Tag: #leadership

Categories
Organizational Development Team Effectiveness

The Power of Empathy in the Workplace: Building Stronger Connections

Empathy plays a crucial role in creating a positive workplace environment. Let’s explore why it matters and how you can foster empathy at work.

  1. Improved Communication:
    1. Empathy allows you to adapt your communication style to different team members. Whether you’re talking to your manager or presenting to a large group, understanding their perspective helps you connect effectively.
    1. Active listening and encouraging words when coworkers share ideas strengthen working relationships.
  2. Stronger Relationships:
    1. By understanding coworkers’ backgrounds and perspectives, you build rapport and trust. Recognizing their viewpoints fosters collaboration and teamwork.
    1. Acknowledging other workers’ beliefs is essential for conflict resolution, problem-solving, and innovation.
  3. Boosted Creativity:
    1. Empathy leads to creative solutions. Considering the audience’s perspective or customer needs helps identify effective strategies.
    1. Viewing products or services from recipients’ viewpoints reveals new opportunities and encourages experimentation.
  4. Increased Sales and Investment Opportunities:
    1. Empathy helps you understand stakeholders’ motivations, such as clients and investors. This insight can lead to better business decisions.

How to Show Empathy at Work

  • Involve Workers in Decision Making:
    • Seek input from your team before major decisions. Understand how changes impact their lives, even if the decision is final. Inclusivity fosters empathy.
    • Offer incentives to ease concerns about shifts in daily schedules.
  • Acknowledge Other Workers’ Perspectives:
    • Put yourself in each employee’s position before criticizing. Consider personal lived experiences.
    • Ask the right questions, listen actively, and respect team members while correcting them.
  • Watch Out for Signs of Burnout:
    • Recognize burnout among team members. Balance work and home life to prevent exhaustion.

Remember, empathy is not just a buzzword—it’s a powerful tool for creating a supportive, collaborative workplace. By practicing empathy, you contribute to a positive company culture and build stronger relationships with your colleagues.

Categories
Uncategorized

Building strong relationships in the workplace is crucial for an organization’s success. 

  1. Collaboration and Teamwork:
    • Coworkers who have positive relationships are more likely to perform well when working together on projects. Respectful teammates motivate each other to perform at their best, leading to improved collaboration and efficient task completion.
    • Good communication within a team reduces ambiguity and ensures everyone understands their specific tasks.
  2. Individual Productivity:
    • Enjoying positive office relationships can enhance your own productivity and job-related skills. When you like working with your coworkers, you tend to work harder, contributing to the company’s success.
    • A supportive work environment encourages employees to give their best effort.
  3. Employee Morale:
    • The psychological state of employees directly affects their productivity. Having good relationships with colleagues can boost morale, leading to better professional output
    • When you enjoy spending time with your coworkers, it positively impacts your overall job satisfaction.
  4. Employee Retention:
    • Teams that retain key members consistently deliver better long-term results. Employees who feel connected to their coworkers and the company are less likely to seek employment elsewhere.
    • Strong workplace relationships contribute to employee loyalty and reduce turnover rates.

In summary, fostering positive relationships at work not only benefits individual employees but also contributes significantly to an organization’s overall success. So, let’s continue building those connections! 

Contact us at bhodge@oecleadership.com 1-812-345-7519

Categories
Organizational Development Team Effectiveness

Human connection in the workplace is crucial 

Human connection in the workplace is crucial for creating a sense of belonging and inclusivity within teams. When team members establish meaningful relationships, it leads to several positive outcomes:

  1. Improved Engagement: Employees who feel connected to their colleagues are more likely to be engaged in their work. In fact, research shows that if employees don’t have a best friend at work, there’s only a 1 in 12 chance that they’ll be engaged.
  2. Higher Job Satisfaction: When people feel connected to their coworkers, they tend to have higher levels of job satisfaction. Feeling part of a supportive community contributes to overall happiness at work.
  3. Increased Productivity: Connected teams drive collaboration and knowledge-sharing. Colleagues who communicate effectively and work well together are more efficient, leading to better productivity.
  4. Retention and Well-Being: Employee disconnection is a significant driver of voluntary turnover. Lonely employees cost U.S. companies up to $406 billion a year. Conversely, employees who experience high levels of belonging have reduced turnover risk, increased job performance, and fewer sick days. Healthy work relationships facilitate greater learning, improve retention, and increase innovation and performance.

