The theme of bettering ourselves is prominent as we head into a new year. Many of us endeavour to make changes to ourselves and our lifestyles, often spurred on by a new year’s resolution or two. But how do we increase the chance that our resolutions will stick around past January? How can we avoid the February fizzle?

Good news: we know something about managing change from our work lives and those best practices can help us with the changes we want to make outside of the office. When you think about it, rolling out a new performance management system or reworking an internal communications strategy can be straightforward, as they rely on the more technical aspects of change. We create new processes, document new procedures, and train teams on what to do differently.

But when it comes to mindset shifts – getting people to think differently – the challenge is greater. Changing a mindset goes beyond altering the way we do things – we have to alter the way we perceive the world around us, and this requires time, intention, and effort. Adapting a few best practices from change management can help:

  • Set a clear objective and definition of success

Ask yourself: Why am I trying to adopt this new mindset? What do I hope to achieve? Perhaps you want to develop a more growth-oriented outlook or become more patient in your leadership style. Without a clear objective, it’s difficult to measure progress or stay motivated.

In change management, we establish clear success criteria and milestones. When managing your own mindset shift, it helps to do the same: define what successful change means to you. Is it when you instinctively approach challenges with curiosity instead of frustration? Or when your team starts to notice and appreciate your more open-minded approach? Defining success helps keep you focused and provides a sense of achievement along the way.

  • Prepare your stakeholders and create accountability with supportive partners

Every mindset shift has a ripple effect on those around us—whether it’s our colleagues, friends, or family. Ask yourself: Who are my ‘stakeholders’ in this change? How might my new mindset affect them, and how might they react? Providing some ‘advance notice’ to those affected can help manage expectations and foster support.

Accountability partners can dramatically increase the likelihood of a successful mindset shift. Just as we engage sponsors and champions in organizational change efforts, we can enlist trusted colleagues or friends to act as our personal support network. These individuals can provide encouragement, offer feedback, and help hold us accountable.

  • Build in some structure

In the workplace, we implement policies and tools to support technical change, so think about how this can be adapted for personal mindset shifts: structural changes might include setting up reminders, scheduling regular check-ins with your accountability partners, or keeping a journal to track progress and reflect on lessons learned. These reinforcements create an environment conducive to lasting change.

  • Be kind and patient with yourself

Finally, be realistic and kind to yourself. Organizational change takes time, and so does personal transformation. Don’t expect an overnight shift. Set realistic expectations for how long it might take for your new mindset to become second nature and remember that setbacks are part of the process…the key is to keep moving forward, one step at a time.

You may be thinking: “Best practices from work?  Really?” This approach may feel like overkill, but it is great way to demonstrate respect for your efforts through good planning. Applying proven change management principles to personal change increases the likelihood that your new mindset will take hold, and come February, those changes will be here to stay.

If you would like to discuss how we can help you build or strengthen a change management mindset, please get in touch with me at gordon.robinson@orgshakers.com or via our website.

The New Year is always a time for reflection, and more often than not, this can lead to us reevaluating what things have been bringing us purpose in our life and where in our lives this purpose can be found. This is where The Purpose Effect: Building Meaning in Yourself, Your Role and Your Organization by Dan Pontefract comes into play.

Dan is a leadership and culture change strategist, a keynote speaker with over two decades of experience at companies such as SAP, TELUS, and Business Objects, and an author to a number of bestselling books.

In his book The Purpose Effect, Dan combines his years of experience with swathes of research on employee engagement to create a work about the three crucial areas of purpose that result in the Purpose Effect: individual, workplace role, and organizational. 

Purpose-driven organizations focus on more than just profits. They align personal, organizational, and role-based purposes, benefiting both employees and society. When these elements align, employees feel fulfilled and engaged, contributing towards better work. If there is a mismatch between an employee’s personal purpose and the organization’s goals, it can ultimately lead to dissatisfaction.

This is where the Purpose Effect comes in, and it arises from three main factors:

  1. Personal Sense of Purpose: Employees need to have a motivating purpose. This involves growth, defining life goals, and maintaining ethical behavior. Employees should be continually asking themselves how they are evolving and how they want to be perceived at work.
  2. Organizational Purpose: This defines why the company exists. It reflects the company’s principles, ethics, culture, and commitment to fair practices. Fair compensation, performance management, and recognition are essential for aligning employees with a company’s purpose.
  3. Role-Based Purpose: Each employee’s role must align with their personal and organizational purpose. When employees see their work as a ‘calling’, they are more likely to engage with said work.

Dan’s book teaches employers how they can find what he dubs the ‘sweet spot’ – this is the intersection of personal, organizational, and role purposes. By achieving this alignment, leaders will be able to foster a community spirit within the organization that will lead to a more productive, motivated workforce, as a company without a clear purpose may struggle to attract and retain top talent.

If you would like to discuss how we can help implement the best strategies to achieve the Purpose Effect, please get in touch with us today!

In the meantime, be sure to grab a copy of The Purpose Effect – you can head over here for the US and here for the UK.

A staple of entering a new year is New Year’s Resolutions. Many of us will take a moment of self-reflection to look inside ourselves and identify a list of resolutions that we feel will improve us as a person in the year to come. The ‘new year, new me’ mindset will remerge across social media platforms like it always does and many of us will be begrudgingly attempting to lower alcohol and meat intake across Dry January and Veganuary.

And yet, despite this mindset seeming slightly performative, the idea of reflection and inciting change is actually a very positive thing to be doing – especially if you are a leader or executive in an organization.

For those in positions of power in the workplace, reflection on current working policies and practices is vital for ensuring that the cogs of your business continue to spin without any kinks. However, when things remain the same way for too long, these cogs can quickly start to rust…so, when it comes to the ‘new year, new me’ mindset in leaders, what are some things that leaders should be leaving behind in 2024 to ensure a prosperous 2025 for their organizations and for their people?

  • Any thinking that AI is a technical event/opportunity/phenomenon – it’s absolutely tied to the way we get things done across all the enterprise. It’s not an IT thing!
  • Any constraining of employee experimentation with AI or AI tools – good practices will emerge if we let people play with new processes and thinking — let this happen with AI!  Get out of their way! Instead, find a way for people to share their discovery of how to use AI in their jobs.
  • Any constraining of the strategic nature of the CFO role – the Chief Financial Officer is no longer just the ‘numbers’ person, they are a strategic thinker and contributor to the C-suite team. They are increasingly in charge of the large-scale, strategic investments that have broad impacts on company infrastructure and strategic positioning, meaning that their voice is critical in the ideation and trade-offs for such investments.
  • Similarly, any constraining of the CHRO role – the Chief Human Resources Officer can be a powerful, strategic role, and it is key to harnessing a varied, complex workforce.
  • Stop allowing politicization of best practices that work – Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI), Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG)…these are strategic approaches that are tried and true, and that drive success. They are key to innovation and good decision-making.

If leaders truly want to embrace a ‘new year, new me’ mindset, then they should start to consider the leadership practices which will propel them and their company forwards. This is where our Executive Action Series can help; a leadership development program that is laser-focused on supporting your senior leaders and executives with their strategic goals in order to yield long-term resilience and drive sustainability.

If you would like to discuss this service in more detail, please get in touch with us at anya@orgshakers.com or gordon.robinson@orgshakers.com

Last year, we asked the OrgShakers team what practices and ideologies they thought employers should be leaving behind as they ventured into the New Year.

Now, as another year comes to a close, we wanted to see what they believe should be left behind in 2024 in order to help propel sustainability and growth in the year to come:

