Motivating employees is a crucial aspect of effective management. After all, when employees are motivated, they are more engaged, productive, and committed to their work. Motivated employees also tend to stay with their organizations longer, reducing turnover and the associated costs. As a manager, it’s your responsibility to create a work environment that fosters motivation. Today’s blog post will give you 5 effective strategies managers can use to motivate employees.

1. Recognition and Appreciation

One of the most powerful motivators for employees is recognition and appreciation for their hard work and achievements. This is really a basic human need. And when employees feel valued, they are more likely to go above and beyond in their roles. In fact, research published in the Journal of Applied Psychology showed that when employees perceive their supervisors as appreciative, they are more committed to their organizations. To show appreciation for hard work managers can publicly acknowledge employees’ contributions in team meetings, highlighting specific projects where an employee excelled, provide a certificate of achievement

2. Opportunities for Growth and Development

Employees are motivated when they see a clear path for personal and professional growth within the organization. Managers can facilitate this by offering opportunities for skill development, advancement and mentorship. When employees know they can grow within the company, they are more likely to stay motivated and engaged. And according to a study by Mercer, they’re more likely to stay with their current employers. Managers can create development plans for employees with clear goals and that include training sessions or other professional development. And it’s important to realize that soft skills training is just as important as training for hard skills. 

3. Effective Communication

Open and transparent communication is essential for motivating employees. Managers should regularly communicate with their teams, providing feedback, setting clear expectations, and involving employees in decision-making processes. When employees understand their role and how it contributes to the overall success of the organization, they feel more motivated and engaged. A manager might hold weekly team meetings to discuss ongoing projects, share client feedback, and address any concerns. During these meetings, the manager should encourage team members to share their ideas and opinions. When employees feel that their voices are heard and their input is valued, they are motivated to actively participate in projects. 

4. Incentives and Rewards

Incentives and rewards can be effective motivators when used strategically. Managers can implement various incentive programs such as bonuses, promotions, or special recognition, to encourage employees to achieve specific goals or targets. And rewards can be big or small, depending on the manager’s budget. Extra vacation days are always welcomed by employees as are e-gift cards to your local coffee shop. Or a manager could set up an employee of the month/quarter/year award. There are even reward platforms available where you can track and reward in one place. Just remember that it’s crucial to tie incentives to meaningful achievements and ensure they are fair and equitable. 

5. Supportive Work Environment

Creating a supportive work environment is fundamental to employee motivation. Managers should foster a culture of trust, collaboration, and well-being. When employees feel supported and can maintain a healthy work-life balance, they are more likely to remain motivated and engaged. One of the best ways a manager can do this is to provide flexible work hours and remote work options. You could also provide wellness programs, such as yoga classes or mental health resources, to help employees manage stress. By prioritizing their well-being, you create an environment where employees are motivated to give their best. And bonus, a study published in the Harvard Business Review revealed that employees who feel their managers care about their well-being are less likely to leave their jobs.

To Wrap It All Up

Motivating employees is a continuous process that requires dedication and effort from managers. By utilizing these five effective strategies (recognition and appreciation, opportunities for growth and development, effective communication, incentives and reward and a supportive work environment) you can create a motivated and engaged workforce. However, each employee is unique, so it’s essential to tailor your motivational strategies to their individual needs and preferences. Ultimately, when employees feel motivated and valued, they contribute to the success and growth of your organization.

Whether you manage a team of one or many, improve your management skills with the Management training by Brilliant People. Contact us today!

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As a provider of soft skills training, we hear people question the ROI of non-technical skills all the time. Now, this is absolutely an important aspect of business that has to be considered but our goal goes beyond just looking at ROI. Organizations need to understand the fact that helping people acquire the tools necessary to communicate more effectively with their coworkers and consumers equals less conflict and more productivity. We find the issue of ROI confusing because 92% of employers say soft skills are essential and that a large proportion of the workforce lacks them, especially entry level employees. And yet only 31% of companies are providing soft skills development to remedy this situation. Could it be that the term ‘soft skills’ is the problem? We think that it’s definitely part of it.

Originally coined in the 1970s by the U.S. Army, soft skills differentiated interpersonal skills from those needed to operate weapons or machinery. To separate the two types of skills was an understandable desire. However, just as a silkworm isn’t actually a worm and your funny bone isn’t actually a bone (or funny…), a soft skill isn’t actually soft. After all, most people equate ‘soft’ things with those that are delicate, squishy, velvety, etc. And sadly, many people equate the idea of ‘soft’ as demanding little work or effort as in the opposite of ‘hard.’ 

Now I don’t know about you, but at Brilliant People we think using interpersonal skills at work to develop better relationships with coworkers and customers can be A LOT of hard work! Consider the art of giving critical feedback to a colleague or direct report, or de-escalating an irate customer situation, or the fact that 69% of managers feel uncomfortable communicating with their own employees! So calling these skills ‘soft’ can seem like it devalues their worth. In fact, many have advocated for calling soft skills something that sounds stronger like ‘power skills’ and we aren’t opposed to this, but the fact of the matter is that ‘soft’ also refers to bringing ease or quiet, not being glaring, being smooth, not being violent, or marked by kindness. And our personal favorite definition: based on negotiation, conciliation, or flexibility rather than on force, threats, or intransigence. The point being, let’s not get hung up on what we call these skills, let’s just focus on acquiring them. And there should never be a question of whether to train for hard or soft skills. It should always be both. 

So, which soft skills are important to develop? When it comes to creating positive workplace culture there are several from this years top 10 list of the most in-demand soft skills:

• Communication
• Teamwork
• Leadership
• Interpersonal skills

And all of them are teachable if an employee is willing to learn. It just takes a little time and practice. 

One of our favorite tools is Catalyst by Everything DiSC. This is an online platform that houses the information from up to three DiSC assessments: Workplace, Agile EQ, and Management. The information contained in each allows the user to dig deep into their own personality type and its affect on their emotional intelligence and management style. It also provides tons of information on how better to communicate with differing personality types. Individuals can even do a comparison report between themselves and a colleague to prepare for a one-on-one meeting or just to understand how to get along better with them. And it’s available 24/7. It’s truly been a game changer for the managers and teams we’ve worked with.

For example, we recently worked with the leadership team of instructional technologists for a large school district. Each school in this district is assigned an IT person or two to ensure that the campus technology runs smoothly for both the students and the teachers. It’s a crucial position of the school staff and it requires not only mastery of the technology but also the ability to effectively navigate all the different personalities with which they work. It’s like having a team of 50-120 individuals depending on the size of the school. But this school year will be different. 

Now this team has the ability to use Catalyst to understand their own personality type and why they show up at work the way the do. They can also dig into why their teammates and coworkers show up the way they do. In addition, they can read up on the examples of strategies within Catalyst for working more constructively with each coworker. And because this team also took the Agile EQ assessment, they can begin to improve their own emotional intelligence through Cataylst’s suggested strategies as well as learn how to meet the EQ needs of their coworkers. Did I mention what a game changer this is?!

Conclusion

To sum up, the term soft skills might seem like a misnomer to many, but it’s probably here to stay. Because there is so much of the definition in the word ‘soft’ that does apply, let’s not spend time quibbling over semantics. Instead, let’s focus on helping people master these skills. After all, 85% of career success comes from having well-developed soft skills.  As an extra bonus Ai doesn’t have the ability to develop interpersonal skills, teamwork and leadership. Only humans can do that. Plus, according to joint research by Microsoft and Mckinsey, soft skill-intensive occupations will grow at 2.5 times the jobs in other fields (30-40% of future jobs will depend on social-emotional skills)! And because we humans should all be working toward some semblance of work-life balance, it’s important to realize that utilizing soft skills appropriately isn’t only beneficial at work. It’s crucial in every single setting in which two humans interact. Is anyone still questioning the ROI of soft skills? 

If you want to improve your team’s ability to communicate more effectively, what are you waiting for? Call us today! We provide training and access to the Everything DiSC Catalyst platform.

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To lead well engage in self-care. Why? Because self-care is crucial for managers to maintain their physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Since the pandemic, subsequent mental health crisis, and the Great Resignation, the management role has become even more stressful. Managers are being asked to do more with less. In addition, they must pay special attention to their direct reports’ mental health and well-being. But health issues and burnout aren’t just issues that affect direct reports. Managers themselves are at high risk. In fact, 53% of managers have reported feeling burnout, which is higher than that of employees in general. This means it’s imperative that managers create their own self-care plan in order to effectively navigate their role. To get started, we suggest focusing on strategies for each of the following broader contexts: mental, spiritual and emotional self-care. 

Mental Self-Care

Mental self-care involves understanding how your brain takes in and processes information and experiences. The idea here is to become more self-aware. This could be a total game changer for a manager’s career because in truth, only 10-15% of people are truly self-aware. The other 85% just believe they are more aware than they actually are. “Additionally, roughly 50-70% of people have a significant blind spot which can negatively impact their relationships and leadership skills,” according to recent research released by Gitnux. This blind spot is the reason it is so important for a manager to figure out how they show up in the world and the effect they have on the people who work with and for them. 

Self-awareness is usually the hardest part of mental self-care because it often includes the realization that there is work work to be done. One sure way to improve self-awareness is to take an Everything DiSC assessment to understand individual preferences, motivators, strengths and struggles. This information will also help a manager consider and confront any biases (unconcious or not) that exist. And let’s be honest. We all have them. The most productive and proactive thing to do then is to out them and work on them. The DiSC assessment offers examples of how each personality type can learn to interact better with the others and learn from them as well. 

To continue to improve mental self-care a manager can also practice positive self-talk. Of course, we can all fall prey at times to feeling like we could be doing better at our job. But the constant relentless inner critic is destructive and can keep a manager from seeing or seeking out new opportunities.This internal criticism can also negatively affect relationships with direct reports. On the other hand, positive self-talk is actually a predictor of success and can even decrease symptoms of depression. 

The third aspect of mental health that a manager can work on is to think positively. This is different than positive self-talk. It’s more about believing that good things will happen, that people are mostly good, that the sun will come up again tomorrow. However Pollyanna (or Annie!) -ish it may sound, it’s true. Research shows that when people think positively, they believe they CAN. 

• They can do a better job next time
• There will be a next time 
• They can make their numbers this quarter
• They do have great people working for them

In general, a positive attitude improves mood, makes it easier to get a long with others, and gives off vibes of self-confidence. All of which contributes to having good morale and higher productivity on a team. If a positive outlook does not come natural to you, start keeping a daily gratitude journal. In the beginning it may only contain things like Advil and the ability to shut your office door, but over time, more positive aspects of any given day will start to emerge. And this presence of gratitude will empower you to see the positive in life versus ruminating on the negative. If you’re not convinced, think about the person you know who never seems to have anything positive to say or do. And then consider how their life is going. 

Another simple strategy to increase positivity is to consider your own responses to the  people who work with or for you. When someone asks how you’re doing or what the future holds, is your response positive or negative? Are your typical responses sarcastic or snarky? Start to pay attention to the actual words you use and your tone of voice when you respond. You can even create scenarios in your head or think back over the last week or month to look at how you typically respond to others. Then rework those responses in your head so that they come out in a more positive manner. It will take a little practice, but over time, more positive responses will become the norm. And positivity just like negativity is contagious, so spread some cheer and watch how it positively affects team culture.

Spiritual Self-Care 

Spiritual self-care is all about how you feed your spirit. It’s taking the time to to think about who you are and want to be in the world. And then taking some steps to sustain or change your current behaviors. For people of faith in a higher power, this might involve being with others of the same faith on a regular basis in order to worship and pray. Or it might involve doing this alone on your own or with a journal. It might even include a trip to the nearest sweat lodge. 

For those who look to nature for their spiritual journey, self-care could involve making the time to regularly be outside. This could involve exercise, but it could also just be about enjoying the outdoors. Maybe your office building has a sitting area outside under the trees, or you live near a hike and bike trail whose beauty moves you. Starting the day on the porch or patio with a cup of tea and a self-help book, taking a daily walk with your dog, or just going out once a day to put your bare feet on some grass could be a part of a spiritual self-care routine.

Lastly, there is the idea of meditation. People who don’t meditate are rolling their eyes right now and saying, “I can’t meditate! It just doesn’t work for me.” But hear me out. Meditation doesn’t have to look like sitting on the ground cross-legged and chanting “ooooohm”. Meditation can be prayer, song, chanting, yoga, tai-chi, guided imagery, focused breathing, and or progressive muscle relaxation. There are so many options! What is important is finding the thing that resonates with you and then commit to doing it regularly. Doing so will reap huge benefits including higher energy levels, better memory and focus, and less anxiety, stress, and depression symptoms. 

Emotional Self-Care 

Emotional self-care includes understanding your moods and feelings and learning to regulate them. People who do this well are considered to have high emotional intelligence or EQ. And this is important for every manager to consider because 71% of employers value emotional intelligence over IQ, and 75% of employers are more likely to promote a worker with high emotional intelligence. So how do you improve your EQ? Several of the techniques that have already been recommended can actually do double duty. For example, practicing gratitude and improving your self-awareness are ways to improve your mental health, but they also can help you understand your emotions. 

Journaling and meditation have also been mentioned already but for emotional self-care you could specifically focus on understanding your moods and emotions. For example, consider why you react the way you do to certain issues or people and not others. You could also examine what really makes you angry and why, and then think about what it takes for your anger to dissove. Do you hold a grudge, ignore the person or the problem, or move on without looking backward? Contemplating the impetus for a mood or emotion can give you the insight you need to learn to respond in healthier, more productive ways (aka self-awareness).

Lastly, having a supportive group of friends that you spend quality time with is another suggestion for emotional self-care. People who know you well, care for you, and will tell you the truth are essential. We need friends who can laugh, cry and worry with us. We need friends who are good listeners, give good advice, and give grace when we need it most. These are the people who will help you navigate not only work but life in general. 

Looking to the Future

For many, the whole idea of self-care is new and may, on one end of the spectrum seem like fluff and on the other, like more work. But the reality is that stress is one of the leading job hazards. When left unmanaged, stress can have a major impact on mental 

and physical well-being as well as productivity as reported by over 70% of workers. So, no matter which methods of self-care you choose, choose to do something and remember that this is an ongoing practice. It’s not something you’ll do for a month and then be finished. The responsibilities and associated stresses of your job won’t go away just because you choose to spend time outside, with friends, in Bible study or meditating on a regular basis. These are just techniques to help you thrive at work instead of burning out.  

Of course, there is no perfect way to do self-care. It’s all subjective to individual tastes and needs, and it may take time to find the methods that work best. So, regularly assess your well-being and adjust your self-care routine accordingly. And don’t be shy about what’s happening. Sharing how you are doing and how you are going about your own self-care journey with direct reports and teammates is just another way of leading by being a good role model. 

To help your organization’s managers get started with their own self-care, order DiSC assessments today through Brilliant People today!

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Engaging with and motivating remote employees as well as creating a true team atmosphere is no easy feat. Team members don’t have the opportunity to learn from each other’s in-person behaviors nor can they witness office protocol first-hand when there is no regular in-person team interaction. Without the water cooler effect of office life, individuals end up operating in their own silos with the result being increased loneliness (by 67%), a lack of connection (94% agree), and feeling like they don’t truly belong (40%).

Conversely, when an employee feels connected and like they belong there is a whopping 56% increase in job performance. With no end in sight to remote working, creating cohesion should be top priority for anyone in management. To create a high-performance remote team, a manager should work to overcome these three issues: communication, isolation, a lack of supervision. 

The Issue of Communication

First, let’s look at the art of communication. It’s important that managers set a standard for communication during the hiring process and then stay consistent thereafter. For quick interactions, text chats are fine, video calls are usually best for real-time collaboration. Communicating remotely through a medium like Zoom is better than just email because it allows employees to see a manager’s expression and hear voice intonation. However, just telling someone what to do isn’t enough. To be truly effective at creating a high-performance there needs to be more nuance in management style.  

Most importantly managers should get to know each of the employees well enough that they can communicate with each in a way that resonates with them. For example, verbal instructions only really work for auditory learners, so they should always be followed up with written communication. Preferably through email, where employees can return as needed to that documentation.  

Communication is also important as a means of making remote workers feel connected to their team members. Since they are not in the office on a regular basis, they can miss out on important conversations and updates that happen in the moment.  Keep your teams organized with project management tools and access to a secure cloud. And make sure to regularly check-in and hold team meetings and one-on-one sessions to keep everyone informed, address concerns, and foster collaboration. 

The Issue of Isolation

Now, let’s talk about isolation. Remote employees like the work-life balance that comes from working remotely. However, they often feel isolated because they miss out on the social interaction and sense of community that comes with working in an office environment. This can lead to feelings of loneliness and eventually burnout. Helping remote workers feel connected to their team and the organization at large is crucial to keeping them happy, engaged, and productive.  

As we’ve said before, team members who get to know each other well and find commonality have the best opportunity to become a high-performing team. To help them do this, managers should encourage social time for the team. If they are part-time remote and come into the office occasionally, organize outings or in-office meals where team members can come together socially for some downtime.  

If they are completely remote, encourage social hours over Zoom. You could also host a once-a-week hour for people to trade stories around a particular theme like where they grew up and what they liked to do as a kid or what their first job was and what they learned from it. The more teammates get to know each other, the more they will understand why teammates show up at work the way they do.  

A Lack of Supervision

Last, let’s look at a lack of supervision. Remote work requires a higher level of autonomy, so it’s important to provide your team with a clear understanding of what needs to be accomplished and the expected outcomes. And yet, some remote workers may feel less supervised and accountable for their work, leading to decreased productivity and quality of work.  

A manager must consider the strengths and struggles of each teammate and provide the correct amount of supervision without micromanaging. Breaking down larger projects into smaller milestones and setting realistic deadlines will be really helpful. Regularly reviewing progress, providing feedback, and offering support when needed are important for the entire team. But it is imperative for those that need a little more structure.   

Conclusion

In summary, managers have three important issues to overcome as they manage remote teams: communication, isolation, and a lack of supervision. And as stated, there are ways to accomplish this. It’s also important to remember that each remote team will have a certain dynamic and specific needs, so a manager must learn to adapt their management style accordingly. Regularly seek feedback from team members to ensure that the strategies and approaches implemented are effective and actually address their unique circumstances. Doing so will help to ensure everyone is aligned and working toward becoming a high-performance team. 

If you’d like your managers to build high-performance teams, contact us today! We offer a fantastic management training program based on DiSC theory.

The Culture (R)evolution starts with you!

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Encouraging accountability in employees is important for the success of any organization, and typically falls on the manager’s shoulders. It’s the manager’s job to create a culture of accountability, but two-thirds of managers are uncomfortable having conversations with employees when they need to point out mistakes, delays, micro-aggressions, inaccuracies, faux pas, and flubs. Especially because what they typically get in return is defensiveness, anger, or tears. To encourage accountability so there are fewer reasons to have these conversations, managers can take the following seven steps.  

1. Lead by example

Modeling the behavior a manager expects from their employees is crucial to creating a culture of accountability. Managers must exhibit the type of behavior they want to see in their team. It means walking the walk and talking the talk all the time. As Mahatma Gandhi said, “An ounce of practice is worth more than tons of preaching.” Because the minute a manager does the opposite of what they’re telling everyone else to do, they lose the employees’ trust. And trust is the necessary backbone to everything else that comes next. 

2. Set clear expectations

Managers should set clear expectations for their employees and ensure that everyone understands what is expected of them. This includes setting goals and outlining the steps needed to achieve them. Over-communication is necessary for this step, especially with any new team members. Providing clear verbal communication should be the first method, but it is also smart to provide expectations in print via email. And then check in to make sure there aren’t any questions or miscommunications. If and when they occur, handle them swiftly and directly.   

3. Provide feedback

Regular feedback is essential for helping employees understand how they can improve. This means having difficult conversations and ensuring that employees understand the consequences of their actions. Managers should provide regular feedback in a timely manner and make sure it is specific and actionable, especially if it’s constructive. It may feel like micro-managing at first, but checking in often with team members is one way for a manager to know when an employee isn’t following through, and to help them figure out why as well as how to get back on track. Given in a manner that shows you care about the person is key here. Employees need information to continue to grow, and the manager is the best person for the job. 

4. Provide resources

To meet their business goals, employees need resources and support. Therefore, managers should ensure that employees have the tools and training needed to succeed. Give them what they want. Ninety-six percent of employees polled say it is important or very important for them to continuously develop their work-related skills. Hard skills are necessary but soft skills training is just as important. The ability to cooperate, collaborate, put the team first, and talk to each other respectfully doesn’t always come naturally. And yet this is exactly what they will be expected to do. Plus, you’ll want them to hold each other accountable in a way that doesn’t cause destructive conflict.  

5. Celebrate successes

When employees meet or exceed expectations, managers must acknowledge it. In fact, more than forty percent of employed Americans feel that if they were recognized more often, they would put more energy into their work. However, a manager must realize that different people like to be celebrated differently. Some crave attention, while others are embarrassed by it, so a manager should understand how each person on their team prefers to be recognized. When an employee’s efforts are celebrated in a way that is meaningful to them, they will be more likely to stay in their role and strive for excellence.  

6. Empower employees

Give employees autonomy and ownership over their work. Allow them to make decisions and take responsibility for the outcomes. When individuals feel trusted and empowered, they are more likely to hold themselves accountable. 

7. Encourage learning and growth

Promote a learning culture where mistakes are seen as opportunities for growth. Encourage employees to learn from their experiences and share lessons with the team. This helps create a supportive environment where individuals are more likely to take ownership of their actions. 

Creating a Culture of Accountability

Overall, promoting accountability in employees requires consistent effort, attention, and a certain amount of finesse from managers. Leading by example, setting clear expectations, providing feedback and resources, celebrating successes, empowering and encouraging learning and growth, managers inspire accountability in their employees and drive success within the organization. Then and only then can a manager begin to discuss how the team will hold itself accountable. A true culture of accountability involves the whole team holding each other accountable instead of waiting for the boss to intervene.  

Stay tuned for our next post on how managers can help encourage accountability between team members so that there is an atmosphere of trust, transparency, and open communication. And if you are a manager, check out the training that Brilliant People provides on personality, productive conflict, management and team building. The culture (r)evolution starts with you! 

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The push for diversity and inclusion is lacking a crucial piece of the puzzle. And I’m not talking about belonging. Yes, belonging is important. Just as equity and inclusion are important. However, to truly have a diverse workforce you also need a diversity of personalities because they bring different perspectives, priorities, and work styles together which can spark conversation and innovation. This is what it looks like when embracing differences is part of the DNA of a team or organization. And employees and the organization alike reap the benefits to the tune of 2.5 times higher cash flow per employee. 

Personality Prejudice  

Profit increase is just one of the amazing byproducts when our differences are celebrated. But the reality is that we often mistrust or disregard people who show up differently than we do. It’s a form of unconscious bias that most humans fall prey to, and when it happens, we are triggered into negative reactions. For example, have you ever worked with someone who came across as too harsh or abrupt? They always managed to pull in the results, but they hurt people’s feelings with their insensitivity. Or maybe you’ve worked with someone who was slow to respond or speak up and so they were disrespected and treated like a doormat.  

It’s possible that you may have experienced a workmate who was forgetful and came across as “flighty”, causing you and your coworkers to disregard their other abilities. It’s even likely that you’ve worked with someone who never showed emotion and preferred to work in their own silo even though, ultimately, it was detrimental to the team’s success. These are just some examples of natural personality tendencies that often rub people the wrong way and over time cause problems within a team or department. 

Soft Skills Are Lacking  

When teammates don’t know how to work collaboratively because their differences get in the way, it can result in prejudice, distrust, and even marginalization. It seems like we should be farther along than we are in addressing this issue, but organizations continue to put people together on teams based on their hard skills. And then they expect them to come together cohesively despite the different priorities, motivators, strengths, and struggles of each individual team member. More often than not, the result is a group of people who struggle to see eye to eye. They can’t relate to each other, and they don’t have the necessary soft skills to fix the problem. 

A proactive manager, on the other hand, would want to provide personality development for the team so that employees are empowered with the knowledge of why they show up at work the way they do and why their teammates show up as they do. A manager would also ensure that the training would provide strategies for communicating more effectively with the different personality types. And most importantly, this type of training would allow employees the opportunity to practice communication skills before they actually have to use them.  

Personality Development Matters

The ability to communicate effectively even in conflict is one of the soft skills most desired by today’s employers. So, if today’s employees want access to more professional development and organizations want employees to have more of the power skills like communication and collaboration, then personality development is a must. This type of development benefits teams as they work together but it also imparts skills that individuals will continue to use throughout their careers. In fact, research from Harvard University, the Carnegie Foundation, and Stanford Research Center found that 85% of career success comes from having well-developed soft skills and people skills. 

To conclude, kudos to every manager who is working to make diversity, equity, inclusivity, and belonging the norm in their place of work. Being a woman and having a Mexican family lineage makes that personal to me. But I also believe that a crucial aspect of this fight for diversity is recognizing that personality plays an important part in how we show up at work. To manage effectively you must understand your own personality as well as the others on your team. It’s the way to ensure that employees feel included, heard, appreciated, and valued. At Brilliant People we believe it’s the cornerstone of a culture that embraces DEI&B wholeheartedly.  

If you’d like to bring personality development to your team, get in touch with us today! 

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To win the war for talent, you must shape the culture so that your company attracts the right people. As the Great Resignation has proven, unhappy workers whose employers aren’t cutting it are quitting in droves. In fact, one-quarter of employees resigned over the past six months and the No. 1 reason listed for quitting was “toxic company culture.” Things like a lack of recognition, favoritism, unhealthy communication, gossiping, and poor management skills can all contribute to a toxic culture. So, what’s an organization to do when it can’t completely start from scratch? Embrace the potter’s philosophy. It’s an old metaphor, but an apt one when it comes to creating culture. And it only involves three steps: pick the clay, center the clay and mold the clay.  

Step 1: Pick the clay 

There are four different types of clay that potters use: Earthenware clay, Stoneware clay, Ball clay, and Porcelain. All can be used but the end result for each will be different from the others because of its color, texture, and flexibility. In business, it’s no different. To create a culture that will attract and retain the best employees, you must first pick the right people to be a part of the culture. Building diversity is key. Individuals with different backgrounds, life experiences, personal characteristics, skill sets, and viewpoints are necessary to construct a high-performing team.  

Of course, people differences often trigger people problems, so it is important for a manager to choose people who are supportive and collaborative team players, but also results-driven. And it is just as important that the manager provides opportunities for the team to get to know each other’s personality types and work styles. Taking the time to choose the right people and then creating cohesion by helping them to get to know each other to build trust will create a solid foundation for the team. 

Step 2: Center the clay 

Once a potter has chosen the type of clay they will use, it’s time to center it on the potting wheel. This involves getting a ball of clay to evenly distribute across the middle of the potting wheel. It doesn’t sound hard but it’s actually one of the most frustrating parts of preparing the clay. Centering the clay is like aligning employees to the mission and values of the organization, so it’s an essential step. Employees have always wanted to know that what they do at work is important, but for many, this desire is now one of the biggest factors contributing to whether they stay at their job or take their skills elsewhere. Basically, the pandemic caused a shift in how we view work. So much so, that fifty-two percent now say they question the purpose of their day-to-day job. And 92% said the pandemic made them feel life is too short to stay in a job they weren’t passionate about. 

Sadly, when employees feel they have little purpose, they begin to disengage. They care less and so lose the desire to do their job well. This lack of motivation trickles down and causes productivity to suffer. Ultimately, unhappy people create an unhappy workplace culture. A good manager, however, will start during the hiring process to make sure that all team members know just how much their work matters and how it ties in with the mission statement and values of the organization.  

Step 3: Mold the clay

Molding the clay is where the potter works the centered clay on the potting wheel to create the sculpture of their choosing. One aspect of this step is the act of smoothing out the clay with the fingers. This process is like the idea of providing feedback to employees in order to help them become the best that they can be at their jobs. And yet it’s one of the things managers struggle with the most.  

Over two-thirds report that they are uncomfortable with giving feedback to those they manage, especially if it’s negative feedback. But this is hands down the best way to help mold employees into high-performing members of the team. When feedback is given regularly and appropriately, it models a two-way communication loop which decreases office conflict and helps people feel valued and recognized. This is so important that nearly 60% of employees surveyed stated that they would like feedback on a daily or weekly basis — a number that increased to 72% for employees under age 30. Regular feedback (mostly positive!) by management is a necessary component of building a high-performance team.  

3 Steps to Success

A beautiful piece of pottery represents skilled craftsmanship, not unlike the manager of a thriving workplace culture. The potter chooses the right clay and the manager chooses the right people. The potter centers the clay and the manager centers the team by aligning them to the company’s mission and values. And lastly, the potter molds the clay, just as the manager uses feedback to mold the members of the team. All three steps are necessary to create high-performance teams that will sustain the company culture.  

To begin this process, contact us today! We provide a comprehensive continual learning model that achieves results! 

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Recruiting the right employees and onboarding them so they stay are two of the biggest challenges organizations face today.  This is especially true as Great Resignation shows no sign of slowing down. Something’s gotta give and we think it’s on the organization to step up and lead the way. 

So, what do we mean by the “right” employee? It means they need to be able to check the following boxes. 

• They are a good fit for your company culture  
• They are aligned with your company values & mission  

• They are willing to do what it takes to be part of a high performing team 

All are important considerations as you bring new people into the fold. 

The hiring process is a tricky one, though, because sometimes the best candidate may not be the right candidate. And sometimes the interviewer just makes the wrong choice. Maybe they allowed the resume and hard skills to sell them, or they got caught up in the story the interviewee told. Whatever the case, some candidates make it past the gate, only to crash and burn a few months later. This wastes time and money. Instead, organizations should be putting together a recruiting and onboarding plan to find the right people for the job and keep them. At Brilliant People, we believe there are some key steps to getting this piece right. You want new hires that are in it to win it for the long haul. 

Need a Culture Evolution? 

You might be in an organization who is doing alright, but there might be a few areas where it could improve. If so, an “evolution” is all it needs. Or you might work in an organization that needs a full culture “revolution.” If that’s the case, the job at hand may be a little more daunting but can be accomplished, nonetheless.  

Start by taking an honest look at where your company stands on the evolution/revolution meter. Asking these questions is a great place to start. 

• Is this an organization who builds trust with their employees, makes sure everyone feels a sense of belonging, has excellent communication standards, as well as transparency?   
• What type of culture do you want to build?  

You’ve probably heard the saying ‘culture eats strategy for breakfast’, and it’s true! Poor workplace culture is a breeding ground for gossip, discontent, conflict, disengagement, and voluntary attrition.  In fact, 86% of job seekers avoid companies with a bad reputation.  New hires who realize after the fact that the culture is bad, will leave. These early exits cost companies 6-9 months of the person’s salary. How many times can your company afford to make the wrong choice? 
 

Don’t Believe the Hype 

Let’s be honest. We’ve all likely experienced an embellished resume, whether our own, or someone we were considering for a position. The reality is that you must learn to look beyond the resume. It rarely tells the whole story.  

There are very easy ways to get the information you need by just taking the time in the interview to find out what makes the candidate tick. Finding out what motivates them, what their priorities are, whether they have hobbies, or a family or even play sports can help you determine whether they’re competitive, perfectionistic, collaborative, helpful, empathetic, etc.  Then take the time to ask about career goals and how they envision this particular job helping them meet those goals. When you allow someone to share about themselves, you’ll see a different side than how people typically show at work, and this is a good thing. These kinds of conversations allow for an opportunity to open up, be real and shift from selling mode to connecting mode. And if the candidate seems too good to be true, they probably are.  

Looking Through a Different Lens 

Diversity in the workplace is important but we aren’t just talking about differences in age, ethnicity, sexual orientation or education levels. It’s also crucial to have diversity of personalities to build high performance teams.  

But of course, people differences trigger people problems. Where personality is concerned, the different personality types view the world and approach it differently. So, looking for team additions that fill a gap is essential. Rather than seeing it as a chore to onboard this person and get them up to speed, look at it as an opportunity to view the world through their lens. You just might find innovation and creativity.   

Make or Break the New Hire Experience 

Having a solid onboarding program is key to a new hire’s success.  Research has shown that the retention rate of new employees can be increased by as much as 40% with a solid onboarding program. They’ve also shown that having a proper system in place allows for a smoother process as new hires ramp up in their role, rather than expecting them to successfully hit the ground running. This almost never happens so here are a few things you can implement to make the onboarding process work for both the new hire and the hiring manager. A robust onboarding program should include a lot more than these ideas but hopefully this gets you thinking about ways to support your newest additions to the team.  

• Create an onboarding checklist that allows both the manager and new employee to track progress 

• Designate a timeframe for mile markers: Create a 30-, 60- or 90-day plan that gives the new hire the time needed to get through the various items on the list and gives management the time needed to evaluate their efforts and guide them if they falter 
• Assign a mentor, possibly even from a cross functional team. This will create an opportunity for the new hire to meet someone in the company they may not have a chance to get to know otherwise. It will also give them access to someone they can go to when feeling stuck or in need of a little guidance that doesn’t warrant going to “the boss.” The mentor can also help chart out developmental goals they can focus on in their first few months at the company. 

An additional thought for implementing an onboarding system is to give your new hire a voice. As we’ve said before, when you allow employees to weigh in on a process or decision, you’ll more often than not get their buy in, so check in at certain points along the way to see how it’s going for them. They may be able to give some insight that helps you tweak the process which might help to make the process and the person more successful. Afterall, the goal is to create an environment in which your new hire will want to stay and being thoughtful about the path may just be the right move in ensuring you’re hiring the right folks and folding them into your organization in the best way possible. 

Map That Plan! 

Mapping a plan for recruiting the right folks and getting them set up for success once they’ve been hired can take some time, but it’ll be worth the effort. Understanding who you are as an organization and what you want the culture to be like is the first step that will lay the groundwork for attracting the “right” people.  

As you go through this process, it should become clear whether your company could benefit from a culture evolution, or a full-on revolution. Either way, this focus will take your organization to the next level, ensuring that when you find the right people, they’ll be more likely to stay. 

Don’t be afraid to get real during the interview process. Yes, it might take more time and energy to really get to know each candidate, but the effort will help you read between the lines and not get lost in the story you’re seeing and/or hearing via their resume or an interview. True colors shine if you just take the time… And, whether those true colors compliment your company dynamics or not, this step is crucial for making the right choice in the hiring process.  

And lastly, once that new hire is in the mix, give them a path to follow that will set them up for success with a super solid onboarding process. They want it and you’ll appreciate the outcome.  

Whether you need a culture EVOLUTION or a full on REVOLUTION, Brilliant People has your back. Call us at 512-423-2384 or find us at mybrilliantpeople.com and allow us to help you create high performance teams.  

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