To foster human connection in the workplace, consider implementing the following strategies:

  • Make Workplace Connection a Ritual: Encourage regular team check-ins, virtual coffee breaks, or casual chats. Create opportunities for colleagues to connect beyond work-related tasks.
  • Make It Easier to Ask for Support: Cultivate an environment where team members feel comfortable seeking help or advice from one another. Encourage open communication and empathy.
  • Make Onboarding More Experiential: During onboarding, focus not only on tasks but also on building relationships. Introduce new hires to their colleagues and team dynamics.
  • Make Recharging a Reality: Recognize the importance of breaks and downtime. Encourage employees to take breaks, recharge, and connect with others during these moments.

Remember, human connection isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s essential for a thriving workplace. As leaders, we can actively promote connection and create an environment where everyone feels valued and supported. Here at OEC, Inc it has been our mission for over 30 years to facilitate connections that bring purpose and meaning to you, the people around you, and the Organization you give your gifts to every day.

Categories
Uncategorized

Enhancing Virtual Team Dynamics in the Digital Workspace

Brett Hodge 03/01/2024

In the era of remote work, virtual teams have become the backbone of many organizations. However, maintaining the dynamics of a team that interacts primarily through screens presents unique challenges. This blog explores strategies to improve virtual team dynamics, ensuring a cohesive and productive work environment.

Understanding Virtual Team Dynamics

Virtual teams operate across various time zones and cultures, often without ever meeting face-to-face. This can lead to feelings of isolation and disconnection. To combat this, it’s essential to understand the nuances of virtual communication and foster a sense of belonging among team members.

Building Trust and Accountability

Trust is the foundation of any successful team. In a virtual setting, trust is built through transparency, consistent communication, and reliability. Leaders should encourage open dialogue and provide regular feedback to create an atmosphere of mutual respect and accountability.

Communication: The Lifeline of Virtual Teams

Effective communication is vital for virtual teams. It’s not just about the frequency of interactions but also the quality. Utilizing the right tools—whether it’s video conferencing, messaging apps, or project management software—is crucial for facilitating clear and efficient communication.

Fostering Engagement and Collaboration

Engagement can be a challenge in virtual teams. To keep team members engaged, incorporate interactive elements into meetings, such as polls or brainstorming sessions. Collaboration tools that allow real-time editing and sharing can also enhance the sense of teamwork.

Cultivating a Supportive Culture

A supportive culture is characterized by recognition, inclusivity, and the promotion of work-life balance. Celebrating achievements, acknowledging milestones, and providing support during challenging times are all practices that contribute to a positive team culture.

Continuous Improvement

The virtual workspace is ever-evolving, and so should the team dynamics. Regularly assess the effectiveness of communication strategies, tools, and team morale. Be open to feedback and willing to make changes to improve the team’s performance.

Conclusion

Improving virtual team dynamics is an ongoing process that requires attention and effort from every team member. By building trust, enhancing communication, fostering engagement, and cultivating a supportive culture, virtual teams can overcome the barriers of distance and become more cohesive and effective.

—

Categories
Organizational Development Team Effectiveness

How employee management tools can significantly impact your company’s bottom line:

Brett Hodge, CEO 03/27/2024

Introduction

In today’s dynamic business environment, organizations face multifaceted challenges. Managing human resources effectively is a critical aspect of achieving overall success. Employee management tools play a pivotal role in optimizing workforce performance, streamlining processes, and ultimately contributing to the bottom line.

1. The Expanding Role of Finance and HR

Traditionally, finance departments focused primarily on financial operations. However, the landscape has evolved. Finance professionals now actively participate in shaping overall business strategy. They contribute to cost management, forecasting, and labor optimization. Understanding the workforce—often the largest and most complex expense—is essential for creating a successful business strategy.