  • Our Founder David Fairhurst believes that the end of the year is a great time for HR leaders to be considering their key areas of focus for 2025, and this includes looking at what practices should be left behind in order to foster more innovative, inclusive, and employee-centric workplaces. This could be done by adopting outcome-centered models of managing performance, or placing a greater focus on strategic workforce planning to ensure the workforce is a future fit, or even looking into comprehensive wellbeing strategies to avoid employee burnout, to name a few. But what’s important to remember when looking at new practices is to be realistic, and this can be done by thinking of HR strategic objectives on three levels:
    • What are the basics that need to be maintained?
    • What are the areas that must continuously improve?
    • What are the big moves we need to focus on which will offer a transformative impact?
  • Anya Clitheroe would like to stop hearing managers complaining about the Gen Z workforce! This year she has heard so many managers making the blanket statement that Gen Z have been spoilt and they don’t want to work hard or that they don’t show any initiative. Instead, Anya would like them to find a way to engage the younger workforce in a way that interests them. Have they clearly communicated ways of working expectations, and have they found out what does motivate them? At the very least, they need to see that not every Gen Z can be identical in their workstyle preferences!
  • Speaking of leaders, Marty Belle believes that employers should leave behind rigidity and paternalistic leadership operating styles. These areas of inflexibility include enforcing Return to Work practices in cases where remote workers are more productive, or only offering fixed work schedules without taking into consideration some workers may not be morning people and would choose to work mid-day rather than early morning. Additionally, more flexible scheduling would accommodate childcare needs and parental involvement in their children’s extracurricular activities.
  • Building on this, Lauren Kincaid believes that employers should be leaving behind a one-size-fits all approach when it comes to employment policies and employee benefits. The more personalized the employment experience, the more seen, heard and valued an employee feels, resulting in better employee engagement, loyalty and performance.
  • Echoing Marty’s sentiment of rigidity, Sayid Hussein also believes employers should leave behind in 2024 a “9-to-5, in-office only” mentality. With advancements in technology and changing workforce dynamics, it’s time to embrace flexible working arrangements that prioritize outcomes over hours. Trusting employees to manage their time fosters creativity, improves retention, and acknowledges the diverse realities of modern life.
  • Speaking of mindsets, Karen Cerrato believes that employers should be leaving behind short-term thinking. Whether at a corporate level or a management level, if we want longevity out of our employees, Kanen believes that need to start thinking strategically and long term. The days of people staying in a job for 10 yrs + “just because”, are long gone; we need to give them a reason to want to stay:  
    • Reactive decision-making: Shift toward proactive strategies that prioritize long-term growth and stability.
    • Underinvestment in talent: Invest in professional development and career growth opportunities for employees.
    • Top-down communication only: Foster two-way communication to engage employees and encourage innovation.
  • Amanda Holland believes that employers need to be conducting their final Covid pandemic clean up: it’s time to finish assessing any processes or procedures developed specifically during the pandemic. Operationalize any efficiencies your company will be keeping by ensuring the language is up-to-date and free from pandemic references. Eliminate those policies, processes, and procedures that are no longer needed or applicable.
  • Ken Merritt believes that employers should be leaving behind ‘reluctance’. Several companies have been slow to hire and fast to retire because there has been a ‘cloud of reluctance’ hanging over the economy since 2022 – it’s time for employers to be leaving that behind for good in 2024.
  • Therese Procter knows that 2024 has been a very challenging year, with the key topics of remote working, political uncertainty, and the skills gap taking many of the highlight spots. But an area that she believes is often pushed down the agenda (whether this be due to the amount of effort and/or cost it requires) is mental and financial wellbeing. That’s why she believes that employers should be leaving behind poor and ineffective mental health support strategies and programs that are outdated and not fit for purpose, and instead take on a fresh approach to wellbeing this new year that better supports mental and financial aspects of life.

If you would like to get in touch with us about any of the points raised by our team, or if you have a different concerns that you were hoping to leave in 2024 and need assistance in shedding it, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us today!

Equally, if you want some on-demand advice and strategies, why not book in a 1-hour private consultation with one of our seasoned HR professionals? Take a look at our OrgShakers CL!CK service for more details!

From all of us at OrgShakers, we wish you a happy and prosperous New Year!

In the post pandemic era of flexible and remote working, global mobility is no longer just about relocating employees – it’s about driving organizational growth, fostering innovation, and building resilient, future-ready workforces.

Global mobility has evolved from being primarily a logistical function into a cornerstone of talent strategy, where mobility data analytics can be used to forecast talent needs, aligning mobility with business objectives, and ensuring that policies promote inclusivity and equity.

  1. Access to Global Talent Pools
    The war for talent has expanded beyond borders. Global mobility programs enable organizations to tap into the widest possible pool of talent, ensuring individuals with the right skills and experience are in the right locations. This not only addresses local talent shortages but also enhances diversity, which has been proven to drive innovation and performance.
  2. Leadership Development and Succession Planning
    International experience is a critical component of developing leaders who understand global markets and cultural nuances. By embedding mobility into leadership development programs, firms can ensure they are equipping executives with the skills required to successfully lead a diverse and interconnected workforce.
  3. Enhancing Employee Experience and Retention
    Offering opportunities for global assignments is a compelling employee value proposition. It demonstrates an investment in professional growth and fosters a sense of adventure and purpose, which are critical for retaining the next generation of top talent in a competitive labor market.
  4. Building Organizational Agility
    Global mobility enhances an organization’s ability to respond to market changes and new opportunities. Whether it’s establishing operations in emerging markets or quickly deploying talent for critical projects, mobility programs underpin agility and scalability.

Challenges and Opportunities

Global mobility inevitably creates challenges and requires the navigation of complex employer compliance obligations including tax, immigration, and local labour laws, not to mention the high costs which can be associated with employee relocations.

However, with the right policies, partners, and tech-enabled support it is possible to overcome these challenges without compromising the employee experience.

In today’s interconnected world, global mobility is not just an operational necessity – it’s a strategic enabler. And by leveraging mobility as a driver of innovation, agility, diversity, and talent development, business leaders can position their organizations to thrive on the international stage.

If you would like to discuss how we can support global talent mobility in your organization, please get in touch with us today.

There has always been this outdated idea that in order to climb the ranks and come out on top you have to be ruthless, cutthroat, and manipulative. But in reality, there isn’t much evidence that supports this – one longitudinal study conducted over 14 years found that those who were selfish, aggressive, and manipulative were actually less likely to move up the ranks. It was those who were generous, kind, and agreeable who were more likely to be promoted to a position of power.

So how might they continue to be their authentic, kind self when in a position of authority? We can already see that kindness is by no means a symbol of weakness, but with a leadership role comes a certain expectation of having to make the hard decisions, delegate tasks, and maintain a sense of authority that some may feel gets diluted by a kind demeanour. The secret is not blurring the lines between kindness and friendship.

Kwame Christian – known for his work around compassionate curiosity – discusses how the best advice he was ever given was that to be successful, you need to be respected rather than liked. And this notion is particularly poignant when it comes to balancing kindness and authority in a way that leads to the respect of your peers rather than their affection.

Leaders have to actively be reinforcing professional boundaries with their team; you don’t have to be friends with the people who work for you to know them and what’s important to them, both in and outside the workplace. It’s about having and fostering that benevolent concern for your team in a respectful way.

As with many aspects of communication, it’s important to check your intention. Leaders should always be taking a step back when making a decision and think about why they are deciding this. This can be incredibly helpful when having to deliver difficult decisions or an undesired outcome to an employee, as it offers them an insight into why you have come to this conclusion and why it is a necessary one for the wider health of the company.

What I have personally found to be particularly effective in these instances is having an insight into the workstyle preferences of the people I am working with. Years ago, I had a boss who would frequently change her mind on the direction she wanted something to go in, which would require consistent reworking from me to the point that I once ended up on version 37 of the draft! Whilst this was frustrating, I now realize that if my boss and I had undergone a process like SurePeople’s psychometric assessment, I would have seen from her Prism profile what kind of a leader she was and how her decision-making process worked. Having that insight would have helped me better understand how to work with her needs, just as her having access to my own profile would give her an insight into how I worked best. Leaders who have access to tools such as Prism will find it much more manageable to have those more difficult conversations with their team members.

Overall, it can be a tricky thing to be a leader who is nice and kind but whose authority is still respected. That’s why I believe it’s best to steer away from the notion of being the leader who wants to be pals with everyone and instead focus more on being the leader who offers everyone respect and expects this back in return.

If you would like to discuss the executive coaching services that we offer, or if you would like to get a deeper understanding into the Prism psychometric profiling technology, please get in touch with me at anya@orgshakers.com

For new employees, the elation of coming to the end of the hiring process and being offered a job can be such a rewarding feeling. Out of all the candidates that applied, they were the one who made it to the finish line.

However, this elation can quickly fizzle out if they come to discover that they were not the first-choice candidate. It’s not uncommon for employers to offer a job to their top candidate only for that candidate to decline, and so naturally they will present the offer to the next best candidate.

While this is a common occurrence, it can be tricky for employers if this new hire discovers they were not the initial pick. This notion is proven by a recent study conducted by Harvard Business Review, which discovered that those employees who knew or believed they were an alternate choice were less socially integrated and less likely to seek feedback than their peers.

