When it comes to inclusion, the questions matter!

 

My partner – Eileen – recently decided to return to the world of work after spending time as the CEO, COO and CFO of Pich Inc. Whilst this crucial leadership role involved all those critical managerial skills (setting strategy, defining culture, making decisions, leading two young daughters, etc etc) it was sadly very poorly paid (in fact, the salary reduced to ‘absolutely nothing’ after the initial 12-weeks of minimum wage maternity pay!).

Dipping a toe back into the job market is undoubtedly a daunting experience for the vast majority of parents or primary carers who have spent a decent period doing the parenting and primary carer thing. It’s fair to say that Eileen was more than a little nervous and apprehensive. In her favour, she had a strong CV which included experience in Australia and Germany, a degree in marketing communications and a personal skill set that was actually honed at home with the kids. If she could manage and lead our two monkeys successfully, the workplace would be an absolute breeze!

“The CEO asked Eileen, ‘I see you have two kids, how do you think you will juggle your home life with this role?'”

She soon spotted a role on seek.com.au (other job search websites are available – ed) and sent off her CV and a nicely-crafted covering letter. And waited. She scored an interview with the manager. The interview went well. She was invited to spend an afternoon with an employee doing a similar role. The road trip went well. She was asked to complete a written ‘sales and marketing assignment’ (oddly relating to selling toothpaste – the role was nothing to do with selling toothpaste!). She did pretty well. The local manager said he wanted her to ‘meet’ the company’s CEO in Sydney on a Skype call. Eileen was over the moon. Her first application and she was scheduled to chat to the CEO – score!!

And then this happened.

The CEO asked Eileen, “I see you have two kids, how do you think you will juggle your home life with this role?”

Let me state for the record that since Eileen and I have had our kids – Pearl and Olive – I have had three jobs. I have never (in the more than 8 interviews that were involved in getting these roles) been asked how I will ‘cope’ with balancing my home life and my work life. In fact, the only time my family has been brought up has been at the end of the interview in the part that might best be described as ‘general chit chat and small talk’. My family life, hobbies, passions and what I get up to in my spare time have never formed any part of a serious interview question.

And nor should they. Ever. Not for me, not for Eileen and not in any interview for any role.

“All too often questions are asked in interviews that have no place in interviews.”

Unfortunately, all too often the opposite occurs. All too often questions are asked in interviews that have no place in interviews. Robert Half, the global recruitment company, published a list of ‘example questions and statements’ that should never be asked or made during an interview.

This list (below), whilst not intending to be comprehensive, offers a reasonable starting point.

Age: “How old are you?”
Disability/impairment (physical and mental): “How many sick days did you take last year?”
Family/carer’s responsibilities: “Are you the carer for your elderly family members?”
Marital or relationship status: “Are you married?”
Parental status: “Do you have children?”
Political beliefs and activities: “Are you a Liberal voter?”
Pregnancy: “Do you plan on becoming pregnant anytime soon?”
Race: “What’s your nationality?”
Religious beliefs and activities: “Are you Christian?”
Gender (including sexual harassment): “Females rarely succeed in this industry.”
Sexual orientation: “Are you gay?”
Union or employer-association membership: “Are you a member of the union?”
roberhalf.com.au/blog (January 2015)

An alternate approach to the whole ‘what should I or shouldn’t I say in an interview’ approach, is what might be described as ‘the nuclear option’ in progressive selection processes; inclusive recruitment.

“Eliminating bias – unconscious as well as conscious – is critical for a robust recruitment process.”

Inclusive recruitment – often called Blind Recruitment – comes in a variety of forms. In the purest sense, it involves removing all references to potential ‘discrimination triggers’ at the very beginning of the selection process. This would include deleting references to age, marital status, gender and sexuality from the CV prior to it being scrutinized. In some cases, references to educational institutions and addresses are also removed.

The intent of implementing inclusive recruitment is to eliminate bias – both conscious and unconscious.  Numerous studies have shown that, whether we like it or not, we all have unconscious biases that cloud our judgements. When selecting the best person for a role, clouded judgement does us and the organisation no favours. For example, if we went to a certain school or were born in a certain place, it’s understandable that we would feel a certain ‘affinity’ to a candidate if we know in advance that they also went to that school, or were born in our hometown. Whilst this is completely natural (commonality makes people feel comfortable) it doesn’t help the interview process at all. We are after all looking to hire the best person for the role.

Eliminating bias – unconscious as well as conscious – is critical for a robust recruitment process.

Back over at Eileen’s ‘first recruitment process since having the monkeys’ (as we now call it!) – she didn’t get the role. The CEO emailed her and told her she wasn’t ‘salesy enough’. That’s fair enough I guess. But ‘that question’ lingers. Was it really that? Or was it ‘something else’.