2. Workforce Intelligence: The Power of HR Data

Workforce intelligence, derived from HR data and metrics, empowers finance professionals with valuable insights. Here’s how it can impact your bottom line:

a. Cost Optimization

  • Recruiting Efficiency: HR metrics help identify steps to optimize recruiting costs. By understanding which channels yield the best results, you can allocate resources effectively.
  • Talent Assignment: Assigning the right talent to the right tasks ensures productivity. HR data reveals how efficiently employees are assigned and engaged.
  • Pay Practices Alignment: Ensure that compensation and benefits align with performance, avoiding unnecessary costs.

b. Productivity Insights

  • Declining Productivity: HR metrics highlight signs of declining productivity. Addressing these early can prevent revenue losses.
  • Talent Development: Determine whether it’s more beneficial to build talent internally or hire contractors. Investing in employee development pays off in the long run.

c. Process Improvements

  • Efficiency Gains: Identify and implement improvements across various workplace processes. Streamlining workflows directly impacts the bottom line.
  • Diversity and Profitability: A diverse workforce contributes to innovation and profitability. HR data helps create an inclusive work environment.

3. Uncovering Top Performers

  • Armed with HR insights, you can identify top performers who significantly impact your company’s financial success. Recognize their contributions and learn from their practices.
  • Equally important is understanding why some employees fall behind. Addressing performance gaps can boost overall productivity.

Conclusion

Employee management tools bridge the gap between HR and finance. By leveraging HR metrics, you can make informed decisions, optimize costs, and create a thriving work environment. Remember, data-driven strategies lead to a healthier bottom line.

So, embrace the power of employee management tools and watch your business flourish! Contact us at OEC, Inc. for more information 812-345-7519.

—

Categories
Uncategorized

The Best Human Asset Software for your Business

benefits of using the Predictive Index (PI) in your organization. OEC, Inc. is a Certified PI Partner. Contact us for more information. https://www.oecleadership.com

Predictive Index: The Key to Talent Optimization

In today’s dynamic workplace, understanding employee behavior and optimizing talent is crucial for organizational success. The Predictive Index (PI) is a powerful tool that provides valuable insights into workplace behavior, motivators, and potential. Let’s explore how PI can enhance your organization:

1. Understanding Workplace Behavior

  • Scientific Validation: PI is a scientifically validated behavioral assessment tool. It evaluates the motivating needs that drive an individual’s workplace behavior. By understanding these needs, organizations gain insights into what makes their employees tick.
  • Predicting Performance: PI measures cognitive ability, behavior, and interests. It predicts how individuals will perform in specific roles or work environments. This knowledge helps in making informed decisions during talent acquisition and team building.

2. Talent Optimization

  • Hiring Right: PI assists in identifying candidates who not only qualify for a role but are also likely to thrive in it. By assessing personality traits and cognitive abilities, organizations can make better hiring decisions.
  • Team Dynamics: Understanding the mix of driving needs within a team is essential. PI helps identify potential areas of conflict or cooperation, promoting effective collaboration and communication.
  • Leadership Development: PI identifies individuals with leadership potential. It enables personalized development plans to nurture their skills, ensuring a strong leadership pipeline.
  • Management Support: Pi integrates behavioral data with AI to provide managers all they need to schedule 1:1 meetings, Team meetings, feedback and communication, performance management and more.

3. Aligning Individual Capabilities with Organizational Goals

  • Behavioral Mapping: PI provides a ‘behavioral map’ of an individual’s work persona. It reveals factors like dominance, extraversion, patience, and formality. Organizations can align these traits with their goals and requirements.
  • Stress and Team Response: PI helps understand how individuals respond to stress, scrutiny, and team dynamics. This knowledge aids in creating a supportive work environment.

4. Not Just a Test, But Insights

  • Detailed Insights: PI isn’t a ‘pass’ or ‘fail’ test. Instead, it offers detailed insights into behavior and performance. Organizations gain clarity on their workforce’s strengths and areas for improvement.

Conclusion

The Predictive Index is more than a tool; it’s the key to talent optimization. By leveraging PI, your organizations can create a harmonious workplace, maximize productivity, and align individual capabilities with strategic goals. So, contact us at OEC, Inc. to embrace PI and unlock the potential of your workforce! ????

Categories
Organizational Development Team Effectiveness

Are you hiring the right people?

Between Business Strategy and Business Results are your people. People are what ultimately drives the success of your business. Hiring the right people, giving managers the tools to effectively lead and build successful teams and decreasing turnover are the keys to long term success. Knowing the job behavioral targets and then matching hires to these targets is the key to great hires. Arming your leaders with data on how best to motivate and lead your people is the secret to high levels of engagement with greater ROI!

Connect with us to find out more. 812-345-7519

PI-Total-Solution-One-Pager-Unpublished-on-12.10.2019-1Download
Categories
Uncategorized

Key Changes Companies Should Make

Key changes companies should make in 2022

Josh Bersin, the founder of an HR research firm, says that “you have to run your company as if every employee has one foot out the door.” And he is right because employees today demand fast, positive change from their employers.

Let the data talk: 

  • 8 out of 10 employees feel ‘more empowered’ to hold leaders accountable for workplace changes in 2022. 
  • And 56% of workers said they will only wait 30 to 60 days for employers to make needed changes before they consider leaving. (Human Workplace Index)

So what can companies do?

Well, every company is different and has its unique challenges. But one thing is for sure: now is not the time to let up on the gas (despite today’s prices, har har).

A universal principle is companies must deeply understand what their employees want and then take action to deliver. By collecting employee feedback, companies will unlock a treasure trove of opportunities to improve retention, productivity, and workplace happiness.

How can they take it a step further? Companies must double down on improving the employee experience end-to-end. To start, that means:

  • purging any signs of toxic culture (one way is to create a set of strong company values and reward the right behavior)
  • hiring the right people for the right roles
  • giving employees a meaningful mission and purpose to work toward
  • training managers to listen and support employees (versus telling)
  • creating and communicating legitimate career paths (only 11% of companies offer formal career pathing programs). 

The MIT study also revealed four short-term strategies companies can use to increase retention.

  1. Identifying lateral career opportunities
  2. Offering remote work arrangements
  3. Hosting company-sponsored social events
  4. Offering predictable schedules
Categories
Team Effectiveness

The need for Social Emotional Learning in Team Development

In my last article written on January 16th, 2020 I wrote about the importance of Human Connection both to our work and all other parts of our lives and the science behind it. This week I am following up with an article on the importance of Social Emotional Development in teams.

Human connections are critical to business results and employee engagement and workplace contentment. Daily I speak with leaders about the joys and challenges of the workplace. All of the joys and challenges boil down to successes or failures that at the root have a human component. You would be hard pressed to find a success or failure that was not at some level due to connection between people.

Working with teams over the last 30 years I have accumulated hundreds of experiences assessing and creating developmental opportunities for teams. One constant is that the human connection factor has been at the root of all of those experiences and the strength of those connections has been the key to current success or frustrations.

In my experience both as a consultant and as a Senior Organizational Development Practitioner inside of organizations, Emotional Intelligence is a standard Learning opportunity/course offered, BUT I usually see it offered only to leaders of the organizations. If it is a fundamental skill for all employees we should not just offer it to leaders but should instead offer Social Emotional Development to all employees. Most people have their main interactions throughout their day with teammates and other people they work with to complete the organizations work, not their leader.

Self Awareness, Self Management, Social Awareness, Relationship Skills, and Responsible Decision Making Skills are skills we all need in order to maximize our connections with others. Studies on human development would say that we should be learning and honing these skills from an very early age and should be part of our early education curriculum in the classroom. School Bullying is rampant and Teen suicides are up 47 percent in the past two decades. This is getting schools and parents attention that SEL must be integrated into our youth experience. Based on the research, these skills are fundamental to successful Teams as well. Instead of only training leaders in one day intensive EQI principles, healthy organizations of the future will make Social Emotional Learning part of an ongoing developmental strategy for teams and not just a 3-6 hour course. Ongoing Social Emotional Learning as a team is a great way to build trust and develop strength and understanding of team connections.

This attached article by Marc Brackett & Diana Divecha addresses the need for SEL as they celebrate the “30th anniversary of the first scholarly publication on emotional intelligence. In it, Peter Salovey of Yale University and John D. Mayer of the University of New Hampshire challenged the proposition that emotions mostly cloud judgment and get in the way of rational thought. Instead, Salovey and Mayer said, when we use emotions wisely, we make better decisions and have improved mental health and relationships.” https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2020/01/22/sorry-theres-no-easy-toolkit-for-social-emotional.html?cmp=eml-contshr-shr

Categories
Team Effectiveness

Is your Team Connected?

Ask yourself, “What groups of people do I know that could benefit from being better connected”? Whether your thoughts went to work, community or family, we can easily identify connections that are strong as well as connections that are weak.

Why are human to human connections so important?

We are genetically and socially programmed to be connected to others. Evolutionary theory developed by Charles Darwin and widely accepted as having some scientific validity theorized that in order for a species to survive it must be driven to behave in ways that promote Survival and Reproduction. Because of these two basic “Survival of the Fittest” drives humans have continued to evolve specific adaptive behaviors to stay connected and Thrive. Believe it or not, even though the news of current events catches our focus, we are actually living in the most peaceful time in history according to historians looking at 100 plus year periods. Survival is actually getting easier to do. Reproductive adaptive behaviors drive what we are attracted to and can unconsciously effect our interpersonal behaviors, not just as mates but how agreeable or valued we see each other, how accepted we feel, how much automatic trust we place in each other and many other unconscious psychological dynamics.

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs; Physical, safety, security, love and Belonging, Self-esteem, and Self Actualization; all depend on solid close social connections. One failure to Maslow’s model is that we have examples both in the animal and human world where social connection is chosen over food, water and shelter. A study by Lunstad, Smith, and Layton at Brigham Young University and published in the Journal of Medicine https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1000316 showed that a lack of social connection has a greater detriment to your health than obesity and smoking. On the positive side strong human connections have been proven to lead to a %50 higher chance of life longevity, strengthened immune system, lower rates of anxiety and depression, higher self esteem and greater empathy towards others. Social connectedness creates reciprocal connections that affect our physical and emotional well-being. We live in a time where a lot of people do not feel connected and technology seems to be pushing us even further from the authentic human connections we all need in order to thrive.

Most people’s primary social group is their work. This is where a lot of us spend 40 – 60 plus hours a week for the majority if not all of our lives. This is not including the time spent ruminating about work issues. Like it or not this is where we get most of our social connections. For those teams where the connections are strong, you are enjoying higher levels of endorphins, strengthened immune systems, overall sense of wellbeing, higher productivity, lower costs and very possibly a longer life.

For those teams that are struggling to connect, unfortunately the opposite is true. You will experience higher levels of fear and stress hormones (adrenalin, cortisol, and nonadrenalin) resulting over time in exhaustion, maladaption, burnout and dysfunction decreasing results at higher costs, and very possibly affecting the quality and quantity of life. (effects of chronic fear)

So… since developing strong connections is so important, how can we improve connections in and between our teams, groups, and families? Whenever I am asked the question “How can our team or organization improve its peoples sense of belonging”? I first ask “How do people in your life know that they belong”? I think too often at work we try to make human connection way to scientific and technical. True bonding and connecting with others is first emotional and second practical.

Here are some ideas to get you started:

Emotional Connection:

  • Use Greetings and manners, smile and acknowledge others, use people’s names, give compliments, apologize and forgive, offer help.
  • Be the teammate you would like to have, be reliable, thoughtful, timely, authentic, and sensitive. Intentionally include others and acknowledge their importance.
  • listen to others attentively, show genuine interest in what others think and feel.
  • Share things about your past, present, and future with each other. Trust only comes from practicing vulnerability.
  • Structure team building time, do a community service project together, plan informal social gatherings, include family at some of them.

Practical Connections:

  • Establish a strong purpose at the individual and team level that gives teams a reason to want to connect and stay connected. Keep that purpose front and center.
  • Ground the team with clearly shared goals that drive connection, make sure division of roles and responsibilities and accountability are mutually understood and the connections are regularly discussed.
  • Assure that everyone is getting to use their talents and strengths in contribution to the teams objectives.
  • Create a culture of true psychological safety where teams feel free to exchange passionate ideas, disagreements and dreams leading to synergistic solutions. A place where teams can feel free to be themselves without fear. A place where they can connect safely on an emotional level building Trust and creating a strong group identity.
  • Define and establish measures of success, regularly discuss progress. Strong teams are interested in their scorecard.
  • Support each other when the occasional hard work does not yield intended results.
  • Celebrate, have Fun, show love and caring for each other.

If you could use some help connecting your people and teams contact us at www.oecleadership.com