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With the business landscape in constant flux, a team’s commitment to working as one drives bold ideas and delivers results that matter. McKinsey reports that teams prioritizing team collaboration can realize a 30% improvement in efficiency.

Often seen as a casual, morale-boosting activity, team building adds real value when it’s focused on helping teams move to the next level. When executed with purpose and precision, team building does much more than improve workplace relationships; it contributes directly to improved productivity and performance outcomes.

This article explores how team building helps organizations execute strategies and resolve issues that interfere with success.

Benefits of Team Building (with Practical Strategies)Successful team building is rooted in awareness and alignment. It helps team members shift their focus from individual contribution to enterprise-wide success.
The six benefits below show how purpose-driven team development can unlock lasting value across your organization and provide actionable ways to get started.

Enhances Communication and CollaborationStrong communication is foundational to effective teamwork. Team building sessions support this by creating a framework to expand dialogue and collaborative problem-solving environments.

Through these experiences, team members sharpen their active listening skills and offer constructive feedback that drives initiatives forward that produce exceptional results.

How to Strengthen Communication & Collaboration via Team BuildingStart by implementing scenario-based simulations or exercises that reflect real organizational challenges. These exercises require cross-functional collaboration and enable participants to listen, contribute, and problem-solve in real time in a way that replicates the pressure and complexity of actual business decisions.

Following the activity, conduct a guided debrief session to help teams reflect on how their behaviors and actions positively or negatively impacted the outcomes. This creates awareness on how team members are showing up, communicating, and building commitment within the team. The goal here is to facilitate behavior change and better results.

Strengthens Engagement and Psychological SafetyWhen team members are given a unique, specialized, or challenging task that contributes to the team’s success, a feeling of belonging and purpose develops. This in turn leads to psychological safety and greater engagement.

Gallup research shows that organizations with highly engaged teams realize 23% greater profitability. In addition, teams with high levels of engagement in high-turnover industries experience 18% lower turnover.

Investing in meaningful team development supports well-being and directly creates greater value for stakeholders.

How to Boost Engagement and Morale Through Team BuildingDesign experiences that connect individual roles to the larger mission. For example, a “mission mapping” exercise helps team members visualize how their daily work contributes to broader organizational goals. By mapping out roles, responsibilities, projects, or tasks to the broader mission, participants gain clarity about their purpose, see where alignment exists or is absent, and deepen their sense of impact and engagement.

Pair this with peer recognition segments, where team members publicly acknowledge one another’s contributions. These small yet meaningful moments reinforce a culture of appreciation and belonging.

Elevates PerformanceOrganizations that promote collaborative work environments are “five times as likely to be high-performing.”

Team building is a critical enabler of organizational efficiency and effectiveness. It aligns team dynamics with strategic priorities, improves cross-functional execution, and helps clarify roles and expectations. These benefits extend throughout the business, increasing agility, innovation, and productivity.

How to Improve Performance Through Team BuildingIntegrate team-building activities that mimic a business’s key performance indicators (KPI’s). For example, a goal-based challenge can simulate a product launch, production run, or service delivery process. This forces a team to work under constraints similar to your operating environment.

During the debrief discussion, link performance in the simulation to real KPI’s and metrics. This builds a greater connection to team behaviors and organizational outcomes.

Learn more about how teamwork helps achieve business goals.

Encourages Innovation and Effective Problem-SolvingModern business challenges are multifaceted and require input from diverse skill sets and perspectives. Team building promotes the collaborative mindset necessary to solve complex problems and develop innovative solutions.

How to Promote Innovation Through Team BuildingUse design thinking workshops as a team-building tool. These structured sessions guide teams through a creative problem-solving process: empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test.

By collaborating on a fictitious or real business challenge, teams practice divergent thinking, strengthen innovation skills, and grow comfortable navigating ambiguity together.

Deloitte reports that companies believe diverse voices and perspectives play a vital role in innovation with 56% saying it “enables unconventional thinking” and 32% noting it drives productivity.

Forbes reports on how Toyota successfully tapped into this potential by creating a robust employee suggestion program that deepened involvement across its workforce. By actively seeking input from a wide range of employees, Toyota demonstrated how listening to diverse perspectives fuels continuous improvement and innovation.

Builds Change Readiness and ResilienceGallup notes that only 18% of U.S. workforce members believe their organization is agile. Today’s business environment is rapidly evolving, demanding more agility. Team building plays a key role in preparing teams to manage change, overcome uncertainty, and respond to challenges with resilience.

How to Build Change Readiness Through Team BuildingFacilitate a change simulation exercise in which teams must make decisions based on incomplete or evolving information. This helps team members get comfortable with uncertainty and develop flexibility.

Following the activity, conduct a reflection session paired with a change style assessment that identifies how team members naturally respond or react to change. This helps the team, and its members understand their strengths and vulnerabilities in response change, and how best to collaborate under change or disruption. This conscious awareness builds confidence in navigating change.

Develops Leadership and AccountabilityTeam unity provides members with the opportunity to step into leadership roles, take ownership of group outcomes, and practice decision-making in a collaborative setting. These opportunities strengthen leadership capabilities across the organization, not just among formal leaders.

The reality is, fewer than two in 10 U.S. team members strongly believe their organization’s leaders provide clear direction. Effective leaders must align priorities across teams and eliminate low-value initiatives to maintain focus and strategic clarity.

Team members can step in and take the reins on this. Over time, this repeated practice will nurture confident and capable future leaders who can successfully influence the company’s outcomes.

How to Strengthen Leadership and Accountability Through Team BuildingAssign rotating leadership roles during team exercises. For example, in a decision-making challenge, select a different facilitator for each phase of the activity (e.g., brainstorming, consensus-building, planning, and execution).

This gives participants practical leadership experience while demonstrating the value of collective ownership. Pair the activity with group accountability checkpoints, where team members set shared goals and monitor progress together. This reinforces accountability.

Pitfalls to AvoidWhile team building can yield significant benefits, it must be executed with intention. Activities that feel disconnected from the day-to-day realities of work, or worse, perceived as cliché or inauthentic, can backfire.

Poorly planned efforts may inadvertently diminish trust if not aligned with team dynamics or the organization’s culture. To avoid these outcomes, organizations should:

• Ensure team development initiatives are tailored to specific needs and goals.
• Avoid one-size-fits-all approaches or generic programming.
• Partner with experienced facilitators who can offer customized team-building plans.

Invest in the Strategic Value of Team BuildingCMOE’s team development specialists take a customized, consultative approach to ensure team-building efforts are aligned, impactful, and sustainable.

We bring decades of expertise to organizations that seek to strengthen performance at every level. Our solutions are grounded in evidence-based practices and customized to deliver measurable results.

To learn how our team-building solutions can improve your performance, visit our Team Leadership Development page and explore how we help organizations achieve sustained success through stronger teams.

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Effective team building is an ongoing effort and process, not a one-time event. It requires ongoing effort and strategic investment in your people to build collaboration, trust, and growth for the organization’s long-term success. Yet many leaders struggle with the same question: How do we know if it’s working?

Today, only 43% of workforce members express they have a positive team climate (“team members value one another’s contributions, care about one another’s well-being, and have input into how the team carries out its work). This shocking statistic should be a wake-up call for every business and team leader.

While team building is often perceived as a soft skill like communication or emotional intelligence, what’s frequently overlooked is the importance of measurable outcomes. Without defined metrics and accountability, even the most well-intentioned initiatives risk falling short. Measurement is essential to evaluate the impact of teamwork, align team development with the organization’s strategies, and reinforce desired behaviors.

In this guide, we explore how to measure team-building success in the workplace. We also offer practical tools to help leaders gather meaningful insights and make informed decisions driven by data.

What Makes a Successful Team?Before measuring success, it’s important to understand what success looks like. When Gallup studied what sets the world’s best teams apart from the rest, they included:

• Manager talent
• Playing to individual strengths
• Meaningful coaching discussions
• Frequency of recognition
• Leadership training
• Setting motivational goals
• Ongoing development

In addition, McKinsey reports that teams that share collective, meaningful visions are almost twice as likely to achieve above-average financial performance.

These characteristics form the foundation of high-functioning teams. CMOE outlines several principles that govern effective teamwork, which can serve as a benchmark for evaluation of team success.

Establishing a Baseline for Team SuccessTo measure team-building success, you first need a clear understanding of where the team stands today. Defining a baseline creates a reference point that helps track progress over time. It also provides valuable insights into the team’s current dynamics, highlighting strengths to build on and areas that need development.

Start by identifying what success looks like for your specific team. Is the goal to improve efficiencies in the way the team completes its assigned work, enhance collaboration, or strengthen trust?

Consider using a mix of assessment methods, tools and approaches to obtain a full and accurate picture of how the team currently functions. This may include:

• Team surveys completed anonymously
• One-on-one data gathering discussions
• Experiential exercises and team-based simulations designed to provide observational insight
• Project performance reviews
• Communication and collaboration audits

Consider partnering with a trusted team-building expert who you can partner with to determine the right method to obtain a baseline data that will align with your end objectives.

Key Metrics to Measure Team Building SuccessTo gauge the impact of your team-building efforts, a multifaceted approach is highly recommended but not required. By integrating qualitative insights, quantitative data, and behavioral observations, you can comprehensively assess your team’s growth, identify areas for improvement in team culture, and drive sustained performance.

Qualitative MeasuresInformal feedback sessions, facilitated focus groups, direct observation, and one-on-one check-ins can offer valuable insight into how team members see team dynamics. Open-ended questions help surface nuanced feedback that numeric data alone may overlook.

ExampleTo uncover deeper insights, ask questions such as, “What did you find most helpful, interesting, useful, and relevant in working with the team on this project?” or “How has your communication with others changed since we resolved the process issue?”

Quantitative MetricsData points such as team effectiveness scores, engagement scores, productivity metrics, and customer experience scores (internal/external) can help evaluate the long-term impact of team-building programs and efforts.

ExampleImprovements in collaboration may correlate with fewer project delays and increased output. A boost in productivity or reduction in project turnaround time by X days can indicate greater team member engagement and clarity around the team’s purpose and direction. Improved retention rates may also signal that the team environment has become more supportive and inclusive.

Behavioral ObservationsLook for shifts in team member behavior, such as more active participation in meetings, greater cross-functional collaboration, or improved conflict resolution. These are signs that team-building efforts are taking root.

ExampleTeam members previously avoided difficult conversations may now address challenges directly and constructively. Or, colleagues from different departments may proactively work together on shared goals, rather than relying solely on leadership for coordination.

Comparison Data and Follow-Up AssessmentsIt is important to reassess the team over time to track progress. Conduct follow-up pulse surveys or repeat the team assessment method used to capture initial baseline data. This will reveal patterns of progress and identify where progress may be stalled, to sustain efforts and celebrate improvement. This can also reveal where additional adjustments are needed.

ExampleIf a baseline survey showed low scores in communication effectiveness, a follow-up survey three to six months later can show whether there’s been a meaningful shift. Leaders can then use this insight to reinforce what’s working or recalibrate efforts. Ninety percent of workers say they are more likely “to remain in an organization that seeks out and acts on feedback.”

Common Pitfalls to AvoidEven the best-intentioned measurement strategies can fall short if not implemented with care. Here are some common mistakes to avoid and what to do instead:

Relying Only on Short-Term FeedbackWhile initial enthusiasm is a positive sign, the true value of team building lies in long-term behavioral change. Leaders should follow up weeks later to assess whether collaboration, communication, or engagement has improved over the longer term.

Using Generic MetricsNot every team operates the same way. Applying the same metrics across departments or team types can lead to inaccurate conclusions. Select measures that align with your team’s specific goals. Research from McKinsey discovered that teams that prioritize employee performance metrics achieve 30% greater revenue growth compared to their counterparts.

Failing to Align with Original ObjectivesMeasurement should always connect back to the goals or objectives. This will make it easier to link, align, and track progress and activity. If your aim was to improve cross-team communication, make sure your evaluation method assesses communication effectiveness.

Overlooking the Team’s PerspectivesLeadership may see progress from a high level, but it’s critical to gather feedback from team members directly involved in the experience to help guide the journey and build a highly effective team.

Leaders should incorporate post-event surveys, interviews, or focus groups to understand how participants experienced the activity. The intention is to evaluate whether it has translated into day-to-day improvement.

Turning Insights into ActionCollecting data is only part of the process. Leaders themselves must also act on what they learn. Begin by analyzing the results to determine what is working well and what is not. Identify patterns in both strengths and potential gap areas.

It is important to share findings with team members. They will feel that they have been able to share their voice and perspective through the data collection process and also understand the full picture of where the team’s health is at and where it can continue to improve. When individuals see that their feedback leads to change, they will be motivated to continue to impact that change.

Finally, use insights to refine future team-building strategies. Revisit baseline metrics and update goals accordingly. Reinforce successful behaviors by embedding them into everyday routines, meetings, and leadership practices.

For tips on how to coach for long-term growth, review effective coaching strategies for team success.

Build a Stronger Team with CMOEMeasuring team-building success is both an art and a science. By establishing a clear baseline, choosing the right metrics, and avoiding common pitfalls, leaders can gain valuable insights that support continuous improvements in the organization.

At CMOE, we help organizations design and implement impactful team-building experiences that align with strategic goals and deliver results. Our solutions are backed by research, shaped by decades of experience, and tailored to your team’s unique needs.

Learn more about CMOE’s Teamwork Services and discover how we can help your team thrive.

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Successful teams are built on trust, collaboration, and communication. These skills don’t always come naturally, but they can be cultivated through intentional team building activities.

With 90% of business owners agreeing that a sense of community is important to business success, activities that foster connection and collaboration are key. We’ve put together a sample list of professional and engaging corporate indoor team building ideas, suitable for a variety of team types, time frames, and skill development needs. Each activity can be customized to fit your team’s unique dynamics and objectives.

1. Heads UpTeam type: In-person or remote
   Time needed: 20–30 minutes
   Ideal group size: 5 to 40+ participants
   Skills developed: Team bonding, problem solving, continuous improvement

How to play: In this competitive challenge, each participant is armed with a deck of 9 unique exercise cards, each displaying a one-of-a-kind number. The facilitator will announce a wild, randomly picked target number. It’s go time. Working as a team, participants must each select one card from their deck to contribute to a group sum that exactly matches the facilitator’s target number. Through multiple fast-paced rounds, this seemingly simple activity drives higher levels of collaboration, sharpens problem-solving skills, and encourages effective two-way communication under time pressure. Teams race against the clock to strategize and succeed, making it an exciting and interactive way to increase collaboration and boost team performance.

1. PipelineTeam type: In-person
   Time needed: 40 to 50 minutes
   Ideal group size: 6 people per team, unlimited teams
   Skills developed: Team bonding, problem solving, continuous improvement, quality

How to play: Pipeline is a high-energy team building activity focused on collaboration, quick thinking, and constant motion. This exercise challenges teams to band together, execute with precision, and successfully deliver rolling objects to fulfill as many customer orders as possible before time runs out. Each order must meet the customer’s specifications and land in the bucket at the end of the pipeline. With clear guidelines on time, requests, and standards, teams will know whether their output is a win or a miss. Success is assessed by using Key Performance Indicators and will keep your team buzzing with action.

1. Get Your BearingsTeam type: In-person or remote
   Time needed: 30–60 minutes
   Ideal group size: 4 to 100+ participants
   Skills developed: Team communication, cooperation, organization, and critical thinking

How to play: Get ready for a showdown that will ignite your group’s energy and teamwork. Participants are given a critical fragment of information that can only be shared through live verbal exchanges within their intact team. The objective is to race against the clock to pinpoint and label designated locations on a floor-sized map before their rivals can do the same. This fragmented information fuels connection and learning around managing information, listening actively, combining insights, and breaking down silo mentality.

1. Object RetrievalTeam type: In-person
   Time needed: 60–90 minutes
   Ideal group size: Up to 30 participants
   Skills developed: Teamwork, collaboration, problem solving, communication and patience

How to play: Where teamwork, strategy, and precision collide in an unforgettable challenge. The mission is to transfer a stash of objects from a full bucket to an empty one, perfectly positioned on its spot marker, without anyone crossing the contamination boundary rope or touching the ground inside. Armed only with a set of quirky props, your team must engineer and execute a flawless plan under pressure. The strategy must balance creativity and coordination to move each object based on its unique characteristics. One wrong move sends you back to square one, with teams facing potential consequences. This memorable activity increases team engagement, strengthens problem-solving, and reinforces the value of contributions by individual team members.

1. Team TriviaTeam type: In-person or remote
   Time needed: 30–60 minutes
   Ideal group size: Up to 30 participants
   Skills developed: Collaboration, communication, team building

How to play: Divide your team into small groups and prepare rounds of trivia questions, including a mix of work-related and just-for-fun content. You can use engagement platforms like Kahoot!, Slido, or PowerPoint. These can be used in the office or through video conferencing. Have individuals or teams keep score throughout to maintain friendly competition.
Adaptation: Customize trivia to focus on the company’s culture, vision, values, or industry-specific knowledge to create a more personalized and relevant experience.

1. Problem in a Picture (Non-Standard Practices)Team type: In-person or remote
   Time needed: 15–30 minutes
   Ideal group size: Up to 25 participants
   Skills developed: Problem solving, collaboration, performance discussions, adherence to standards

How to play: To conduct this engaging activity, begin by collecting photos or images from within the organization that highlight visible issues or deviations from established standards, norms, or expectations. For example, quality nonconformance or safety trip hazard could be used. Compile the images into a slide show presentation for the activity. Divide participants into teams of 2 to 6 people for collaboration and competition. Present one image at a time and allow teams to analyze and identify the issue. The first team to provide the correct answer earns points or a small award. Through collaboration, observation, and critical thinking, leaders and supervisors uncover meaningful insights to improve the work environment.