In other words, this knowledge can have a real effect on morale, confidence, and overall job satisfaction for the new employee, as well as open up the door for imposter syndrome to creep in.

So, when this situation arises, how should employers handle this to ensure the relationship with the new hire remains positive and productivity remains unaffected?

1. Acknowledge the Situation with Transparency

Honesty and transparency are the foundation of a good working relationship. If a new hire confronts the fact that they weren’t the first choice, the worst thing an employer can do is deny or downplay the situation. Instead, acknowledge it openly, but add a positive spin to it – “we had a number of strong candidates, and it was a difficult decision. However, we’re confident that you bring the right skills, experience, and attitude to succeed in this role“. The key thing here is to focus on the value the new hire brings to the team, which should hopefully mitigate any potential hurt feelings.

2. Reaffirm the Candidate’s Strengths and Value

When someone discovers they were the second choice, it’s natural for them to feel a bit insecure, so reaffirming their strengths is a crucial step in managing this reaction. Ensure to reiterate the reasons they were chosen and emphasize the qualities that set them apart. By highlighting their unique contributions, you reinforce their confidence and show that they weren’t just a fallback option but a candidate with real potential.

3. Focus on the Future, Not the Past

Once the issue has been addressed, it’s important to shift the focus from the hiring process to the future. After all, what matters most is how the new hire performs in their role, not the order which they were selected in. This forward-looking approach helps the employee move past the “second choice” label and concentrate on their own success.

4. Create a Supportive Work Environment

Once the conversation is over, employers should ensure that the new hire feels welcomed and supported in their role. A positive onboarding experience, continuous feedback, and professional development opportunities can all help boost the new hire’s confidence and solidify their commitment to the company. In addition, regular check-ins during the onboarding process can provide the new hire with a platform to voice concerns and give them an opportunity to receive constructive feedback – which as highlighted by Harvard’s study above, can be a real issue!

5. Don’t Let the “Second Choice” Label Stick

One of the most important things to keep in mind is that the “second choice” label should not define the employee’s experience. Managers must ensure that this detail doesn’t follow the employee throughout their time at the company, as at the end of the day, the candidate who was ultimately selected for the job is the best fit for the organization, regardless of the hiring order.

Discovering that you were the second choice in the hiring process can be a delicate moment for any new employee. However, how employers respond to this situation can make all the difference in preserving, and even strengthening, the relationship with the new hire.

By handling the situation with transparency, focusing on the new hire’s strengths, and creating a supportive work environment, employers can turn a potentially negative discovery into a positive and affirming experience.

If you would like to discuss the training we offer around creating an inclusive working environment, please get in touch with us today.

You can accomplish remarkable things in just sixty minutes.

In 1969, Neil Armstrong’s first steps and initial exploration on the moon took about an hour.

In 2020 Mo Farah set a world record by running 21,330 meters in 60 minutes. That’s an average speed of over 13 mph, which is faster than most of us can run if we sprint just 100 meters. He just maintained that pace for a whole hour – try that on your next fun run!

Alternatively, you could make yourself a delicious meal of Beef Tacos with Homemade Guacamole. Our favorite recipe takes about an hour from ‘fridge to fork.

What we see here is that while sixty minutes might not seem that long – the length of a team meeting, a workout at the gym, or an episode of your favorite podcast – it can also be incredibly productive and even transformative.

At OrgShakers, we champion The Power of the Hour … 60 minutes where leaders can brainstorm, gain expert insights, or get the unbiased feedback needed to spark something extraordinary. After all, every major breakthrough began with an idea and someone ready to listen.

That’s why we’re excited to introduce our new consulting service: OrgShakers CL!CK.

OrgShakers CL!CK offers a one-hour, private and confidential online consultation with one of our experienced HR professionals. It’s perfect for those moments when you need advice to tackle a new challenge, to test and refine your HR strategy, or simply to try out new ideas to see what resonates.

With extensive global corporate experience, our team is equipped to provide guidance on any HR-related question, whether you’re dealing with everyday tactical issues or complex strategic concerns.

If you would like to learn more about this service and book in time with one of our team members, head over to https://orgshakers.com/orgshakers-click/

As we look to 2025, enlightened organizations will be planning to invest in enhancing the capabilities of their senior leaders.

Why now?

Because across multiple areas of business, opportunities are emerging to gain significant competitive and commercial advantage – and smart companies know that seizing these opportunities means shaking things up: Appointing new leaders. Building new teams. Giving existing teams important new goals and objectives. Enabling and empowering executives to think and act differently. Strengthening working relationships across the senior leadership group.

And for these changes to be successfully implemented, the development of key executives is vital.

At the same time, cost management is at the forefront of the C-suite’s agenda, which is why we have created the Executive Action Series – a leadership development program which is laser-focused on the five areas that will create the greatest return on investment:

1. Customer Experience

Customers are the fuel that keeps the fire burning for organizations, and so 2025 needs to be all about driving customer experience. This means personalized marketing that delivers what someone needs when they need it, an easy setup and installation, and efficient problem resolution. The idea is that companies will be creating business strategies that promote a sense of individuality and value for each customer, making their experience unique to them and putting their specific needs at the forefront.

2. Generative AI

A recent survey from Access Partnership discovered that 93% of employers expect to use generative AI in the workplace in the next five years. While the presence of AI isn’t necessarily new, generative AI has opened up a whole new realm of possibilities for organizations, and is seemingly the harbinger for the age of working smart. But in order to optimize its uses, business leaders need to have a deep understanding of generative AI to unlock its full potential.

3. Remote and Hybrid Working

The tug-of-war between employers issuing ‘return to office’ mandates and employees wanting flexible working arrangements has been going on since lockdown ended. But aside from flexibility being a strategy for attracting talent, the digitalization of the working world has seen the barriers of place and time evaporate, allowing organizations to gain access to the best talent on a global scale. Hybrid and remote work, if managed successfully, can play a huge role in a business’ economic strategy.

4. Skills-Based Hiring

Employers have increasingly relaxed their need for qualifications in favor of skills, aptitude, and attitude. Skills-based hiring continues to gain momentum, and by identifying areas where this can be woven into business strategy, employers will catalyze social mobility and foster a more diverse workforce.

5. Resilience

An organization that can foster resilience is going to be best prepared for disruptive events that can happen at any given moment (economic downturns, cyber-attacks, global pandemics, etc.). Having the knowledge to recognize, predict, and mitigate risk will be fundamental to the health and sustainability of a business.

The Executive Action Series is divided into five modules that are spread across the corporate calendar. Each module covers the theory behind best practices, and then brings these to life through a combination of case studies, real-world scenarios, and visits to organizations where these practices can be experienced first-hand. Participants will also hear directly from world-class subject matter experts, as well as collaborating with other leaders in their organization.

Executive Action Series

Each module will help equip leaders with a variety of new tools and knowledge that will create resilience and sustainability for the future:

Module #1: Leadership Portrait

We use comprehensive diagnostics, alongside personal and team reflection, to gain actionable insights into individual leadership brand and enhance contributions to team effectiveness. We also consider how the ensuing levels of trust allow leaders to leverage differences of opinions for enhanced outcomes.

Module #2: Shaping Strategy Through Customers, Diversity & AI

Together, we examine the impact on strategy of three levers that the research above identifies as critical to current success: customer experience, workforce diversity, and generative AI. Further, we introduce world-class thought leaders to facilitate discussions about key issues that will be important to future success.

Module #3: Activating Strategy

At this stage, we explore a range of powerful tools for activating strategy through operations, including effective leadership of large-scale change and the impact of operational choices on customer experience. We also introduce the concept of the Program Acceleration Office as a best practice for optimizing a portfolio of projects.

Module #4: Winning Through Talent

Knowing that 46% of CEOs have Talent in their Top-3 immediate priorities, we explore the evolution of the workplace and the talent strategies that will help us win the war for talent. What can senior leaders do to enable the recruitment, development, and retention of the right people across the right organization?

Module #5: Sustaining and Evolving a Resilient Strategy

To sustain success, we must smooth out the peaks and troughs that are typical of ongoing change. We explore the latest methods of building strength and flexibility throughout the organization to cultivate resilience across your workforce, your culture, and your strategy, and to help weather turbulent business cycles.

