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4 Reasons You Should Create Position Descriptions
There are many reasons why an organisation should have position descriptions. They should be reviewed on an annual basis to ensure they are current. Some of the reasons why you should create position descriptions include:
Attracting and Recruiting the Right Candidate: A Position Description gives the candidate a clear understanding of the role, duties, responsibilities and expectations and will help them to decide whether they’re a good fit for the role. They also help the Manager and recruitment team to shortlist and ultimately employ the right candidate.
Sets clear expectations of the role and responsibilities: A detailed position description helps the employee clearly understand the role, responsibilities and KPIs.
Employee Retention: An accurate position description assists with effective workforce planning, succession planning and career pathway discussions. It can be used to identify performance areas where training and career development would be needed to assist an employee to perform in their current role and develop for future roles.
Performance reviews: Outlining performance expectations at the commencement of employment eases conversations about skill and performance gaps throughout the probation period and beyond. Well documented position descriptions supplement performance reviews, one-to-one meeting notes, and feedback file notes.
All businesses regardless of size should have position descriptions and review them on an annual basis. I create position descriptions for my clients that are tailored to their business and position requirements. If you need assistance with creating or updating position descriptions, please reach out to discuss.
How to Give Constructive Feedback to a Colleague
Delivering constructive feedback to a colleague can be challenging, but with the right framework and intentions, it can be incredibly valuable. No one is perfect, and we can always learn from our colleagues.
Consider this scenario: an employee delivered feedback to a colleague about a mistake they found in the colleague's work. The feedback was given as the colleague arrived at their desk in an open-plan office, where several team members were nearby and could easily overhear. The feedback lacked context, and the employee admitted to discussing the mistake with others before addressing it with the colleague. When asked for specifics, they weren't shared, and the manager walked up at the end of the conversation stating that mistakes shouldn't be made.
How could this constructive feedback have been delivered more effectively?
As Brene Brown says Clear is kind. Unclear is unkind. Talking about people rather than to them is unkind.
Discuss the feedback directly with your colleague, not with others in the team.
Choose the right time and place. Have the conversation in a private setting, away from other colleagues.
Provide specific feedback and examples to help the employee reflect and learn from the mistake.
Create an environment where the employee can reflect on their mistake without feeling defensive.
Suggest ways to improve or offer assistance to address the issues. This shows you are invested in the employee’s success.
Encourage a two-way conversation by asking questions and allowing the employee to provide their viewpoint.
What is the impact of poor constructive feedback conversations?
It can damage relationships and trust between team members.
The employee may react defensively if they are unprepared for the conversation.
Vague feedback can prevent the employee from reflecting and learning from the mistake.
In the worst case scenario, the employee may leave due to feeling disrespected, undervalued and unable to rebuild credibility and trust with the team.
In summary think about the impact and outcome you hope to achieve from the feedback conversation which is to support your colleague to improve. Plan and prepare for the conversation, always deliver constructive criticism in private and being clear is kind.
What are your thoughts and experiences?
The Importance of Providing Timely Feedback
As a leader our role is to provide positive and constructive feedback to our employees. When we have to deliver constructive feedback, we can procrastinate on giving feedback, due to the fear of upsetting the employee or lack of confidence on communicating the feedback.
Avoiding giving feedback can result in escalation of the problem, damaging the relationship between you and the employee and not allowing the employee to realise their full potential. When you put yourself in the employee’s shoes, how would you feel if your manager withheld feedback from you, that could help you develop in your role? No-one is perfect and I am sure we’ve all had times where we have avoided providing feedback, only for the issue to escalate and we have had to have a difficult conversation.
An example is early in my career my manager saved the feedback for the annual performance review and used an example from 6 months ago. I couldn’t remember the example that my manager used during the performance review and therefore couldn’t rectify the problem.
There are many reasons why it is important to provide timely feedback including:
Opportunity to Improve or Rectify the Issue: When feedback is given promptly, employees can address issues or make improvements while the relevant work or behaviour is still fresh in their minds. The employee can learn from their mistake.
Prevents Issues from Escalating: Providing feedback soon after an error or issue is identified helps prevent minor problems from escalating into major ones. It allows for corrections to be made before they become ingrained or more difficult to address.
Motivation and Engagement: Timely feedback can boost motivation and engagement. People often appreciate knowing how they’re doing in real time, which can encourage them to stay focused and invested in their tasks. When you’ve built a trusting relationship with your employees, it can assist with providing and the employee receiving feedback.
Enhances Learning and Development: For skill development and learning, timely feedback is essential. It helps individuals understand what they’re doing well and where they need to improve, leading to faster and more effective learning.
Strengthens Relationships: Timely feedback shows that you are attentive and invested in your employee’s growth or success. This can build trust and strengthen relationships.
Clarity and Accuracy: The sooner feedback is given, the more likely it is to be relevant and accurate. Delayed feedback might be based on a distorted memory of the situation or lack the context needed for effective guidance.
In summary, prepare for your constructive feedback conversations, ensure you are calm and in control of your emotions, remember that you are helping the employee to develop and realise their full potential and deliver the feedback as soon as possible.
Effective Employee Onboarding
The role of a leader or manager in onboarding new hires is crucial to ensure a smooth and effective integration of new employees into the organisation. Onboarding is not just about paperwork and orientation; it's an opportunity to set the tone for the employee's experience and lay the foundation for their success within the company. It can impact the productivity, engagement and retention of new employees.
Here are key aspects of a leader's role in the onboarding process:
Welcome and Introduction:
Contact and welcome the employee to the organisation, prior to their first day. Confirm the details for their first day.
On the first day, personally welcome new hires to the team and organisation.
Introduce them to the company’s culture, values, and mission.
Facilitate introductions to team members, key colleagues, and other relevant stakeholders.
Provide Clear Expectations:
Discuss the purpose of their role and how their role contributes to the team and organisation.
Clearly communicate job expectations, responsibilities, and performance metrics.
Discuss short-term and long-term goals, both for the individual and the team.
Training and Development:
Ensure that new hires receive proper training, whether it’s technical, procedural, or related to company policies.
Facilitate opportunities for skill development and continuous learning e.g. shadowing team members.
Communication:
Establish open lines of communication and encourage questions and feedback.
New employees who feel informed and supported are more likely to seek help and feedback when needed.
Share information about team dynamics, communication channels, and collaboration tools.
Social Integration:
Arrange social activities or team-building events to help new hires build relationships with their colleagues.
Where appropriate arrange a long tenure team member to be a Buddy for the new employee. It can help employees to ask questions without fear of evaluation, someone to have lunch with and introduce to others in the organisation.
Foster a sense of belonging and inclusion within the team and organisation.
Check-ins and Feedback:
Conduct regular check-ins to assess how new hires are adjusting and to address any concerns.
Provide constructive feedback and recognise achievements to reinforce positive behaviours.
Set a Positive Example:
Lead by example in terms of work ethic, attitude, and adherence to company values.
Demonstrate a commitment to ongoing learning and improvement.
Accessibility:
Be approachable and available to address any questions or concerns.
Provide guidance on navigating the organisational structure and culture.
Alignment with Company Culture:
Reinforce the company’s values and cultural norms.
Ensure that new hires understand and embody the organisation’s mission and vision.
Monitor Progress:
Track the progress of new hires in terms of task completion, skill development, and overall integration.
Make necessary adjustments to the onboarding plan based on feedback and observations.
By actively participating in the onboarding process, leaders can contribute significantly to the success of new hires and help them become productive, engaged members of the team. Effective onboarding not only benefits the new employee but also positively impacts team morale and overall organisational success.
If you need assistance with reviewing and developing your onboarding program, please reach out to discuss.
Benefits of Stay Interviews
Throughout my experience, a lot of organisations complete exit interviews and in some cases try to convince the exiting employee to remain with the organisation. As Adam Grant (Organisational Psychologist) said at his recent Melbourne event, “exit interviews are too late to start the conversation about why people are leaving.”
While there is a place for capturing exit interview data and sometimes employees are more open and honest when they are leaving, more important is to retain your top talent and not wait until they have resigned to ask them why there weren’t satisfied with their role and have decided to leave. It also promotes a culture of continuous improvement and trust between leader and employee, as they take action to improve the employee experience.
What are Stay Interviews?
Stay interviews are a proactive approach taken by employers to retain their top talent. Stay interviews seek to understand employee’s perspectives, needs and concerns to enhance the employee experience and retain employees, by addressing areas of concern before they become reasons for departure. Unlike employee engagement surveys, stay interviews can provide further information and explanation and allows initiatives to address the root cause of problems.
Stay interviews can become part of your 1-on-1 meetings with your employees and can be a means to understand the employee and their motivations.
Purpose
The primary purpose of stay interviews is to gain insights into the employee's job satisfaction, motivation, and overall experience within the organisation.
It helps employers understand what aspects of the job and workplace contribute to employee engagement and retention.
2. Questions
Stay interview questions are designed to uncover the employee's perceptions about their work, the work environment, career development, and overall job satisfaction.
Examples of questions include:
How would you rate your current wellbeing – out of 10, with comments? There may be external reasons as to why someone’s wellbeing is rated low.
What do you enjoy most about your role?
Are there any challenges or concerns that you would like to discuss?
Do you feel your career goals are being supported and developed here? If not, what can we do to better support you?
3. Action Planning
Similar to what occurs when analysing engagement survey data, the insights gathered from stay interviews are used to develop action plans to address concerns or areas that require improvement.
4. Building Trust
Conducting stay interviews helps build trust between employees and managers/leaders, fostering a culture of open communication.
It also helps to demonstrate that the business values its employees and is committed to creating a positive work environment and continuous improvement.
Overall, stay interviews are a proactive tool for employee engagement and retention, helping businesses to create a workplace where employees feel valued, supported and motivated to stay and contribute to the company’s success.
Importance of Onboarding Check-ins
Onboarding check-in discussions assist with retaining your top talent, that you have worked hard to attract and recruit. If someone leaves the organisation during their probation period, this can be a sign that there could be room for improvement in the recruitment and/or onboarding process.
As a leader you can start with onboarding meetings within the first couple of weeks of a new employee’s commencement. The purpose of the meetings is to build trust with the employee, understand their motivations, career plans and ensure that your new employees are settling into their role, that the role is what they were expecting, as was described throughout the recruitment process and rectify any issues or concerns.
A recent example is that of an employee that kept looking for another role despite already accepting and starting with the organisation. This employee accepted another role that they think is a better fit and is leaving within 2 months of starting. While this happens from time to time, the leader should reflect on whether there is anything they could have done differently to ensure that the role they were offering was what the new employee was seeking and while they had career plans for this new employee in the future, this may not have been communicated during the interview or onboarding process/discussions.
I recommend asking the onboarding check-in questions in the first couple of weeks in the role and then on a monthly basis throughout the probation period (assuming it’s 6 months). After probation, you should move onto Stay Interviews.
Onboarding Check-in Questions
Examples of questions you could ask include:
How are you settling into your role, the team and organisation?
Is this role what you expected, considering what was communicated during the recruitment process? If not, what is different?
What are you enjoying so far in your role?
Is there any support that you require to feel more confident/successful in your role?
If as a leader you receive feedback from your employee that is of concern, then you should take steps to understand and address the employee’s concerns. This builds trust and confidence between the employee and leader and is a proactive step to retaining your top talent.
10 Reasons Why You Should Develop Your Leaders
Developing your Managers/Leaders is crucial to the success of your business. Effective leadership plays a pivotal role in shaping the culture, driving innovation and achieving business goals.
Identifying your emerging leaders and offering them leadership training and opportunities, can be beneficial to your organisation.
Reasons to Develop your Leaders
1. Strategic Vision & Direction
Leaders are responsible for setting the strategic vision and direction of an organisation. Developing leaders ensures that there are individuals capable of setting goals and devising plans to achieve the strategic business plan.
2. Effective Communication
Leaders must communicate effectively with various stakeholders, including employees, clients, and shareholders. Developing leaders helps improve communication skills, fostering transparency and trust within the organisation.
3. Employee Motivation & Engagement
Strong leaders inspire and motivate their teams. By investing in leadership development, organisations can create a positive work environment, foster employee engagement, and improve overall productivity.
4. Adaptability & Change Management
In today's dynamic business environment, adaptability is crucial. Leaders need to navigate and lead their teams through change effectively. Leadership development programs can help individuals develop the skills needed to manage change and uncertainty.
5. Innovation
Leaders often drive innovation within an organisation. By developing leaders who value and encourage creativity, organisations can foster a culture of innovation that can lead to a competitive advantage in the marketplace.
6. Succession Planning
Developing a pipeline of leaders ensures a smooth transition in key leadership positions. Succession planning is essential for the long-term sustainability of an organisation, reducing the risk associated with sudden leadership changes.
7. Improved Decision Making
Leaders are responsible for making critical decisions. Leadership development enhances decision-making skills, ensuring that leaders are equipped to analyse situations, consider various perspectives, and make informed decisions.
8. Conflict Resolution & Team Building
Leadership development programs often focus on interpersonal skills, conflict resolution, and team building. Leaders who effectively manage conflict and build cohesive teams contribute to a positive team culture.
9. Talent Retention & Development
Strong leaders are instrumental in attracting and retaining top talent. Employees are more likely to stay with an organisation that provides opportunities for professional growth and development, which effective leaders can facilitate.
10. Ethical Leadership
Leadership development also emphasises ethical decision-making and responsible leadership. Ethical leaders contribute to the development of a culture of integrity, which is essential for the long-term reputation and success of an organisation.
In summary, investing in the development of managers/leaders is a strategic imperative for organisations aiming to thrive in a rapidly changing and competitive landscape. Effective leadership is the cornerstone of business success, influencing everything from employee satisfaction to strategic execution and long-term sustainability.
Should you be interested in customised Leadership training and/or coaching for your team, please reach out to me to discuss.
Leadership Lessons: Respectful Redundancy Conversations
Let’s be honest, most people feel anxious when it comes to communicating with an employee that their role has been made redundant.
You don’t need for the conversation to be perfect, in fact sometimes despite all the planning and preparation for whatever reason the conversation doesn’t turn out as expected e.g. the employee becomes emotional, you lose track of your script/speech and you forget to remind the employee about EAP.
I recently heard of an example of a long term employee’s role being made redundant. This employee works from home most of the time, however, lives in the same state as his manager and the head office. The employee was notified by email late on a Friday afternoon that their role had been made redundant. No meeting with the manager, no farewell or concern for the impacted employee. This employee was to finish immediately, IT access removed and that was it.
I was disappointed to hear of this example. At a minimum, the employee deserved an explanation and discussion and under some Awards a consultation process is required. Sure, they don’t have a human resources department, however, I would have expected the employee to be invited to the office for a meeting or via Zoom/Teams etc.
As you’d expect the employee was in shock and was disappointed that no-one at the organisation called them. Weeks later they are still reeling about the situation.
What can Leaders learn from this example?
Even if you are anxious or would prefer not to have the conversation with the employee, speak with your manager, human resources department or a trusted advisor about your concerns.
Plan and prepare for the meeting. Explain why the position has been made redundant, allow the employee to ask questions, the next steps and if appropriate to have a farewell.
Arrange the meeting in private space e.g. meeting room away from the team or if you cannot meet in person arrange a time for an online meeting.
Review the Award to ensure you are following consultation requirements, that it is a genuine redundancy and you are paying the correct entitlements.
Treat employees with respect and compassion throughout the process.
Put yourself in the impacted employee’s shoes. Consider how you would feel if you found out that your role had been made redundant via email.
Send an email confirming the conversation (not instead of).
Consider if you will offer outplacement services, to assist the employee to find another role.
Failing to manage these situations effectively, can damage your employer brand and retention of your current staff. Negative word of mouth can be powerful and despite this employee not taking action on the employer and instead focusing on moving forward, rather than dwelling on what’s happened, the employee may have reacted differently.
If you need support with changes in your organisation, please contact me to discuss.
Is Hybrid Work right for your organisation?
For employees that work in an office based role, we have spent the better part of the last 2 years working from home. This has changed the landscape for businesses that have primarily worked in an office Monday to Friday. There are many managers that previously said employees couldn’t work from home as they weren’t as productive. When the option was taken away from them and the Government mandated working from home, managers had to ‘pivot’ the way they led their teams, motivated and supported their employees.
This created some challenges, especially for managers that were used to sitting next to their team and seeing what their employees were doing, to ‘trusting’ their employees were working and achieving their goals. Working 9-5 was often replaced with working hours that accommodated other commitments, such as home schooling. Meetings were on Zoom and connecting with teams became virtual.
Now that we are able to return to the office, what are your thoughts on the hybrid working model? We have seen media attention to Elon Musk’s mandate that all employees must work in the office 40 hours per week.
Employees that can work from home and are forced to return to an office full time may be at risk of leaving the organisation, especially when they may spend 1+ hours commuting to the office. For some employees they prefer to work in the office full time and remove the blur that happened during lockdown between work and life – where your computer was in reach at all times and it was too easy to just finish a work task late at night.
Employees have proven they can work from anywhere and be productive and manager’s saying they don’t trust their employees is no longer acceptable ! Offering flexible working arrangements is something organisation’s include on their website and job advertisements, how many organisations actually offer genuine flexible working options? From my experience, very few…
To maintain engagement and connection with the team, working from the office at least one day per week makes sense. Team meetings, supervision, social events etc can be scheduled on this day. It appears organisations are asking employees to work in the office 2-3 days per week and the rest of the time at home. Some organisations are offering paid lunches or social events once a week to encourage employees to return to the office.
My advice to managers is to have open and honest conversations with each of your employees about what works for them and the reason(s) why you want employees to work in the office and try to come to a mutual agreement about work arrangements. These arrangements can be reviewed in a few months to ensure they are working for both parties.
What is your organisation offering in terms of hybrid working arrangements?
Motivating Remote Employees
As restrictions ease and staff are returning to offices, employees prefer a hybrid working model. Employees will expect to work part of the time in the office and the remainder at home. Employers that force employees to return to working in the office 5 days per week may find team members leave for a more flexible role. In fact some employers have decided to offer employees a full remote working experience.
Learning to motivate your remote employees is essential to the success of your business and to retaining your staff. Here are some tips:
The biggest factor involved in motivating remote employees is trust ! I had this conversation with a client that was hesitant to allow their employees to work from home due to a lack of trust. The staff felt this dis-trust and as a result they have experienced a high employee turnover.
Find out what motivates your employees – don’t make assumptions. What motivates one employee could be very different to another.
Have daily check-ins/stand-up meetings with your team – when I managed a remote team I started each day with a morning check-in. We discussed how they were feeling each day and the priorities for the day.
Support your staff with their challenges e.g. tech issues, juggling home schooling and working, distractions etc. If they can’t work from home then consider if they can work in an office.
Create opportunities for socialisation and connection e.g. virtual Friday drinks, virtual activities
Continue discussing your employees career goals and invest in their professional development. Employees are concerned about out of sight out of mind and that they will be forgotten about career advancement and professional development opportunities.
The key ingredient is communication including active listening and confirming your understanding. Too often we are listening to respond, not to understand. This is a time when listening is essential.
It is your role as a leader to lead your team regardless of their location. If you are looking to develop your leadership skills book a Free Discovery call to find out more about the leadership coaching and training we offer.
“The Great Resignation” Are You Ready?
There has been much media attention about the “Great Resignation” that is predicted to hit in March 2022. As a manager what can you do to retain your talent?
There has been much media attention about “the Great Resignation” that is predicted to hit Australia in March 2022 and with an already competitive market for talent there is never a more important time than to focus on retaining your staff.
There is an increase in the number of LinkedIn posts from people leaving jobs and starting new roles. Talent is being headhunted on a daily basis to entice them to new roles and organisations, typically for a higher salary and benefits which are not on offer at their current employer.
What can you do to protect your business and talent from leaving?
When was the last time you had a conversation with your staff about their career goals and how the organisation can support them to achieve these goals?
Do you have career pathways for your staff? If they aren’t aware of the career pathway options available to them, they may seek these options elsewhere.
Ensure your staff feel valued. Recognise and reward your staff. Often we only share constructive feedback and not the positive feedback that should be celebrated, like a staff receiving positive feedback from a customer, achieving a project deadline, going above and beyond to help a colleague or customer etc.
Speak or survey your staff to gauge their commitment to the organisation and if there any reasons they may consider leaving. Once they resign there is usually little you can do to change their decision – counteroffers often result in the employee resigning again in 3-6 months.
Review your salaries against the market – are you paying above award rates? If not, you should research what other organisations are paying and consider salary increases to retain your talent.
When was the last time you reviewed your company benefits? Have you sought staff feedback on the benefits that are meaningful for them and not ones that you think will attract and retain talent.
Working from home can leave staff feeling disconnected from the organisation and open to other more enticing options. Connect with your team on a regular basis e.g. daily stand up meetings, virtual social events etc.
Where possible, implement a hybrid working model, where staff have a balance of connection in the office and flexibility.
Gone are the days where an employee should be happy to have a job, they have choice and if you don’t look after your staff then they will join the “Great Resignation”. Hoping that it won’t impact your workplace/industry could result in you not having enough staff to achieve your business goals and having to pay well above market rates to secure new talent and then take time to train them in your processes.
If you are in need of HR expertise to help you navigate this challenging time in attracting and retaining talent, book a Free Discovery call and we can discuss how we can assist you.
Winning the War for Talent
You may have heard that there is a shortage of talent across most industries? I have read many recent social media posts from business owners that have advertised job vacancies and aren’t getting any applications or when they do the job seekers are not suitable or genuinely interested in the opportunity.
What can you do to win the war for talent?
Internal
Promote from within – have conversations with your staff about their career aspirations and map out a career pathway or opportunities for them to develop their skills
Retain your current staff – value what you’ve got, the cost to replace staff is much higher than to retain your staff
Upskill your current staff to take on new positions / project opportunities
Implement an employee referral bonus program. Employees generally refer contacts that they would want to work with themselves. Also an attractive bonus ($1000 +) is an incentive that entices people to refer.
External
Review your selection criteria for the job – can you train some skills?
Hire for attitude and teach skill - if someone is enthusiastic and has a positive attitude and fits in with your team culture you can teach the skill. The opposite can be said for someone who has a poor attitude or is the wrong culture fit, no amount of skills will improve that wrong fit.
Are you paying current market rates? The market rates may have increased with the shortage of talent, do your research as part of your recruitment plan.
Research the relevant job search platforms to advertise – where are your talent looking?
What sets you apart from your competitors? This needs to be stated early in an advertisement
Is your advertisement clear and concise? Most people search for jobs on their mobile devices, if the advertisement is too wordy/long or reads like a job description candidates will be less likely to read it
Are you advertising the benefits and what candidates can expect from the job? Remember you are trying to sell the opportunity, not just list your selection criteria
Does your website/social media provide the information candidates are seeking e.g. career opportunities, culture, values, information about the organisation?
Contact suitable candidates as soon as possible after they apply for the job. Time is critical when they apply, if you wait too long the candidate may have accepted another job.
Consider the steps in your recruitment process – do you need a second/third interview? You may lose the candidate if your process is too lengthy or takes too long.
If you are interested in a candidate after the interview let them know that, delaying could cost you the candidate.
After the interview/reference check process offer a candidate a position asap after the interview.
Follow up with unsuccessful candidates, they may be suitable candidates for future opportunities or refer contacts if they have had a positive experience regardless of the outcome.
I am working with many business owners who have tried to employ staff without success. If this sounds like you, please book a Free Discovery call where we can discuss your challenges and how I can assist including developing a recruitment strategy.
Leading with Empathy
Never has there been a more important time for managers to step up and demonstrate their leadership skills.
With continuous lockdowns, employees working from home while juggling homeschooling, family and other commitments there is a need for managers to show empathy in leadership.
Empathy in leadership has been reported as being negative or weak however Jacinda Adern is an example of an effective leader who demonstrates empathy and kindness in her leadership style.
There are many examples of where empathy could have changed the outcome of certain situations:
Mary, had a father in hospital with a life threatening illness. There were times when Mary needed to prioritise being at the hospital rather than at work especially when called in by the hospital to be by her father’s side. The response by management was “if you think you need to be there” and “I’m sure he’ll be ok”. As it turns out Mary’s father was ok however as it was a serous diagnosis the outcome could have been different and making Mary decide between being at work or by her father’s side was a challenging decision that she should have not had to make. Mary was a hard working employee who put in extra hours to make up for the time she spent with her father.
Tanya’s father passed away after a short battle with cancer. Tanya was very close to her father, still living with her parents and was devastated by his passing. She needed to take time away from work to grieve. Management was concerned about how much time Tanya was away from work and persuaded her to return before she was ready. Tanya cried at work and was clearly not emotionally ready to return to the office, due to her work ethic she continued to attend work and got her job done to the best of her ability. Due to the lack of management support Tanya resigned from her job a month later.
Sarah’s sister had a serious illness (cancer) and Sarah was a manager of a team. Sarah needed time to support her sister and family during her treatment. Sarah returned to work and continued working during this time, obviously distracted by her sister’s illness. Sarah’s direct manager provided initial support however as time went on management forgot about it and expected Sarah to continue working as if nothing else was going on. One manager said to Sarah that it was none of her business to ask how her sister was going and so she kept the conversation to work only. Sarah’s performance was impacted during this time and there was no empathy or allowances provided. As a result Sarah resigned from the job.
In these examples there could have been different responses from management that could have retained high performers including allowing the employee to have the time off they needed to grieve, providing support, empathy, understanding and listening to the needs of the team. The employees were committed to their roles and with the right approach from management including communicating with the employee and not making assumptions there could have been an agreement reached that was mutually beneficial for both parties. As a leader you can lead by example and put yourself in the employee’s shoes.
Some of these examples are many years ago however the employees still remember them today.
What does empathy in leadership mean?
Getting to know your team and building an open and trusting relationship so that your team can bring any issues to you.
Listening is essential. Listen to your team member to understand what is going on for them.
Ask the employee what you can do to support them during this challenging time e.g. time off, review their workload, ask the team to assist etc.
Be authentic – share with your team if you are not 100% present at work and leading by example will in turn encourage your staff to do the same.
Encourage your team to do their best and don’t lose confidence in them.
What are the benefits of being an empathetic leader?
An empathetic leader is more likely to have a committed loyal team. The employees will want to come to work and do their best for their manager and the organisation. The results will speak for themselves. There is research that happy employees provide better service to the customers and will help the organisation to achieve their goals.
How do you develop your leadership skills?
Leadership skills can be developed through experience. I know that I have made decisions in the past that are different to what I would today. For example, an employee asked me for leave to attend his Aunty’s funeral overseas. Reading the company leave policy at the time I said that bereavement leave was for immediate family members only and he took annual leave. He was clearly upset by the passing of his Aunty and I would have approved at least some of the time as bereavement leave.
There are many leadership books from Simon Sinek, Brene Brown and others that you can read to understand the role of a leader and how to develop your skills.
Leadership training is also beneficial if it is also includes coaching or a follow up to ensure that the new skills are applied. Often short courses (1-5 days) teach the skills however the manager can return to their role with no change to their behaviour as it can be difficult to know how to apply their new skills.
Leadership coaching allows the individual to work 1:1 to develop their leadership skills and to be held accountable to their action plan. In my experience this has been most effective in assisting the manager to see the impact of their current leadership style and the need for change. See my previous blog post about the benefits of leadership coaching.
If you are ready to realise your full potential and develop your leadership skills please contact me to arrange a Free Discovery call.
Finding Your Ideal Job
Have you been in a job and thought to yourself one of the following:
I’m ready for the next career step but I am not sure what skills and experience I need to apply for a promotion either internally or externally
The role/industry I’m currently in doesn’t align to my values and makes me feel unfulfilled. I don’t know what role and industry I’m suited to or where to start.
I’ve been in the same role and organisation for a long time and don’t have the confidence to look externally due to fear of failure.
I’m ignoring the voice in my head that is telling me to move on from my current role for a number of reasons including a toxic culture, time for a new challenge, not feeling valued or recognised for your achievements etc
I’m moving to another location and need to find another job closer to home
I’ve heard many of these from clients and have used these excuses myself throughout my career.
You spend a lot of time at work and life is short, work somewhere that makes you happy and in a role where you are fulfilled.
Don’t scroll through job advertisements or continuously start and leave jobs before you take action to find your ideal job.
Why engage a Career Coach?
A Career Coach takes an unbiased view about your career and asks you questions that your friends and family may not. A Career Coach is an expert and can challenge your thinking and hold you accountable to change or actions towards your ideal job.
Personality / Strengths Assessment
Through personality or strengths questionnaires the Career Coach can help you to identify your strengths, values and motivations. This is particularly important if you cannot identify these yourself, are looking for a career change or can’t figure out why you have been unhappy or unfulfilled in your previous roles.
Confidence
A Career Coach assists you to work on your confidence to reach their goals. This can be through identifying your strengths, transferable skills and achievements and applying for your ideal job.
Action Plan
Career Coaches work with you to develop an action plan with steps to secure your ideal job. Career Coaches hold you accountable for executing the plan.
Job Searching
Job searching can be daunting if you haven’t looked for a new job for some time. It’s not as simple as applying for jobs on Seek, often roles are in the hidden job market and Career Coaches can assist with tapping into the hidden job market to find your ideal job.
Cover letter and resume
Cover letters can seem like old school thinking however it can set you apart from other candidates applying for the same job. It’s also another opportunity to sell your suitability for the position and why you are worthy of an interview.
Tailoring your cover letter and resume is important. If you’re applying for all jobs with the same resume and cover letter then in a competitive job market you may be overlooked.
Interview preparation
From presenting yourself at interview to answering behavioural interview questions and knowing which questions to ask at the end of the interview are all vital steps in the recruitment process.
Especially if you’re applying for a promotion or a career change you need to confidently answer questions in an interview. A Career Coach can role play the interview to ensure you are prepared.
How to Work with Me as your Career Coach
Throughout my career I have assisted hundreds of people to find their ideal job. If you or someone you know is interested in finding out more about Career Coaching please arrange a Free Discovery call.
Tips for Hiring Staff
Especially in Melbourne as we come out of COVID lockdown I have heard from a number of business owners that it is challenging to attract and employ suitable staff for your business.
It is a candidate market and especially during lockdown where there is uncertainty people are reluctant to change jobs. Candidates are looking for flexibility especially for office based roles working from home 1+ days per week is the norm.
I am working with organisations that are growing their businesses and with consistency and the following tips I have been able to source suitable candidates.
Job description
List the job requirements for the role – what specific tasks do you need the new staff member to do
What is the ideal experience and skill set that is required for this role
Step back and consider what are essential skills and experience and what can be learnt on the job e.g. specific systems knowledge can be taught if the candidate is IT savvy and has used similar systems.
Advertisement
Write a job advertisement that is punchy and to the point remembering to highlight the benefits of joining your organisation over similar jobs. Remember that the majority of candidates read job advertisements on their mobile devices and are less likely to read a wordy advertisement.
Don’t copy the job description into the job advertisement, if a candidate wants more information about the role they can request to view the job description.
Consider where you will advertise the job e.g. through your networks, social media, Seek, Jora, LinkedIn etc.
Candidate Feedback
Get back to all candidates even if they are not suitable, positive word of mouth builds your employer brand and a candidate may be suitable for future opportunities or refer friends/contacts.
Get back to candidates in a timely manner. In a competitive candidate market, candidates will be snapped up really quickly and delaying getting back to candidates can result in the candidate already accepting another role.
Shortlisting candidates
Review applications as they arrive in your inbox and contact suitable candidates straight away.
Shortlisting candidates can include a phone screen/interview where you have a brief chat with a candidate about their interest in the role and suitability. This is also an opportunity to sell your organisation to the candidate.
Interview process
Ask candidates to attend an interview either in person or on Zoom. Prepare interview questions and review the candidate’s resume prior to the interview. Remember that the interview process is two way, meaning that the candidate is assessing the organisation’s suitability as much as you are assessing the candidate’s suitability.
Get back to candidates asap after the interview.
Reference checks and offer
Complete reference checks and if positive then offer the candidate the role.
Be prepared for the candidate to negotiate the salary so consider your budget upfront, again delays can cost you the candidate.
Follow up the verbal offer with a written offer/contract
Need assistance with hiring staff for your team? Book a FREE discovery call to discuss how I can assist you to grow your business.
Be An Authentic Leader
Employees are more likely to follow an authentic leader.
During lockdown I was in a senior leadership role at a medium sized organisation. The team were all working from home, we met every morning to maintain connection. The purpose of the meetings was to check-in with how everyone was feeling about lockdown and to discuss any recent developments, concerns they had and how they were spending their spare time. We also discussed the work priorities for the day so that they didn’t need to think about this during a time of overwhelm for most people in lockdown. Not every day was positive, sometimes the team were feeling low especially after such a long time in lockdown.
I had some significant family health issues during that time. My leadership style is to share this information with my team so that they know why I may not be available or seem distracted. By sharing this information with my team they told me they viewed me as human and they felt comfortable to also share information with me that they may not have otherwise. It showed my team that it is ok to not be ok and that as leaders we are human and have personal issues happening the same as anyone else.
When I needed to take a week off with short notice my team were understanding and stepped up to assist with my responsibilities while I was absent. As a leader I was proud of my team.
When I left that job I felt like I was letting my team down however I also felt that I showed them what authentic leadership is and what is possible. When I met with one of my team members recently she said that she missed my leadership.
Across my career I see my role as a mentor and leader regardless of my job title. Many staff that I have mentored and trained are now in senior roles and I’d like to think that I played a part in their career development.
Some tips to become an authentic leader include:
Lead by example – don’t ask your team to do something you wouldn’t be prepared to do yourself
Be open and honest in your communication
Self awareness – be aware of your strengths and limitations and don’t be ashamed to admit when you have made a mistake. Be human with your team
Focus on the vision, long term goals and be results focused
Be genuine and build trust and connection with your team – find out about them, what motivates them, their career aspirations
Help your team to realise their full potential – provide them with projects that are going to give them new skills and experiences
Empower your team – let your team take responsibility for their role, celebrate success and when they make mistakes have an open and honest conversation and ensure they learn from their mistakes.
My leadership program is open for registrations. Please send me a message to book your FREE discovery call to get started.
The importance of open clear communication
Sharing my experiences, learning and information that may assist you in your business.
As the HR Manager I was called into a senior leader’s office to discuss his concerns with the performance of one of the line managers. In attendance was the head of the department (the line manager’s boss). The head of the department said that he had discussed the performance concerns with the line manager and there had been no improvement.
It was decided at the meeting that the line manager would be invited to a meeting to discuss his performance and given a chance to respond. As it turns out the line manager was unaware of the performance concerns, had not been given any direction or coaching from the head of the department and was in disbelief at being called to the meeting.
I recommended an executive coach to meet with the line manager to develop his leadership skills. The executive coach helped the line manager to understand his role as a leader and after several coaching sessions there was an obvious improvement in the line manager’s leadership style. The team also responded better to his style.
Unfortunately the relationship between the head of the department and line manager was damaged and in time the head of the department moved on and the line manager was promoted.
The key learnings from this example are:
When you promote an employee to a leadership role don’t assume that they have the skills required to lead their team.
As a senior leader you have a responsibility to grow and develop your direct reports. If you don’t have the time or capability send them to training and engage a leadership coach.
If you promote an employee who has potential, consider documenting a development plan so that both parties are aware of the development required and can track the required actions.
Leadership includes having difficult conversations even if they are unpleasant. Ensure your direct reports are aware of any performance gaps and support them to improve their performance.
Create a feedback culture so that you can have open transparent conversations. Consider the appropriate time and place for these conversations and ensure there is understanding of the gaps and actions required to improve performance.
For your leadership coaching, training and HR Consultancy needs please book your FREE discovery call.