1. Bike Build Charity ChallengeTeam type: In-person
   Time needed: 90 to 120 minutes
   Idea group size: 4 to 8 participants per breakout team
   Skills developed: Servant leadership, resource allocation, team communication, collaboration

How to play: Get ready to pedal your team to victory with the Bike Build Charity Challenge. Split into small teams and compete to construct a fully functional bicycle from a kit of parts. By design, each team receives a limited pool of resources, requiring them to acquire tools and materials through strategic decisions. This gives teams a chance to weigh tradeoffs and determine which choices offer a competitive advantage. Completed bikes are donated to each team’s charity of choice, making a real difference in the community. Judging can be based on build speed, functionality, and creative touches that reflect the team’s culture and vision. This hands-on challenge leaves participants connected and uplifted through the power of giving back.

1. Arctic SurvivalTeam type: In-person or remote
   Time needed: 45 to 60 minutes
   Ideal group size: Small groups of up to 6 participants, unlimited teams
   Skills developed: Problem solving, decision making, consensus and agreement, valuing diverse perspectives, interpersonal relationships

How to play: Brace yourself for a test of resilience and teamwork in the Arctic Survival Challenge. Stranded in the icy wilderness north of the Arctic Circle after a fictional plane crash, your team must work together to survive subzero temperatures. Teams begin by ranking 15 salvaged items, ranging from life-saving tools to limited supplies, in order of importance for surviving several days in this harsh environment. With a limited pool of resources, teams must strategically weigh tradeoffs and decide which choices offer the best chance of survival. Start with individual rankings, then collaborate as a team to develop a unified list based on personal insights, shared values, and team dynamics. Once your team finalizes rankings on the Team Scoring Sheet, submit it to the facilitator and discover how your choices stack up against the actual survival priorities. This activity makes it clear that strong teamwork improves the chances of success. It also sparks healthy dialogue and reflects on how teams are currently operating in the workplace.

1. Break It Down ChallengeTeam type: In-person
   Time needed: 15 to 30 minutes
   Ideal group size: Maximum of 30 participants with 4 to 6 people per team.
   Skills developed: Collaboration, decision making, continuous improvement, metrics, scorecards, and KPI’s.

How to play: Get ready to stack the deck in your favor with the high-energy Break It Down Challenge. Teams of 4 to 6 dive into a fast-paced competition to build a precise card stack for a demanding client. Using CMOE’s card decks, each team must construct a single stack organized according to the client’s specific order. With a limited pool of resources, teams must strategically deliberate which tradeoffs will boost their chances of success. The clock starts, and it’s a race to call “finished” with an error-free stack. Speed matters, but accuracy is critical—errors like the wrong suit order or an upside-down Ace cost precious points. After each round, teams plan and adapt, aiming to beat the previous round’s winning time or hit a combined team goal of under two minutes. Add variety with twists like rotating a team member to another group. Across at least three rounds, the team with the fastest, flawless stack claims the client’s contract. This challenge sparks collaboration, sharpens decision-making, and fuels continuous improvement, leaving teams energized and connected.

1. Minute to Win ItTeam type: In-person
   Time needed: 30–45 minutes
   Ideal group size: 6 to 30 participants
   Skills developed: Quick thinking, time management, collaboration

How to play: Set up a series of one-minute challenges such as stacking cups, balancing objects, or moving cotton balls with a spoon. Teams compete to complete each task under time pressure, rotating through stations or participating in timed rounds. Points are awarded based on successful completion and speed. This activity encourages fast decision making, clear communication, and shared accountability within a tight time frame. It’s a flexible and energizing option that can be used to kick off a team-building session, re-engage participants midday, or reinforce collaboration through light competition.

1. Inroads to RichesTeam type: In-person or remote
   Time needed: 2.5 hours
   Ideal group size: Up to 30 participants
   Skills developed: Strategic planning, resource allocation, competitive analysis, strategic leadership

How to play: Step into the cutthroat world of business with the Inroads to Riches Challenge, a thrilling strategy simulation where only one team emerges as the industry leader! Up to five teams compete head-to-head, each tasked with crafting and executing a winning strategy to outmaneuver rivals and achieve market dominance. Teams must implement their strategy in a way that will boost their chances of success. Choosing a prime market location, determining which target markets to serve, and providing the right product mix to those markets makes for a nail-biting experience. Teams will need to monitor competitors’ moves while executing their strategy with precision. From deciding whether to play it safe or take bold risks, every choice shapes your path to victory. This simulation mirrors real-world business dynamics, offering insights into competition, resource allocation, and strategic foresight. The debrief provides important lessons on leadership and strategy, leaving everyone motivated and ready to conquer the real business world!

1. Project GeminiTeam type: In-person
   Time needed: 3 hours
   Ideal group size: 4 teams, 8 to 14 per team
   Skills developed: Team communication, execution excellence, continuous improvement, process management, collaboration, results

How to play: As employees of Gemini, your team is tasked with building a fully functional Mars rover, TrailBlazer, in a simulated production operation. Assigned to one of 12 departments, teams work together to meet production goals and pass strict Quality Assurance tests.
Round 1 reveals gaps in communication, planning, and execution. After a customer meeting and improvement discussion, teams redesign their approach for Round 2. The goal is to boost efficiency, teamwork, and results. The simulation builds leadership, trust, and collaboration. A final debrief connects lessons to real-world challenges and ends with personal team commitments.

1. Rapid SequenceTeam type: In-person or remote
   Time needed: 20–50 minutes
   Ideal group size: Up to 70 participants
   Skills developed: Execution excellence, planning, team communication, roles and responsibilities

How to play: Divide into subgroups of 3 to 7 individuals, each group is provided with a unique poster numbered 1 to 60. Your team’s mission: execute a process to touch every number in sequence (1 through 60), as fast as possible, with every tap moving your group closer to victory. In this multi-round experience, teams will plot their approach, make revisions, and work together to outpace rivals. When the timer starts, the action begins. Every second you shave off brings you closer to winning the contract. The team with the best accuracy, time, and teamwork emerges as the winner. Multiple rounds offer teams a chance to refine their strategy and dominate. This fast-paced challenge builds focus, coordination, and team cohesion under pressure. These are skills teams can immediately apply to real-world tasks.

1. Name GameTeam type: In-person or remote
   Ideal group size: 10-20 participants
   Time needed: 10 minutes
   Skills developed: Active listening, team bonding, networking

How to play: Gather everyone in a circle, standing shoulder to shoulder and facing the center. Starting to the right or left of the facilitator, the first person says their name and something unique about them, like “Hi, I’m Sara. I play the guitar.” The next person introduces themselves: “Hi, I’m Eric,” then points to Sara and says, “This is Sara, she plays the guitar.”
The third person continues, stating their name and listing all prior names in order, pointing to each person: “Hi, I’m Brian, and these are my new friends Eric and Sara.” This continues around the circle, with each person reciting all previous names by memory. The facilitator goes last, recalling everyone’s names. If anyone stumbles or forgets a name, they start over until they get it right. This works best with groups who don’t know each other and is a great way to break the ice while building connections.

Empower Your Team with a Partner Like CMOEPlanning effective corporate indoor team-building activities takes time, creativity, and coordination, which can be time-intensive. That is where CMOE comes in. With over 250 customizable training solutions, we help you find the right experience for 5 to 500 people.

Our expert facilitators lead engaging corporate indoor team-building activities that strengthen collaboration, improve communication, and build in valuable learning, reflection, and takeaways that create a lasting impact for both individuals and teams.

Whether you are looking to boost collaboration, improve communication, or prepare your team for future challenges, we will partner with you to design a strategy that aligns with your unique goals without the stress of organizing it all yourself.

Get in touch with CMOE today to learn how we can create an unforgettable experience that meets your objectives.

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Mentorship is a crucial component of talent development for all businesses. According to Forbes:

• 84% of U.S. Fortune 500 companies have mentoring programs.
• 90% of U.S. Fortune 250 companies have mentoring programs.
• 96% of U.S. Fortune 100 companies have mentoring programs.
• 100% of U.S. Fortune 50 companies have mentoring programs.

Mentoring provides a process where a mentee can expand their skills, obtain career guidance, and prepare for advancement opportunities. Whether the mentoring process is formal or informal, developing a strong culture of mentorship within all levels of your organization is essential to long-term, sustained growth.

Discover how to mentor developing leaders below.

How to Recognize Leadership Potential in Team MembersAccording to Gallup, while only one in 10 people naturally excels at leadership, an additional two in 10 have the potential to develop into highly effective leaders, Sadly, only 40% of staff have a workplace mentor to guide them on this journey—and leadership skills don’t flourish in isolation. Organizations play a critical role in preparing high-potential individuals for future leadership roles.

Here are the top five signs of leadership potential:

1. Builds relationships with others
2. Solves problems
3. Accepts feedback
4. Uses failure to grow
5. Manages stress and maintains composure

It’s important to note that potential leaders do not need to possess all of these qualities to be considered for a mentoring engagement. Even having a few of these qualities or other important attributes shows their ability to learn new skills.

Use our Leadership Development Assessment tool to identify leadership strengths, gaps, and build potential leaders in your organization.

The Most Important Leadership Skills to CultivateTo fill talent gaps in any organization, mentors need to work with mentees in reinforcing their core leadership strengths, competencies, and behaviors. Furthermore, a mentor can help introduce new and expanded skills that will serve mentees well now and in the future. A few of these skills are described in more detail below.

CommunicationCommunication includes many subcomponents. Proficient communication requires the following skills:

• Listening actively
• Asking questions
• Communicating effectively with others (verbally and in writing)
• Understanding personality styles
• Demonstrating emotional intelligence

DecisivenessTeam members rely on leaders to make the right decisions. A leader must process the available information and try to anticipate future outcomes. Guiding and practicing decision-making while participating in a mentoring program—and therefore, when the stakes are low—allows the mentee to grow with limited pressure and risk.

AdaptabilityBusiness demands change daily, and rather than panicking, leaders must be flexible and demonstrate adaptability when change is suddenly imposed on them. Whether the situation involves customers, supply-chain issues, employee turnover, or teams failing to meet expectations, leaders need to focus on how to reach goals when changing dynamics are at play.

Problem-SolvingLeaders face a multitude of problems and issues every day. They need to be able to diagnose the root cause of a problem or issue and find the appropriate resolution. Regardless of whether challenges are internal or external, being able to lead others effectively through problematic situations will build confidence and loyalty in their teams. Additionally, learning how to apply creativity to the problem-solving process when resources are limited is crucial to guiding teams toward a positive outcome.

Different Types of Leadership MentoringWhen considering a mentoring program for your organization, it is important to determine what can be implemented successfully, provide the most value for your people, and integrate with other talent-development activities. Consider these four common mentoring approaches when structuring your program:

1. One-on-One MentoringThis traditional method involves the mentor and mentee working together on various projects and growth strategies. In this scenario, the mentor and mentee meet periodically to discuss needs, evaluate progress, provide advice, and create a forward-looking plan of action.

The benefit of this form of mentoring is that the mentee has easy access to their mentor to ask questions, seek support, and receive feedback. The mentee receives expertise from a skilled mentor that best suits their learning preferences and needs. It also develops a deeper relationship between the mentor and mentee.

1. Group MentoringIn this scenario, one mentor will work with multiple mentees in a group format. Often conducted in roundtable-style meetings, a mentor can provide direction, model key behaviors, provide direction, and challenge the thinking of mentees. The mentor and mentees can work together to exchange expertise and set each other up for success in their work.

If you have a small number of mentors or your mentors have limited time, group mentoring allows multiple mentees to engage in the development process simultaneously. This group approach also helps to build internal networks where mentees can support each other and serve as a sounding board once the formal mentorship is completed.

1. Self-MentoringWhen motivated leaders want to take learning into their own hands, they can “self-mentor” or develop their skills on their own time using tools such as books, learning management systems (LMS), and virtual or live workshops.

This form of mentoring is good for self-starters who may have to wait to start a formal or structured mentorship and would prefer to get going right away. It also allows them to explore different ways to learn and enhance their skills.

1. Reverse MentoringReverse mentoring happens when team members develop, guide, or teach something new to senior leadership. This creates a balanced mentorship between both parties because they learn from each other. For example, a team member could introduce a new technological tool to improve operations while a senior leader can provide ideas or suggestions on how to communicate differently when working with senior leaders or less-savvy technology users.

Reverse mentoring is a great resource when an organization has hit a plateau with operations. Getting fresh and refined guidance from both parties can create new perspectives and solutions to problems that would not have been thought of before.

Building a Sustainable Leadership-Mentoring CultureBuilding a lasting leadership-mentoring culture requires thoughtful planning and effort. To be successful, organizations must follow a series of steps to create a world-class program and sustainable mentoring mindset.

Define the Framework for the Mentoring ProgramFirst and foremost, define what your organization aims to achieve with its mentoring program. Prioritize the most important goals and objectives, such as knowledge-sharing, cultivating top talent from within, or accelerating career advancement. Collecting input from key stakeholders ensures the program meets both organizational priorities and individual growth needs and objectives.

Next, design or implement a general model that mentors can follow when mentoring team members. Provide a framework that offers enough flexibility for mentors to add their personal touch to each relationship. The mentoring culture will strengthen as mentors work together to create better experiences and learning opportunities for mentees.

Identify and Select Your MentorsThe next most critical step is to identify who your designated mentors will be. Mentors should be skilled leaders with good interpersonal skills who are capable of providing constructive coaching, feedback, and guidance. Selecting the wrong individuals as mentors can undermine and damage the program’s reputation and the credibility of the experience. Mentors can be hand-selected, nominated by leaders or peers, or selected through a formal process. Keep in mind that these individuals will be developing your talent pipeline so you need to select them with care.

Match Mentors and Mentees WellThe right mentor-mentee relationship is crucial for a mentoring program to be meaningful and productive. When pondering potential matches, consider the personalities, learning styles, and end goals of each party. The wrong match can derail what could otherwise be a great development opportunity.

Provide An Orientation to the Mentoring ProcessWhile mentors may have a lot of experience in formal leadership and management roles, they may lack specific tools, tips, and guiding frameworks to cultivate an effective mentoring relationship. Providing both parties with a basic orientation to the process and expectations related to mentoring will help build a strong foundation for success.

• For Mentors: Introduce them to the mentoring process, provide them with a toolkit of resources they can apply, define their role and responsibilities, address common challenges, and provide useful tips.
• For Mentees: Provide context as to why they have been selected for the mentorship. Explain their role and responsibilities in the process and provide information about how a mentee can engage the mentor in helping them to reach their goals, whether that’s advancing in their career, deepening their technical knowledge, or improving their leadership skills.

This doesn’t need to be a complex effort and can be done in person, virtually, or through a digital format.

Share Consistent FeedbackMentors need to give consistent and constructive feedback to their mentees to ensure their growth. Make sure mentors give relevant feedback to their mentees so they understand where they are excelling and where improvements need to be made.

To maintain a mentoring culture within your organization, emphasize to everyone that the focus of the mentoring process is primarily on growth and not always on performance.

Celebrate SuccessesAs each mentorship moves in a positive direction, make sure to celebrate and share these success stories with members of the organization. Don’t limit the definition of success to when someone gets promoted; instead, focus on moments when team members have applied a new capability that has created a meaningful result.

Recommended: How to Create a Leadership-Development Plan in 9 Steps

Create Exceptional Mentors and Future Leaders with CMOEGreat leadership rarely appears on its own—it’s achieved through hard work, dedication, and proper guidance. Whether you’re seeking to improve your team’s mentoring skills or establish a mentorship training program for your emerging leaders, CMOE can help you navigate complexities and streamline your efforts, all while saving you valuable time and resources.

Our workshop, Mentoring for Success, is built on proven methodologies and approaches to ensure that your people have the tools they need to drive effective mentoring relationships and build your organization’s mentorship culture. Contact us for more information about our Mentoring for Success workshop.

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Have you ever walked away from a challenging conversation feeling like you either came on too strong or didn’t say enough? You’re not alone. Participants in our Courageous Conversations Workshops agree: when facing difficult conversations, most of us default to one of two counterproductive approaches—winning or minimizing.

Understanding these tendencies is the first step toward more effective dialogue. Let’s explore what these attitudes look like and how to find a better balance.

The Winning TrapThe “winning” approach is about dominating the conversation at any cost. It’s when we armor up and prepare for battle, determined to make others see things our way. While this might feel powerful in the moment, it is ultimately ineffective.

People who want to “win” the conversation may operate under these types of false beliefs:

• “I know best, and others need to see things my way.”
• “I’m effective when I get others to agree with me.”
• “If I push hard enough, I’ll win their respect.”

This approach may win the argument, but it usually loses the relationship. When we’re focused on winning, we shut down the very dialogue we need to have in order to find real solutions.

The Minimizing MistakeOn the opposite end of the spectrum is “minimizing.” Minimizing involves making issues smaller than they are to keep things pleasant. We might downplay concerns, avoid core issues, or sacrifice our needs to maintain the peace.

Common false beliefs of minimizers include the following:

• “My needs don’t matter as much as theirs.”
• “If I avoid conflict, I’ll preserve the relationship.”
• “It’s better to stay silent than risk upsetting someone.”

While minimizing might feel safer, it leads to unresolved issues and growing resentment. True relationships require honest dialogue, even when it’s uncomfortable.

Finding the Sweet SpotEffective courageous conversations happen in the balance between these extremes:

• Be Assertive, Not Aggressive: Use “I” statements to express your perspective without blaming or attacking. For example, say, “I feel concerned about our ability to meet the timeline” instead of “You’re always late.”
• Practice Curiosity: Ask open-ended questions to explore the other person’s perspective. For instance, “Can you share what challenges you’re facing with this project?” demonstrates a willingness to understand.
• Stay Open-Minded: Remind yourself that your perspective is just one piece of the puzzle. Be willing to adjust your stance based on new information.
• Be Non-Defensive: When you feel yourself becoming defensive, pause and take a breath. Responding calmly allows you to stay focused on the issue rather than escalating conflict.
  When we strike this balance, we create space for both parties to feel heard while addressing important issues head-on.