To ensure skills and insights gained from the program are applied when executives return to the workplace, Program Guides will provide virtual facilitation between modules and encourage ongoing collaboration through small group peer support coaching.

If you would like to discuss the Executive Action Series in more detail, please get in touch with us via gordon.robinson@orgshakers.com or anya@orgshakers.com

As we continue to navigate new technologies and advancements in AI, it can be challenging for employers to keep up with the rules of the working world when the rules are always changing. That’s why this month we’re recommending Gary A. Bolles’s The Next Rules of Work: The Mindset, Skillset and Toolset to Lead Your Organization Through Uncertainty.

Gary is the Chair for the Future of Work with Singularity University and a Partner in strategy consulting firm Charette, LLC. As a globally recognized expert on the future of work, he regularly consults with C-suite leaders of global companies, labor and education leaders from Brazil to Canada, and global non-profits.

This vast amount of experience and expertise has been channelled into his latest book, which acts as a guide for employers to thrive in the modern economy where the rules of work are changing almost as fast as people can learn them.

‘Old rules’ have long dominated modern companies – under this ethos, bosses embraced the idea of presenteeism and the basic hierarchical structure that leaders called the shots and workers obeyed. But the new way of working is shedding these old rules, and in its place the ‘Next Rules’ are emerging.

Those companies embracing these new rules are following a new mindset. Managers are not the source of all knowledge, but rather the guides who help workers achieve their goals and flow in the right direction. It’s about embracing innovation, creative thinking, and autonomy to result in a workplace that is fluid enough that it can take change in its stride whilst still growing in an upwards direction.

However, change has always been a tough pill to swallow, for employers and employees alike. But if employers are proactive about change and creating and implementing strategies to mitigate change fatigue, then those businesses can thrive under the new rules of work.

Gary’s book captures the notion of change and the mindsets that are needed to thrive from it expertly, pooling his own knowledge with psychological data and analytics to create a guide that all employers should read if they want their organization to not just survive, but thrive in a contemporary working world.

If you would like to discuss how we can help you strengthen your change management strategies, please get in touch with us today.

And in the meantime, make sure you grab a copy of The Next Rules of Work – you can purchase it here in the UK and here in the US.

You can do a lot in sixty minutes.

In 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright marked the dawn of aviation with their FOUR successful sustained human flights. All four of these happened in the space of just one hour!

In 2022, Filippo Ganna cycled 56.8km in one hour setting a new world record. To achieve this, he sustained an average speed of over 35mph for a full 60-minutes. Try matching that at your next spinning class!

And, today, it’s estimated that Jeff Bezos will be earing around $3.5 million an hour.
(So, Jeff, if you read the whole of this article it will have taken up just $120,000 of your valuable time which I’m sure you’ll agree is great value!)

What we are seeing here is that although 60-minites may seem like a relatively short amount of time – the length of a lunch break, the time it takes to travel home, the duration of an episode of TV – it’s also possible for an hour to be highly productive … and maybe even groundbreaking.

At OrgShakers, we believe in The Power of the Hour … 60-minutes where leaders can bounce around ideas, receive expert advice, or get the objective feedback they need to start something incredible. After all, every successful business we’ve come to know started with an idea – and someone who was willing to listen.

That’s why we have launched our brand-new consulting service: OrgShakers CL!CK.

OrgShakers CL!CK is a one-hour, private and confidential online consultation with one of our seasoned HR professionals. It offers instant advice and is designed specifically for those times when you need help figuring out how to overcome a challenge, when you need advice on your HR processes, or if you simply just want a sounding board for new ideas to see what sticks.

With years of first-hand corporate experience on a global scale, our team can advise you on any HR question you may have, whether that be the day-to-day tactical challenges or a complex strategic issue.

If you would like to learn more about this service and book in time with one of our team members, head over to https://orgshakers.com/orgshakers-click/

By Anya Clitheroe and Gordon Robinson

As the pace of change continues to increase, forward-looking organizations will be planning to invest in enhancing the capabilities of their senior leadership teams.

Why now? Because across multiple areas of business, opportunities are emerging to gain significant competitive and commercial advantage – and smart companies know that investing in the development of their key executives is vital if they are to successfully seize these opportunities.

At the same time, cost management is at the forefront of the C-suite’s agenda, which is why OrgShakers has created the Executive Action Series – a leadership development program which is laser-focused on supporting your senior leaders and executives with their strategic goals in the face of five emerging business challenges:

1. Customer Experience

Customers are the fuel that keep the fire burning for organizations, so the future needs to be all about driving customer experience. This means personalized marketing that only requires a simple approach for putting it to good use which will deliver what someone needs when they need it, as well as efficient problem resolution. The idea is that companies will be creating business strategy that promotes a sense of individuality and value for each customer, making their experience unique to them and putting their specific needs at the forefront.

2. Generative AI

A recent survey from Access Partnership discovered that 93% of employers expect to use generative AI in the workplace in the next five years. While the presence of AI isn’t necessarily new, generative AI has opened up a whole new realm of possibilities for organizations, and is seemingly the harbinger for the age of working smart. But in order to optimize its uses, business leaders need a deep understanding of how generative AI will support and enable their business strategy to unlock its full potential.

3. Remote and Hybrid Working

The tug-of-war between employers issuing ‘return to office’ mandates and employees wanting flexible working arrangements has been going on since lockdown ended. But aside from flexibility being a strategy for attracting talent, the digitalisation of the working world has seen the barriers of place and time evaporate, allowing organizations to gain access to the best talent on a global scale. Hybrid and remote work, if managed successfully, can play a huge role in a business’ economic strategy.

4. Skills-Based Hiring

Employers have increasingly relaxed their need for qualifications in favor of skills, aptitude, and attitude. Skills-based hiring continues to gain momentum, and by identifying areas where this can be woven into business strategy, employers will catalyse social mobility and foster a more diverse workforce.

5. Resilience

An organization that can foster both organizational and individual resilience is going to be best prepared for disruptive events that can happen at any given moment (economic downturns, cyber-attacks, global pandemics, etc). Having the knowledge to recognize, predict, and mitigate risk will be fundamental to the health and sustainability of a business.

The Series is divided into five modules that are spread across the corporate calendar. Each module covers the theory behind best practices, and then brings these to life through a combination of facilitated conversation and group coaching paired with case studies, real-world scenarios, and visits to organizations where these practices can be experienced first-hand. Participants will also hear directly from world-class subject matter experts, as well as collaborating with other leaders in their organization.

Executive Action Series Graphic

Executive Action Series

Each module will help equip leaders with a variety of new tools and knowledge that will yield resilience and sustainability for the future:

  • Module #1: Leadership Portrait

We use comprehensive diagnostics, alongside personal and team reflection, to gain deep, meaningful insights into individual leadership brand and enhance contributions to team effectiveness. We will also consider how the ensuing levels of trust allow leaders to leverage differences of opinions for enhanced outcomes.

  • Module #2: Shaping Strategy Through Customers, Diversity & AI

Together, we examine the impact on strategy of three levers that the research above identifies as critical to current success: customer experience, workforce diversity, and harnessing the power of AI. In addition, we’ll introduce world-class thought leaders to facilitate discussions about key issues that will be important to future success.

  • Module #3: Activating Strategy

At this stage, we explore a range of powerful tools for activating strategy through operations, including effective leadership of large-scale change and the impact of operational choices on customer experience. We will also introduce the concept of the Program Acceleration Office as a best practice for optimizing a portfolio of projects.

  • Module #4: Winning Through Talent

Knowing that 46% of CEOs have Talent in their Top-3 immediate priorities, we will explore the evolution of the workplace and the talent strategies that will help us win the war for talent. What can senior leaders do to enable the recruitment, development, and retention of the right people across the right organization?

  • Module #5: Sustaining and Evolving a Resilient Strategy

To sustain success, we must smooth out the peaks and troughs that are typical of ongoing change. We will explore the latest methods of building strength and flexibility throughout the organization to cultivate resilience across your workforce, your culture, and your strategy, and help weather turbulent business cycles.

To ensure skills and insights gained from the Series are applied when executives return to the workplace, Coaches will provide virtual facilitation between modules and encourage ongoing collaboration through small group peer support coaching.

If you would like to discuss the Executive Action Series in more detail, please get in touch with us via anya@orgshakers.com or gordon.robinson@orgshakers.com or reach out to us through our website.

chevron-downchevron-down-circle linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram