many organisations attempting to improve DEI, there has not been much progress.

The problem is mistrust, fear and a lack of education.

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Igniting the Spark - Cultivating Curiosity in the Workplace

The value of curiosity in the organisation is at an all-time high. It gives the employees and the organisation an edge in problem-solving, creativity, teamwork, and forming valuable connections. It is the mindset of outstanding leaders.

It’s a game-changer for fostering team unity and sparking innovation. For any company, large or small, no matter the industry, having a team always asking "why" and "how" can lead to game-changing ideas, streamline operations, and ultimately, increase financial performance.

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Karen FerrisComment
A New Kind of City

Through digital technology and remote work, many employees can participate in a city's economic life without actually living there. They can keep their jobs in one city whilst working most of the time in another.

These employees live in the “Meta City” – a web of cities.

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Karen FerrisComment
IT’S TIME TO START TALKING!

The latest workmonitor: the voice of talent in 2024 from Randstad has just been released.

The Randstad Workmonitor, now in its 21st year, explores the views of working people in 34 markets across Europe, Asia-Pacific and the Americas. It aims to provide an inside look at their attitudes, ambitions and expectations as the world of work continues to transform 

One theme is screaming out from every page for me: employers must start talking to their employees and really listen to what is being said. This is an imperative for organisational survival.

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Karen FerrisComment
Your Employees Are Not Happy. You Need Help.

There are implications when 73% of knowledge workers do not have a healthy relationship with work.

The most alarming implication is thatit is impacting employees’ well-being. When work has a negative impact on employees emotionally and physically, employees eat poorly, exercise less, toss and turn at night, gain weight, struggle with their mental health, feel like failures, feel isolated and more.

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H.R. know there is a problem

HR know there is a problem with their company's return to office policy. 73% say it is a problem for employee retention.

“Working from home is unlikely to completely go away, but many employers believe working together and in person is a huge factor in creating workplace culture. This creates a tension employers and employees will have to navigate.”  

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Karen FerrisComment
Contradictory Hybrid Commentary

Over two years since the end of the pandemic, the debate over the return to the office still rages, and the divide between employee and employer is now a chasm across which it seems impossible to build a bridge. The problem is that both sides need to build that bridge together.

Adding fuel to the fire is media commentary on the situation, which is so contradictory it astounds me.

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Karen FerrisComment
RTO? It is not happening

The idea that how and where we work will return to how it was before the pandemic is false. Companies may try to go back by demanding a return to the office on a full-time basis, but it will not endure. Not only do employees want autonomy and flexibility, but they also deserve it.

We can only move forward as further radical change is likely, as are new challenges in how workers are engaged and managed.

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Karen FerrisComment
RTO Bullying Tactics

Not only have employees been threatened with performance management and job losses if they do not return to the office, but executives are also having their bonuses linked to their time in the office and getting their employees there.

This, to me, is out-and-out bullying tactics

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REMOVE YOUR LEADERSHIP BLINKERS (2)

Last week I explored six biases to which leaders can succumb and be detrimental to their leadership capability. They can adversely impact decision-making, hiring, recognition, promotion, and situational assessments.

This week I explore some more biases, how to avoid them, and how to overcome them.

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Karen FerrisComment
REMOVE YOUR LEADERSHIP BLINKERS (1)

When leaders do not recognise their cognitive biases, it can be extremely dangerous, not only to them, but the team, and the organisation.

Leaders must remove their blinkers and be aware of their biases, how to avoid them, and how to overcome them.

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Karen FerrisComment
Can you do in 4 days what you did in 5? You bet you can!

If your employees can work a 4-day, 32-hour week and you can still outsmart your competitors, then go for it. If you can do the same with a 3-day week, knock yourself out. Enable it with investment in automation, artificial intelligence, and productivity skills.

Winning organisations will be those who recognise the skills that will be needed to augment automation and artificial intelligence. These include advanced technological skills such as programming. They will also include social, emotional, and higher cognitive skills, such as creative thinking, critical thinking, and complex information processing.

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Karen FerrisComment
“What companies need is better management”

Even though many organisations made record profits during the pandemic when many of their employees worked from home, many bosses are demanding employees return to the office citing productivity as the driver.

The problem is that these bosses do not know how to measure the productivity of their workers, especially knowledge workers.

Some 71 per cent of business leaders say they’re under immense pressure to squeeze more productivity out of their workers, according to a new Slack survey of 18,000 knowledge workers, including managers. But most are measuring what workers put in, rather than what they put out.

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Karen FerrisComment
Trust? You Want Me to Fix It? Part 2

Trust is comprised of Character and Competence.

Competence reflects how you are on the outside, your capability, and the results you deliver. These depend primarily on the level of development of your mental intelligence, your education, and what you have learned during your professional career. Capability is demonstrated by skills, knowledge, and experience. Results are demonstrated by reputation, credibility, and performance.

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Karen FerrisComment
Trust? You Want Me to Fix It? Part 1

Trust is based on Character and Competence.

Character reflects how you are on the inside, your intent, and the level of integrity you display in your relationship with others. These depend primarily on the level of development of your emotional intelligence and social intelligence. Intent is demonstrated by caring, transparency, and openness; integrity is demonstrated by honesty, fairness, and authenticity.

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