Moving ForwardReflect on your recent challenging conversations. Do you tend to push too hard or pull back too much? Understanding your default response is crucial for growth. With practice, you can learn to navigate difficult conversations with both courage and compassion.

Ready to transform how your organization handles challenging conversations? CMOE’s Courageous Conversations Workshop provides practical tools and strategies for mastering this crucial skill. Our expert facilitators can deliver customized training either on-site or virtually, helping your team build stronger relationships and achieve better outcomes.

Contact CMOE today to learn how our workshop can help your team find the perfect balance in their challenging conversations.

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Providing constructive feedback to your manager can feel like a daunting task. You are offering input to someone who holds significant influence over your career and daily work. However, considering that one in two employees leave their jobs due to poor management, giving feedback could be the key to improved job satisfaction and fulfillment.

When given in the right way, managers often welcome feedback as an opportunity for personal and professional growth. Not only does it support your development, but it also fosters a more productive and collaborative work environment for others in the organization.

If you are in a position where you want to give constructive feedback, it is important to approach the conversation thoughtfully. Here are several tips that can guide you in how to give constructive feedback to your manager both productively and respectfully.

1. Be Specific and ObjectiveWhen giving feedback, focus on specific actions or behaviors rather than general traits or assumptions. Avoid making vague statements like “You’re not a good manager.” Instead, pinpoint a particular incident or behavior you believe could be improved. This will help your manager to understand exactly what needs to change.

Feedback Example: “During last week’s meeting, we didn’t have enough time to discuss the team’s progress. I think a more structured agenda would help keep everyone on track.”

1. Use the Situation-Behavior-Impact ModelOne effective method of giving feedback is the Situation-Behavior-Impact (SBI) model. It helps you communicate your feedback in a way that is clear and less likely to be misinterpreted. The model encourages you to describe:

2. Situation: When and where the incident took place

3. Behavior: The specific actions the manager took
4. Impact: The result of those actions, particularly how they affected the team or project

This approach encourages open dialogue and reduces the likelihood of defensive actions.

Feedback Example: “In yesterday’s team meeting (Situation), I was interrupted several times when I was sharing my ideas (Behavior), which made it harder for me to express my thoughts and feel heard (Impact). I would love to understand your perspective and find a solution together.”

1. Be Respectful and Mindful of ToneThe way you communicate feedback is almost as important as the content or message you will share. A respectful, professional tone will help ensure your input is well received. Avoid sounding accusatory or confrontational. Instead, focus on expressing your concerns constructively, using “I” statements rather than “You” statements.

Feedback Example: Instead of saying, “You rarely listen to my ideas,” try saying, “I feel that my ideas are not always heard, and I would appreciate it if we could find a way to ensure more open communication during meetings.”

1. Balance Positive and Negative FeedbackIt’s important to acknowledge what your manager is doing well, alongside what could be improved. Balancing both positive and negative feedback helps maintain a constructive atmosphere. In a recent survey by Harvard Business Review, 96% of people agreed that “negative feedback, if delivered appropriately, is effective at improving performance.”

Start with something you appreciate about your manager’s leadership, then share your suggestions for improvement.

Feedback Example: “I really appreciate how clear you are in setting expectations for the team. One area I think we could improve is the frequency of one-on-one check-ins, which would help us stay aligned on projects.”

1. Frame It as an Opportunity for GrowthInstead of simply pointing out issues, try to present your feedback as an opportunity for growth. Use language that suggests collaboration and improvement.

Feedback Example: “I have noticed that our team sometimes feels unclear about priorities. I think if we could revisit how we communicate deadlines, it might help us stay more focused and organized. I would be happy to discuss ways we could improve this.”

1. Offer Solutions, Not Just ProblemsConstructive feedback should not only identify issues but also suggest ways to resolve them. If you have noticed something that could be improved, offer potential solutions. By offering solutions, you show that you’re invested in helping the team improve rather than just criticizing.

Feedback Example: “I think we might benefit from more structured meetings. Maybe we could set an agenda beforehand to make sure we cover all key points without running out of time.”

1. Timing is KeyThe timing of your feedback can make all the difference. Choose a time when your manager is not stressed or busy with urgent tasks. If possible, ask for a private conversation away from distractions.

Avoid giving feedback in public settings or during emotionally charged moments, as this can cause embarrassment or defensiveness. Instead, find a time when your manager is open to hearing your thoughts and is receptive to constructive feedback.

If you notice an issue during a team meeting, instead of addressing it immediately, wait until later in the day or schedule a one-on-one meeting.

Feedback Example: “I would like to share some thoughts on today’s meeting. When would be a good time to chat?”

This ensures your manager is in the right mindset to receive feedback productively.

1. Be Prepared for PushbackIt’s important to anticipate that your manager might not always agree with your feedback, they may even get defensive. If this happens, stay calm and respectful. Acknowledge their perspectives but remain focused on improving the work environment and fostering better communication. If your feedback is not immediately accepted, be patient and consider following up at a later time.

If the manager does get emotional or defensive, try stepping back and be open minded about their perspective.

Feedback Example: “I respect your experience and perspective. Maybe we can work together to find a way that addresses both of our concerns.”

“Can you help me understand your point a little better? I want to make sure I’m seeing the whole picture.”

1. Encourage Ongoing DialogueFeedback should be part of an ongoing dialogue, not a one-time conversation. If you have provided feedback, follow up in the future to see if improvements have been made. It can also help to encourage your manager to offer feedback to you. An open feedback loop fosters continuous improvement for both parties. If your manager sees that you are open to feedback, it will likely encourage them to be more receptive to your observations and suggestions.

Feedback Example: “I wanted to follow up on the feedback I shared a few weeks ago. I appreciate the effort you have put into considering my perspective. I have noticed some positive changes, and I wanted to thank you. I also wanted to check in and see if there is anything I can work on from your end. I value your feedback and want to make sure I’m continuously improving as well. I think an open dialogue like this helps both of us grow and keeps communication strong.”

1. Know When to Seek SupportIf you find it difficult to provide feedback directly to your manager, or you feel your feedback is not being taken seriously, it might be helpful to seek support from a trusted colleague, HR, or a leadership development program. Sometimes, professional training can help develop effective communication and feedback skills.

Feedback Example: “I have been trying to address this concern with my manager, but I’m not sure if my feedback is being heard. Do you have any advice on how to approach this more effectively?”

Master the Art of Giving Constructive Feedback with CMOELearning how to give constructive feedback to your manager can feel challenging, but when done correctly, it can lead to more effective and harmonious working relationships. By being specific, respectful, and solution-oriented, you can foster an environment of growth and collaboration. Remember, feedback is a tool for improvement, not just for your manager but for you as well.

If you want to learn more about enhancing your communication skills or improving leadership effectiveness in your organization, contact us for more information.

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Today’s corporate landscape is dynamic, bringing together five generations—the Silent Generation, Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z—each contributing distinct strengths, values, and work styles.

While it can create some challenges, this diversity also offers a powerful opportunity to drive innovation, collaboration, and resilience across your organization. By taking a positive perspective on an approach to generational diversity, you can turn it into one of your organization’s greatest assets.

This guide to managing generational differences in the workplace explores the challenges and benefits of a multigenerational workforce as well as strategies that can unlock its advantages for your organization.

The Generational Challenge: Managing Various Experiences and ExpectationsYou might have heard people around the office say, “It must be a generational thing…” It’s a common phrase often used to describe (or dismiss) interpersonal conflict or differences among team members.

Different age groups have been shaped by different historical events, experiences, and cultural evolutions. They grew up consuming different media and using different technologies. They may also have grown up with different values and social norms.

Generational differences also exist in people’s approaches to work. Different age groups might have different work and communication styles as well as differing expectations around things like feedback and work-life balance.

Navigating these variances can be challenging. Without a strategic approach, organizations risk catering to one group while overlooking others, leading to disengagement, conflict, and a fractured workplace culture.

The Benefits of a Multigenerational WorkforceRest assured, finding intergenerational balance is possible. Leveraging the strengths of generational diversity can help you create a dynamic, resilient workforce that exhibits characteristics like the following:

• Diverse perspectives and innovation: Different generational viewpoints can lead to creative problem-solving and well-rounded decision-making. Research consistently shows that diverse teams outperform their counterparts.
• Knowledge-sharing and mentorship: Fostering mentorship between generational groups creates invaluable transfer of skills and knowledge. Each group has unique experiences and strengths, and everyone can learn from one another. Encouraging the sharing of these strengths helps create a collaborative environment and makes workers more well-rounded.
• Business continuity and stability: A balanced generational workforce ensures the transfer of critical institutional knowledge and helps businesses maintain operational consistency over time.
• Enhanced adaptability: Organizations with generational diversity can more effectively navigate market shifts by blending junior team members’ perspective and agility with senior team members’ knowledge and experience.

Your Strategy for Managing Generational Differences EffectivelyStudies illustrate that, while generational differences do exist, they are of little importance in identifying what motivates individuals at work. Rather than using generational groups to oversimplify differences, President Michael Dimock of the Pew Research Center encourages leaders to use them as a lens to “understand societal change.” This understanding can help you communicate better with team members and bridge any gaps that may exist between them.

Here are four strategies to maximize the value of multigenerational workforces:

1. Address Intrinsic MotivatorsResearcher and professor Kelly Pledger Weeks interviewed workers across generational groups and found a common misconception: each generation tends to view the others as primarily motivated by money, less hardworking, and indifferent to meaning or purpose.

Misconceptions like these can create generational conflict rooted in stereotypes. Thus, a purposeful and strategic way to begin managing generational differences in the workplace is to identify and address intrinsic motivators. Weeks explains that this approach “can allow existing definitions of meaning to emerge instead of dictating what should be meaningful.”

Having open conversations on what constitutes meaning at work will help eliminate stereotypes and invisible barriers between generational groups. Because at the end of the day, what people want is not so different.

As Harvard Business Publishing Corporate Learning puts it, “We all want our work to have meaning, although how we define what makes work ‘meaningful’ may differ somewhat from one generation to the next.” Whatever their specific idea of meaning is, helping team members see how their roles contribute to the organization’s mission and purpose can naturally align individual strengths with a shared vision.

1. Encourage Cross-Generational MentorshipUsing mentorship programs to pair workforce members from different generations fosters mutual learning and strengthens team cohesion. More-experienced team members can share institutional knowledge, while novice team members can offer fresh perspectives.

Here are some things to consider:

• Match strategically: Pair on the basis of motivators, strengths, and interests in addition to age or tenure.
• Encourage two-way learning: Successful mentorship is a two-way exchange in which team members share insights, learn from each other, and contribute equally. This reciprocity fosters mutual respect and promotes a positive, collaborative relationship.
• Set clear goals: Define what participants should gain from the relationship, such as skills, leadership, or industry knowledge.

• Recognize success: Highlight achievements to reinforce impact and encourage participation.

• Tailor Communication StylesAdapting communication methods to align with generational preferences can enhance clarity and engagement. Members of different generations may favor distinct communication styles and modes.

For example, individuals from Generation X tend to “prefer concise presentations” and documents that clearly lay out how things work, while Millennials prefer to facilitate exchanges via text and instant messaging. Understanding and accommodating these preferences fosters more-effective interactions.

Consider conducting a survey or holding one-on-one conversations about team members’ communication preferences and styles. Use this data to enhance intergenerational communication across the company.

Encouraging team members to embrace compromise and adaptation to establish shared expectations ensures everyone is on the same page regarding how and when to communicate.

This approach not only helps individuals feel acknowledged and supported in their roles but also cultivates an environment where team members are respectful to one another and have the means to collaborate better. Moreover, it promotes greater inclusivity within the workplace.

1. Adapt Leadership ApproachesEffective leadership in a diverse workplace requires flexibility and a deep understanding of everyone’s motivations and work preferences. A one-size-fits-all approach simply won’t yield the best results. Leaders must tailor their strategies to engage and support team members across different age groups.

This can mean, for instance, finding the right balance between structure and autonomy. Some workforce members thrive with clear expectations and well-defined processes, while others perform best in flexible, innovation-driven environments. Leaders should adapt their approach to provide guidance where needed while empowering individuals to work independently when appropriate.

Ongoing leadership training can help leaders confidently handle this challenge. CMOE’s communication training and flexible leadership workshops can equip professionals with the tools they need to effectively navigate generational differences, foster collaboration, and enhance team engagement.

Your Next Step: Lead with ConfidenceSuccessfully managing generational differences in the workplace requires thoughtful leadership, adaptability, and a commitment to fostering an inclusive work culture. By implementing strategies that promote cross-generational collaboration, communication, and flexibility, you can harness the strengths of each generation to drive sustained success.
CMOE is here to guide you on this journey. For more insights on effective leadership and team management, explore CMOE’s leadership development solutions.

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Effective teamwork is the foundation of highly successful organizations. However, fully leveraging the power of teamwork requires regular self-reflection followed by appropriate action on the part of each team member.

According to Gallup, simply knowing your own and your peers’ strengths and opportunities for improvement leads to increased engagement and performance. A structured self-assessment can assist with this, providing valuable insights that help team members independently and collectively refine their communication, adaptability, problem-solving skills and other essential competencies.

Explore the impact self-assessments have on teamwork and the most effective phrases to help professionals carefully reflect upon their performance and drive continuous improvement.

The Role of Self-Assessment in Team DevelopmentSelf-assessments provide a chance to evaluate strengths and opportunities for improvement, enabling individuals to reflect on their accomplishments and growth areas. They can also help identify roles that align with team members’ skills, maximizing their potential to make meaningful contributions.

In addition, when team members are self-aware and committed to growth, they become more engaged and proactive in their roles. This not only strengthens team dynamics but also enhances collaboration across departments.

Strategies that cultivate team collaboration yield higher engagement, a key driver in quality business outcomes:

• High levels of engagement can lead to 18% higher productivity, 23% higher profitability, and 78% lower absenteeism.
• When individuals are placed in roles that align with their strengths and talents, their enthusiasm and drive enhance their performance and motivate those around them. Team members are able to identify the link between their strengths and the success they achieve.

The insights gained from self-assessments can be combined with objective evaluations of team performance for a holistic understanding of team effectiveness.

Key Areas of Teamwork Self-Assessment and Strategic InsightsBefore formulating a teamwork self-assessment, it’s important to understand the key areas of teamwork effectiveness. These areas serve as benchmarks for evaluating an individual’s ability to collaborate and contribute meaningfully to a team:

1. Contribution Level: Assessing how well an individual participates in group discussions, offers solutions, and drives initiatives forward
2. Accomplishments: Evaluating the extent to which personal and team goals are achieved, including successful project completions and measurable impact
3. Progress Toward Goals: Reviewing whether short- and long-term objectives are being met and identifying areas for improvement
4. Learned Skills: Determining how effectively new skills and knowledge are acquired and applied in a team environment
5. Collaboration and Engagement: Understanding the quality of interactions with colleagues, responsiveness to feedback, and overall teamwork dynamics
6. Problem-Solving and Innovation: Measuring an individual’s ability to navigate challenges, think creatively, and contribute to process improvements

Most individuals demonstrate teamwork better in some of these areas than others. Assessing each area separately helps provide more precise insights into each individual’s teamwork effectiveness and identify areas for growth and improvement.

Example Phrases to Help Assess Teamwork EffectivenessLet’s dive deeper into the six key areas by highlighting specific phrases you can leverage in teamwork self-assessments. These phrases are what your team members will use to assess whether each benchmark is a strength or a weakness.

Remember, strong teams begin with strong and capable individuals.

1. Contribution Level* “I actively participate in team discussions and contribute valuable insights to drive projects forward.”
2. “I consistently take initiative and suggest solutions to challenges the team faces.”
3. “I recognize when I need to step up and lead efforts to address critical issues.”
4. “I strive to involve others and ensure my contributions align with broader team goals.”

Why This Matters: Assessing team members’ contribution level ensures their involvement and impact on team progress is measurable. Team members who take initiative and offer solutions are critical to driving momentum and achieving results.

1. Accomplishments* “I consistently meet or exceed both personal and team objectives.”
2. “I actively contribute to the successful completion of projects and ensure measurable results.”
3. “I am committed to achieving goals that align with both my individual responsibilities and the team’s targets.”
4. “I recognize opportunities to push the team toward success by tracking milestones and adjusting as needed.”

Why This Matters: Accomplishments reflect an individual’s ability to meet expectations and contribute meaningfully to team and organizational goals. High performers continuously assess their contributions to ensure they deliver results that benefit the entire team.

1. Progress Toward Goals* “I consistently track my progress toward meeting team goals and make adjustments as necessary.”
2. “I ensure my personal objectives align with team targets, contributing directly to our collective success.”
3. “I proactively address any obstacles that may hinder progress toward achieving team goals.”
4. “I review team progress regularly and make adjustments to ensure we are on track.”

Why This Matters: Regularly assessing progress ensures that both individual and team goals are met effectively. It also clarifies areas where more effort is needed, helping refocus team efforts as needed.

1. Learned Skills* “I actively pursue opportunities to acquire new skills that will benefit the team’s growth.”
2. “I apply newly learned techniques to improve team collaboration and performance.”
3. “I seek feedback from team members to identify areas for improvement and skill development.”
4. “I am committed to continuous learning, ensuring that I remain adaptable in a rapidly changing environment.”

Why This Matters: An individual’s ability to learn and apply new skills is crucial for fostering personal and team growth. Those who are proactive in developing new competencies help their teams stay innovative and competitive.

1. Collaboration and Engagement* “I am committed to fostering positive relationships and engaging with my team members consistently.”
2. “I regularly seek and provide feedback, ensuring open communication channels across the team.”
3. “I prioritize collaboration and seek meaningful and constructive ways to engage with colleagues.”
4. “I actively contribute to a team environment where everyone feels heard and valued.”

Why This Matters: Strong collaboration and engagement are essential for maintaining high team morale and productivity. Professionals who regularly engage with their teams enhance communication, create a sense of ownership, and ensure alignment within the group.

1. Problem-Solving and Innovation* “I approach challenges with a solution-oriented mindset and actively contribute innovative ideas.”
2. “I am consistently involved in identifying and addressing obstacles that may hinder the team’s performance.”
3. “I collaborate with team members to brainstorm creative solutions that improve processes.”
4. “I am committed to fostering a culture of continuous improvement and problem-solving.”

Why This Matters: Effective problem-solving and innovation are critical for the long-term sustained success of their team. Individuals who take the initiative to identify challenges and propose creative solutions help their teams overcome obstacles and continuously evolve.

Elevating Team Performance Through Strategic Self-AssessmentLeaders who encourage self-assessment empower their teams to work more effectively and align with organizational goals. Prioritizing ongoing development helps enhance collaboration and decision-making, leading to long-term growth and effectiveness.
For more insights on building high-performance teams, visit CMOE’s Team Leadership Development page or take the Team Alignment Survey. Ready to unlock your team’s full potential? Our quantitative team assessment unlocks pinpointed strategies to drive collaboration, enhance performance, and elevate your team to the next level.

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Developing talent is a key driver of corporate success. Two powerful approaches to professional development are often discussed and frequently conflated: coaching and mentoring. While both methodologies support advancement, each serves a unique purpose depending on timing and workplace context. Understanding what the difference is between coaching and mentoring can help organizations select the best approach for their team’s needs.

Coaching and Mentoring: Difference in Definitions and Core PurposesCoaching and mentoring share the common goal of developing talent, yet they differ in focus and application. By recognizing how coaching and mentoring diverge and how they overlap, organizations can better harness the full potential of different professional relationships.

What Is Coaching?Coaching is a performance-driven approach primarily focused on improving specific skills or addressing particular workplace challenges. It follows a structured yet adaptable framework built on meaningful two-way feedback, where a coach works to improve performance in clearly defined areas. This methodology generally includes a structured timeframe and measurable objectives.

Coaching often involves:

• Short to medium-term engagement
• Focus on targeted skills or growth areas
• Regular feedback and accountability measures
• Goal-oriented outcomes aligned with organizational needs

Coaching is best defined as a process of guiding team members through leadership-endorsed, role-based professional development. Its ultimate aim is to address immediate professional needs that directly impact how individuals perform in their current roles. Through skilled coaching, team members find a clear path toward growth milestones that benefit both the individual and the organization as a whole.

Example Coaching Scenario: Leadership observes that a team member struggles with time management and hitting deadlines. They arrange weekly coaching sessions to help identify time-wasting processes and implement better planning tools. Over the course of six weeks, the team member develops more efficient habits that measurably improve their productivity.

Read More >> The Dos and Don’ts of Creating a Coaching Culture in the Office

What Is Mentoring?Mentoring is a development-oriented approach where an experienced professional, the mentor, offers guidance and support to a less experienced colleague, the mentee. While coaching concentrates on immediate performance objectives, mentorship draws upon broader wisdom and career guidance. Through two-way communication, it empowers individuals to explore their full potential through the lens of long-term development.

Mentoring relationships often feature:

• Long-term engagement
• Focus on broader career development
• Regular sharing of personal insights and knowledge
• Emphasis on achieving overall growth and reaching professional potential

Mentoring takes a more holistic approach to career development. It offers a supportive framework for growth beyond the scope of one’s current role and responsibilities. Through mentoring relationships, team members can uncover talents, improve current abilities, and receive personal guidance for their unique professional journey.

Example Mentoring Scenario: A promising junior manager is paired with a senior executive through a mentoring program. Over the course of a year, they meet periodically to discuss the junior manager’s career goals, challenges, and development opportunities. The executive shares personal insights and connects the mentee with resources and contacts to help prepare them for future leadership roles.

Different Types of Coaching and MentoringSuccessful organizations not only distinguish the differences between coaching and mentoring, but they also deploy the right specialized developmental strategy at the right time. Both methodologies offer strategies suited for specific contexts and team needs.

Types of CoachingThese different types of coaching serve different purposes, and each can be implemented as part of a comprehensive development plan.

1. Performance coaching focuses on improving specific work-related skills or addressing performance gaps.
2. Executive coaching provides support for senior leaders facing specific challenges or undergoing complex transitions.
3. Team coaching works with whole teams to bolster collaboration, communication, and overall effectiveness.
4. Skills coaching targets the growth of particular abilities that may be needed for current or future roles.
5. Career coaching guides team members through different career decisions and advancement opportunities.

Types of MentoringThese different mentoring approaches offer some flexibility when meeting varied organizational needs, with unique mentorship opportunities for different levels.

1. One-on-one mentoring is a classic approach that involves a senior and junior professional.
2. Peer mentoring refers to colleagues at similar levels supporting one another’s development.
3. Group mentoring facilitates knowledge sharing with one mentor working with multiple mentees simultaneously.
4. Reverse mentoring leverages junior staff knowledge and perspectives to develop senior colleagues’ capabilities.
5. Situational mentoring is short-term mentorship focused on particular situations or workplace transitions.

Knowing When to Use Coaching vs. MentoringThe roles of a mentor and coach can sometimes overlap. The key is to be intentional about the approach being employed so team members understand the purpose and expectations of any given interaction. This means understanding when to apply each of these structured interventions for maximum impact.

| Ideal Situations for Coaching | Ideal Situations for Mentoring | | Improving specific work behaviors | Supporting overall career advancement | | Implementing new processes | Facilitating long-term professional growth | | Developing specialized skills | Transferring institutional knowledge | | Preparing for new responsibilities | Developing role or leadership capabilities | | Working toward clearly defined short-term goals | Building professional networks and relationships | | Reinforcing training concepts | Navigating industry and organizational culture | | Meeting immediate organizational objectives | Bolstering ongoing career growth and development |

Coaching is particularly effective when there are concrete objectives to achieve within a defined timeframe. Mentoring is effective for long-term progression and thrives in environments that prioritize a culture of knowledge sharing and continuous learning.

How to Select the Right Professional Development ApproachTo select and implement the appropriate approach, consider organizational goals. This begins by asking critical questions about what you’re trying to achieve:

• Will the initiative target specific, measurable skills or address broader professional development needs?
• Should it involve shorter, focused engagements with defined endpoints or development relationships that extend and evolve over longer periods?
• Would a more structured, session-based approach with clear milestones better serve your needs, or would a more flexible, relationship-based approach be more appropriate?
• Should the initiative define success against specific, quantifiable performance metrics or through a subjective, qualitative experience of growth and development?

When organizational goals align with your chosen professional development approach, it ensures resources are deployed effectively and yield meaningful results.

Leveraging Both Coaching and Mentoring in the WorkplaceEven with their differences, coaching and mentoring are both valuable assets for an organization’s professional development toolkit. Instead of viewing them as competing approaches, forward-thinking organizations integrate both within a comprehensive talent development strategy. This is key for a robust framework capable of developing team members at all levels.

Organizations can cultivate effective coaching and mentoring programs through expert-led workshops, resources, and consulting services that aim to create a culture of continuous improvement. This expertise can be invaluable for strengthening the entire organizational fabric, creating more resilient, agile teams capable of maintaining a competitive position in your industry.

To get started, learn more about how our Mentoring for Success Workshop and Executive Coaching Program leverage proven methodologies to establish effective professional relationships throughout your entire organization.

Explore the full scope of CMOE’s professional solutions to learn more.

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One of the most challenging aspects of difficult conversations can be finding the right time to have them. To select the best time to have a courageous conversation, there are three key factors to consider:

1. Your mindset
2. Their ability to receive the conversation
3. The timing of the interaction

When all three are favorable, you are more likely to have a positive outcome. Let’s take a deeper look at each of these factors.

You Are in the Right MindsetTo assess whether you are in the right frame of mind to have a courageous conversation, you’ll first need to check your emotions. What are you feeling about the situation? If your emotions are particularly strong, you may need to process them before approaching the other person. If you enter into the conversation with raw emotions, you’re implying that you expect the other person to handle your emotional load, which is unfair to them and to the conversation. Do your own work first.

Emotional processing can be approached in a number of ways. You might choose to talk about the situation with an uninvolved third party, such as a friend outside of work, your spouse or life partner, or an executive coach. Some people benefit from capturing their emotions in a journal, while others may prefer to think through the situation while engaging in physical activity, such as a rigorous workout or a brisk walk.

In addition to checking your emotions, evaluate your assumptions and logic. What assumptions are you making about the situation or the other person’s motivations? Have you jumped to any conclusions prematurely?

Also, consider the outcome you want from the conversation. What are you hoping to achieve? Mutual understanding? A solution to a complex issue? A forum to express your grievances? Be realistic about the outcome you’re striving for given the people involved and the current circumstances.

They Are in a Place to Receive ItThe next factor to consider is the other person’s headspace. While you can’t be a mind reader, people often provide obvious clues about where they are mentally. Avoid times when they might be rushed, stressed, or distracted, and if necessary, choose a time that might be better for a challenging conversation. Make sure to consider their personality and current circumstances so you can best judge when they’re likely to be receptive to the dialogue.

If possible, choose a time when you can be face-to-face. This enables both parties to read non-verbal cues, which can help de-escalate emotions. If a face-to-face meeting isn’t feasible, a video call is the next best option. If video isn’t available, a phone call can suffice. When you are relying on voice alone, be mindful that you may need to both offer to and request from the other person more verbal reassurances during the conversation.

The Conversation is TimelyDifficult conversations are best handled as soon as possible after an incident. Once you recognize the need for a courageous conversation, don’t delay unnecessarily. Because these types of conversations are inherently challenging, many people avoid the discomfort of having them until a separate issue arises, which is the wrong way to approach them. When multiple grievances are raised at once, it can overwhelm the recipient, creating a string of unresolved problems.

The Intersection of All Three FactorsYou could spend weeks getting your thoughts in order but miss the chance to address the issue promptly, or you might bring up the problem the moment you notice it but fail to realize the other person is in a hurry to catch a flight.

The best time for a courageous conversation is when you’ve had enough time to process your thoughts and emotions, considered when the other person is most able to receive the conversation, and taken the necessary action without further delay.

For more information about how to have successful courageous conversations, explore our tools and resources at CMOE.com. If you’re ready to build stronger relationships and foster open dialogue in challenging situations, discover how our Courageous Conversations™ Workshop can equip you with the essential skills for impactful communication. Start transforming the way you approach difficult conversations and create win-win outcomes today!

Guest AuthorSarah-June Carroll is a facilitator and consultant at CMOE, specializing in Leadership Development, Daring Leadership, Psychological Safety, Courageous Conversations, and Emotional Literacy. With over 12 years of experience, she is certified in the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and holds a certification in Training and Facilitation from ATD. Sarah-June delivers workshops, keynotes, and coaching sessions that focus on building trust, communication, resilience, and team-building.

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Should You Standardize Your Supervisor Development Plan?As your business evolves and expands, cultivating strong leadership becomes essential for sustainable growth. This may involve promoting high-performing team members to supervisory roles or investing in the professional development of existing supervisors.

A vital step in this process is developing a robust supervisor development plan that nurtures leadership potential. However, the question then becomes whether you should utilize a standardized program and approach or tailor one specific to your organization.

This article explores the advantages of both approaches and delves into how they can be effectively combined to foster a well-rounded and impactful supervisor development program.

Standardized vs. Custom Supervisor Training54% percent of workforce members say they would invest more time learning if they had a clear path to follow, while over 75% value personalized learning experiences. So, which approach is more effective, a standardized or a customized program?

The answer is “it depends.” Both training styles have distinct advantages, but they also present challenges. By weighing the pros and cons of each, you can make an informed decision that aligns with your organization’s goals and team-member needs.

Pros of Standardized Supervisor TrainingThere are some benefits to standardized training for supervisors:

• Comprehensive Coverage: Standardized plans are designed by leadership experts intended to serve a broad audience, ensuring that all essential aspects of being a supervisor are addressed.
• Ease of Implementation: Ready-made and easy to launch, these programs allow you to quickly schedule and implement the training without the need for extensive project management.
• Efficiency: Many standardized training plans are designed with efficiency in mind, making it possible to cover the vital supervisory skills in a short amount of time using a variety of learning formats while staying within budget.
• Scalable for Multiple Trainees: A pre-designed program is ideal for training multiple supervisors simultaneously, making it a time-efficient choice for large teams.

Cons of Standardized Supervisor TrainingThe cons of standardized training include the following:

• One Size Does Not Fit All: A uniform model may fall short when addressing unique industry or organizational needs. Standardized approaches, though comprehensive, can sometimes lack the flexibility needed to align with specialized supervisory challenges or issues.
• Potential Skill Gaps: The rigidity of a one-size-fits-all approach can hinder personal growth, as it may not adapt well to individual learning styles or personal development needs, leaving certain learning behind in the process.

Pros of Customized Supervisor TrainingOn the other hand, customized training for supervisors offers several advantages:

• Skill Diversity: Creating customized training allows team members to build a wider range of skills or competencies for their role compared to a standardized training program.
• Personalized Learning: Each team member learns differently, and customized supervisor training can better cater to individual learning style and needs, enhancing their ability to absorb, practice, and apply new concepts.
• Flexibility for Growth: As team members and the organization evolve, customized training offers the flexibility to adjust and focus on areas that need more attention, making it more dynamic and responsive.

Cons of Customized Supervisor TrainingDespite its benefits, customized supervisor training can also present certain challenges:

• Starting from Scratch: Custom plans require development from the ground up. To create an effective program, you will need subject-matter expertise in both leadership skills and instructional design.
• Time-Intensive: Creating and implementing tailored plans takes more time, budget, and effort compared to off-the-shelf options.
• Scope Creep: When building out customized plans, the wish list of skills, competencies, and development topics can easily grow out of control. When this occurs, it requires stakeholders to make hard decisions about immediate needs.

Should You Standardize Your Supervisor Development Plan?Standardizing your approach to Supervisor Development training may be the right choice for your organization, or it may not. Instead of comprehensive standardization, you may want to begin by creating a standardized training outline to follow and then add in customized training elements based on the unique needs of learners or your organization. This will provide you with the benefits of both training approaches, blending the reliability of standardized training and proven concepts with the adaptability of customization. This will ensure that you meet both organizational objectives and individual learning needs.

For example, you can offer standard guides to follow and tools to use but also maintain flexibility in application: how supervisors can put the skills into action relative to their roles and responsibilities. This can help create a more user-centric approach to a fully developed supervisor learning experience.

What to Include in a Standardized Supervisor Development PlanTo set your team members up for success, make sure your standardized supervisor development plan includes the following elements.

Formal TrainingIt’s essential to cover all the basic skills and tools a supervisor needs to do their job properly:

• Communication: Potential supervisors must be able to speak with clarity and, even more importantly, listen with intent. Effective communication between team members and leaders creates a work environment that minimizes wasted time and reduces burnout. 62% of team members who choose to stay with their current company say they have leaders who communicate well.
• Delegation: For many supervisors, relinquishing control can be challenging, especially when they’re accustomed to handling everything on their own. Yet, delegation is not only vital to a supervisor’s success, it’s a catalyst for team growth, empowering others to refine their own skills and drive collective progress.
• Interpersonal skills: Navigating conflicts, understanding diverse personalities, and fostering collaboration: these are essential interpersonal skills every supervisor must master to lead with empathy and build cohesive, high-performing teams. According to a survey of over 3,000 workforce members, only 29% believe their leader does well in the human aspect of leadership.
  Assessment and coaching. It is important for leaders to assess the skills and capabilities of the people they lead and provide feedback and coaching to further develop their skills, impact their performance, and engage them in productive dialogue.

AssessmentsPeriodic assessments are crucial to skill development and can be done before, during, or after supervisor training. They can be used as a quantitative resource to help team members understand their strengths along with gaps or opportunities for improvement. You can use pre- and post-program assessment results to provide specific feedback on where trainees are making progress in developing their skills.

Allow for Practice TimeBecause standardized training is often centered on efficiency, it can sometimes sacrifice critical opportunities for practice. Mistakes are invaluable: they offer learning moments that transform knowledge into mastery. Allowing trainees to demonstrate the supervisory skills they learned in the program gives them an opportunity to practice their skills in a supportive, low-risk environment. This “test run” of their skills not only provides valuable insight into their progress and development as leaders but also fosters a culture of continuous improvement, both at the individual level and for the program overall.

Remember, knowing and doing are different things. Everything can seem clear during training, but skill or knowledge gaps can become more apparent when a trainee attempts to put what they’ve learned into action. Providing these opportunities to practice fosters improvement and a better overall learning experience. In fact, one scientific study found that learning is most productive when failure happens around 15% of the time. In other words, people who get everything right aren’t usually learning anything new, while people who are right 85% of the time tend to learn the most.

Include ample time to practice the skills in order to give supervisors the confidence to implement the learning in their day-to-day responsibilities.

Development DiscussionsConsistent feedback loops are crucial to the learning process. A good supervisor training program will incorporate guided development discussions. These discussion templates or guides can be used before, during, or after the supervisor training program, helping to facilitate targeted discussions between supervisors and their immediate leaders. The purpose is to hold supervisors accountable for their own development efforts, to guide them in the process, and to ensure that progress is being made.

As leaders engage in these development discussions with their supervisors, they may identify skill gaps that aren’t being properly addressed or development topics that may be missing from the program. This feedback to the training team can be critical in determining if the program is meeting the learning objectives or if additional customization may be required.

How to Develop a Supervisor Training Program Customized for IndividualsIf you’re looking for ways to customize your supervisor training plan, here are a few suggestions.

Consider the Supervisor’s Learning NeedsThe easiest way to customize a training plan is to consider what your trainee needs in terms of their learning style and baseline skills. When looking at learning style, ask yourself what kind of learner they are. Do they do well in a traditional classroom setting, or are they better at learning through on-the-job experiences or self-directed courses? In one survey, 65% of workforce members indicated that watching videos is their preferred way to learn. Lectures and presentations were in second place at 55%, followed by reading short articles at 47%. Cater your training approach to team members’ learning styles so they can get the most out of it.

When approaching learning from a skills perspective, assess a person’s baseline abilities and then go from there. What are the person’s skill gaps? Many employees already have part of the foundation necessary to become good leaders and simply need to refine or enhance their abilities or engage in focused training on specific topics. Doing a thorough assessment of each person’s skill level before you begin will save you time and help you provide more impactful training.

Create an Outline to FollowOnce you’ve identified the person’s needs, crafting a clear roadmap is essential. While a customized training plan thrives on flexibility, having written guidelines offers direction and ensures that key objectives are met along the way.

Having something to follow—whether it’s an outline, a schedule, or a to-do list—will provide organization and structure throughout the training. Remember, you can always alter the plan as the training process progresses.

Perform Frequent EvaluationsJust like in standardized programs, regular evaluations are key to the success of customized training. They allow you to track growth, refine your approach, and gain valuable feedback on the training’s efficacy, helping you fine-tune the development process.

Create the Perfect Supervisor Development Plan with CMOECMOE has over 45 years of experience in providing leadership training for a variety of industries, giving us a unique perspective and ideas on how to implement effective development solutions for leaders at all levels. Ensure success with your supervisor development program by collaborating with us to enhance your supervisor development plan and get your program off the ground. Our team is skilled at helping organizations implement standardized and customized plans to ensure your supervisors and team members walk away with a comprehensive set of leadership skills.

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Team leaders wield significant influence over team performance. Whether they’re leading small, specialized teams or overseeing large-scale operations, today’s leaders must navigate a complex array of responsibilities that can vary dramatically based on the scope of their role.

Beyond simple oversight, team leaders must effectively adapt their approach to meet the needs of their team as they work to achieve organizational objectives. Regardless of the project, the purpose of a team leader remains constant: to drive success and nurture individual potential.

Examining the essential roles and responsibilities of team leaders reveals why their guidance is indispensable for team performance.

What Is the Main Purpose of a Team Leader?

A team leader’s purpose is to guide and support their team toward achieving organizational goals while fostering individual and collective growth. Acting as a bridge between their team and the broader organization, they help team members understand how each role contributes to success and serve as liaisons to represent their team’s interests.

Team leaders translate high-level strategies into actionable plans designed to build a high-performing, adaptable team. They shape team culture by creating an atmosphere of trust, respect, and mutual support that encourages team members to find—and create—meaning through their work.

What Are the Roles and Responsibilities of a Team Leader?Effective team leaders take on diverse and dynamic roles, each vital for guiding their team to success. Understanding these roles and responsibilities, and how they facilitate adaptability, is essential for aspiring leaders and organizations seeking to develop strong leadership in their ranks.

7 Key Roles of a Team Leader1. Visionary: Team leaders set a clear direction, articulating a compelling vision that inspires and aligns team efforts with organizational strategy. 2. Communicator: They ensure effective information flow, facilitating open dialogue within their team and across departments. 3. Motivator: Leaders energize their team, recognizing contributions and connecting individual roles to larger purposes. 4. Decision-Maker: They evaluate options, consider team input, and make timely, informed choices to guide the team through challenges. 5. Mentor: Team leaders offer guidance and support, creating opportunities for skill development and career growth. 6. Role Model: By demonstrating desired behaviors and attitudes, leaders set the standard for team culture and professional conduct. 7. Strategist: They develop and implement plans to achieve goals, adapting strategies as needed in response to changing circumstances.

Core Responsibilities of a Team Leader1. Goal Setting and Alignment: Leaders set clear goals and outline steps while ensuring team efforts contribute directly to company success. 2. Performance Optimization: They monitor progress and team performance to keep people on track to meet goals. 3. Talent Development: Team leaders nurture skills to develop stronger, more capable team members who function as part of an effective whole. 4. Resource Facilitation: They secure necessary resources and remove obstacles for team members to support productivity and job satisfaction. 5. Conflict Management: Leaders maintain team cohesion by promptly addressing issues that compromise a harmonious team environment. 6. Support for Innovation: Team leaders promote creative problem solving and calculated risk-taking to foster adaptability. 7. Change Management: They guide their team through organizational shifts and external changes by maintaining resilience throughout.

What Is the Role of a Team Leader in Fostering Team Dynamics?Team leaders mold team dynamics through their leadership style and decision-making approach. By establishing expectations for teamwork and personal development, they set the tone for how team members work together and achieve results.

Ultimately, a team leader’s influence on team dynamics can be the difference between a group of individuals and a cohesive team. Team leaders recognize and leverage group and individual strengths. Through their actions and decisions, they create a culture that motivates team members toward collective success.

What Makes a Good Team Leader?A good team leader possesses a combination of skills, traits, and behaviors that help them guide their team effectively:

• Strong emotional intelligence, enabling them to understand and manage their own emotions and influence those of their team members
• Excellent communication skills, allowing them to articulate clearly and listen actively
• Adaptability, effectively navigating changing environments and team needs
• Consistency, inspiring trust through a commitment to integrity and transparency
• Effective delegation, empowering team members to take ownership of their role
• Humility, balancing confidence with a willingness to remain open to feedback

Good team leaders recognize that their development directly impacts team performance and continually strive for personal and professional growth. By combining these qualities with a genuine commitment to each team member’s success, effective leaders inspire everyone to optimal performance within a positive, productive culture.

How Can I Develop Leadership Skills to Become a Successful Team Leader?Becoming an effective leader is a journey marked by continuous growth and learning. While fulfilling key roles and responsibilities is part of the purpose of a team leader, the ability to bring out the best in others is just as crucial.

To develop your leadership skills, work on your ability to motivate and connect:

• Seek feedback and self-reflect regularly. Consult one-on-one with team members and use 360-degree feedback tools to get a comprehensive view of your performance.
• Practice effective communication that exercises your emotional intelligence. Implement active listening techniques in team meetings and consider different perspectives before making decisions.
• Take on projects that push you out of your comfort zone. Volunteer for cross-functional projects to broaden your experience or mentor junior team members to practice coaching.
• Learn from both successes and failures. Conduct post-project reviews to identify what worked and what didn’t and share lessons with teams and experienced leaders.
• Stay informed about best practices in leadership. Subscribe to leadership newsletters and join professional associations related to your field and leadership.
• Pursue formal leadership training. Attend workshops, enroll in courses, or consider pursuing additional certifications in leadership skills.

As you develop these skills, you’ll enhance your ability to contribute to, and ultimately create, a positive workplace where innovation can thrive.

To help you become a more effective leader, CMOE offers comprehensive leadership training workshops designed to cultivate these skills and more. Explore our expert-led programs to unlock your full potential as a leader.

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Toxic Competition in the Workplace: Recognition, Prevention, and Fostering Healthier OutlooksCompetition is often a helpful catalyst for innovation and productivity in the business world. However, when competition crosses the line from healthy motivation to toxic action, it can harm workplace culture and team well-being.

Recognizing the difference between healthy and toxic competition in the workplace is vital to maintaining a positive environment where everyone can thrive in their roles. This understanding empowers leaders to spot early signs of toxic competition and cultivate a culture that drives growth without compromising team cohesion.

The goal is not to eliminate competition entirely. After all, competitive environments can encourage personal and professional growth. Instead, leaders can harness the power of competition to build a prosperous culture for individuals and the organization as a whole. Learn more about workplace competition dynamics with practical tools to help teams excel.

What Is Toxic Competition in the Workplace?Competition becomes toxic in the workplace when rivalry between individuals or teams undermines collaboration, trust, productivity and customer experience. Unlike healthy competition, which can motivate and inspire, toxic competition can create a hostile work environment that erodes team unity.

Toxic competition can have far-reaching effects on an organization. For instance, a toxic corporate culture is 10.4 times more likely to contribute to turnover than dissatisfaction with compensation. Other outcomes include:

• Heightened stress levels
• Decreased job satisfaction
• Higher attrition rates
• Reduced innovation and creativity
• Delayed progress toward team goals

A competitive spirit that values self-interest over group interest and success is nearly always toxic.

What Causes Toxic Workplace Competition?Toxic competition doesn’t always stem from ill intent. In fact, many instances of unhealthy competition in the workplace emerge from well-meaning initiatives that inadvertently foster toxic behaviors or policies. These can include:

• Inadequately Designed Incentive Systems: While incentives motivate employees, poorly designed systems can promote unhealthy competition. For example:
  • Rewarding short-term gains at the expense of long-term goals
  • Creating a “winner-takes-all” mentality that discourages collaboration
  • Focusing more on individual performance rather than teamwork
• Unclear or Non-Uniform Performance Metrics: When employees don’t understand how they’re being evaluated or when metrics vary across teams, it can lead to:
  • Confusion and anxiety about job performance
  • Perceived unfairness in performance measures and assessments
  • Employees prioritizing easily measurable tasks over more important but less quantifiable work
• Limited Resources and Recognition: When resources (such as promotions, bonuses, or desirable projects) are scarce, it can create a cutthroat environment. This issue is exacerbated by:
  • A lack of transparency in how resources are allocated
  • Inequitable distribution of recognition across different roles and teams
  • Failure to acknowledge and reward collaborative efforts

Ultimately, uncertainty can lead to perceptions of scarcity or mistrust, which can cause employees to unwittingly compete with one another. Periods of significant change or inadequate leadership efforts can also produce win-lose scenarios that create space for toxic, individualistic attitudes.

In addition, if leaders model or reward toxic competitive behaviors, individuals may emulate this approach, believing it’s the path to success or job security. This fuels the toxic workplace culture.

What Are the Signs of a Toxic Competitive Environment?Toxic competition can take root if workplace culture supports or prioritizes:

1. Short-Term Gains: Focuses on immediate results and quick wins over long-term progress
2. Win-at-All Costs Mindset: May encourage aggressive or cutthroat tactics to outdo colleagues
3. Personal Rewards: Values individual status, often at the expense of collective goals
4. Minimal Transparency: Supports secrecy and withholding information or resources from colleagues
5. Constant Comparison: Fosters rivalry with ongoing, public individual performance comparison
6. Blame Culture: Promotes individuality, blaming others for organizational failures
7. Celebration: May encourage considering colleagues’ achievements threats rather than team wins
8. Undermining Efforts: Overlooks employees who sabotage or minimize colleagues’ efforts
9. Profit Over People: Values productivity gains over ethical practices, just compensation, or individual well-being
10. Unresolved Problems: Avoids addressing issues that could threaten individual success or expose leadership weaknesses

Not all of these must be present to characterize an environment as unhealthy. Workplaces may be at risk of toxic competition if their values skew toward even just one of the above.

What Distinguishes Healthy vs. Toxic Workplace Competition?Both types of competition can drive performance, but their impact on organizational culture is vastly different.

Healthy Workplace CompetitionEmployees are encouraged to excel while supporting their colleagues in a healthy, competitive environment. Peer successes are opportunities for learning rather than challenges to one’s performance.

Healthy competition:

• Considers personal and team improvement equally valuable
• Promotes collaboration, knowledge sharing, and breaking down silos
• Maintains respect for all team members
• Enhances overall organizational effectiveness

A healthy culture of competition likely aligns with overall goals and positive company values. All employees, not just a select few, are more inclined to feel safe and satisfied in their roles.

Toxic Workplace CompetitionIn a toxic competitive environment, employees feel compelled to outperform their colleagues. Peer successes may be viewed as threats to one’s access to resources, upward mobility, recognition, or job stability.

Toxic competition:

• Vocally recognizes individual success over team improvement
• Promotes resource hoarding, secrecy, or corner-cutting
• Erodes respect and trust among team members
• Harms team and organizational effectiveness

Remember: The line between healthy and toxic competition can sometimes be subtle. What begins as a friendly rivalry can escalate into harmful behavior if not properly addressed.

Leaders play a critical role in shaping the competitive environment in their teams. Ongoing assessment and adjustment of competitive dynamics is important to ensure a truly supportive and collaborative environment.

How Can Leaders Prevent and Manage Toxic Competition?Leaders can look to these strategies to foster an environment where healthy competition flourishes, and toxic behaviors are minimized.

1. Create Friendly CompetitionsTake the reins with a competitive spirit that empowers collective growth instead of division. Organize contests and challenges that require collaboration to succeed or that involve skill-building that emphasizes learning and teamwork over individual achievement. To keep it balanced, recognize multiple aspects of performance, not just the “winners.”

2. Set Clear Expectations and GoalsLeaders should keep their eyes, and the eyes of the team, on shared goals. Establishing transparent performance metrics can lay the groundwork for a culture that aligns with company values. Then, leaders must ensure all team members understand how their individual contributions serve company goals. Take time on an ongoing basis to communicate the link between performance and collective success. Be consistent in holding other accountable for their performance.

3. Encourage CollaborationPromote teamwork by rewarding and acknowledging the value of collaborative efforts. Start by ensuring there are opportunities for each team member to engage in collaboration. Cross-functional projects are a great way to facilitate knowledge sharing, while mentorship programs can further skill development and build positive relationships among team members.

4. Evaluative Incentive StructuresTo encourage both individual and organizational growth, strike a balance between individual and team-based rewards. Non-monetary incentives can be an effective way to keep a culture of recognition going. This culture recognizes efforts and moments of creativity, not just results. These incentives must be fair and transparent in how and why they’re distributed.

5. Emphasize Personal GrowthYour team should be trying to outdo their own personal bests, not those of their colleagues. Shift the focus from comparison between team members to that of one’s past achievements. Create systems that allow employees to privately set personal performance goals without pitting anyone against each other.

6. Maintain Open CommunicationRegular feedback sessions demonstrate that ideas, concerns, and thoughts are valuable at all levels of your organization. Create safe spaces for employees to voice their observations about workplace dynamics without fear of reprisal, such as through anonymous forms. Always address any issues promptly.

7. Lead by ExampleLeaders should model collaborative efforts and a healthy growth mindset in their own work. To ensure equity, develop behind-the-scenes ways to track the way you celebrate individual contributions. With your team, demonstrate how to handle challenges constructively, always emphasizing learning over blame.

8. Offer Professional Development OpportunitiesSupport employees in developing their strengths and improving their skills within their career. Individual growth plans can help each team member take steps toward improvement in their day-to-day responsibilities. Additionally, consider training in conflict resolution and emotional intelligence in the workplace to equip your team with the skills they need to navigate interpersonal relationships with colleagues.

9. Address Toxicity Right AwayA large part of a leadership role involves creating and supporting a respectful workplace. Start by establishing crystal-clear policies against toxic behaviors. When issues arise, offer constructive feedback on harmful competitive behaviors, taking disciplinary action if appropriate according to protocols in place.

10. Consider It an Ongoing ProcessPay consistent attention to workplace culture in case you need to adjust. Gather data by conducting surveys to gauge employee satisfaction and perceptions and host one-on-one discussions to gain insight. Use this information to inform and adjust workplace policies and practices.

Cultivating a Healthy Workplace CultureThere is often a fine line between healthy and toxic competition in the workplace. Leaders are responsible for creating a culture where competition brings out their teams’ best and channeling it in ways that fulfill organizational values and objectives.

As you apply these strategies, it is vital to remain vigilant and adaptable. With careful nurturing, you can transform competition from a potential detriment into a potent tool for growth.

At CMOE, we understand complex workplace dynamics and are ready to help leaders navigate these challenges. Explore our high-performance teamwork programs or contact us for personalized guidance on cultivating healthy environments for your teams.

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“When you are asked if you can do a job, tell ’em, ‘Certainly I can!’ Then get busy and find out how to do it.” – Theodore Roosevelt

If you’re the head of a department, no matter your title, it can be challenging to get your job done when it involves coordinating and collaborating with other departments. You’ve already figured out what you want to accomplish but getting the buy-in and cooperation of others can be difficult.
But there are some actions you can take that will significantly improve your collaborative efforts across departments and in your organization as a whole. This includes building your relationships, learning across positions, and implementing standard processes.

Let’s get started!

Build Relationships with Other DepartmentsIn order to work with other departments, you need an amicable relationship with them. If that relationship is strained, it will need improving before moving forward. Building relationships in the workplace is a key skill in any job. Soft skills such as honesty and candor are a good starting point. If you’re struggling with building those skills, check out CMOE’s digital Courageous Conversations™ or Communication Skills classes. Understanding others’ backgrounds softens feelings and opens people to conversations. If possible, talk with others in different departments regularly. Whether they are short or long, these conversations build an environment where people trust you have their interests in mind.

Learn About the Needs and Goals of Other DepartmentsAlong with building a relationship, you need to have basic knowledge about the departments that overlap your own. The more you know about other departments, the better you’ll be able to identify processes that need improvement or a total rework. This will take time on your part because it can require spending time in that department, cross training, reading about it, or talking with people in that department. Ask questions. Don’t let others make you feel like there is a question that shouldn’t be asked. This is a good opportunity to set a positive example for others who may be shy about asking questions, and it will help you learn how you can best support the other department.

Implement Standard ProcessesNow it’s time to implement your idea. Everyone involved in the change needs to know what’s going on. Otherwise, your hard work will be for nothing. Some people may not like your idea, but if you’ve had those courageous conversations, you can ask them to wait and see the value in the outcome. Your idea may seem small or inconsequential to other departments. Again, take courage in knowing that this is going to be beneficial for you, and their support will benefit the enterprise as a whole.

Being a leader is hard work, but if you’re willing to put forth the effort, the reward is great. Even if your idea for process improvement does work, you will have better relationships and may have given others the courage to share their ideas to help improve the workplace. You will also have more knowledge that makes you a better team player. Best of all, you will have better relationships all around. Continue to learn and grow, and those new or improved processes will make going to work a little more enjoyable because of your contribution to the one team.

Author Bio: Di SnarrDi joined the CMOE team in 2016 and supports the business as a Shipping and Production Specialist. Di plays a critical role in the production, assembly, and shipment of all products and materials for client workshops and events. She devotes her time and talents to ensuring the accuracy and professional quality of every order she fulfills for our clients. Di is also a very versatile team player, and offers support in various other aspects of the business.

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“Coaching is a two-way communication process between members of the organization (leaders to team members, peers to peers, team members to leaders) aimed at influencing and developing the employees’ skills, motivation, attitude, judgment or ability to perform, and the willingness to contribute to an organization’s culture and goals.”

–Coaching for Results by Steven J. Stowell, Ph.D., Eric D. Mead, and Cherissa S. Newton

Effective employee development is essential for any organization’s success. The quote above by Stowell, Mead, and Newton perfectly captures the essence of coaching: a collaborative process that empowers team members to grow and contribute to the organization’s plans and strategies.

Below, we explore the different types of coaching in the workplace and the benefits coaching can offer. Whether you’re a seasoned leader or an aspiring professional, you’ll gain valuable insights on how to leverage coaching to unlock the full potential of your workforce and long-term success.

Popular Types of CoachingThe versatility of coaching methodologies can be a significant advantage for your business. It allows coaches to tailor their approach to the unique situational personalities, needs, and goals of each individual or team they work with.

Here are some types of coaching to consider in the workplace.

1. Executive CoachingExecutive coaching focuses on enhancing the confidence and skills of executive leaders. These leaders must confront the daily challenges of making key decisions across a variety of stakeholders and balancing competing demands. Executive coaching helps them maximize their leadership effectiveness through personalized development efforts that target their strengths and opportunities for additional development that executives need.

2. Leadership CoachingLeadership coaching aims to help current and prospective leaders set and meet the objectives of their team or department. Areas of focus include developing strategic thinking, building a high-performance team, developing a purpose, and aligning the team. These elements provide leaders with the competence to create and revise organizational goals, handle relationships judiciously, and maintain accountability.

3. Performance Coaching (Coaching for Results)Performance coaching, or coaching for results, assists team members in identifying opportunities for performance improvement. This coaching methodology is at the core of CMOE’s Coaching TIPS²™ Model. This proven process helps coaches maximize performance and develop key skills and competencies of team members.

4. Sales CoachingWhile most sales leaders have extensive sales expertise, many lack the knowledge on how to coach their sales force. Sales coaching focuses on helping leaders engage in productive dialogue with sales representatives about selling skills, sales activities, and maximizing sales performance to elevate the organization’s bottom-line.

5. Strategy CoachingWith strategy coaching, leaders are coached in establishing a blueprint or implementing strategic priorities, initiatives, and actions. The goal of this type of coaching is to help leaders create a competitive advantage through the organization, departments, or teams.

6. Success CoachingSuccess coaching aims to reinforce the right behaviors in team members. It can also help people identify ways to maximize their strengths while developing strategies to overcome limitations or blind spots. This empowers individuals to cultivate a growth mindset, leading to greater career success and fulfillment.

7. Team CoachingTeam coaching fosters team cohesion and aids team members in utilizing their individual strengths to bolster work performance and team morale. The coach often uses a collaborative coaching process, equipping the team with resources that promote inclusion, resilience, productivity, and collaboration.

8. Communication CoachingCommunication coaching helps professionals communicate more effectively in the workplace. This may include reviewing various communication styles and which ones to utilize in specific situations. With this knowledge, team members can strengthen relationships, work through differences, and provide more constructive feedback to others.

9. Safety CoachingOrganizations are responsible for the safety of every team member. Safety coaching engages leaders and teams in productive dialogue about workplace safety issues and expectations. The goal is to create a successful two-way conversation and improve compliance with safety procedures and protocols, creating a safety-first culture and mindset.

What’s the Difference Between Coaching and Mentoring?Although there is some overlap between the two, coaching typically focuses on improving a team member’s performance and skills, while mentoring focuses on career guidance and personal development opportunities.

Let’s take a closer look:

• Coaching: Coaching is a formal or informal constructive two-way feedback process. It follows a framework that includes measurable milestones and goals. These goals are often linked to a team member’s current role, responsibilities, and expectations related to areas that serve the best interests of the team or organization.
• Mentorship: Like coaching, mentoring also involves a two-way communication process between the mentor and mentee. But rather than focusing on team and organizational objectives, mentorship leans on broader wisdom, career guidance, and advice. It empowers individuals to discover their full potential and is centered on serving the best interests of a team member. Participating in a mentoring program helps the individual discover hidden talents, expand on their current abilities and seek guidance as they navigate challenges and opportunities in their role or career.

Leveraging both approaches allows for organizations to address a wide range of developmental needs and apply a holistic lens when developing a culture of continuous learning and growth.

Bookmark our Leadership Development Through Mentoring guide to elevate the quality of your learning and development strategies.

What Are Some Coaching Techniques in the Workplace?Leveraging proven coaching techniques can help leaders start coaching sessions on the right foot and improve relationships with team members.

Below are some techniques to consider:

• Practicing active listening
• Using open-ended questions in discussions to facilitate two-way conversations
• Providing feedback in a timely manner
• Collaborating with employees to establish goals and a plan of action
• Encouraging skill-building and development
• Creating hands-on learning opportunities
• Opening up time for reflection or a thorough review of the coaching plan and goals
• Holding team members accountable through periodic check-ins and milestones

While all of these practices are beneficial in a variety of work settings, with time, you can identify the techniques that work best for your team members and organizational needs as well as develop a more tailored coaching approach.

How to Determine Coaching OpportunitiesLeaders and coaches must stay vigilant about coaching needs in the workplace. Our research shows that 75–80% of coaching opportunities come from casual, unscheduled conversations and connections with team members each day.

So, prioritize checking in with your team members regularly. This demonstrates a commitment to your workforce’s professional growth, thereby enhancing engagement, retention, and job satisfaction. Most employees like a check-in at least once per month to ensure there are no surprises when the time comes for performance reviews.

Signs a Team Member May Need CoachingTo help you check in with your team, here are 10 common signs a team member may need coaching:

1. Inconsistent performance: When a team member’s quality of work or frequency of meeting deadlines fluctuates, the individual may benefit from being coached on prioritizing workloads or addressing skill gaps.

2. Difficulty with change: Some team members may show resistance to new processes, product launches, or organizational shifts. They may have trouble adapting to these changes or display a negative attitude that disrupts progress.

3. Ineffective communication: Unclear written or verbal communication or difficulty collaborating with colleagues may call for communication coaching. A coach can help the team members understand and apply different communication styles and skills for various circumstances.

4. A lack of clear goals: A lack of goals may cause individuals to prioritize tasks ineffectively or feel unmotivated. With coaching, team members can learn how to define and establish SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) goals.

5. Interpersonal conflict: If there are frequent disagreements among peers and difficulties with productively resolving conflicts, a coach can step in to guide team members on conflict resolution, how to manage difference, and communication best practices.

6. Struggling with burnout or stress: Signs of someone experiencing burnout or stress include exhaustion, reduced motivation and productivity, and withdrawal from work. A coach can help identify the source of stress and work with the team member to develop coping mechanisms.

7. Complaints from colleagues: Receiving complaints about a certain team member from multiple colleagues can signal that the individual may need guidance on collaboration or addressing specific development needs. Examples include not supporting organization norms, values, or ground rules.

8. Issues identified by internal or external clients: A coach can step in to guide team members in addressing client concerns and refining their approach to client interactions.

9. Unsatisfactory results: Falling short of communicated expectations indicates a need for coaching to improve any knowledge gaps or time management strategies.

10. Attendance issues or abuse of policies: Coaching can help address the underlying reasons for these issues and assist individuals in adopting better strategies for adherence to company guidelines.

Leverage Coaching WorkshopsCreating a robust culture where effective coaching is accessible to all team members at all levels is not only beneficial to each individual, but also vital to the overall success of the organization as a whole. Whether you are coaching a direct report, a colleague, or a leader, knowing and applying the right skills and techniques can make all the difference in ensuring a positive outcome to the coaching session.

The first step in creating and fostering a coaching culture is to provide comprehensive and specialized training. For over 45 years, CMOE has developed coaching workshops and training courses using a proven process backed by extensive research. These learning experiences offer tailored training that equips leaders and team members with practical coaching techniques and strategies. Hands-on practice opportunities reinforce learning and ensure that coaching principles are not only understood, but also effectively implemented.

Contact us today to explore how our customized coaching programs can transform your organization’s culture and drive improved team member satisfaction and long-term organizational success.

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In today’s dynamic workplace, the ability to navigate complex emotions and relationships is becoming increasingly important for leaders. Emotional Intelligence (EI) stands out as a crucial skill set that can make or break leadership success. Let’s explore why EI is essential in leadership development and how it can impact organizational performance.

Understanding Emotional Intelligence (EI)Emotional Intelligence refers to the ability to recognize, understand, and manage emotions, both in oneself and in others. It encompasses several key components:

1. Self-Awareness: Recognizing your emotions and understanding their impact on your behavior.
2. Self-Regulation: Managing your emotions effectively and avoiding impulsive actions.
3. Empathy: Understanding others’ emotions and perspectives, and showing empathy in interactions.
4. Social Skills: Building and maintaining positive relationships, effective communication, and conflict resolution.

Understanding emotional intelligence lays the groundwork for exploring its impact on leadership and organizational dynamics.

The Impact of EI in LeadershipLeaders with high Emotional Intelligence exhibit several advantages:

1. Better Decision-Making: EI helps leaders make informed and empathetic decisions, considering both emotional and rational aspects of a situation.
2. Effective Communication: Leaders with EI communicate clearly, listen actively, and build trust with and among team members.
3. Conflict Resolution: EI enables leaders to manage conflicts constructively, fostering a positive work environment.
4. Team Collaboration: EI promotes collaboration, empathy, and understanding among team members, leading to increased productivity and morale and better interpersonal relationships.
5. Adaptability: EI helps leaders adapt to change, manage stress, and navigate challenging situations with resilience.

Emotional intelligence significantly influences leadership effectiveness, fostering trust, engagement, and overall team performance. Leaders with high EI levels tend to inspire greater collaboration and productivity within their teams, contributing to improved organizational outcomes and sustainable success.

The Relationship Between EI and SuccessResearch studies, including those by Daniel Goleman, highlight the significant impact of EI on leadership success. IQ alone does not determine success; rather, EI plays a crucial role in various aspects of achievement:

• Leadership Effectiveness: Leaders with high EI are better equipped to inspire and motivate teams, drive innovation, and navigate complex challenges.
• Team Performance: EI fosters better communication, collaboration, and cohesion among team members, leading to higher productivity and morale.
• Organizational Culture: EI contributes to a positive work environment and higher levels of employee engagement and retention, enhancing overall organizational performance.

The observations that Goleman made in his research underscore the growing recognition of EI as a fundamental aspect of effective management and organizational success. As the importance of nurturing emotional intelligence becomes increasingly evident, more businesses are prioritizing EI through training and development initiatives for leaders and other members of their teams.

Steps Toward Enhancing EIFor organizations committed to developing EI, investing in targeted training programs, coaching, and performance evaluations that incorporate EI competencies can yield significant benefits. By empowering leaders with strong EI skills, businesses can foster a culture of empathy, collaboration, and resilience, ultimately driving sustainable success.

Experience the transformative power of Emotional Intelligence in leadership. Contact us today to explore how our customized programs can elevate your organization’s performance and drive long-term success.

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Employee engagement is the connection that a worker feels to the job. It’s about how enthusiastic a person feels toward the work and the objectives the team and organization are trying to meet. An employee’s level of engagement influences their dedication to the team and organization.

Do the employees care about the work? Are they interested in the performance of the team or organization as a whole? In the case of highly engaged employees, the answer is a resounding “yes!” However, this does not seem to be the case with many employees these days.

According to a survey by the research firm Gallup, employee engagement is at its lowest since 2015. Since the year 2020, active disengagement has risen each year. These are concerning statistics since employee engagement is essential for businesses to survive and thrive in today’s competitive landscape.

To encourage organizations to invest in and prioritize employee engagement, here are 5 insights that highlight how engagement builds high-performance teams:

• Higher Productivity: Companies with engaged employees experience at least 17 percent more productivity than those with disengaged employees. Engaged employees have higher motivation levels and strive to do their best for their teams, which leads to higher productivity.

Due to higher productivity levels, teams utilize finite resources such as time, budget, and manpower more effectively. The quality of work also rises hand in hand with productivity. Highly productive teams accomplish tasks more efficiently, which in turn boosts morale and motivation. It leads to a virtuous cycle that ultimately reflects in the performance of the team.

75% of organizations aim to automate routine and repetitive tasks, which will allow employees to focus on more strategic activities and boost productivity. This move is likely to increase the engagement of the employees.

• Better Communication: Companies can utilize the services of executive search firms to find remote talent and leaders who have charismatic communication skills. Communication and employee engagement share a two-way, closely intertwined relationship. Through clear and transparent communication, leaders can ensure that their team members are well-informed about objectives and expectations. When employees understand their roles well, they’re likely to feel more engaged in their work.

Engaged employees are also more likely to communicate more openly and effectively. Improved communication leads to enhanced problem-solving, quicker conflict resolution, better coordination, and continuous learning and development. All of these will contribute towards an improvement in team performance.

Improving communication does not mean increasing the frequency and length of meetings. A majority of employees perceive meetings as a waste of time. It might be a better idea to replace unnecessary meetings with software that offers communication channels for team discussions on projects or topics.

• Higher Creativity: According to the findings of a study, employee engagement is a critical precursor to innovation and creativity in the workplace. Engaged employees have a sense of ownership, which encourages them to seek out more innovative solutions without the fear of failure and repercussions.

Enterprises that prioritize engagement often reward and recognize innovation and ingenuity. Rewards and recognition serve as powerful incentives that encourage further creativity.

• Positive Work Environment: When team members feel more engaged with the work, they communicate and coordinate better. Since they are happier and more satisfied with their own work, they’re more likely to support other team members. The team members feel appreciated and respected, which fosters a sense of belonging. The positivity of engaged team members contributes to an atmosphere that’s conducive to high performance.
• Increased Customer Satisfaction: Members who feel valued and supported by their team typically have a positive attitude. They are more empathetic and understanding towards the needs of the customers. Additionally, engaged team members make a greater effort to stay updated on product knowledge and industry trends, which puts them in a better position to help customers, enhance their experience, and improve the results and reputation of the team.

Related Reading: The Truth About Employee Engagement Strategies | CMOE

Wrapping UpEngaged members are instrumental to the success of teams. Engagement fuels motivation, passion, and creativity. Employees who feel a high level of engagement can transform the work environment into a highly positive and productive one. This transformation can have a ripple effect on customer satisfaction, ROI, and the success of the organization. In today’s ever-evolving business landscape, employee engagement serves as the cornerstone for building and sustaining high-performance teams.

About the Author: Jodie HurstJodie is a financial analyst, turned entrepreneur, who advises businesses on using technology to manage teams, upskill staff, and streamline business processes.

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We’ve all heard the phrase “Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words will never hurt me,” but that’s just simply not true. Words can and do hurt, especially when someone criticizes something you’ve created or a talent that you’ve worked hard to develop and view as a personal strength, like the skills required in your role. There is often a negative perception of feedback because it’s commonly used to discuss something that was done wrong or a mistake that was made. Even those of us with very thick skin can struggle to accept feedback graciously, either on or off the job, and even when it’s given with the best of intentions.

As a leader, it can be difficult to tell someone something that could potentially hurt their feelings or damage the relationship, but when leaders fear hurting their team members’ feelings, they either neglect to give direct and constructive feedback or they fail to give any feedback at all. When a leader makes either of these choices, the team member remains unaware of their misstep or opportunity for improvement, so they are unable to rectify it and do better in the future. The leader may feel better in the short term because they didn’t have to have an awkward conversation with their team member, but they are also restricting their team member’s growth and possibly hindering the success of the organization in the longer term.

What if feedback weren’t seen as a criticism or a disparagement of a person’s abilities but instead, as an opportunity to help a team member grow, develop, and perform better in their role?

In order to keep the team moving forward and improving, you as a leader must provide feedback that the team can take and apply to their daily tasks and roles. This doesn’t mean that you have to be tough or unfeeling; in fact, it’s exactly the opposite. When giving feedback, you must remember that if you do not share it, you are holding this person back from reaching their potential. Giving feedback is an act of kindness and an investment in the other person. In order to serve your organization, your team, and your team members, you must share feedback and give people the opportunity to grow.

Here are five tips on how to give direct and useful feedback to your team members.

1. Give Feedback As Soon As PossibleAs soon as you notice that a team member has made a mistake or has an opportunity for improvement, you need to share your observation with them. This way, the team member can see what they should have done differently and begin to address it. By sharing feedback in the moment, you are connecting the feedback directly to a current event rather than making a vague comment about something you’ve seen in the past.
   Just as you should strive to give feedback immediately, you should also try to give it often. Providing regular feedback will help it to become normalized in the team rather than it being perceived as an insult or something that only happens when a person is in trouble.

2. Make the Feedback SpecificTo be effective, feedback must be specific. Tell the team member exactly what you saw and how it could have gone differently. Whether it’s how a team member addressed another team member, that a report was turned in after deadline, or that a team member was late to a meeting with an important client, you must be clear about your expectations and what went wrong.

3. Discuss How to Improve Going ForwardAfter discussing the employee’s opportunity for improvement, work together to decide what needs to be done going forward. Make this a joint discussion rather than a plan you impose. Approaching feedback as a dialogue will help the team member to feel more invested in the solution and motivated to start.

4. Give Praise and Discuss Opportunities for ImprovementFeedback doesn’t necessarily have to be negative; while corrective feedback is the type that is best known, feedback can also be used to provide team members with praise for a job well done and recognition for their work. Make sure to balance the different types of feedback you give to your employees so that feedback is seen as a mechanism for continued growth rather than a punishment for when something goes wrong. This balance will bolster team-member confidence, improve morale, and make any opportunities for improvement feel more manageable.

5. Involve the Other PersonCorrective feedback is about helping the other person improve, so they need to be actively involved in the discussion. Ask for their perspective and reasoning behind their actions. You should also include them in the plan going forward and the goal-setting process.

Throughout the conversation, remember that their feelings are valid and that they may feel upset or embarrassed upon receiving the feedback. Try to be empathetic and go slowly when necessary. It’s also important to make sure that they have the mental and emotional space for the feedback before you begin the discussion. Doing these things will take the person’s position and feelings into account and make them feel respected and better understood.

Although giving feedback can be uncomfortable, you must remember why it’s so important: sitting down and sharing opportunities for improvement with your employees directly supports their growth. No one can get better if they don’t know where they need to improve, and the feedback you provide is essential for their continued development.

To learn more about the best practices for giving and receiving feedback, check out CMOE’s Feedback 360°TM digital course or our Feedback 360 – Giving and Receiving Feedback workshop.

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Effective leadership is foundational to the continued success of any organization.

At the heart of such leadership lie two pivotal qualities: recognition and accountability.

These elements, in the right proportions, create leaders that motivate teams, drive performance, and foster an environment of trust and respect.

Recognition (the act of acknowledging and rewarding team members’ contributions) and accountability (the act of taking responsibility for outcomes and adherence to standards) must be balanced delicately to achieve the desired impact.

In this article, let’s explore how leaders can effectively balance recognition and accountability to enhance team dynamics and organizational success.

What is recognition and accountability in leadership?Recognition in leadership refers to the acknowledgment and appreciation of an individual’s or team’s efforts and achievements. It is a powerful motivator that reinforces desired behaviors and outcomes, contributing positively to the team’s morale.

For instance, in a sales forecasting team, recognition might come in the form of public praise during a meeting for accurate predictions and strategies that lead to successful sales outcomes. This acknowledgment not only boosts the confidence of the recognized individual but also motivates the entire team to strive for accuracy and innovation in their work.

Accountability, on the other hand, is the obligation of team members to take responsibility for their actions and the results thereof. It ensures that each member of the sales team understands their role and the expectations placed upon them.

When team members are held accountable, it fosters a culture of reliability and commitment, where each person knows their contributions directly impact the team’s success.
In the context of the above sales example, accountability means that team members are responsible for the accuracy of their predictions and the strategies they propose, driving them to be thorough and diligent in their analysis.

Together, recognition and accountability create a balanced leadership approach that enhances team morale and productivity. By valuing each team member’s contributions and holding them accountable for their responsibilities, leaders can cultivate a motivated, high-performing team.

Why balance recognition and accountability?Balancing recognition and accountability is crucial in leadership to ensure both the productivity and morale of a team are maintained at optimal levels.

Consider a marketing team tasked with marketing reporting that would help predict future market trends to guide the strategic direction of their company. This data-backed action item is critical for planning and decision-making.

If leadership focuses too heavily on recognition, celebrating every minor achievement without equally emphasizing the importance of accurate and responsible forecasting, the team might prioritize short-term wins over the quality and reliability of their work.

This imbalance can lead to complacency, with team members feeling assured of praise regardless of the diligence or accuracy of their forecasting efforts.

Conversely, if the focus shifts too far towards accountability, with stringent oversight and potential repercussions for every mistake, the team’s morale could suffer. The constant pressure to avoid errors might stifle creativity and risk-taking, which are important for effective forecasting.

Team members might become overly cautious, potentially overlooking innovative strategies or insights that could have been beneficial to the company.

Balancing both components will create an environment where team members will be motivated and feel secure enough to take calculated risks and make innovations while keeping the broad organizational objectives firmly in sight.

Such an environment not only enhances the output of the team but also ensures their morale remains high, driving sustained performance and success.

How to balance recognition and accountability?To effectively balance recognition and accountability within corporate teams, leaders can consider adopting the following practices that nurture both performance excellence and a positive team spirit, as per their circumstances:

1. Establish Transparent Objectives: Begin by setting clear and measurable objectives that align with both team and organizational goals. This will help every team member understand what success looks like and the benchmarks against which their performance will be evaluated.
2. Implement a Balanced Feedback System: Develop a workflow that equally values positive reinforcement and constructive critique. This balanced approach helps team members appreciate their strengths while recognizing areas for improvement in a supportive context.
3. Public Acknowledgment and Private Coaching: Make it a practice to celebrate achievements in a public setting to boost morale, while reserving constructive feedback for private discussions. This method respects individual sensitivities and promotes a culture of trust and openness.
4. Promote Self-Reflection and Responsibility: Encourage team members to engage in self-reflection on their performance and to set personal accountability standards. This self-driven approach to accountability ensures that team members are internally motivated to maintain high standards of excellence.
5. Cultivate a Supportive Learning Environment: Position mistakes and setbacks as learning opportunities rather than points of failure. By doing so, you foster an environment where continuous improvement is valued over perfection, reducing the fear of failure and encouraging innovation and risk-taking.

Wrapping upA healthy balance of recognition and accountability is essential for effective leadership as it acknowledges the contributions of team members while holding them responsible for the outcomes of their actions.

Businesses can take a step in that direction by setting clear expectations, providing balanced feedback, celebrating successes publicly, encouraging ownership, and fostering a culture of learning based on their capabilities and circumstances.

Guest AuthorHazel Raoult is a freelance tech writer and works with PRmention. She has more than six years of experience writing about ecommerce, technology, entrepreneurship, and all things SaaS. Hazel loves to split her time between writing, editing and hanging out with her family.

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A vision statement is a guide for your team’s goals, aspirations, and intentions. It provides direction and insights into:

• Where the team is headed in the future
• A clear picture of being in a better place
• What success and what winning looks like for the team

Writing a vision statement is a powerful and effective way to create shared purpose, provide direction, and promote accountability among your team members. Below is a step-by-step guide that will help you formulate an effective team vision and provide a tangible document for the team to return to and seek direction from.

How to Write a Team Vision StatementConsider these four steps when crafting a team vision statement:

1. Gather qualitative or quantitative input from all team members.According to Gallup, most business leaders neglect to include workforce members when shaping team vision. This lack of inclusion actually works against the purpose of the vision because, while the hope is that everyone will eventually embrace the vision, it is rarely the case when leaders try to do this quickly and in isolation.

Therefore, gathering qualitative and quantitative input from all team members is critical. This data should center on values, purpose, and performance.

HowQualitative DataInitiate regular team and one-on-one conversations with team members. These discussions will help identify overarching themes that the prospective vision statement may want to illuminate.

Here are the questions that will get you started:

• What purpose does your role serve? How might this contribute to the team’s overall success?
• Where do you see our team in five years?
• What areas must we prioritize or focus on?
• What types of wins have we achieved this past year? How do these wins fulfill our team and organizational purpose and goals?
• What do we represent or stand for?
• What are some values that are important to you?

Quantitative DataEncourage team members to tap into tangible performance data to help answer the questions above. Acquiring concrete data will help:

• Support and add credibility to the vision statement.

• Provide team members with a better understanding of the organization’s current challenges, and opportunities, and thus help form a vision closely aligned with the organization’s needs and overall strategic goals.

• Connect data to current initiatives.A vision statement looks toward the future, and this future must have a link to the organization’s present state and where it is today. This connection of present and future is critical to driving alignment and ensuring the success of the team’s vision. CMOE describes this as “opening” the gap between current state and the future state. After the vision has been created, the team can then formulate an action plan to close the gap and achieve the vision or strategic intent.

HowHave team members reflect on what they discussed in step #1. Ask them to complete two steps:

• Write down some discussion points that deeply resonated with them in step #1.

• Explain how these discussion points connect to specific team and organizational initiatives.

• Determine aspirations and goals.A proper vision statement encompasses an aspirational and a long-term goal. Ask the team to reflect on the discussion points in step #2 to craft an aspirational goal along with ideas, tactics, and initiatives that will enable the team to achieve the overall vision.

HowAssign team members two questions:

From our discussions, please write down what you believe to be our team’s aspiration and long-term goals.

Aspiration

• Example: Be in the top 5 manufacturing suppliers of choice in our industry.

Long-Term Goal

• Example: Create a production technique that sources raw materials ethically and produces higher-quality products.

• Craft a vision statement.Now’s the time to take the elements discussed in step #3 and transform them into a vision statement.

HowHave all team members share their aspirations and goals during a team meeting. Take this time to discuss them and identify commonalities. You can even use this opportunity to combine aspirations and goals as appropriate.

Craft a vision statement without worrying about the length just yet. Step back and evaluate. Give the team time to reflect (e.g., one week) upon the vision statement options.

After the given time, have the team vote on a vision statement and edit your statement together to make it concise.

Team Vision Statement ExamplesA vision statement depends on the team’s industry and needs, but these examples provide insight on how to craft a simple statement. You’ll notice each one indicates the long-term aspirations each team would like to accomplish.

• To be the world’s most loved, most efficient, and most profitable airline. – Southwest
• To be the leader and partner of choice in managing care in a value-based system, we must continuously create clinical value for our patients and payors that translates to economic value for all of us. – Fersenius Medical
• A customer focused green energy provider connecting responsibly produced energy for local and regional markets. – Solar Energy Assets
• Our vision is to be the regions first choice for integrated technology solutions while maximizing shareholder value – OfficeTech Solutions

What Is the Difference between a Vision Statement and a Mission Statement?A vision statement provides teams with direction. It offers teams a picture of the ideal future result they would like to accomplish.

A vision statement can be thought of as the future based statement or outcome of achieving the mission statement. Whereas a mission statement leans more on present-day initiatives and describes the purpose of the team (or company), its core business, and defines why the business exists.

Why Is It Critical to Have a Team Vision Statement?A team vision statement is essential for the following reasons:

1. Aligns teams: A vision statement is a highly effective tool to keep your team on track toward their objectives and collective purpose. These components foster morale as well as inspire and motivate team members to give discretionary effort do their best.

2. Guides strategy and execution: Challenges are inevitable in the workplace. A solid vision statement helps co-workers stay focused on an end-goal and chart a strategy to achieve that goal.

3. Attracts and retains talent: A clear and resonating vision statement provides purpose to the work that people do, which helps to attract and retain skilled team members. Research illustrates that team members who say their company’s vision and values align with their own are:

• More likely to recommend their organization as a positive employer
• Less likely to leave their organization or consider a career change
• Are more committed and purposeful about the work they do

Leverage Customized Teamwork Solutions with CMOELearning how to write a team vision statement is essential for successful leadership, high-performance teamwork, and improved business results. CMOE dedicates itself to providing leaders with effective teamwork strategies via its Team Development Products & Services to help leaders overcome team management challenges. Contact us for more information.

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In a time when organizations are lucky if their employees stay longer than a year before leaving to chase a raise, it’s critically important to show people where they fit and why they matter. According to Boston Consulting Group, 28% of employees are planning to leave their organizations within the next year. To help curb turnover and retain talent, leaders need to prioritize employee engagement and show team members how essential they are to the overall success of the organization—and servant leadership may be the cure.

The theory of servant leadership was created by Robert K. Greenleaf in the 1970s to describe a leadership style that prioritizes the development, success, and empowerment of team members. As a leader, it’s important to adopt a servant-leadership mindset and prioritize your people because success is best achieved through supporting the work of high-performing teams.

Here are five things you can do to become a servant leader for your team members.

Empower & SupportTo be a servant leader is to show your team members that you trust their abilities and judgment. You need to give your team the authority to make decisions within their areas of responsibility. This fosters a sense of ownership and empowerment. But you also need to show that you’re available to them by creating an environment where team members feel comfortable seeking support and sharing concerns. Foster open lines of communication to address issues promptly. You are not giving the team complete authority, but you should ensure that they have the necessary resources, tools, and training to excel in their roles.

Prioritize the Needs of OthersServant leadership is all about ensuring the success of others and putting their needs before your self-interest. As a leader, you need to understand the unique requirements and aspirations of each team member and then tailor your leadership approach to support their individual growth and development. This can also help you to assign projects and tasks that your team members will enjoy and that allow them to grow and develop their skills.

Provide Clear Expectations & ObjectivesPart of being a servant leader is bringing team members into the decision-making process and explaining why something is occurring. You need to articulate the goals and objectives of the team in a clear and concise manner as well as ensure that everyone understands the overarching mission and their role in achieving it. This will help your team understand the purpose behind the tasks and projects they are assigned. You also need to clearly outline the roles and responsibilities of each team member. This helps to avoid confusion and ensure that everyone knows what is expected of them.

Recognize & AppreciateCelebrate your team and let them know that you appreciate their contributions and accomplishments. Acknowledge achievements and individual contributions in a timely manner. Prompt recognition not only reinforces positive behavior but also motivates team members to rise to their potential. When appropriate, you should also publicly recognize and appreciate the efforts of individuals. This can be in team meetings, emails, or other forums and will help to boost team morale. The success of one supports the success of others; by recognizing the contributions of individuals, you are helping the whole team to grow and improve.

Lead EmpathicallyPerhaps the most important thing you can do as a servant leader is to lead empathically. Show your team members that you care about them and their lives by practicing active listening during conversations. Demonstrate that you genuinely care about the well-being of your team members by paying attention to their thoughts, feelings, and concerns. You should also seek to understand the perspectives and emotions of others by putting yourself in their shoes to better comprehend their experiences and challenges. Empathic leadership walks side by side with servant leadership as you see what your team members are going through and then work to support them.

These practices collectively contribute to a servant-leadership approach, where the leader is actively involved in supporting the needs of the team, fostering a positive and collaborative environment, and leading with empathy. By being a servant leader, you prioritize the success of your team members and recognize the importance of their growth and development. It is only through the success of our individual contributors that we can all win.

To learn more about leadership development, review CMOE’s Leadership Development Workshops or contact our global headquarters for a free consultation.

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As 2023 comes to a close, it is the perfect time to reflect on lessons we’ve learned throughout the year and plan for 2024’s uncertainties. Maybe your strategy was successful, and perhaps it didn’t pan out, but you certainly faced unexpected challenges and victories that you didn’t plan for. From industry shifts to policy changes to personal triumphs, each experience provides valuable insights, and the agility of navigating these experiences and challenges shows both the need to adapt your strategy to account for these unexpected variables.

By taking stock of these experiences, we can better plan for the upcoming year and foster a learning mindset to ensure that 2024 is a success.

Learning from the YearReflecting on the past year helps set the foundation for setting goals and adapting strategies in the coming year. Through this analysis, individual contributors, leaders, and organizations can identify opportunities for improvement, leverage strengths, and cultivate the agility needed to thrive in the ever-changing landscape of work in 2024 and beyond. To understand your learning journey in 2023, record your answers to the following questions:

1. What were the key challenges you, your team, and your organization faced, and how did you navigate them?
2. What new skills and knowledge did you learn throughout the year?
3. How did you and your team adapt to unexpected changes?
4. What were your biggest successes, and what contributed to them?
5. In what ways did the past year shape your personal and professional growth?

As you consider these questions, think about how your responses can shape your goals and guide your adjustments to your strategy for the upcoming year. Embrace the lessons, celebrate your successes, and let this reflection be a guide as you prepare to be agile, responsive, and proactive in the dynamic landscape ahead.

Fostering a Learning Mindset for 2024The road for the new year may be unclear, but the mindset we bring can significantly impact the success, effectiveness, and outcomes of our efforts. To expand your learning beyond your past experiences and into the present, it’s important to adopt a learning mindset. With this, you can ensure that you will respond to unexpected challenges and events with agility and flexibility as you’ve already prepared for them.
Let’s explore how to embrace 2024 with flexibility and a dedication to ongoing learning:

1. Cultivate Curiosity:* Encourage yourself and your team to ask probing questions that stimulate curiosity.
2. Seek out and appreciate different viewpoints to broaden your understanding.

3. Make a habit of exploring topics outside your comfort zone to fuel continuous learning and innovation.

4. Encourage Open Communication and Learning Culture:* Build a culture valuing open dialogue, encouraging feedback, insights, and diverse perspectives within your team and organization.

5. Prioritize ongoing education and development, whether through training programs, mentorship initiatives, or fostering an environment that celebrates continuous learning.

6. Internalization, Personalized Insights, and Seeking Feedback:* Encourage team members to conduct self-assessments to evaluate how well they’ve internalized and implemented organization changes.

7. Facilitate discussions linking organizational changes to individual roles, fostering ownership.

8. Foster a culture of proactive feedback to enhance organizational agility.

9. Sense-Making, Market Review, and Applying Insights:* Continuously review market conditions, identify trends, and stay alert to anomalies.

10. Stay aware of external factors to enable swift responses to changes in the business landscape.
11. Actively apply lessons to navigate challenges promptly.

Plan for tomorrow today. As we move into 2024, embracing agility and continuous learning in your strategic planning is key to ensure success for you, your team, and your organization. Now is the time to make the change and set the expectation, so that at the end of year, you can look back with pride over what you have accomplished.

To further develop your strategic agility, contact us about CMOE’s Applied Strategic Thinking® Workshop today.

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Executive Presence is the ability and skill to speak with confidence and inspire confidence in others. Having executive presence is not only important when you are actively leading your team, but also in any situation where you need to convey your leadership capabilities. Through your executive presence, you will seek to show team members and stakeholders that you are capable, reliable, trustworthy, and someone that others will want to follow. Although this may sound intimidating, executive presence is a skill that you can develop by focusing on the four components below.

1. Establishing Your AuthorityThe first component is the leader, or you. Think about your reputation with this group and whether your authority is implicit based on your leadership position or if it needs to be established by showcasing relevant qualifications and experiences.

You should also work to build and maintain your professional reputation by consistently delivering on promises and demonstrating competence within your field. But most importantly, you need to remember that you are a competent leader and that people will want to follow and listen to you.