“Conscious bias, unconscious bias and asking silly questions at interview is, sadly, extremely common. And even more worryingly, it’s often gender blind!”

And here’s the thing, the CEO who asked ‘that question’, well, she is female!

Conscious bias, unconscious bias and asking silly questions at interview is, sadly, extremely common. And even more worryingly, it’s often gender blind!

7 Top tips for leaders wanting to ‘do recruitment right’

  1. Ensure a thorough job analysis and job description is developed at the beginning of the process.
  2. Establish a clear set of selection criteria based directly from the job description. Know what and who you are looking for.
  3. Interviews should be an objective information gathering process. The focus should be on:
  • Skills and knowledge
  • Work history and professional experience
  • Education and training
  • Personal attributes and behaviour
  1. A set list of interview questions should be asked of all candidates in order to gather consistent information on every individual.
  2. Even if you are part of a smaller organisation, always have a colleague with you in the process to ensure you have more than one opinion and interpretation of the selection data.
  3. It is important to make the selection decision as soon as possible after the recruitment and selection process has been completed. Do not allow the process to drag out as the best candidates may accept another role.
  4. Keep in mind the culture of your organisation and whether the personal attributes and behaviours of the individual will fit within that culture.

 

By David Pich FIML
Chief Executive

Institute of Managers and Leaders

Weinstein, power, me and you

 

The ever-evolving and increasing allegations involving Harvey Weinstein, the Oscar-winning Hollywood based movie producer, make for incredibly distressing reading. Even more distressing is the sheer number of female friends of mine who have taken to social media to post #metoo and indicate that they have also been the victim of sexual harassment, or worse.

Of course, my personal distress at all of this is a million miles from the point. My distress is nothing compared to what Weinstein’s accusers have been through. Or indeed the millions of women who are finally feeling able to say, ‘enough is enough’.

And it’s true. Enough is enough.

It’s quite obvious to me – as I’m sure it is to everyone who is following the Weinstein story – that at its heart this is a leadership issue. Let me be very, very clear here and say this; if the allegations surrounding Weinstein are true, then a number of very serious criminal offences have been committed, and the full force of the law across numerous jurisdictions should be brought to bear on the matter and on Harvey Weinstein. But beyond the question of legality in this case (and I am keen that these are not downplayed in any way – sexual assault is a criminal offence), what is also at play here is a question of leadership power. And crucially, the abuse of that power.

“In any relationship at work between a leader and his or her staff, the fact that the leader has power means that there is always going to be a significant question mark over the question of consent.”

Let’s call a spade a spade and get this out of the way; leaders have power. We can deny this as much as we like, and we can argue that ‘power’ has no place or part in modern leadership. We can talk about open-plan offices and the leader simply being ‘one of the team’. We can point to numerous culture initiatives that have served to cloud or mask the traditional power – and outdated power dynamic – that existed in workplaces of old. But the truth remains – a leader still has considerable power.

It’s how we choose to use that power that is absolutely key.

In a previous role, I worked for a well-known children’s charity. In many ways, it was a dream job. I led the marketing and fundraising team and I absolutely loved it. I went home each day with that rare sense of having ‘made a difference’. After five years in the role, I discovered that the CEO was sleeping with a number of the staff members. I want to be crystal clear about this. There was no suggestion that any of this was being done without the consent of all parties ‘involved’. None at all. And, to be even more clear, consent is absolutely key. Consent matters. I want to ensure that this is fully understood in this story.

The thing is, I think that for a leader, consent is the absolute baseline. A leader’s bar for this type of behaviour absolutely must be set at ‘consent’ at the very, very least. But in fact, I believe that as leaders our bar must be set higher. Much, much higher. And it must be set higher because, like it or not, we have power in the workplace and this power clouds everything else. Including consent.

In any relationship at work between a leader and his or her staff, the fact that the leader has power means that there is always going to be a significant question mark over the question of consent. As leaders, it is our responsibility to recognise this and acknowledge it. It is also our responsibility to act on it. By ignoring it we risk doing incredible damage to the people in our organisations or to the organisation itself. And in all likelihood, to both.

“Often, ‘trade-offs’ are made for what is considered to be high performance, withstanding poor behaviour. Poor behaviour is poor performance.”

So, what do I mean by ‘act on it’?

I believe that leaders must disclose all relationships at work. They must be fully disclosed to the most appropriate person (HR, their own manager, the Board) and they must be disclosed in an appropriate and timely way. Just as leaders are expected to disclose ‘conflicts of interest’ (at IML the leadership team discloses conflicts on a quarterly basis), so we should be expected to disclose ‘personal relationships’ inside the workplace. For me, this is absolutely essential.

In addition to ‘leadership disclosure’, Allison Keogh – an expert in leadership, culture and change and Director of Expansion Consulting – recommends that the following steps should be taken within the workplace to act as an appropriate ‘check and balance’ to the power that the leader has;

  1. Know your current situation. Many organisations have a ‘blind spot’ in this area, thinking it is not relevant or occurring in their organisation. Confidential staff surveys routinely focus on ‘engagement’, ‘wellbeing’ and ‘diversity’, but rarely overtly ask questions about harassment, bullying, intimidation or poor behaviour. Leaders and HR should survey people on the extent of issues, the level of reporting and satisfaction with the handling of complaints.
  2. Build it into your values, strategy and goals. Values and culture statements need to specifically focus on equality, respect and inclusion and crucially detail what they mean. But they are not enough. Nor are policies. You need to have a strategy and specific goals that you are accountable to, talk about, measure and review on a regular basis.
  3. Create the environment for transparency and disclosure. Share the values, strategy and goals with all staff and your steadfast commitment to them. Reward and celebrate people who are promoting and defending the values. Agree on a philosophy of dealing with complaints in a way that you would if it were to be made public. For example, if you wouldn’t want it to be publicly known that you have protected a perpetrator, then don’t protect them.
  4. Establish shared responsibility and power. Keep absolute or implied power in check. Establish a coalition of champions at all levels of the organisation, with structures and processes that give them power to safely escalate complaints. Ensure that there is more than one avenue for complaints, with measures to protect people from repercussions for reporting.
  5. Embed accountability within processes.  Often, ‘trade-offs’ are made for what is considered to be high performance, withstanding poor behaviour. Poor behaviour is poor performance. Include behavioural expectations in recruitment and selection, induction and performance review processes and give them sufficient weight. For anyone in a position of power and influence, build in confidential 360 feedback with targeted behavioural questions.

In my own case – back at my dream job at the children’s charity – I made the difficult decision to talk to the CEO about his behaviour. Unfortunately, this fell on deaf ears. Undeterred, I approached the Chair of the Board. I met him for breakfast to tell him what was ‘going on’. And the outcome?

The Chair of the Board asked me to leave the organisation that same afternoon.

(Apparently, the CEO was performing well and getting results. The CEO’s relationships with staff members were his own business, not mine or the Board’s, and my position in the organisation was now untenable).

“We remain such a long way from leaders acknowledging the power they have and taking responsibility for using this power ethically and appropriately.”

Unfortunately, that’s what we’re up against. And this is one reason (I stress, one reason) why I find the Weinstein story and the #metoo campaign so distressing; we remain such a long way from leaders acknowledging the power they have and taking responsibility for using this power ethically and appropriately.

It’s high time that this changed. And change must start with us – the leaders. We must set that bar much higher than it is currently set. And we must do this immediately.

 

By David Pich FIML, Chief Executive

Institute of Managers and Leaders

With thanks to Allison Keogh (allison@expansion.com.au)

 

How To Manage Your Star Employee

Written by Nicola Heath

When managed well, a star employee can be a great asset to an organisation. If not, they can become a toxic presence in a team.

 

Capable, high-performing star employees can be a valuable addition to a team – if they are managed well.

Simon Smith is founder and CEO of Southern Cross Coaching and Development and a judge in the 2017 Institute of Managers and Leaders’ Australian Leadership Excellence Awards (ALEAs).

He says in some cases a star employee can act as a double-edged sword. “They can be important for inspiring other people around them to improve and develop. But, if they’re too much on a pedestal, people can think, ‘I’m never going to get there, so there’s no point’.”

A high-performing employee may look good on paper, but problems can arise if their behaviour doesn’t align with an organisation’s values. Smith recalls working with a star performer who was a poor cultural fit for the company. He didn’t work well in a team, withholding information and neglecting to help his colleagues. “While he was a star, he was a toxic star,” Smith says.

 

What makes an employee a star?

 

In Inc., Shine United CEO Curt Hanke identifies the top five traits of star employees: they have integrity and a proven ability to get things done, are low drama, plan ahead to avoid surprises and are passionate about what they do.

 

It’s important to deal with each employee as an individual and avoid blanket policies, emphasises Smith, who recommends using one-on-one conversations to find out what drives your star. “Listen to what they need and what’s important to them.”

 

This dialogue should shape the approach you take. “Some stars like to be praised in front of the whole team, some don’t,” says Smith, who warns against making assumptions about your team members. “As a rule of thumb, lots of autonomy is normally good for a star performer, but they may need a fair amount of attention. It depends on the person.”

 

Give your star regular feedback in an honest and respectful manner. “Reinforce what they’re doing well, ask them where they need to improve and what assistance they need to do that.”

 

Mentorship can be beneficial – if it’s something the employee wants and needs. “Getting them the right mentor is the key thing,” says Smith.

 

Having a clear picture of your employee’s goals will help to avoid burnout, a serious risk for high-performing team members who love a challenge and have unlimited drive.

 

It will also help avoid what Michael E. Kibler, writing for HBR, calls brownout – when successful, high-performing people to lose their passion for work.

 

The solution Kibler recommends is one he calls ‘active partnering’, where a manager invests resources in helping an employee achieve both professional and personal goals.

 

“The point is to foster a dialogue that allows bosses (and therefore businesses) to build true partnerships with their most important people,” Kibler writes, dismissing critics who claim the approach is too unwieldy. “When firms do so, it dramatically increases the commitment and impact of its stars.”

Annie Parker Gives Her 5 Top Tips For Surviving The Uphill Trek

Written by Carolin Lenehan

 

Annie Parker’s journey into the intoxicating world of startups began atop Mount Kilimanjaro, where she pulled out her phone, and in a single text, quit her job.

“I thought I’d get this huge adrenalin rush when I finally made the summit, but instead I fell in a heap and cried,” she recalls.

The sense of achievement wasn’t the cause – instead, the realisation hit that nine months spent trying to fill some missing sense of purpose were over, and now she would have to go back to the job that wasn’t doing it for her.

Six years on, Parker is interim CEO of Australia’s legendary startup nursery Fishburners, with responsibility for 845 early stage tech startup companies.

 

Here are her five hot tips to surviving the uphill startup trek:

 

  1. Take responsibility and make your own path

“When I reached the summit I realised that I had to take responsibility for my own personal development. No one can decide what your future is, and no one should do it for you, because if they did, they’d probably get it wrong,” Parker says.

 

  1. You’ll know the tipping point when you feel it

There is an inevitable point of no return with every startup.

“It’s like abseiling down a cliff . . . That moment where you tip backwards and you go, ‘What if this doesn’t work, what if this rope doesn’t hold me?’ You realise you are so vested in the potential of what this idea could become that you can’t bear the thought of finding out later someone else did it instead.”

 

  1. It only takes small steps to move forward.

Get over your fears, take that first small step and learn more. Then take another.

“A startup – by definition – has probably not been done before, so it’s OK that you don’t what the whole plan is from day one,” she says.

“Attend some startup events at places like Fishburners – you’ll be surprised how happy people are to share knowledge and experiences. From there, it starts to become obvious what the next right step is for you.”

 

  1. It’s OK to not be OK

Starting a business is a risk, and things can go wrong. Annie’s moment came earlier this year. In a raw and brave LinkedIn post, she shared:

I think it’s hugely important not to gloss over the bad bits and call them out for what they are – valuable (painful) learning experiences… I know everything will work itself out in the end, but until it does, I’ll be wrestling with the embarrassment of not being able to make the plan work; the worry that people will think less of me; the concern for others we bought along on the journey and hoping that they’ll be okay too….

 

  1. “Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming.”

This line from Finding Nemo’s Dory character was on repeat in Annie’s head as she dug deep to put one foot in front of the other and climb her mountain.

“Starting a business you will have moments where you feel you’re spent and have no energy left, but just give it another half hour, day or that extra week, and you never know- you might still find a way through.”

 

Are You A Leader By Position Or A Leader By Respect?

Written by Joe Hoolahan Founding CEO of JESI

 

Any journey worth taking often comes with its own level of risk vs reward.  Ups and downs.  The JESI journey has certainly had plenty of both. One of the greatest assets we rely on is our people.  After all – JESI to its core is about people.  Making sure they are ok.

We all hear corporations throw around lines such as; “People are our greatest assets, Without our people, we would be nothing, Our people and success go hand in hand.”

Now if this is the case, how do we maintain a successful culture and a successful business?

I would like to add the added complexity…

What if you have no idea about what path it is you need your team to take? What if you are working in an environment that has few proven rules, paths or formulas?

How do you keep your team focused, engaged and willing to walk – or -run into the greatest unknown of their working lives!

 

For me (and I would hope for my team) this is all about respect.  Respect touches many aspects of any business growth.  But when this is the starting point – the core – it allows you to start on the right foot, the same page and all be rowing in the same direction. (I think I covered most of the metaphors there.)

One of the greatest beliefs I personally hold closest is that ‘people don’t wake up in the morning and set out to piss someone off’.  If I hold this value as a truth, I can also look at nearly every challenge, error, missed the deadline, oversight- yes, stuff up… as a genuine mistake.  Ones we must learn from and reduce the likelihood of it re-occurring.

 

Respect is knowing that people will always do the best they can.  Knowing when a culture that is right, will allow people to work independently and/or remotely or anyway they need to deliver great results.

For example, I have never been a big believer in sick days or clock watching.  I have always trusted that people will demonstrate and respect the rules of the game, and not to game the system.  If a person is not at work, I respect they must have a great reason.

 

By providing a culture where people take ownership, can and do stuff up… or maybe not get it right the first time, but at the same time be accountable – this relies totally on respecting each team member.

 

I have been fortunate throughout my career and personal life where I have seen many demonstrations of where someone’s ability to ‘own it’ has earned a lifetime of respect.

As an amateur football coach, I have seen players push themselves to the point of breaking, to play as hard as they could ever imagine.  I love that some of the greatest demonstrations of true leadership have come from my involvement in sport.

For a player to admit they are no longer up to it… absolute respect. Or the player who puts his hand up to take on the toughest opposition player – respect. Or the player who sacrifices his own game for the betterment of the team – respect.  Or the player who ‘owns it’ when things don’t go right – respect.

 

Captain Gavin Cooper riles his boys up after the Cowboys win over the Roosters to reach the grand final.

Recently the sporting world was abuzz with the Cowboys Captain Gavin Cooper taking the stage to make a heartfelt speech. After losing to the Melbourne Storm in the 2017 Grand Final, Cooper went out of his way to congratulate their opponents with grace and style. For a team who was considered to be on a fairytale trip, with many outside of North Queensland not giving them much chance of winning’, they sure were the fan favourites, just going to show the amount of respect they have earned from the rugby league community and their fans.

 

This isn’t the first time the team have been in the spotlight for showing acts of kindness and respect, not long ago we saw an injured Captain Johnathon Thurston cleaning up the locker room.  Again – an amazing demonstration – instant respect.  This is not his role or job – but a great example of respect and doing the right thing.  Not just for his team – but more importantly, those who come after him

 

Respect is something that can be earned – admired.  As we know, It can also be given or lost in an instant.

 

No sporting fan, employer or workmate can ever deny all they would ask from anyone is to give their best.

So as an employer, manager, mentor or a coach, we must continually respect our people. Respect that not all jobs are equal – but all jobs need to be respected and valued.

At JESI, we have a number of key roles from Developers to Sales & Marketing.  What I admire is the ever-increasing level of respect.  Respecting that Sales without product is for nothing.  And without Sales, the product is nothing.

Our team everyday rides a number of different waves.  What I know is the level of respect is now built on some common beliefs – some unwritten team rules;
-We are all giving it our best.
-We will put our hand up when we don’t know… or we are struggling.. or need a hand.
-We all share the lows and all celebrate the wins!
-We are all having a crack!

In my mind – that is respect.

 

Joe Hoolahan is a speaker at IML Leadership Matters Conference: 7 attributes of very successful leaders at Rydges Southbank Townsville on Tuesday the 17th October 2017.

 Book tickets here.

 

 

Why There’s Nothing To Fear From AI

Emotional intelligence will still be a key attribute once AI takes over our rudimentary work. By Candice Chung

 

It’s a question straight out of a science fiction novel . . . will artificial intelligence eventually replace us?

As machines continue to get smarter, and our appetite for quotidian technology grows, it makes sense that the most rudimentary work involving rote tasks and mass information processing are being automated. Think of a time when the ATM didn’t exist, or when ticket sales were only done over the phone or in person; or the idle nights at video stores where memories of summer jobs — once a rite of passage for cash-strapped teens — grew faint as well-worn VHS tapes. All those tasks were once performed by humans, but now, a world of digital providers await us.

But while it’s true that artificial intelligence is changing the labour landscape, experts believe it will also bring forth opportunities for a different kind of talent.

“There’s a lot of speculation that many employees will lose their jobs due to new technology, [but it has actually] allowed us to more effective pinpoint where, and how, we want people to work for us,” says Sue Howse, managing director of Harrier Talent Solutions.

“What automation and robotics can’t do is strategically manage themselves, staff, clients or take into account the unknown or the Black Swan events of the world. To be successful companies will always need those with a high level of emotional intelligence (EQ) who can navigate different circumstances.”

Areas that will see a rise in demand for high-EQ employees include client-facing and decision-making roles. In fact, according to findings on Havard Business Review, skills like “persuasion, social understanding, and empathy” are going to become “more and more prized over the next decade”, as artificial intelligence take over menial tasks.

 

“When the limits of technology have been reached and human interaction is required to solve a problem, a new type of person needs to show up”
– Linda Simonsen, CEO of Future People

 

There will also be a spike in demand for roles that require emotional labour. “Emotional labour refers to work that involves managing one’s own emotions or those of others. This especially applies to leadership roles and project managers leading change and transformation, as well as front line roles that involve engaging people, such as contact centre and face-to-face customer service and sales,” says Linda Simonsen, CEO of FuturePeople.

“When the limits of technology have been reached and human interaction is required to solve a problem, a new type of person needs to show up. This in-demand person will be a highly engaged, knowledgeable and emotionally intelligent brand ambassador who can connect emotionally, show empathy and personalise the solution.”

The key to thriving in the era of AI is a willingness to embrace change and demonstrate flexibility. “It’s an exciting time. AI is a positive step for the business world,” says Simonsen.

“It will see non-value-add and transactional tasks automated, freeing up people to do what makes them human – that is, their ability to feel and impact how others feel; think creatively; collaborate and engage with others to solve complex problems.

No Budget For Bonuses? Don’t Despair

 

 

How to motivate with less. By Candice Chung

When companies experience a squeeze on budgets, managers often face the legitimate fear that it can dampen staff morale. What happens, for instance, when a lean fiscal year brings with it an ineluctable freeze on pay rises and bonuses?

It’s a tough piece of news to break to top performers. But here’s the silver lining: when it comes to motivating staff, money isn’t the all-powerful magic bullet we believe it to be. In fact, research shows financial rewards do not strictly translate to a rise in employee productivity or morale. According to a 2013 study, the $62.56 billion spent on performance bonuses across the UK per year had “no impact on the motivation and commitment levels of the vast majority of recipients”.

So what causes the bonus paradox? Daniel Pink, the bestselling author of Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, argues that once our basic financial needs are met, most workers are driven by a sense of purpose in their work more so than pure profit. What’s more, once the level of work surpasses menial tasks, and “conceptual, creative thinking” is involved, monetary incentives can actually lead to poorer performances. Instead, what drives people through good times and bad are what Pink refers to as ‘intrinsic motivators’.

“We all have fundamental human needs that cannot be met by money. When these important human needs are met, we thrive,” says Michelle Bihary, applied neuroscientist and workplace resilience expert.

Drawing on Pink’s research, Bihary states there are four things most of us seek from work: autonomy (not being micro-managed), mastery (skill development opportunities), meaning (a sense of purpose aligned to personal values), and social connectedness (a sense of belonging).

“If a workplace helps to meet these needs, it will have thriving employees — making it easier to retain top talent,” says Bihary.

The good news is that companies can seek to fulfil those core needs in spite of financial downturns. Kelly Quirk, CEO of Harrier Human Capital, calls this the ‘total rewards’ approach.

 

 

“Many workers in corporate environments will feel more motivated and productive if they have a say in how they do their jobs”
– Kelly Quirk, CEO Harrier Human Capital

 

 

“Non-financial rewards are increasingly important as wage growth remains stagnant. Despite averaging 4 percent a year from the mid-1990s to 2013, wage growth has now dropped below 2 percent,” says Quirk.

Flexible work arrangement can be a powerful way to incentivise staff. “Trust is a huge factor in motivating others to perform well, and this can come through in the empowerment of employees to make decisions and work flexibly,” says Quirk.

“Whether it’s working from home one day a week, being able to take a longer lunch to go to the gym in return for starting earlier, or otherwise not being bound by traditional working hours, many workers in corporate environments will feel more motivated and productive if they have a say in how they do their jobs.”

Other effective motivators may include value-based incentives. In other words, programs that support diversity and inclusion, learning opportunities or personal development that recognise workers as well-rounded individuals, with interests and priorities outside of work.

Digital Web Agency Sitback Solutions has long championed the idea of personalising rewards to keep employees engaged. Voted one of the Best Places to Work in Australia third year in running, the company has successfully launched a number of non-financial initiatives that have resulted in a highly motivated and committed workforce.

“We base everything on values and make sure that any incentives are personal and authentic….[It could be anything from] free healthy snacks, flexible working hours, support around family or pet commitments,” says Careen Redman, head of People and Culture at Sitback.

“A reward doesn’t have to have a tangible cost attached if it’s valuable to an individual’s wellbeing.”

Managing Millennials

By Sharon Ferrier, Director of Persuasive Presentation

In 1953 William L. Patty and Louise S. Johnson in their book “Personality and Adjustment” lamented about the youth of today and wrote about a quote attributed to Socrates

“The children now love luxury; they have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise. Children are now tyrants, not the servants of their households. They no longer rise when elders enter the room. They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up dainties at the table, cross their legs, and tyrannize their teachers.”

Although a fabulous quote, it has now been debunked as a myth. But what is interesting, is that the youth they were referring to are the baby boomer leaders and managers of today.

Every generation sees the generation that follows them as less respectful, narcissistic and more easily distracted. And I have no doubt that in 20 years’ time Gen Y will be making the same complaints about Gen Z!

In 2009 Daniel Pink published his book Drive and introduced us to the idea of intrinsic motivation and the personal need for autonomy, mastery, and purpose. Dr Jason Fox, himself a millennial, expands on this idea in his book Game Changers and links motivation with gaming techniques: Goals, Rules and Feedback.

Fox explains that:

Goals – align with purpose and the inherent reward of the work.

Rules – calibrate challenge which contributes to mastery.

Feedback – enhances the simulation and keeps people working with autonomy.

So what can we do as managers and leaders? A manager recently lamented “If people would just do as their told life would be so much easier.” The reality is, is that the days of command and control are over and none of us like being told what to do. When we are told to do something without consultation, we react with our inner 10 year old that says “Yeah? Make me!”

We need another tactic. Pushy people cause resentment and if we’re passive nothing gets done. We do have a third alternative however, and that is persuasion.

Here are some ideas on how to apply it.

Align goals and vision

I have a friend Helen, whom I refer to as Midas Woman. Helen has the Midas touch with dysfunctional teams. She is flown around the country by her organisation and magically transforms low performing teams into exceptional teams that end up being the top performers in their field.

A few months ago I was determined to find out how Helen did it. After an excellent meal (and quite a bit of wine!) I cornered Helen and asked her how she did it. She replied with “I listen, ask about their dreams and goals and then tell them what they want to hear.”

What??!! Surely it cannot be that simple?

Helen went on to explain. “I focus on what gets them out of bed in the morning, why they chose to work in this industry and what they value in their work. I then align their values with the company values and smooth the path for them to succeed and enjoy their work. Sometimes values do not align and I highlight this and explain that they may never be happy working here and support them in finding a new position.”

If we accept the validity of intrinsic motivation, we need to make an effort to understand what our people want and need. Persuasion means ‘to win others over, not to defeat them.’ In order to do this, we need to link the organisational goals with the individual.

Rules and guidelines

According to McCrindle Research Millennials over their working life will have over 17 jobs and five different careers. Managers need to be ready to induct employees efficiently so they can be productive as fast as possible. Inductions programs need to focus on core skills and culture and then be supported by on the job coaching and mentoring. Millennials (Gen Y) are known for asking ‘Why?’ A strong company manifesto consisting of “This is who we are and this is what we do.” needs to be communicated constantly.

Feedback

When we think of feedback we automatically add a negative in front of it. And yet quality, meaningful feedback is essential for improvement and job satisfaction. We all like to be recognised and to see progress. MBWA (Management By Walking Around) still applies and when it comes to persuasive communication, there is nothing more effective than face to face.

Have fun

Generally, many baby boomers see work like a plate roast and three veg, where the meat and vegetables, like work and leisure, do not touch. Alternatively Millennials see work and play more like spaghetti bolognaise where everything is interconnected and interrelated.

I remember years ago visiting a fudge stall at the famous Quincy Market in Boston. The fudge was made fresh daily and as the staff were making it, they would break into song and encourage customers to sing along as well. It was fabulous and the queues went out the door. I was equally enamoured when I heard about the FISH philosophy which was founded in the Seattle fish markets.

Having fun and being effective are not mutually exclusive. Over the past decade we have seen a dramatic reduction in the formality of workplaces. Great teams are diverse and encourage inter-generational communication. We need to view both sides of the coin, to integrate the past but also view our organisation with the fresh eyes needed to prepare our company for the future.

About the author:
Sharon Ferrier is the Director of Persuasive Presentation. Sharon’s background is in sales and marketing and along the way has studied business administration, marketing, management, journalism as well as more eclectic skills including comedy, improvisation and the art of persuasion. As an award winning speaker and salesperson Sharon uses her skills to help people become persuasive and influential speakers.

 

 

Sharon will be speaking at the Adelaide Masterclass on Engaging the work force – how leaders engage and inspire people to prepare for change on the 31st of October 2017.

Book today

 

How you present can impact staff buy-in

By Emma Bannister 

 

A powerful presentation is our most critical tool in an organisation today. We use them to build buy-in with our team members, to communicate our big ideas and connect with employees to inspire them into action. Yet the majority of the time our presentations are bland, boring and the only impact they have is to get staff running for the doors (if they haven’t already fallen asleep in their seats).

Our important and urgent messages are hidden in badly designed slides, complex paragraphs of information, and screens of bullet points that have no clear purpose or call to action. While you may not be able to magically transform a poor presentation into a powerful one overnight, to truly educate or inspire your team to leap up in their seats with glee (not to flee) then here are some small changes you can start with.

Pick one key message

When you present, pick one clear message to structure your presentation around and then repeat that message throughout to make the message stick. It is that one idea, purpose or point that is the glue that holds everything else together. Once there is a clear bumper sticker message then it’s easy to figure out what the key take-home message is for the audience and what it is they should do as a result. Anything else in the presentation that does not align to this message should be deleted, stripped out and banished. What gets left out of a presentation is more important than what goes in.

Make it emotional

I know, I know, in business we’ve traditionally been taught to do the opposite, to just present the facts. But these days, the best presenters are those who can use a combination of facts and emotion to explain a future place that everyone in the organisation wants to work towards.

Use images that match your words and make your team feel an emotion, whether that’s excited, happy, angry or sad. I’ve seen clients use video in place of static images to make their message more memorable. Remember, people buy from people they like. We buy based on how we feel about something – or someone. It’s your passion and authenticity that will help you to bond with your team, so they feel like you’re all in this together, instead of you just barking out orders of what they need to do. That emotional pull is what will impact your team’s decision to ‘buy in’ to what you are saying.

Be honest

It’s important not to try and hide or cover up negative information or numbers. Nothing turns your team off more than when you lie about your financial position. You need to treat your team as equals. Provide your employees with confidence going forward. Be future focused and take ownership of the problem. Explain the steps you’re implementing to turn things around to minimise loss, and how your team can help with this too.

You need to be open and honest about where you are at right now, and what is involved in the journey to get where you are going – together. Leave them inspired, not deflated like it is their fault. Bad slides and presentations are used like a security blanket to hide things under. So start with small changes to your content and attitude, and stop hiding and hoping for the best. Your team will respect you for that.

Emma Bannister is the founder and CEO of Presentation Studio, APAC’s largest presentation communication agency.

 

Escape To The Country: Are Your Skills Portable?

 

 

What do employers need to do to get good people from metro areas to relocate to regional areas? By Nicola Heath

 

Scott Timmins AFIML never wanted to move to Townsville.

“I thought ‘it’s a small country town . . . and I won’t get much out of my life up here,’” he recalls. Twenty years later, the people solutions specialist at TP Human Capital says he’s now considered a local.

Australia is a heavily urbanised nation. According to figures from the Grattan Institute, three-quarters of Australians live in cities with a population above 100,000.

We also live in a knowledge economy, where highly educated people gravitate towards inner cities – “where knowledge-intensive activities are clustered, and where demand for knowledge workers is highest,” states Deloitte’s 2015 report, The Purpose of Place: Reconsidered.

The challenge for employers in regional areas traditionally reliant on declining primary and secondary industries is to attract skilled workers from the cities.

They are up against significant anti-regional bias. Like Timmins before his move to Townsville, most Australians are reluctant to relocate to a regional area for work.

A survey by SEEK found just two out of five Australian workers would consider relocating to a regional area.

 

What skilled workers want

Nearly half the survey respondents said they would relocate for a pay increase to the tune of $20,000 to $30,000 a year.

Timmins recommends regional employers carry out a market analysis of metro wages to come up with a competitive remuneration package, and consider offering perks like a car or rent assistance.

Concerns about career progression is another issue. More than half of those surveyed said they felt that moving to a regional area would limit their career.

But Timmins says employers can sell roles in regional areas as good experience. Whereas a career in the CBD often leads to specialisation, in the regions, jobs are often multi-disciplinary.

A manager in a government department in outback Queensland may require skills across three or more different industries, says Timmins. “That can be really beneficial for them in the long term.”

The breadth of experience they gain in such a role can assist their career progression, whether they want to stay in regional Australia or return to the CBD.

 

What makes a region attractive?

Lifestyle is a big factor. Australians love living by the sea – 80 per cent of Australia’s population lives within 100 kilometres of the coast.

Jock Collins, Professor of Social Economics at UTS Business School, singles out transport infrastructure and an effective broadband network – “not one that goes through copper wires but one that’s very fast” – as critical measures to attracting people to regional Australia.

Investment in regional universities is crucial in both generating employment and stemming the flow of young people moving to the city to work or study.

Migration can drive economic growth, bringing “skills, experience, tastes and preferences that contribute vitality and vibrancy,” states the Deloitte report.

Employers, particularly in non-coastal areas, are increasingly looking to foreign workers to fill skills shortages, says Collins, who surveyed 1000 skilled migrants in regional Australia about their experiences. “Most said they had a warm welcome in the bush,” he says.

Regional cities can also build prosperity by enhancing their connections to inner cities and developing tertiary industries that employ knowledge workers.

One way to achieve this is “for governments and industry to locate significant knowledge-intensive activities in regional cities,” states the Deloitte report.

This worked in Orange, NSW, where the Greiner government moved the NSW Department of Agriculture (now the Department of Primary Industries) in the 1990s, at a time when traditional manufacturing jobs were in decline.

Today, Orange is thriving. It has a university campus and a new hospital that has cemented its position as a regional health centre. Unemployment remains low at 4.1 per cent, while property prices have risen 11.8 per cent in the 12 months to June 2017.

Back in Far North Queensland, Timmins has come to love Townsville, a city with “a country feel about it.”

“I never thought I’d see myself living in Townsville for the rest of my life, but I don’t see myself going anywhere else.”

Scott Timmins AFIML is a speaker at IML Leadership Matters Conference: 7 attributes of very successful leaders at Rydges Southbank Townsville on October 17, 2017. Book tickets here.