Find Commonalities with Coworkers from Different Cultures

February 13, 2018

Find Commonalities with Coworkers from Different Cultures

When working on a global team, it’s easy to focus on the ways that you and your colleagues are different. But rather than thinking about what sets you apart, emphasize what you have in common. This will draw you closer to your colleagues and make you more receptive to — and less frustrated by — cultural differences. For example, a French employee might bond with Japanese coworkers by recognizing that both cultures are results-oriented and prone to analyzing processes for how they could be improved. When you encounter rules and norms that seem odd to you, think about analogous norms in your culture. You’ll feel warmer toward your colleagues, which will improve collaboration and teamwork.

Adapted from “How to Successfully Work Across Countries, Languages, and Cultures,” by Tsedal Neeley

Feedback for Salespeople Should Focus on Behaviors

February 06, 2018

Feedback for Salespeople Should Focus on Behaviors

Busy sales managers tend to deliver a curt message to their reps: “Get better and sell more.” This feedback may work for some salespeople, but not for most. Instead of asking your reps “What’s closing this month, and how can we make those deals happen faster?,” talk with them about the INDICATORS  that have historically led to sales, such as 

demos, web registrations, calls, or C-suite-level meetings. 

If you focus on the intention (“Close deals”), you won’t help them change their behavior.

 Feedback on indicators might sound like this: 

“You’re behind peers in setting meetings with VP-level prospects, and we know those contacts increase our win rate substantially. Let’s talk about the organization of your prospects and what we can do to get the right access.” 

Conversations like these empower reps to know where they stand and assess whether they are spending their time and efforts in the best way.

Adapted from “Find the Right Metrics for Your Sales Team,” by Frank V. Cespedes and Bob Marsh

Help Overly Eager Employees Slow Down

January 19, 2018

Help Overly Eager Employees Slow Down

It’s nice to have fast-acting employees on your team. But some people have such a deep need to get things resolved that they move too quickly and make a mess. They may secure a bad deal just to say they’ve done it, or issue a faulty directive so that they can say they’ve handled a problem. You can help these people learn to corral their sense of urgency. Start by demonstrating how their approach might be hurting them. When someone is urgent about only their own goals and tasks, others may perceive them as being not a team player. It’s typical for too-urgent employees to see the upsides but not the downsides of acting quickly, 

so encourage them to identify all the consequences of their actions. Then put them on projects with high-performing, long-term thinkers so that they can see the benefits of a tempered, thoughtful approach. By watching others, they will observe how reflection and deliberation can generate significantly better results.

Adapted from “How to Manage Someone Who Thinks Everything Is Urgent,” by Liz Kislik

To Keep Your Employees Engaged, Be Curious and Challenging

January 30, 2018

To Keep Your Employees Engaged, Be Curious and Challenging

Leaders play a significant role in helping employees understand why their jobs matter, but it’s not just about connecting their work to a larger purpose. You can also do it by demonstrating curiosity: Explore, ask questions, and engage people on their ideas about the future. Make clear that there is a wide range of possibilities for how work gets done and that you want your employees to try new things. At the same time, keep them focused on meeting goals and making progress. Remain ambitious in the face of both failure and success, and push your people to continually accomplish more. You want employees to feel a sense of progress, reinvention, and growth, which results in a more meaningful and positive work experience.

Adapted from “How to Make Work More Meaningful for Your Team,” by Lewis Garrad and Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic

Freelancers, Always Get Terms in Writing

February 01, 2018

Freelancers, Always Get Terms in Writing

One of the most stressful things about being self-employed is managing your cash flow. It’s especially difficult if clients don’t pay you on time. You can avoid most problems by putting a contract in place before you start an assignment. Don’t believe a handshake will suffice, even if you’re working with friends. Informal agreements are the source of almost every payment problem, so be sure the scope of the project, the payment terms, and the expectations for both sides are written down. For small projects an email chain will often suffice, but for longer engagements you should get a signed contract. Having a standard contract template that you can alter for different clients will make this easier — and save you time and headaches.

Adapted from “How Freelancers Can Make Sure They Get Paid on Time,” by Rebecca Knight

Gig work or employment work ?

3 scales to measure the future Employee potential .

This trio will be globally accepted metric for aptitude and projected performance in the modern workplace.

Colloquially called “the Qs,” the AEI tests three variables:

Adaptability quotient (AQ)
Emotional quotient (EQ)
Intellectual quotient (IQ)

For hiring, AQ matters the most to corporations.  Strong scores in adaptability mean that you’re eligible for the “salaried track,” which leads to a three-year contract with an employer that commits significant sums toward your retraining every one to six months.

With lower scores, you must rely on the “gig track,”  or , contractual or consulting work ! Which can mean more flexibility and higher near-term rewards, but only short-duration contracts and no supported retraining. There is no inherent safety net . And the danger is that, if you bet too long on the wrong gigs in dying industries instead of continually refocusing on emergent needs , you will struggle !

Welcome to the future.

To Keep Your Employees Engaged, Be Curious and Challenging

January 31, 2018

To Keep Your Employees Engaged, Be Curious and Challenging

Leaders play a significant role in helping employees understand why their jobs matter, but it’s not just about connecting their work to a larger purpose. You can also do it by demonstrating curiosity: Explore, ask questions, and engage people on their ideas about the future. Make clear that there is a wide range of possibilities for how work gets done and that you want your employees to try new things. At the same time, keep them focused on meeting goals and making progress. Remain ambitious in the face of both failure and success, and push your people to continually accomplish more. You want employees to feel a sense of progress, reinvention, and growth, which results in a more meaningful and positive work experience.

Adapted from “How to Make Work More Meaningful for Your Team,” by Lewis Garrad and Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic