Workplace wellbeing influences personal development

Even Maslow realised that beyond self-actualisation was a higher need. One of self-transcendence or going beyond ourselves. This implies that personal development never truly completes its course until it affects those around us. However, is the reverse also true? What is the effect of a positive workplace on one’s ability to develop themselves?

 

Employees seek purpose

In designing an AI app for personalised career development, NextPlay.ai noted the desire of the current generation of workers. They don’t just want to turn up to work and get paid. They see their role, organisation and overall career as a source of purpose.

An essential but often overlooked component of workplace wellbeing is a positive work environment — one where employees feel emotionally and mentally safe, and colleagues engage in upbuilding interactions.

These same uplifting surroundings keep younger generations of employees connected with the purpose of their role. If they’re not distracted by stressors within the work environment, they are free to explore the deeper meaning behind their jobs.

 

Wellbeing equals high engagement

From physical, mental to emotional factors, there’s no denying that workplace wellbeing yields strong business results. Whether that’s through increased productivity, cost savings and lower staff turnover, it benefits organisations.

The most relevant aspect of workplace wellbeing to the development of an individual is that it impacts employee engagement. This engagement is a critical factor for those seeking to develop themselves.

In a study of outstanding performers in various fields (academics, sports, arts), one of the common development elements involved the interaction between personal and environmental factors. An individual developing talent needs not just to have the ability, but also persistence to continue even in the face of failure. Additionally, all of the efforts the individual puts in are for nothing without social and emotional support. That’s where the two factors of a positive environment and engagement meet to motivate individuals to develop their skills, knowledge and talent further.

 

Highly-engaged employees want development

A survey by the Institute for Corporate Productivity found 54% of participants stated that the quality and availability of development affects their engagement. Therefore, fewer development options, less engagement. However, it is also those employees who have formed a significant connection with their role, organisation and purpose (highly-engaged) who seek further development opportunities.

 

Why leaders need to develop mindfulness

A less obvious threat within organisations is the that of a psychologically unhealthy workplace. When colleagues, or worse managers, add mental and emotional fatigue to an employee’s work day, it’s enough to drive down productivity if not drive out workers.

It’s not an isolated case either. In Australia alone, the government pays approximately $543 million in workers’ compensation for work-related mental health conditions.

While it’s true that managing processes matters in leadership, managing people is even more crucial. Likewise, creating a mentally-safe workplace starts with having strong policies and processes in place, but ultimately it is defined by the behaviours of the people within.

That’s where mindfulness can play a crucial role.

Mindful leadership

Mindful leadership based on being attentive to the present moment and recognising personal feelings and emotions while keeping them under control, particularly during stressful times. It requires an individual’s awareness and understanding its impact on others.

Researchers identified the benefits of mindful leadership and summed it up into three meta-capacities:

  • Metacognition. This is the ability to observe what you are thinking, feeling, and sensing during critical times. It is like removing yourself from an intense situation to actually see what’s going on. It’s an effective means of escaping the dangers of operating on autopilot.
  • Allowing. This refers to the ability to let situations be. It isn’t about weakness or passiveness. Rather, it’s about dealing with experiences with openness and kindness to yourself and others. It links firmly with not letting our criticism of ourselves and others crush our ability to observe what is really happening.
  • Curiosity. This means taking an interest in what occurs within our inner and outer environments. It drives a strong impetus for bringing our awareness into the present moment and staying with it.

Emotional intelligence and mindfulness

There are three parts to emotional intelligence according to the man who coined the term back in 1995, Daniel Goleman. The first involves self-awareness, and this is where mindfulness fits in. By monitoring what’s happening within your mind, you can handle it better. This leads to the second part of emotional intelligence, self-management which in turn allows you to manage stressful situations and display a positive attitude despite upsets. The third part is the presence of others and how the other two components combine to determine the quality of our relationships with those around us.

Developing mindfulness

A note of caution: this is not a quick fix. Attending one mindfulness session doesn’t make a mindful leader. The key to developing this ability is practice. Take just a few minutes each day to focus on your thoughts and gradually integrate it into your daily tasks.

Are you interested in further developing your emotional intelligence in the workplace? Consider enrolling in our Emotional Intelligence short course to master your self-awareness and empathy skills and foster a more mentally healthy workplace.

Essential elements of successful leadership development

In today’s rapidly changing business environment, it’s essential for leaders to keep the pace. There’s now a need for new skills and knowledge to assist leaders in navigating the ever-changing landscape. So, are leadership development programs the key to staying relevant?

The obvious answer might be ‘yes’. However, according to Deloitte’s latest Global Human Capital Trends survey, current learning and development programs are struggling when it comes to equipping today’s professionals with skills for the future.

It’s vital then that forward-thinking managers and leaders carefully inspect the components of a program before investing their time and efforts. After all, the modern business environment is all about agility – wasting time on the wrong program can be costly.

If you’re looking for the right development program, here are three essential ingredients:

Development to lead yourself

Before any progress can happen, leaders must first be prepared to accept that they need it. In an environment of fast-paced change, leaders can’t afford to get trapped in what is called ‘functional stupidity’ or the compliance with the established norms without questioning if it is still the right thing to do.

Good leadership development programs must challenge a leader to shift their thinking, venture out of their comfort zone and learn to improve themselves before they can help others.

Development to lead others

Part of the shift leaders experience in today’s business environment is the focus on soft-skills. As workers in this digital age become accustomed to receiving information instantly and dynamically, they start to form the same expectation when it comes to workplace communications.

Leading others is now much more than merely handing out instructions, it’s about inspiring action. Gaining the skills to inspire, motivate communicate and collaborate is critical for a good leadership development program.

Development to lead the organisation

Finally, development must address an organisational goal to be effective. The downfall of many programs is that they rest heavily on theories and lack practical application.

The best leadership development programs are ones that equip participants to respond to situations already in progress in the workplace. This helps the learnings really stick, as the results will also build trust in the development received.

Furthermore, programs customised to organisational needs, lead to a good pay off in your leadership development investment. That’s because it builds loyalty and reduces the risk that you have developed a leader who leaves the company straight away.

Is your workplace safe enough for teamwork?

In recent years, workplaces have shown a strong commitment towards workplace health and safety. Although physical risk at work is the lowest it has ever been, psychological safety has traditionally taken a backseat in terms of organisational priorities.

Psychological safety refers to the comfort of individuals to speak up about ideas, questions and mistakes without a fear of being punished or humiliated. For organisations that want to capitalize on the value of high performing teams, it is evident that they need to ramp up their commitment to building psychological safety.

This article will take a look at simple ways to promote a psychologically safe work environment for all employees.

Leadership

Unfortunately, leaders seem to be a major culprit for creating a less psychologically safe work environment. Why? As leaders, sometimes it can be hard to admit that you are wrong or that your opinion may not be as good as someone else’s. However, leaders who refuse to show any signs of vulnerability inevitably instill this expectation onto the rest of their workforce.

To prevent this misconception from constraining team performance, it is encouraged that leaders ask for feedback from their team, acknowledge their mistakes and show a genuine interest in calling on others for ideas.

Discussion space

There are numerous ways to promote a more psychologically safe space for team discussions. In particular, it is important to consider the types of materials encouraged and discouraged in the planning space.

For example, phones and technological devices can encourage member distraction, particularly in initial meetings. This can lead to less active listening by team members and can also make team members feel humiliated when they are sharing their ideas. As such, it is recommended that during initial discussions, technological devices are discouraged.

Another way of promoting psychological safety in team discussions is by holding discussions in a small meeting room. Small meeting rooms can create an impression of a more supportive team environment as it promotes more inclusive body language and reduces the risk of distraction.

Self-awareness training

Another method for reducing the risk of psychologically unsafe team work is self-awareness training. By encouraging team members to understand the perceptions of their personality in a team environment, they can understand the responses of other team members and adapt their behaviours accordingly.

One popular model for developing an understanding of an individual’s personality is the ‘Five Factor Model’. This model evaluates personality based on five key traits: openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness and neuroticism. By evaluating where each team member sits in this model, team members can tailor their communication style to support their colleagues.

How to facilitate effective innovation days

In the fierce contemporary business environment, we always hear people ramble on about the importance of innovation. So much so, more organisations are starting to implement workforce innovation days.

An innovation day involves the workforce splitting into small teams to try and solve a problem relevant to the business. For companies such as: Suncorp, Microsoft and Google, these innovation days have been pivotal for building high performance teams.

For those employees that participate in innovation days, it means much more than just working in a team to design a solution. Instead, they are working in a team to develop strategic ideas that the company could actually implement. This sets the scene for a highly motivated team as there is a strong sense of empowerment and purpose amongst members.

So, how can your organisation implement innovation days to maximise team performance? This article will take a look at the three key steps to facilitating an effective innovation day.

Step 1: Ideate

The ideate stage introduces teams to the issue and provides context around the issue so that ideas can be brainstormed. To promote effectiveness, here are a few sneaky hints!

Firstly, it is important to gain commitment by pitching why the business problem is a pressing issue and how it could potentially harm the future success of the organisation. By not answering the ‘why,’ employees are likely to care less about the issue. As such, passion and creativity may be lacking whilst designing a potential solution.

Secondly, to promote more active involvement by members at this stage, it is recommended that team formations are no larger than five.

Finally, there is a tendency for teams to rush this stage of problem solving and start going into detail about one specific idea before considering all available options. To reduce the risk of this, it is recommended that facilitators provide a time guide for teams.

Step 2: Prototype

This step involves teams taking their core ideas further. To promote highly effective prototypes at this stage, it is recommended that teams get the opportunity to discuss their ideas with coaches and mentors in the business. This will assist in highlighting any idea weaknesses and capitalising on any key strengths.

Step 3: Validate

The final step encourages teams to present their solution to their colleagues and other key stakeholders. This particular step is essential for two reasons. Firstly, it provides another opportunity for feedback so that elements of the idea can be strengthened. Secondly, even if the idea isn’t implemented, it provides teams with a sense of achievement for participating in the innovation day and producing a final product.

The building blocks of a high performing team

It sounds silly to treat teamwork like it’s Lego; however, effective teams can be built based on a few key building blocks. These building blocks are best described in Pac MacMillan’s (2001) ‘High Performance Team Model’. According to this model, the building blocks of a high performing team are: effective communication, common purpose, accepted leadership, effective processes and solid relationships. This article will take a look at why each of these blocks are significant to team success.

Effective communication

Effective communication is essential for team settings for multiple reasons. Firstly, it is required for healthy debate about topics so that more thorough options can be explored. Secondly, it assists in building the credibility of team members as everyone is able to better contribute towards the team project and understand the requirements of the tasks they are assigned. Finally, effective communication within a team assists prompt decision making so that projects can be completed quicker.

Common purpose

Having a common purpose in a team setting sets the scene for willful cooperation. In a study by Tarricone and Luca in 2002, it was found that having a team that was committed to common goals was essential in developing the accountability of team members as well as boosting their engagement in the project.

Accepted leadership

In organisational settings, sometimes teams are reluctant to assign a team project leader as team members like to feel equal. Sometimes personal motivations can be what comes in the way of this, such as a competitive work environment and desire to stand out to management. However, all personal motivations aside, accepted leadership is essential for team projects as it promotes project productivity, quick decisions, clear deadlines and healthy cooperation.

Effective processes

Effective processes lay out the method of cooperation in team settings. Different team projects may have different processes that are more effective; consequently, this is an important discussion for members to have at their first meeting. Processes may include the regularity of team meetings, how the team communicates with each other and shares information or how work is allocated and reviewed. By having clear processes suited to the specific project, there is less room for error and productivity is enhanced.

Solid relationships

As much as we would love for all team members to have solid relationships with one another, this is not always achievable in workplace settings. As such, organisations are increasingly focusing on the ability of individuals to work in teams when making recruitment decisions through the usage of psychometric testing and values-based interviewing. By building a workforce that is able to effectively manage relationships in team environments, communication is strengthened, misunderstandings are reduced, conflict is prevented and team agility is enhanced.

So there we have the five key building blocks to high performing teams. Can you identify which one of these blocks may be preventing your team from reaching its full potential?

To discover more strategies on how you can foster high performing teams, consider enrolling in one of our short courses. From communication essentials to time and priority management, you can develop important skills to better manage your teams for lasting success.

Reference:

http://www.unice.fr/crookall-cours/teams/docs/team%20Successful%20teamwork.pdf

What do dysfunctional teams look like?

Unfortunately, many of us have experienced working in a dysfunctional team at least once. However, with the increasing use of teams, effective teamwork has become a critical ingredient for organisational success. But what make a team less functional than they could be?

According to Lencioni (2002) there are five factors that cause a team to be dysfunctional. These are: an absence of trust, fear of conflict, lack of commitment, avoidance of accountability and inattention to results. Whilst these five factors may seem to be distinct issues, Lencioni argues that they are heavily interrelated. This article will take a look at how these factors interrelate with each other and how to overcome them.

Absence of trust

In team settings, trust refers to team member confidence, positive team intentions and the willingness to be vulnerable amongst members. When an absence of trust is evident in a team, there are numerous consequences. This can include:

  • Limited constructive feedback
  • Concealed mistakes and weaknesses
  • Negative relationships and grudges are commonly held

To overcome a lack of team trust, there are multiple approaches organisations can take. Firstly, it is encouraged that organisations implement 360-degree feedback tools. These tools can be a powerful method for building trust in teams as they promote transparent communication and ensure that team members are more comfortable being vulnerable around each other.

Secondly, trust can be promoted through workforce training on personality profiles. By helping employees to develop a stronger understanding of their colleagues’ personalities, they will be more emotionally intelligent. Consequently, the credibility of team members can be maximised.

Fear of conflict

The second factor of team dysfunction is a fear of conflict. Whilst an absence of conflict in team settings may sound seemingly ideological, conflict is necessary for producing healthy debate and critically evaluating ideas. Typically, teams that have an absence of trust are likely to also fear conflict as team members are less willing and confident to share different ideas or provide feedback.

To promote healthy conflict in team settings, it is recommended that organisations continue to develop the emotional intelligence of employees. By building the emotional intelligence of their workforce, conflict is less likely to get out of hand, meaning less team members will fear it.

Lack of commitment

Another factor that undermines the effective functioning of teams is a lack of commitment. A lack of commitment is a common consequence of a lack of trust and conflict in team settings as team members have less passionately expressed their ideas. By feeling uncomfortable to present ideas that they are passionate about, team members are likely to be less committed to the course of action.

On top of promoting healthy conflict and trust to build the commitment of team members, there are also other approaches. In particular, setting deadlines and encouraging team members to nominate which task they would be most interested in being responsible for are effective ways of building commitment.

Avoidance of accountability

When there is a lack of commitment towards a course of action, team members typically feel less accountable for the risk of failure. This leads to counterproductive behaviours that undermine the success of the team project.

To maximise the accountability of team members and promote team efficiency, it is recommended that teams take the time to develop goals and expectations before commencing the project.

Inattention to results

The final factor of team dysfunction is an inattention to results. This factor refers to the tendency of members to care about something other than the shared goals of the team. This dysfunction thrives in organisational environments where team members are assessed individually rather than being assessed on their overall group performance.

Evidently, any one of these five factors could be detrimental to the performance of a team. Can you pinpoint which one caused your dysfunctional team experience?

Reference: Lencioni, Patrick M. The Five Dysfunctions of a Team : A Leadership Fable, John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated, 2002. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/qut/detail.action?docID=292516

The Lowdown: Project delays and bust budgets

How can you minimise the risk of a project’s timeline and budget blowing out as you work through to completion? By being aware of the inherent biases in our brains, and examining the landscape for insights into similar projects. By Vanessa Mickan.

Sydney’s light rail expansion is – surprise, surprise – massively over budget and behind schedule. I’m trying to imagine the planning meetings at the outset of the project, which will (eventually) add 12 kilometres of track to the city’s public transport network. I think we can safely assume the discussion did not go:

 “Let’s dig up some main roads to cause chaos and bring retailers to their knees.”

 “Then let’s surprise them by doing it for at least a year longer than we said we would.”

 “Don’t forget to make it cost more too. Like a billion dollars.”

 “Are you sure about that, only a million?”

 “No, no, I said billion, with a b.”

 “Genius idea. Taxpayers love that! All in favour say aye.”

Like most of us when we tackle a big project, everyone probably went into the light rail project believing they could get the job done on budget and on time.

So why is it that despite our best intentions and planning, big projects inevitably end up costing more and taking longer than we think they will? And as a business leader, what can you do about it?

Be aware of optimism bias. Four out of five of us have brains that are wired to present a rosier view of what will happen to us, according to cognitive neuroscientist Tali Sharot. For instance, about 40 per cent of people get divorced, yet newly married people rate their likelihood of splitting up at zero per cent. Step one in stopping the optimism bias from derailing your next big project is to simply start being cognisant of it.

Don’t fall for the planning fallacy. This common psychological quirk means we’re usually confident our project will go according to plan, even though we know other similar projects haven’t. Almost half of Olympic Games go over budget by more than 100 per cent, and many struggle to finish construction on time. Yet still Games organisers get taken by surprise. The Rio Games in 2016 are a memorable example, but the Montreal Games in 1972 hold the record: they were 720 per cent over budget and workers were sweeping up building debris as the opening ceremony began. The solution? Study data from similar past projects, and learn from them.

Streamline your communication. Tech innovator Justin Rosenstein designed the collaboration software Asana because of his frustration with wasting so much time at Google making sure the left hand knew what the right hand was doing – or what he calls “doing the work about work” – rather than developing products. But if it makes you feel any better about your own big projects, it took Rosenstein three years to launch his software … which just happens to be three times longer than he thought it would.

The 6 ‘Do’s’ of Decision Making

Decision making is a challenge that faces us daily. For organisations, poor decisions can damage corporate reputation, decrease profit, undermine employee wellbeing and distort the organization’s strategic direction. Unfortunately, there is no formula for always getting decisions right; however, there are some ‘do’s’ to promote more reliable and sustainable decisions. In this article, we describe 6 decision making ‘do’s’ to reduce the risk of decision-making disasters.

1. Get Analytical

According to a study by Accenture (2013), only 21% of respondent organisations successfully used analytics for routine decision making. Analysing a situation before making a decision is a great way of ensuring an objective approach and gaining the commitment of others. Despite this, analytical decision making takes more time; therefore, it may not always be the most effective approach when prompt decisions need to be made.

2. Block out Bias

Bias is a hard thing to block out of decision making; however, accepting that bias occurs and forcing yourself to consider other factors can help. There are three common types of bias in decision making: confirmation bias, availability heuristic and halo effect. Confirmation bias refers to our natural desire to not rethink our beliefs or change our opinions. When we are presented with new ideas that contradict our beliefs and opinions, we tend to ignore them rather than using them to form new judgements. Secondly, availability heuristic refers to the mental shortcuts we take when evaluating a specific action or decision. According to this form of bias, we are likely to form evaluations solely on what we initially recall. Finally, the halo effect refers to our desire for consistency when forming decisions. For example, if we initially form a positive impression on someone, we are likely to judge that person more favourably than someone we initially form a negative impression on. When making future decisions, ask yourself whether any of these three forms of bias could’ve come into play. By asking yourself this question, you can prevent bias from steering you in the wrong direction.

3. Think Ethically

Ethics is an important factor to consider in any business decision as it is likely to impact multiple people. By not considering the ethics behind a decision you make, it would be harder to build commitment and gain acceptance from others.

4. Consider Outcomes

Understanding the gravity of different consequences can assist in formulating responsible decisions. One common consequentialist theory is utilitarianism. This theory proposes that the most appropriate decisions are found by evaluating what decision would cause the greatest good for the greatest number of stakeholders.

5. Solicit Stakeholder Opinions

Gaining feedback from other key stakeholders enables you to view a potential decision from a different perspective. For example, it may open your eyes to ethical considerations or outcomes that you may not have thought of. This particular approach is also a great way of reducing personal bias as it forces you to consider alternative attitudes.

6. Remind Yourself of Organizational Priorities

Business objectives and an organization’s vision serve as a good guide for effective decision making as they can sometimes put priorities into perspective. For example, when choosing between two available alternatives, reminding yourself of organisational values or objectives may change the weighting of certain factors that differentiate the two alternatives.

There may not be a formula for decision making success, but considering these 6 factors in future decision making will help you to form justifiable courses of action.