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Encouraging Creativity and Innovation in the Workplace: Tips for Leaders

Encouraging Creativity and Innovation in the Workplace: Tips for Leaders

Encouraging Creativity and Innovation in the Workplace: Tips for Leaders

In today’s rapidly changing business landscape, creativity and innovation have become essential for organizations to remain competitive and succeed. Companies that foster a culture of creativity and innovation are more likely to produce breakthrough ideas and solutions that can drive growth and improve business outcomes.

Creativity refers to the ability to generate new and original ideas or concepts, while innovation is the process of turning those ideas into tangible products, services, or solutions that create value for customers. When employees feel empowered to be creative and innovative, they are more likely to contribute their unique perspectives and ideas, which can lead to new opportunities for growth and development.

Leaders play a crucial role in fostering a culture of creativity and innovation in the workplace. They set the tone for the organization and create an environment where employees feel encouraged and supported to take risks, experiment, and think outside the box. In the following sections, we will explore the benefits of creativity and innovation in the workplace and provide tips for leaders on how to cultivate a culture of creativity and innovation within their organizations.

In today’s rapidly changing business landscape, creativity and innovation have become essential for organizations to remain competitive and succeed. Companies that foster a culture of creativity and innovation are more likely to produce breakthrough ideas and solutions that can drive growth and improve business outcomes.

Benefits of creativity and innovation in the workplace

The benefits of creativity and innovation in the workplace are numerous. Here are some of the key advantages that companies can gain by fostering a culture of creativity and innovation.

Improved problem-solving
Creativity allows individuals to approach problems from new angles, leading to innovative solutions that can solve complex issues.

Enhanced productivity
By encouraging creativity and innovation, companies can find more efficient and effective ways to do things, resulting in increased productivity and profitability.

Increased employee engagement
When employees feel empowered to be creative and innovative, they are more engaged and motivated in their work.

Competitive advantage
Innovation can give companies a significant advantage over their competitors, allowing them to bring new products or services to market faster and more effectively.

Improved customer satisfaction
Companies that are able to innovate and create new products or services that meet the evolving needs of their customers are more likely to maintain customer loyalty and satisfaction.

Improved processes and procedures.
A company may discover a more efficient way to make a product or streamline a workflow through creative problem-solving. This can lead to cost savings, improved quality, and a better overall customer experience.

Finally, innovation is a critical component of success in today's market. Companies that fail to innovate risk falling behind their competitors and becoming obsolete. By encouraging creativity and innovation, leaders can position their organizations for long-term success and growth.
foster a culture of creativity within their organizations

Now that we understand the benefits of creativity and innovation in the workplace, let’s explore some tips for leaders on how to foster a culture of creativity within their organizations.

Allow for failure and embrace experimentation.

Encourage employees to take risks and try new things, even if they may not succeed the first time. Creating a culture where failure is seen as a learning opportunity rather than a negative outcome can help to cultivate an innovative mindset.

Encourage diverse perspectives and collaboration.

Encourage employees from different departments or backgrounds to work together and share ideas. This can lead to a more diverse range of perspectives, which can spark new ideas and solutions.

Provide opportunities for growth and learning.

Offer training, development, and mentorship programs that support employee growth and encourage the acquisition of new skills. By investing in employee development, leaders can empower their teams to take on new challenges and generate innovative solutions.

Foster a positive and supportive work environment.

Create a workplace culture that values creativity and supports employees in their pursuit of innovative ideas. This can be achieved by recognizing and celebrating creative achievements, offering flexible work arrangements, and providing a safe and welcoming space for employees to share their ideas.

By implementing these tips, leaders can create an environment that empowers employees to be creative, take risks, and generate innovative ideas. This can lead to improved productivity, enhanced customer satisfaction, and a competitive advantage in the marketplace.

As a leader, it is important to set the tone and create an environment that fosters creativity and innovation. Here are some ways in which leaders can encourage creativity and innovation within their organizations.

1. Lead by example and be open to new ideas.

Leaders who demonstrate their willingness to embrace new ideas and approaches to problem-solving can set the tone for the rest of the organization. By leading by example, leaders can encourage employees to be more open to new ideas and to take risks.

2. Create a vision and purpose that inspires creativity.

A clear and inspiring vision can help motivate employees and inspire them to be creative in their work. By articulating a vision that emphasizes innovation and creativity, leaders can create a sense of purpose that encourages employees to think outside the box.

3. Provide the necessary resources and support for creative endeavors.

Creativity requires resources and support to thrive. Leaders can provide employees with the necessary tools, technology, and funding to pursue their creative ideas. This can include providing access to training and development programs, investing in R&D initiatives, and creating a supportive work environment.

4. Celebrate and reward creativity and innovation.

Recognizing and celebrating creative achievements can help reinforce the importance of creativity within the organization. Leaders can reward employees for their innovative ideas and approaches, whether through bonuses, promotions, or other incentives.
By following these tips, leaders can create a workplace culture that supports and encourages creativity and innovation. This can lead to improved productivity, enhanced customer satisfaction, and a competitive advantage in the marketplace.

Conclusion

Creativity and innovation are vital for businesses to succeed in today’s fast-paced and ever-changing marketplace. We encourage businesses to take action and implement these tips to encourage creativity and innovation in their workplace.

By doing so, organizations can achieve improved productivity, enhanced customer satisfaction, and a competitive advantage in the marketplace. Investing in creativity and innovation is an investment in the future success of your business.

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leadership women leadership skills

10 Words of Wisdom Every Leader Needs to Hear

10 Words of Wisdom Every Leader Needs to Hear

As a leader, you are bound to face challenges and setbacks along the way. Whether you are an entrepreneur starting your own business or a seasoned executive leading a team, the road to success is never easy. But the most successful leaders are the ones who learn from their failures and use their experiences to grow and improve. In this article, learn 10 words of wisdom that every leader needs to hear.

These words of wisdom will provide inspiration and practical advice to help you overcome challenges and succeed as a leader.

1. Failure is not the opposite of success, it's part of the journey.

It’s easy to view failure as a roadblock to success, but the truth is that failure is an inevitable part of the journey. The most successful leaders are the ones who embrace failure as an opportunity to learn and grow. Instead of fearing failure, embrace it as a natural part of the process and use it to fuel your growth and progress.

🔔 Elon Musk overcame multiple failed rocket launches before finally achieving success with SpaceX.

2. Lead with empathy and understanding.

As a leader, it’s important to remember that your team is made up of individuals with unique needs and perspectives. Leading with empathy and understanding can help you build stronger relationships with your team members and create a culture of trust and respect. Take the time to listen to your team members and understand their needs and concerns.

Empathy is a crucial trait for any leader. It allows you to see situations from multiple perspectives and to connect with your team on a deeper level. To lead with empathy, you must be willing to listen to your team members, understand their perspectives, and show that you care about their well-being.

This means taking the time to build relationships with your team members, and actively seeking out their feedback and input. When you lead with empathy and understanding, you create a culture of trust and respect that can drive your team’s success.

Words of Wisdom

3. Success is a team sport, surround yourself with the right people.

No one achieves success alone. Surround yourself with a team of people who share your vision and can help you achieve your goals. Look for team members who bring diverse perspectives and skill sets to the table and who share your passion for success.


🔔 Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, is a great example of a leader who is able to balance short-term and long-term goals and realize the value of surrounding himself with the right people around him. He has focused on building a strong team and company culture and investing in research and development, allowing Microsoft to stay at the forefront of the tech industry for decades.

4. Never stop learning and growing.

The most successful leaders are the ones who never stop learning and growing. Stay curious and open-minded, and seek out opportunities to learn and develop new skills and your mindset. Attend conferences and workshops, read books and articles, and seek out mentorship and coaching opportunities.

5. Take calculated risks and learn from your mistakes.

Taking risks is an important part of achieving success as a leader, but it’s important to take calculated risks and learn from your mistakes. Before taking a risk, weigh the potential benefits and risks and make an informed decision. And when mistakes do happen, use them as an opportunity to learn and grow.

6. Focus on your strengths and delegate your weaknesses.

As a leader, it’s important to focus on developing your strengths and delegating tasks that you are not as skilled at. This will allow you to focus your energy on the things you do well and enable your team to thrive in areas where they excel.

7. Never compromise your values.

Integrity is a critical component of effective leadership. Stay true to your values and principles, even in the face of difficult decisions or challenges. Your team will respect you more for staying true to your beliefs, even when it’s not the easiest or most popular choice.

Your values are the foundation of your character, and compromising them is like compromising yourself. In leadership, it’s important to stay true to your values and principles, even when faced with difficult decisions or opposition. As Mahatma Gandhi once said, “Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.” So, always strive for harmony between your values and your actions, and you will earn the respect and trust of your team.

8. Communication is key.

Effective communication is essential to building strong relationships with your team members and achieving your goals as a leader. Make sure to communicate clearly and frequently, and seek out feedback from your team members to ensure that your messages are being received as intended.

Effective communication is a vital component of successful leadership. It allows you to build strong relationships with your team, establish clear expectations, and foster a positive and productive work environment. One of the most important aspects of communication is active listening. When you truly listen to your team members and take their concerns and ideas into account, you show that you value and respect them. This, in turn, leads to greater trust and loyalty, which are essential for building a cohesive and high-performing team.”

9. Celebrate your successes, but stay humble.

It’s important to celebrate your successes as a leader, but it’s equally important to stay humble and remember that success is a team effort. Recognize the contributions of your team members and give credit where credit is due.

10. Stay passionate and stay the course.

Finally, the most successful leaders are the ones who stay passionate and committed to their vision, even in the face of challenges, failures, and setbacks. Stay the course and remain focused on your goals, and your perseverance will ultimately lead to success.

🔔When Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team, he could have given up on his dream of becoming a basketball player. Instead, he used that rejection as fuel to work harder and prove himself. He went on to become one of the greatest basketball players of all time, proving that failure can be a powerful motivator.

In conclusion, leadership is a complex and multifaceted concept that requires a range of skills and attributes. However, by focusing on developing your strengths, practicing empathy, embracing failure, and building strong relationships, you can become a more effective and successful leader.

It’s important to remember that leadership is not just about achieving personal success, but also about empowering and inspiring others to achieve their goals. As a leader, you have the power to positively influence those around you and make a real difference in your organization and community.

So, take these words of wisdom to heart and make a commitment to continuous learning and growth as a leader. Seek out opportunities to develop your skills, build relationships, and learn from others. And always remember that leadership is a journey, not a destination, so be patient, stay humble, and keep striving for excellence.

Covey, S. R. (1989). The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change. Simon and Schuster.

Goleman, D. (2000). Leadership that gets results. Harvard Business Review, 78(2), 78-90.

Grant, A. M., & Gino, F. (2010). A little thanks goes a long way: Explaining why gratitude expressions motivate prosocial behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 98(6), 946-955.

Kouzes, J. M., & Posner, B. Z. (2012). The leadership challenge: How to make extraordinary things happen in organizations. John Wiley & Sons.

Pink, D. H. (2011). Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us. Riverhead Books.
Schein, E. H. (2010). Organizational culture and leadership (Vol. 2). John Wiley & Sons.
Tichy, N. M., & Ulrich, D. O. (2010). Leadership development: Forging ahead despite a bumpy road. Organizational Dynamics, 39(2), 145-154.

Wenger, E. (1998). Communities of practice: Learning, meaning, and identity. Cambridge university press.

Zenger, J. H., & Folkman, J. R. (2009). The extraordinary leader: Turning good managers into great leaders. McGraw Hill Professional.

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leadership

Words of Wisdom: Lessons for Leadership Success

Words of Wisdom: Lessons for Leadership Success

Leadership is not an easy journey, and it takes a combination of skills, qualities, and experience to become a great leader. Over the years, many successful leaders have shared their insights, lessons, and advice on how to lead with excellence and achieve great results. In this article, we will explore some of the most impactful words of wisdom that can help you become a more effective leader.

Embrace Failure

Failure is not a sign of weakness; it is a sign that you are pushing your limits and trying new things. Great leaders embrace failure as a necessary step on the path to success. They use their failures as learning opportunities, not setbacks, and they are not afraid to take risks and experiment. As J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter series, said, “It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all – in which case, you fail by default.”

One of the best examples of a leader who embraced failure is Thomas Edison, the inventor of the light bulb. Edison famously said, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” Edison’s perseverance and determination eventually led him to discover the right way to make the light bulb, and his invention changed the world.

Words of Wisdom

Focus on Your Strengths

As a leader, it is important to understand your strengths and weaknesses. While it is important to work on improving your weaknesses, it is equally important to focus on your strengths. By developing your strengths, you can become an expert in your field and excel as a leader.

Marcus Buckingham, a leadership expert and author, said, “The key to success is to focus on your strengths, not your weaknesses. Your weaknesses will never develop, while your strengths will develop infinitely.” By focusing on your strengths, you can also inspire and motivate your team members to develop their own strengths and contribute to the overall success of your organization.

Practice Empathetic Leadership

Empathy is a critical skill for effective leadership. Empathetic leaders understand the needs and concerns of their team members and are able to communicate with them in a way that builds trust and rapport. They are also able to create a positive work environment where everyone feels valued and supported.

One of the best examples of empathetic leadership is Satya Nadella, the CEO of Microsoft. Nadella believes that empathy is essential to innovation and growth, and he has made it a cornerstone of his leadership philosophy. In his book, “Hit Refresh,” Nadella writes, “Empathy is not about being soft or coddling. It’s about being able to put yourself in someone else’s shoes and see the world from their perspective. It’s about treating people with respect, regardless of their position or status.”

Never Stop Learning

Leadership is an ongoing journey, and great leaders never stop learning. They are always seeking out new ideas, insights, and knowledge that can help them become better leaders. They are also open to feedback and are willing to make changes to their approach based on what they learn.

Bill Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft, is a great example of a leader who never stops learning. Gates is known for his voracious reading habits, and he has said that he reads around 50 books a year. Gates believes that reading is a critical part of his personal and professional growth, and he encourages others to make reading a priority as well.

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Build Strong Relationships

Leadership is not a solo journey; it is a team sport. Great leaders understand the importance of building strong relationships with their team members, colleagues, and stakeholders. They are
able to connect with others on a deeper level, listen actively, and understand different perspectives. These skills help them create a positive work environment where everyone feels valued and heard.

To build strong relationships, start by getting to know your team members and colleagues on a personal level. Show a genuine interest in their lives and hobbies outside of work. Celebrate their accomplishments, and acknowledge their contributions to the team. Remember to listen actively and be empathetic when someone is going through a difficult time.

Effective communication is another crucial component of building strong relationships. Be clear and concise when delivering feedback, and make sure to provide constructive criticism in a supportive way. Use positive language to reinforce good behaviors and provide recognition when team members meet or exceed expectations.

Lastly, be open to feedback yourself. Encourage your team members to provide feedback on your leadership style and take their suggestions to heart. This helps build trust and fosters a culture of continuous improvement.

Conclusion

In conclusion, becoming a great leader is a lifelong journey that requires dedication, perseverance, and constant learning. By focusing on developing your strengths, leading with empathy, embracing failure, and building strong relationships, you can become the kind of leader that inspires and motivates others to achieve their best.

Words of Wisdom

Covey, S. R. (1989). The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change. Simon and Schuster.

Goleman, D. (2000). Leadership that gets results. Harvard Business Review, 78(2), 78-90.

Grant, A. M., & Gino, F. (2010). A little thanks goes a long way: Explaining why gratitude expressions motivate prosocial behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 98(6), 946-955.

Kouzes, J. M., & Posner, B. Z. (2012). The leadership challenge: How to make extraordinary things happen in organizations. John Wiley & Sons.

Pink, D. H. (2011). Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us. Riverhead Books.
Schein, E. H. (2010). Organizational culture and leadership (Vol. 2). John Wiley & Sons.
Tichy, N. M., & Ulrich, D. O. (2010). Leadership development: Forging ahead despite a bumpy road. Organizational Dynamics, 39(2), 145-154.

Wenger, E. (1998). Communities of practice: Learning, meaning, and identity. Cambridge university press.

Zenger, J. H., & Folkman, J. R. (2009). The extraordinary leader: Turning good managers into great leaders. McGraw Hill Professional.

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leadership

How to Take Your Teams from Good Enough to High-Value with Employee Coaching

Employee Coaching

Employee coaching at its most basic is simply to delegate thinking, which empowers the team to improve their performance.

Google is known for having some of the most agile employees and for its award-winning workplace culture. Offering unrivaled employee perks and amenities such as massages, dry cleaning, nap pods, game rooms and a pet-friendly environment within its majestic Silicon valley campus—this is no surprise.

Even more interesting is that when hiring, skills often aren’t the most critical factor in the selection process.

The true success of Google’s high-value teams lies in a robust people operations department where HR meets science. Unlike regular human resource departments, Google’s people operations department explores and applies science-backed strategies to build high-performing teams. It has an entire department dedicated to employee development and happiness.

Of course, not every entrepreneur runs a multi-billion dollar company or can provide chef-catered meals and nap pods for their teams. Luckily, they can focus on people development through employee coaching.

Here is how to incorporate coaching into team operations to level them up.

Create High-Value Teams

Organizations achieve peak performance when they have a team that works collaboratively.

Real production, innovation and experience occur within teams. In its quest to find what makes teams effective, Google realized that creating high-value teams was about dynamics that enable people to work well together and not necessarily about who was on the team.

In simple terms, nurturing the individual potential of members to find free expression in team settings.

Teams underperform not for a lack of talent but because of a lack of psychological safety and support from members. These two aspects point to how authentic people can be in the group and how much they are willing to help each other on this team.

Coaching allows employees to thrive in their roles and make meaningful contributions in group settings. The hallmark of employee coaching is identifying team dynamics and guiding teams on how to leverage those dynamics for success.

Below are important questions that coaching can help entrepreneurs answer:

  • What is the team’s purpose?
  • How comfortable is each employee in expressing their thoughts and ideas?
  • What can the team count on each member for?
  • What reputation should the team build?
  • What different approach should the team take to achieve this reputation?

Choose Skill, But Put Emphasis On Attitude

Simon Sinek once said, “You don’t hire for skill; you hire for attitude. You can always teach skills.”

While it is vital to match skills with the existing company culture and position, a candidate’s attitude is a game changer for team success. Remember, a high-value team does not work well because of great talent, but because of dependability. Dependability is about character and cannot be taught, but technical skills can be.

Bring Coaching To Your Company

Entrepreneurs who want to see progressive results and value from their workforce should invest in their growth. The desire to upskill among employees is there, with 57% of U.S. employees (download required) expressing interest.

Sixty-seven percent of these want these opportunities within their employment framework.

A previous study by the International Coaching Federation outlines findings on the positive outcomes (download required) that companies implementing solid coaching strategies enjoy:

  • 80% had a self-confidence boost
  • 73% had better work relationships
  • 70% saw improvement in overall performance
  • 51% saw improvement in team effectiveness
  • 67% achieved work-life balance

The fact is, employee coaching doesn’t have to be costly for entrepreneurs; it can be as simple as adopting the coaching style of leadership. Here are three workplace employee coaching options to look into:

Senior-Junior Employee coaching

Senior-junior coaching in the workplace is a process whereby a more experienced employee assists and guides a junior employee on the job.

This can involve mentoring on appropriate work habits and skills and providing advice and support when navigating challenges. In teams with excellent dynamics, senior-junior coaching may occur naturally where intergenerational diversity is present.

It is cost-free coaching and one of the reasons for companies to connect employees with mentors.

Peer-Peer Coaching

Team members who support each other form a high-value team. Based on the project Aristotle, by Google, this was the second most crucial element. Entrepreneurs can build coaching programs for their businesses with coworkers coaching each other.

Peer coaching creates an opportunity for employees to learn from one another in a safe and supportive environment. This coaching style can help build trust and open communication among team members, leading to better collaboration and productivity. Additionally, peer coaching can help employees feel more engaged in their work, increase their job satisfaction and improve their overall well-being.

External Coaching

While it is easier and cost-effective to implement senior-junior coaching and peer-peer coaching, these options are not without limitations and bottlenecks.

One of those is confidentiality, which makes it hard for the team to be 100% open to being vulnerable about areas where they must improve. The invaluable aspect of external coaching for employees is the systematic and proven method of identifying team dynamics and where to focus improvement efforts.

External coaching is an integral tool for leadership and employee development in top modern-day businesses. This is quite a shift from the formative years when the likes of IBM, Hewlett-Packard and Motorola hired external coaches to help work with troubled employees. Now, like Google, companies that employ professional coaches usually do so to uncover the best way to combine individual personalities and talent into teamwork for fast, efficient and higher output.

It is time to dispel the myth. While people often think of an entrepreneur as the overwhelmed person trying to hold a business together, businesses with high-value employees run themselves.
More entrepreneurs must start thinking about the team as a high-value asset. Coaching can help take them from good enough to great.

The article was originally published on the Forbes website.

Categories
leadership

The Ultimate Guide to Effective Team Management: Strategies, Tips, and Best Practices

Team management is crucial for the success of any business or organization.
Effective team management is creating a positive work environment, setting realistic goals and expectations, developing open communication lines, providing structured feedback, and promoting a culture of collaboration and innovation.

All that felt too much? We will break it down shortly as we explore the key strategies, tips, and best practices to help you effectively manage your team and drive business success.

Why Invest in a Good Team?

To begin, why is a better team crucial for any business, whether small with only 3 employees or large corporation with over 200 employees?

For many businesses, employee development and training rarely makes it to the top list of focus areas for investment.

Sales and marketing are essential for the survival of business. However, the success of these processes depends on the team and leaders managing them.

These eye-opening statistics by different research firms and institutes further affirm this reality. Take a look:

Team Management Strategies

Perhaps the single most mark of a high-performing team is engagement levels in the business. Employee engagement is at the heart of creating satisfied, productive teams who will stay loyal to the company.

Additionally, it measures how invested and motivated employees are in their work; when this enthusiasm level increases, so does job satisfaction— benefiting both those employed and the business itself.

Engagement by employees is not just about consistent check-in and check-outs or communication.

There are three levels of employee engagement in a business;

  • Engagement with their work
  • Engagement with their teammates or work colleagues
  • Engagement with their immediate leaders/supervisors

How Leaders Drive Engagement in Teams

  • Onboarding and training hires
    The 2020 Gallup study also shows that 51% of employees are not engaged with their work. That means engagement assessments are crucial to the hiring and onboarding process as guided by leaders.The effectiveness of selecting and training hires comes to play as far as engagement levels of the team.
  • Leadership style
    New leadership and management trends emerge as millennials rise to senior positions.
    Remote work has reshaped the modern workplace, and managers are responding with compassion – realizing that a balanced life is essential to fostering employee engagement. Providing individuals with solid support systems, flexibility, and understanding, employers can create an environment where employees feel empowered and energized by their job.
  • Transparency
    Rumors, assumptions, and grapevine breed distrust in a company. Eventually, employees feel less engaged with their work, the leaders, and the team as they sense an air of mystery. Slack’s 2018 survey reported that 80% of employees want to know how decisions are made in a company, and the leaders play a central role in ensuring this.
  • Support and empowerment
    Figuring ways to provide work support to employees falls squarely on the leadership. A business that extends tools and resources that enable employees to excel, naturally encourages people to be enthusiastic about their work.

To effectively manage your team, it’s important to understand the factors that lead to high engagement. Research shows that employees are most engaged when they feel valued, have opportunities for growth and development, and have a strong sense of purpose and connection to the mission.

By focusing on these factors, you can create a culture of engagement that drives productivity, innovation, and long-term success.

Tips on How to Drive Engagement in Teams 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

Create a positive work environment

A positive work environment is essential for building strong, engaged teams.
Ask your team for improvements they would want to see in the office that would boost productivity.

Beyond ambiance, the environment also comprises an emotional and psychological atmosphere and experiences in a place.

As we will discuss later, creating a culture of respect, trust, and transparency, providing opportunities for social connection, and promoting work-life balance form a positive environment.

In the modern workplace, providing flexibility at work, such as hybrid or work-from-home options, where possible, is a bonus.

Create Direction and Purpose

Set clear goals and expectations. Clear goals and expectations help to align team members and ensure everyone is working towards the objectives in their roles and teams.

Start with SMART goals, defining expectations for roles and responsibilities, and providing regular updates and feedback.

But this also goes beyond job descriptions and departmental goals. Direction for employees comes from a business with well-defined mission, core values, culture code and value proposition.

When employees understand what the business stands for, they find their purpose and role within that vision.


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Keep Talking

The moment talking ceases, relationships die. This is as true in personal life and work.
Successful team management is highly dependent on effective communication. It builds on being clear and concise, actively listening, and promoting open dialogue and feedback.

Team work revolves on communication- Think task assignments, follow-ups, meetings, reporting, sales, customer service and all other business operations employees engage in.

So, set up a simple but functional communication channel for internal communication. If you don’t have one already, this is your first and crucial setup for managing teams, whether in a physical location or with a remote one.

What you need for effective communication

  • Up-to-date and efficient communication channels for the specific occasions
  • Processes for relaying information
  • Established roles and responsibilities that define who communicates what
  • Communication systems and frequency

Provide Constructive Feedback

Encourage sharing pain points in business. When team members bring pain points, they open up opportunities to fix issues rather than sitting on them until they leave out of frustration.

Regular feedback helps to promote growth and development among team members.

Diversity and Inclusion Beyond on Paper

A business must go beyond simply hiring diverse talent or having diversity as a clause in the policies to foster employee engagement. Instead, strive to implement inclusivity initiatives reflected in policies and employee interactions.

A truly diverse team means everyone is different, but they fit and are accepted. Here are practical tips for diversity, inclusion at work.

Promote a Culture of Collaboration and Innovation

Collaboration and innovation are essential for driving business success. It involves fostering a culture of creativity and experimentation, encouraging team members to share ideas and perspectives, and recognizing and rewarding innovation.

  1. Conduct a team assessment to identify strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for growth.
  2. Set clear goals and expectations for each team member and align these with the overall business objectives.
  3. Develop strong communication skills by practicing active listening, being clear and concise, and promoting open dialogue.
  4. Provide regular feedback to team members, both positive and constructive, and focus on solutions rather than problems.
  5. Foster a culture of collaboration and innovation by encouraging idea sharing, recognizing and rewarding innovation, and providing opportunities for experimentation.

Insights💡

Effective team management is an ongoing process that requires continuous assessment, feedback, and improvement.

With these elements in mind, you can build engaged, high-performing teams that drive business success.

The Best Practices of Team Management

Establish Clear Communication Channels 💬

Effective communication is key in any team management strategy. It’s essential to have clear and open communication channels that everyone on the team can use to communicate important information, updates, and feedback.

Communication tools teams can use include email, instant messaging, video conferencing, project management software, and even social media platforms.

However, it is crucial to identify which tools are most effective for your team and ensure everyone is comfortable using them.

Encourage your team members to communicate frequently and openly, and set clear expectations for communication within the team. You might consider creating a communication policy that outlines when and how team members should communicate with each other.

Foster a Positive Work Environment 🙌

Creating a positive work environment is another essential element of effective team management. When team members feel valued and supported, they are more motivated to work collaboratively and productively.

Encourage your team members to take breaks, prioritize work-life balance, and celebrate their achievements. It’s also crucial to address any negative behaviors or conflicts within the team quickly and effectively.

Consider implementing team-building activities or training programs to build trust and collaboration among team members. You might also consider creating a culture of recognition, where team members are regularly acknowledged and rewarded for their hard work.

Continuously Evaluate and Adapt 📈

Effective team management is an ongoing process. As your team grows and evolves, it’s essential to evaluate and adapt your management strategies continuously.

Regularly check in with your team members to gather feedback on what’s working and what is not. Use this feedback to adjust your team management strategies and ensure you are meeting the needs of your team.

Keep an eye on industry trends and best practices in team management and be open to adopting new strategies or tools that can help improve team performance and productivity.

Best practices for handling feedback:
Provide positive and constructive feedback, being specific and actionable, and focusing on solutions rather than problems.

Managing Workplace Collaboration 🤝

A productive workplace culture is a result of positive practices integrated into the operations of a business. These are from values to performance expectations whenever a new hire joins your team.

Team culture best practices:

  • Document objectives of every role that guide employee performance
  • Create your unique diversity initiatives
  • Develop a round table experience where every opinion is valued.
  • Make available opportunities for everyone to know each other
  • Encourage transparency from the leaders down to the teams
  • Prioritize respect
  • Establish a strict zero tolerance policy- creating a safe environment with guidelines on non-tolerable behavior such as sexual harassment.

Build a Recognition Program 💪

Perks, benefits, and recognition seem like unrelated aspects of daily work and team engagement, but they can be meaningful motivators of employee engagement.
In 2021, almost two thirds of employees decided whether to leave or stay in their organization based on the benefit schemes.

Recognition and rewards for efforts show appreciation and they help employees invest in a business because they can establish work-life balance and plan their financial future.

Do you have a recognition and reward system?

Best practices for building a recognition program:

  • When tight on budget, conduct an employee survey to see what they want so you can prioritize.
  • Define the recognition criteria and objectives.
  • Create employee personas based on the typical work in each role that guide why, when, and how each earns recognition.
  • Establish measurement plans such as targets for each
  • KPI and how to support the people based on results.

 

Final Tip

Effective team management is critical to the success of any business or organization. By implementing these eight key strategies, you can create a high-performing team that is collaborative, productive, and engaged.

Remember, effective team management is an ongoing process, so it is essential to continuously evaluate and adapt your strategies to meet the needs of your team. With the right tools, communication, and leadership, you will have a motivated, engaged, and committed team to achieve your business goals.

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leadership

4 Enterprise Areas for Business Leaders to Explore in the Metaverse

Business leaders must first understand the “metaverse” before diving into its possibilities for their businesses. The Metaverse refers to a shared online virtual world, similar to video games like Second Life or Pokémon Go. It is a realistic, three-dimensional environment where people can explore and interact with others in real time.

The exciting part of this is that as tech giants carve the path for virtual business, this next digital transformation helps deal with the challenge of distance existing in the current digital applications. As Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella noted in his speech at the Ignite Conference 2021 about the gaming industry, people will not just play with friends but also be in the game with them.

It follows that this may very well shape business activities and personal interactions both physically and online post-pandemic into what is being called the digital singularity.

Business And Leadership Areas To Explore In The Metaverse

Since the announcement by Facebook in October 2021 about changing its name to Meta, the world has been rife with discussions on the implications for business.

The whole concept of the Metaverse appears ready to transform various business sectors through wearable devices that can transport users to a virtual world separate from the physical.

Ecommerce

With 3-D technology, the Metaverse could open up new opportunities for online businesses and retailers. These changes are poised to take the entire selling process to the next level—from online purchasing to customer service, engagement and marketing. For example, companies could create virtual storefronts and product demonstration areas. Customers could try on products and make purchase decisions in a realistic, immersive environment.

Some brands have already set the pace for this with partnerships with virtual worlds such as Roblox and Fortnite. For instance, Nike is set to sell virtual sneakers with their recent acquisition of RTFKT. Gucci also created an exclusive digital pair of sneakers dubbed Gucci Virtual 25 that can be worn in apps like Roblox.

Effectively launch your business, acquire customers, manage resources, and grow your profits- Join other leaders and entrepreneurs on the CTA program.

Entertainment

At the onset of the pandemic, the music industry was hit hard with the cancellation of live shows and other entertainment venues shutting down. Now, virtual music performances and events have garnered positive reception.

Since the highly successful live virtual event by Marshmellow via Fortnite in 2019, more artists, including big names like Travis Scott and Ariana Grande, have taken turns testing the waters here. This success opens up future entrepreneurial opportunities for those with an eye for art and music.

Hybrid Workplaces

The current state of work in the pandemic world has created an easier transition to hybrid workplaces where employees do not necessarily have to be in a physical office to carry out their duties.

Collaboration and meetings will likely take a new shape. Companies have already become accustomed to holding meetings online over Zoom and other video conference tools, making VR meetings a step away from materializing.

Bill Gates echoes the sentiment, painting a picture of businesses using avatars to attend and interact in virtual company meetings and projects in two to three years.

The shift from 2-D camera video to 3-D cameras with avatars presents a new platform for businesses to collaborate and hold meetings. With avatar technology, people could interact with each other in an immersive, meaningful and realistic way from anywhere in the world.

The possibilities here would be more than a handful. Imagine running company operations and team management in virtual reality. That would also imply a shift in job search avenues to those that deliver beyond the current LinkedIn or Upwork—a hybrid hire solution that includes virtual meeting rooms.

Real Estate

Another area that business leaders should explore is real estate. Real estate is a key sector of the economy in the physical world, and as Meta seeks to replicate physical activities in the virtual world, real estate seems to be no different.

According to a New York Times article, there is a boom in the virtual real estate business as investors grab these pieces of digital representations of real estate that range from shopping malls and entertainment venues to other properties.

While the notion of virtual real estate is still highly speculative, it is creating more than enough interest for different groups.

Businesses have become more realistic about their extended digital footprints, and it’s becoming evident that physical locations are no longer adequate for customer interactions, especially when most of those customers spend more time online.

The Metaverse offers an enticing solution to this need for expansion by providing an expansive digital space where businesses can lease real estate, sell products and hold interactive events.

As talk of digital transformation and the Metaverse intensifies, so do the possibilities of doing business in a virtual world. The potential business applications for the metaverse range from gaming and entertainment to marketing and even real estate. However, business leaders must be careful not to get caught up in the hype and instead focus on areas where the Metaverse can provide real value for their businesses.

Read the original article on the Forbes website

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leadership women leadership skills

The Role Of MBAs In The Rising Number Of Women Leaders

Women Leaders :Year after year, the top business schools are welcoming more women into their MBA classrooms. Despite the many perceived barriers—like incompatibility of business careers with a healthy work/life balance, lack of encouragement from employers and much more—women are still enrolling into business schools to enhance their careers by pursuing an MBA.

According to a recent report, more women than men have applied to MBA programs, both in-person and online, for the last three years. Even the prestigious Harvard Business School reported that 46% of the class of 2023 is women.

This increase not only points to the growing importance of diversity and inclusion in education, but it also demonstrates an evolution in corporate culture, where women are beginning to look differently at the competitive marketplace, the challenges that await them and how they can solve them through broadened observation and circular vision.

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MBAs and Black Women Leaders

Beyond just having a business degree, we’ve seen Black female leaders occupy leadership positions in some of the world’s best companies.

Ramona Hood began working with FedEx Custom Critical at the age of 19, and after devoting 30 years and rising through several managerial roles, she decided to enroll in an MBA program. Between her degree and previous experience, Hood secured the CEO title in 2020.

Black women have even broken records and have become trailblazers. After studying at Howard University, Lillian Lincoln Lambert went on to enroll in Harvard’s MBA program and graduated in 1969—the first Black woman to do so. With her institutional knowledge, she went on to launch Centennial One, a building services company that grew to $20 million in revenue.

Finally, Alicia Boler Davis served as the vice president of customer experience at General Motors, ending her tenure after 25 years. She went on to complete her MBA at Indiana University, graduating in 2015, before joining Amazon in 2019. A year later, she was appointed as the Vice President of Global Customer Fulfillment, making her the first Black president to be part of Amazon’s S-team, a top executive position advising the then-CEO, Jeff Bezos.

These women are just three prominent examples, but there are countless more. Obviously, attending an MBA program isn’t just about business vocabulary and communication, as many consider it. Attending an MBA program provides chances to develop problem-solving skills and how you see the bigger picture when faced with complex decisions. Beyond that, programs often introduce individuals to industry experts who can pass on their wisdom through interactive sessions, case studies, seminars and presentations.

Recommended Books for the MBA journey

Women Leaders Are Shaping Work Culture

MBAs can empower individuals with the framework to build the necessary financial models that will help their organizations achieve success. These programs equip women to understand the systems that will protect their organizations through innovation and a rapidly disruptive business ecosystem, such as the current Covid-19 landscape.

The value of an MBA degree for women also positions them to push beyond their comfort zones, and this culture is integrated into their respective organization’s leadership mindset. The ultimate result of which is more efficiency and better products for the organization and a winning spirit.

If you’re a woman, and your goal is to earn yourself a seat in a leadership position, pursuing an MBA degree program is one way to make your dream a reality. It can help pave the way for the hundreds of thousands of aspiring women worldwide, regardless of color or background.

 

Read the original article on the Forbes website.

 

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10 Crucial Leadership Skills Today for Executives to Boost Their Career

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leadership women leadership skills

These Outdated Leadership Practices Are Crippling Your Business

Outdated Leadership: The face of the business and workplace environment has changed drastically over the past decade, thanks to aggressive tech advances. Even more of these transitions have happened during and post the pandemic period.

Despite the changing world around us, we all are vulnerable to blind spots in how we work or run our affairs. Those of us in business have to be wary. Blind spots can easily lead to stagnation, even as we work tirelessly with the best intentions. As a leadership and business coach, it is my job to help you identify areas of improvement.

So, today I have a list of outdated leadership practices that may be stifling your business growth.

Here is what to shake up if you still rely upon these practices in 2023.

Rigid Hierarchies

Hierarchical leadership once worked with a clearly defined chain of command, but as the workforce changes, so do the behavior and perceptions.

Organizations with highly structured environments and clear differences between low-level and high-level employees kill innovation. There is less collaboration in departments and across status levels. As a result, the business can’t utilize the employees’ full potential to innovate and problem-solve.

Some companies may invite opportunities for employees to share ideas and ditch the chains of command but still hold on to status symbols. These can just as easily alienate different employees. Think dress code, office layouts, and even titles.

One way to deal with this is to provide greater responsibilities to lower-level employees occasionally- for instance, as team leaders on projects. Relaxing the dress code and reorganizing office layouts are also shake-ups to consider.

Traditional Work Hours

Remote or in-office work. After the pandemic, the discussion heated on whether businesses should continue to allow employees to work from home and log work hours as tradition demanded.

Work has already changed, and companies that embrace a hybrid approach benefit more from the modern practices of flexible work hours.

With this, a new business doesn’t have to only rely on someone local for a job. That means faster delivery timelines and competitive prices.

Traditional Company Career Ladder

Traditional leadership prioritizes tenure or time with the company as a factor for promotion.
Yet the growing new workforce of generation Z and millennials prioritize new experiences over time in one organization or field.

A business that continues to operate under the old loyalty and tenure contract risks losing talent and creativity- the workforce moves toward a new social contract where security and benefits are less of incentives. Instead the current workforce is eager for roles with new experiences and flexibility.

(Relying on) Annual Reviews for Performance Evaluation

The old leadership relies on end-of-year reviews and monetary bonus rewards. While these worked, they only focused on competency and stacked ranking at the expense of the employees’ impact and growth in the company.

The military-style evaluation leaves employees with low scores demotivated and looking for opportunities elsewhere.

Companies have shifted away from hours and in-person presence as productivity measures, instead focusing on task completion. It has changed the way success is evaluated and opened up opportunities for previously untenable flexible working arrangements that prioritize output over attendance times.

Not to mention more employees prefer regular feedback from their leaders. 85% of millennials would feel more confident in their positions if they had more frequent performance reviews with their employers, according to research by TriNet.

Today many aspects of the business are fast-paced; reviews and feedback should also be ongoing. Regular evaluation of work brings in the concept of coaching and not managing.

Pressure to Deliver Short-Term Results

Working to meet deadlines is a must, especially with clients. But frequent time-intensive deadlines are a creativity killer.

An overemphasis on immediate objectives can blur employees’ view of the company’s long-term strategy and big picture. In such environments, employees prioritize quick solutions and completing tasks while leaving untapped potential in its wake.

It is up to management teams and HR departments alike to ensure that everyone understands the importance of optimizing overall performance instead of merely seeking short term gains.

Fixing Problems Instead of Coaching

Managers focus on process and structure, ensuring a standardized way of doing things.

Coaching, on the other hand, is about building on employees strengths to help them perform at their peak. Taking charge of everything and jumping in to fix problems are outdated leadership style aspects that cripple teams.

To flourish and grow, it takes more than just being structured with your team members – true success comes from recognizing the place of coaching by enabling the team members to identify solutions for the challenges.

Modern leadership is about coaching and mentoring those you lead. That means you will spend at least 35-40% of time in this process.

The Bottom Line

Times have changed, and so has what effective leaders do to get results from their teams. Your business may stagnate if you are using these outdated leadership practices.
Keeping your eyes open to the changing world is essential for continued growth and success.

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leadership women leadership skills

Non-Fiction Book ‘Relentless Pursuit’ Takes Readers On A Unique Path to Success

Non-Fiction Book 'Relentless Pursuit'

Nurse leader, serial entrepreneur, and author from Tampa, Florida, Tonika Bruce, in her non-fiction book titled “Relentless Pursuit: Proven Tips for Unlocking Your Potentials,” gives readers a new way to look at and pursue success.

The goal is to show the uniqueness of every person’s success and the path that leads them there. The book begs to answer the three questions that plague the human mind. What is success? Why does it matter? How do I find it?
Professionals and entrepreneurs all seek to answer these questions.

Drawing from her personal experiences and lessons learned, Tonika provides an insightful roadmap for anyone willing to pursue their passions relentlessly.

While tackling the misconception that success means the same thing for all people, Tonika shows why unlocking our potentials is central to what this will look like for us. The book concludes with a dive into the core components of building a successful life whether you are a stay-at-home parent, a CEO of a Fortune 500 company, or an office clerk.

Relentless Pursuit is not a run-of-the-mill motivational book but insights gathered over 20 years as a working professional and entrepreneur who has failed and started from scratch. It is, therefore, a culmination of proven tips for unlocking the individual potential for success

About the Author

Tonika Bruce is an author, nurse, serial entrepreneur, and business coach who helps professionals and entrepreneurs achieve their goals and dreams.

She is the founder of Lead Nicely, a digital marketing company, and Tonika Bruce coaching, which provides professional development training and business coaching services.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in Nursing from Nova Southeastern University and 2 Masters degrees: A Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) and a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA).

Bruce built her first successful business in her very early 20’s, a network marketing company with a sales team of more than 300.

Over the course of her professional life, she has started multiple businesses in marketing, sales, healthcare, and hospitality niches. Her other venture, The Network Nurse, is a platform where she uses her experience as a nurse educator to mentor other nurses who wish to start or expand their own businesses.

Relentless Pursuit is Tonika’s second published book borne out of her own bad break in business and personal life and the lessons she had to learn to rise to success. It answers the three most important questions every working professional and business owner wakes up daily to try and answer.

Order your copy today!

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How a Florida Nurse Got Her Life Back After Enduring Workplace Injury to Lead Successful Start-Up Ventures

Tonika Bruce lives in Tampa, Florida, and runs an innovative digital marketing agency with a global workforce.

Tonika Bruce is a nurse, business owner, and entrepreneur who overcame a workplace injury to build a thriving digital marketing agency.

She now shares how she went from being injured and unemployed to starting her company and leading start-up ventures in an inspiring story of resilience.

Fresh out of college at age 21, Tonika Bruce was an ambitious, talented and competitive visionary. It was this drive that has always fueled her success from the start. She had a successful basketball career and was ready to take on the business world.

Then one timely day, seeing an Ad for a $20/hour job marked the beginning of a successful journey for her in business. She applied for the position and got an invitation for an interview. That was the first time she came across the network marketing business model.

‘That day, I felt I’d seen what success looks like – wrapped in an expensive suit, with conviction in his voice, Alan could make people feel what he felt.’

The way Alan, the presenter at the interview, commanded the room and easily connected with the 50 people present became the inspiration she needed.
With conviction, she left the interview and purchased the required kit using her rent money to start her first sales job.

Even with zero sales background, she was committed to be the best. She modeled Alan and did a ton of research. Soon enough, she received an invitation to work with the company owner in Ft. Lauderdale.

In a few months of working in Ft. Lauderdale, Bruce had grown and was ready to move out and open her location in Dallas. She did, and expanded to eight more in just six months. At 23, she was generating a six figure income monthly.

The success here went down the drain after the economy took a hit during the 9/11 incident. Broke and broken, she had to start from scratch. She applied for jobs and worked in various industries to make a living, with coaching seemingly being the passion, but not necessarily what paid the bills.

After the passing of her grandmother, her path took a totally different direction into nursing. By this time, she had been in sales, coaching, public speaking and hospitality management.

During her time in nursing she thought she couldn’t rise up again. Shortly into the profession she encountered a severe injury that left her with a neuro deficit in the leg and foot. She couldn’t walk, bend, or sit down-that meant she couldn’t work.

Unable to work meant-reliance on workers’ compensation to make ends meet. For the next two years, Bruce struggled with the physical and emotional aftermath of her injury.

Her income dropped from six figures to less than the average household income. Although she faced loss before, the difference this time, she did not have the capacity to go out and take action.

Sometimes we just need to be shown what success looks like.

‘I had a patient who’d had surgery in both eyes and couldn’t see my face. She asked for my name. When I told her, she smiled, called me Dr. Bruce, then said I wouldn’t be a nurse for long. I was going to lead people and head a successful business that would grow internationally.’ – Tonika Bruce.

Between the injury, enduring workers compensation processes, and more than enough time in her hands, this became a blessing in disguise.

Bruce now leads several ventures and client portfolios worth greater than 3M+.

She was approached with another opportunity involving network marketing and went for it. From this, she began fine tuning and expanding her digital marketing agency, Lead Nicely, Inc, which has grown since to integrate people from across the globe.

The agency offers a full range of digital marketing services, including web design, logo design, email marketing, social media marketing, content marketing, and pay-per-click advertising.

Not always encountering seamless transitions, Bruce witnessed firsthand the complexity of running on many automation tools as a digital marketer.
Some proved too complex to work with, and others didn’t integrate well. Most of all, some were too expensive for any small business.

With so many tools, products, and opinions out there, Bruce went through a lot of headache and frustrations, so instead of trying to add another organizational or productivity tool, she added a CRM Software that ties these operational services into a single automation solution.

For startup companies like the ones she serves, that cost snowballs rather quickly, hitting the roof in months.

Therefore, solving this became a requirement. That meant getting in the trenches and testing a combination of software that would work. The following few years this became her goal. She tried many tools that failed to meet the demands of her business cost-effectively. That’s until Phalera.

This is not just another CRM in the market; it is an innovative marketing solution designed with entrepreneurs in mind.

Like Tonika, many entrepreneurs would prefer not to have to log on to several tools to accomplish tasks daily. Phalera offers this reprieve-and she has already started rolling out the system with her clients.

Watch a demo of Phalera CRM in action.

Lead Nicely, Inc., is on a mission to help the often overlooked business markets build an online presence- professionals with start-up projects, non profits, small businesses, and companies that help or educate others.

In addition to running the agency, Bruce is also a best-selling author, nurse leader, business coach, mentor and serial entrepreneur. Her other ventures span coaching, fitness, and healthcare industries.

Bruce believes everyone has a specific purpose or mission to live up to; hers is to help people solve their problems, and this is the goal of Lead Nicely Inc.

Sign-up now: Get strategic about your career and business with Tonika Bruce’s exclusive coaching.

Sign-up now: Get strategic about your career and business with Tonika Bruce’s exclusive coaching.