1. Defining Your PurposeThe second component is the purpose. Before walking into a situation, decide what you want to achieve with this interaction or meeting. This could be to inspire, inform, persuade, or directly lead. By identifying your purpose, you will be able to tailor your approach accordingly. This purpose will also help you stay focused and ensure your message is effective.

2. Understanding Your AudienceThe third component is the audience or whoever you are addressing in this situation. The audience could be anyone from your team members, to your peers, to a board of directors. Consider your audience’s needs, interests, concerns, and expectations for this situation. This will help you adapt your communication style, tone, and content to resonate with your specific audience.

3. Crafting an Impactful MessageThe final component is the message. Your message will be influenced by all three of the other components, so you must craft a well-structured and compelling message that aligns with your purpose and resonates with your audience.

Ready to enhance your leadership impact? Start mastering your executive presence today and see the difference it makes in your interactions and leadership! Contact CMOE to learn more.

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As the modern workplace continues to evolve with a rich diversity of generations, embracing flexible leadership across these age groups is crucial for fostering collaboration, driving innovation, and achieving sustainable success in today’s dynamic business landscape. Flexible leadership relates to the leader’s willingness and ability to adapt the way they lead others to reflect the unique needs of the situation and the person being led. When leading different generations in the workplace, the leader must be flexible and adapt their communication and leadership skills to ensure that the team is successful.

The current generations in the workplace include:

Silent Generation
Born between 1925 and 1945

Baby Boomers
Born between 1946 and 1964

Generation X (Gen X)
Born between 1965 and 1980

Millennials
Born between 1981 and 2000

Generation Z (Gen Z)
Born between 2001 and 2020

Each of these generations have stereotypes and assumptions about their priorities and abilities in the workforce, such as Baby Boomers being resistant to change or Gen Z being addicted to their phones and only communicating through texting or social media platforms. But as a leader, you must acknowledge that the people born in these generations experienced the world completely differently than the generations before or after them, and these different experiences will affect how they approach work and success.

People grow up with different expectations and priorities, so you should adapt your leadership style to both the situation and the person to achieve extraordinary results. Here are three things you can do to begin leading across the generations on your team and achieve unity and success.

1. Establish ExpectationsBecause people of different generations approach work differently, it’s important to clearly set the expectations for your team. Tell them what time you expect them to be there, processes and procedures, and what success will look like for every person and the team as a whole. You should also take this opportunity to ask your team members what expectations they have from you in order to be successful. Gen Z workers tend to focus on promotions and work-life balance, whereas Gen X and Baby Boomers value stability. So, you could give team members the option of working remotely or only in the office part of the time, and you could institute a process of annual reviews to appeal to the priorities of all generations.

By soliciting the thoughts of your team members and incorporating them into the team’s expectations, you are showing your team members across the generations that you care about what they care about.

1. Adapt Communication MethodsPeople from different generations prefer various communication methods. Older generations are more likely to want in-person meetings or to speak on the phone. Younger generations are more likely to prefer communicating over email, text, or a messaging platform like Slack or Teams. By knowing which communication method your team members prefer, you will be able to reach them and connect with them easier. To truly lead across the generations, you should diversify your communication methods. Send the same message on Teams, in an email, tell it to the person, and put up a poster in the office.

2. Encourage CoachingTeam members of all generations have a lot to learn from each other. Younger generations are better acquainted with the trials of technology after growing up with it, and older generations can give guidance on how to be independent. By encouraging the team members to coach each other, they will be empowered to learn and grow together.

People belonging to various generations operate in distinct ways. Because of this, we can learn from and utilize the strengths of every individual and generation. By being a flexible leader and adapting your leadership style to the person and the situation, you will be able to create a successful, multi-generational team.
To further develop flexible leadership skills in your organization, explore CMOE’s Flexible Leadership workshop.

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A workplace culture of learning is becoming increasingly important as organizations strive to keep up with the ever-changing business landscape. Creating a learning culture encourages employees to refine old skills and develop new ones to help them perform their jobs better and contribute to the organization’s success.

This guide explores the benefits of creating a learning culture in the workplace and provides actionable tips on how to establish and maintain it.

Identifying Learning OpportunitiesFirst, you must conduct a skills assessment to identify gaps in your employees’ capabilities. Refer to your project portfolio management process to see your team members’ performance on tasks and responsibilities for specific projects. This will allow you to create targeted learning opportunities that will help employees acquire the skills that are necessary for them to perform their jobs effectively.

Encouraging cross-functional learning can help your employees gain a better understanding of how different departments and teams operate within the organization. This can help them develop a more holistic view of the business and identify opportunities for collaboration and innovation.

Create Digital Learning MaterialsUsing the skill gaps of your employees, you can create digital learning materials, like in-house videos, podcasts, Zoom presentations, and online courses. They provide employees with the knowledge and skills they need to excel on the job.

When creating digital learning materials, consider the different learning styles and preferences of your employees. Some employees prefer learning through visual aids, while others prefer listening to audio content.

Another important consideration when creating digital learning materials is accessibility. Providing transcripts or closed captions for videos is one way to ensure that your materials are accessible.

Finally, regularly updating and refreshing your digital learning materials will help ensure they remain relevant and effective.

Leveraging Technology for LearningIn the workplace, technology is a powerful tool for creating digital materials that support building a learning culture in your organization.

Webinars are a great way to provide employees with access to training and development opportunities. Once you host a webinar, employees can join anytime and from anywhere. This makes fitting learning into employees’ busy schedules and giving everyone a front-row seat in every meeting much easier.

Create online courses by using a learning management system (LMS), an application that lets you create, manage, and deliver e-learning courses and training programs. This technology also provides a centralized platform for organizing and tracking employee learning to ensure everyone is on track.

Some LMS platforms have built-in gamification features, elements applied in a workplace setting designed to help motivate people through play. Using these features, you can create a leaderboard and reward top performers with prizes or recognition while encouraging them to improve.

Encouraging Collaboration and Knowledge SharingRegular team meetings offer an excellent opportunity for employees to share their knowledge and experiences. This practice also provides employees with a platform to communicate openly and honestly with each other. Creating a culture where it’s okay to ask questions, share feedback, and offer suggestions can help build trust and further collaboration among team members.

To take it a step further, organize events like lunch-and-learn workshops or seminars where employees are encouraged to share their expertise and engage in discussions. These types of events can help push your employees out of their shells and unleash their true potential in your organization.

Also, assigning employees to work on projects with more experienced colleagues fosters collaboration among team members and across teams. Mentors can provide guidance, advice, and support to their mentees, helping them develop new skills and knowledge.

In addition to its other benefits, this can also help with succession planning because people are given opportunities to stretch and grow into higher positions within your company. By home-growing your talent, you can promote employees from within instead of hiring new employees from the outside. This also shows your team that there’s a transparent and realistic ascension process in your organization’s work chart.

Implementing Effective Feedback MechanismsRegular performance discussions (quarterly, annually, or even in real time) are great ways to provide feedback on employee performance. They help to identify areas where employees need to improve based on specific performance metrics and provide suggestions for how they can do so over time. They also reinforce desired job performance and behavior and provide a forum for discussion about career goals and development opportunities.
360-degree feedback involves getting feedback from multiple sources, including managers, peers, and direct-reports. This feedback provides a well-rounded view of an employee’s performance and can help to identify areas for improvement.

Holding formal recognition programs (such as employee-of-the-month awards) or through informal recognition (such as a simple thank-you note) also creates a positive feedback culture in the workplace. They help celebrate your employees for their achievements and contributions to the organization.

Monitoring and Evaluating ProgressMonitoring employee performance determines whether they are meeting their learning goals. You can start by setting measurable goals. For example, to improve employee retention, you can set a goal of reducing turnover by a certain percentage within a specific timeframe. Identify your goals based on other metrics, like completion rates, test scores, and feedback surveys.

Regular evaluations are essential for monitoring and evaluating progress. Evaluations can be conducted in various forms, such as surveys, interviews, and focus groups. Compile the data using a monthly report template to help you understand the strengths and weaknesses of your employees based on their learning progress. These evaluations can provide valuable feedback on the effectiveness of your learning strategy and help you identify any areas that may need improvement.

ConclusionCreating a learning culture is an ongoing process that requires commitment, dedication, and continuous improvement. By following the best practices above and adapting them to your specific needs and context, you can create a workplace where you and your team encourage and celebrate ongoing learning.

Guest AuthorChris BenitezThe post How to Create a Learning Culture in the Workplace appeared first on CMOE.

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As the calendar flips to the last quarter of the year, it’s the perfect time to revisit and readjust your personal and organizational strategy. The successes you have experienced and the obstacles you have avoided throughout the year equip you to reevaluate your strategic objectives and the resources at your disposal and ensure you win the year.

With changing industries, politics, and labor markets, how has your strategic landscape changed? How have these changes affected your ability to meet your strategic objectives?

Use this guide to revisit and revise the strategy you created at the beginning of the year and decide how to move forward to achieve your goals and finish the year strong.

1. Review how your strategic initiatives are going.* What progress have you made?
2. Are you where you wanted to be at this point in the year?
3. What distractions or disruptions interfered with your strategy?
4. Did you take all potential obstacles into account?

5. What could you have done better between Q1 and Q3?

6. Take stock of new opportunities.* What are some developments or changes that have occurred in your industry, profession, or team in the last nine months?

7. Who are the partners you can share knowledge and insights with about your strategic progress?
8. What new issues and opportunities have surfaced that you can take advantage of or avoid?
9. What creative ideas do you have for how to adapt your strategy to ensure success by the year’s end?

10. What do you need to do today to move ahead?

11. Look towards the future.* How has your strategy evolved from the original strategic target set at the beginning of the year?

12. Who will you need help and support from to sustain your strategy and maintain it through the end of the year?
13. What backup plans are in place to avoid adverse scenarios?
14. What are the key actions you should take over the next two weeks to ensure your strategy is moving forward?
15. What are the key actions you should take over these last three months to meet your strategic target?
16. What insights have you learned about the industry and your organization throughout the year to help you shape next year’s strategic target?

The best-laid plans do not always come to fruition, and it is impossible to account for all the variables at play. But by taking the time to revisit your strategic plans and objectives at this critical juncture, you still have time to pivot, adapt, and ultimately reach success.

If you need support in modifying your strategy or forming the critical mindset necessary to implement your strategy successfully, CMOE’s digital, self-paced Applied Strategic Thinking® course will support your development and aid you in thinking, planning, and acting more strategically to finish this year strong.

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Feedback is an essential skill in the workplace, and it drives growth and development that increase performance and engagement across the organization. Recent data states that 72% of staff feel that feedback from managers would boost their workplace performance. In addition, Gallup reports that when individuals receive meaningful feedback, they’re nearly four times more likely ...

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Performance management aligns team members and resources while flagging potential issues. With an effective performance management system, leaders can proactively adjust and help workforce members achieve target objectives. But the unfortunate reality for many organizations is that performance management can sometimes be slow and inefficient. McKinsey cites poor metrics, poor targets, and a lack of ...

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There is no shortage of small business blogs out there. In fact, in today’s digital world, we can be inundated with business advice—it can be challenging to find the ones that provide quality resources and value among the many. The CMOE team is attempting to make the process easier by highlighting the 14 best blogs ...

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How can a team function and thrive when made up of individuals from various backgrounds with different personalities and priorities? Adapting to these diverse and unique styles requires knowledge about communication and psychology, and the DISC framework provides these. This framework was developed from research over many years by psychologist William Marston, and it can help you to understand and identify your preferred behavior type and how it can relate to the behavior types of the people around you.

DISC stands for four personality types: Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Conscientious. You can take assessments to learn which type you are, such as CMOE’s DISC ExpressTM. Each DISC type has its own unique strengths, and all styles are equally valuable because they each bring different talents and aptitudes to the team. By learning about the different types and their strengths, you can start to strategically structure your team and processes to succeed, achieve, and thrive.

D-DominancePeople with a D Style are driven. They have a natural desire to make things happen and take quick, decisive actions. The strengths of someone with a D Style lie in their ability to:

• Make decisions quickly.
• Confront tough issues or situations.
• Speak up about problems.

Although they may seem unapproachable or insensitive to their team members, people with the D Style drive the team to achieve successful and timely results.

I-InfluencePeople with an I style have a natural ability to build relationships and teamwork through dialogue and connecting with others. The strengths of someone with an I Style lie in their ability to:

• Improvise and be comfortable with change.
• Be outgoing and assertive.
• Promote ideas and opinions.

Sometimes impulsive, people with the I Style bring life, fun, and new ideas to the team.

S-SteadinessPeople with an S Style have the natural ability to take a methodical approach to accomplishing tasks by collaborating with and supporting others. The strengths of someone with an S Style lie in their ability to:

• Be a strong team player.
• Be aware of and sensitive to the needs of others.
• Methodically approach tasks, problems, and situations.

Despite possibly seeming passive or indifferent to other team members, people with the S style place a high value on being a team player and ensuring the team’s and other team members’ success.

C- ConscientiousPeople with a C Style are motivated to accomplish tasks with quality and accuracy. They are task-oriented and exact, and they follow processes closely. The strengths of someone with a C Style lie in their ability to:

• Be very thorough.
• Follow standards.
• Emphasize accuracy.

Although their team members may see them as too concerned with achieving perfection, people with the C style ensure the team’s accuracy and commitment to processes.

All of these styles have different strengths, motivations, and weaknesses. By acknowledging and celebrating these differences, you can help each style reach their potential and support the overall success of the team.

To learn more about the different DISC styles and the DISC framework, take CMOE’s DISC assessment, the DISC ExpressTM, and take CMOE’s new digital course “Applying DISC”.

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As a woman in business, finding resources tailored to your unique experience is crucial for furthering your skills and knowledge in your industry. With the right information, you can transform your career and build a business aligned with your goals.

For the best women’s entrepreneur blogs across the internet, CMOE has put together these 18 sites for exceptional inspiration, motivation, and advice to help women in business succeed.

1. National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO)The National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) directs its site toward women who want to take on entrepreneurship and build a like-minded community. The organization represents the interests of women in business with educational events and tools to propel women entrepreneurs. Their blog contains helpful insights and tips for owning a business as a woman, with resources to help women remain informed and ahead of the curve in their industry.

2. Business & Career Blog for WomenThe Business & Career Blog for Women at Maroon Oak is a multifaceted resource designed to help women learn soft skills, grow a business, or land their dream job.

Popular posts span topics ranging from social media marketing to personal productivity tips. In the entrepreneurial freelance worlds and beyond, women across the career spectrum can find inspiration, advice, and support for their chosen career path.

1. Women on BusinessWomen on Business has received numerous awards, including Forbes’ recognition as one of the Top 100 Websites for Women. An excellent resource for various topics, Women on Business publishes cutting-edge insights and research to help women achieve business and career success.

Along with their diverse team of blog contributors, founder Susan Gunelius advises readers on topics that include decision-making, leadership, marketing, education, workplace ethics, career development, and more.

1. Women’s NetOne of the biggest challenges women face with small business ownership is funding. Women’s Net aims to change that. For women entrepreneurs, this site is an excellent resource for finding and applying for business grants.

The Women’s Net blog offers various business and finance tips, from advice for grant applicants to how to find the best tools to build your business and grow a client base.

1. The Growth ArchitectAs its name suggests, The Growth Architect focuses on helping women grow their businesses. The name is also the moniker of business strategist Beate Chelette, who helps women become leaders and visionaries in their field.

The blog offers strategies to develop relevant skills, traits, and plans of action to make a meaningful impact in any industry. Posts centered on profits and revenue make this blog a precious information source.

1. The Glasshammer Career ResourcesShattering the glass ceiling has come to represent breaking the invisible barriers women face in career and business advancement. The Glasshammer was founded with that very goal: to provide executive coaching and advice for professional women looking to advance their careers.

The site features an extensive career resource section with articles aimed at helping women in business with management tips, skill development, interpersonal savvy, and more.

1. The Founding MomsThe Founding Moms seeks to help moms build better businesses. This blog is a fun resource for women who want to launch or grow a business venture through sustainable steps that work with busy lifestyles.

Working moms can find guidance on marketing strategies and financing and tips to aid success in a full-time entrepreneurial endeavor with existing parenting and home responsibilities on their plate.

1. Ladies Make MoneyLadies Make Money is a women’s entrepreneur blog benefiting women looking for remote work opportunities and additional sources of income, especially in creative industries.

Topics range from finding productive full-time work opportunities to startup side hustles that can be done online and from home. This blog is also a wealth of information and tools to help women start their own profitable blogs.

1. Women Can StartupWomen Can Startup is a platform focused on helping women turn their ideas into successful and fulfilling careers. Much of their advice aims at starting and maintaining a business. Posts also include guidance on skill development, career growth, and the positive impact of businesswomen on society.

Check out the blog for inspiring statistics and strategies aimed at supporting women as founders, leaders, and contributors in the business world.

1. Classy Career GirlThe Classy Career Girl blog provides tips, strategies, and stories to help women start a business or find a job they love. Posts include templates and tutorials designed to ease day-to-day tasks for women in business.

This blog also features information incorporated from Classy Career Girl’s successful podcast about career advancement and planning, with actionable goals and advice from already successful business owners.

1. Female Entrepreneur AssociationFounded by best-selling author Carrie Green, the Female Entrepreneur Association focuses on helping women build successful businesses with an emphasis on online business. The blog features tips and ideas for every stage of the entrepreneurial journey, from ideation to business expansion.

Carrie Green’s advice is a must-read for women who want to learn and utilize effective business tactics, focus on personal development in the business world, and boost personal and company productivity.

1. Bloom Hustle GrowThere are many moving parts involved with operating a small business. Bloom Hustle Grow centers on helping women improve business skills, establish better organizational systems, and achieve professional growth.

Most of their posts provide business operation tips and tools for smoother, more consistent processes to help conserve time and business resources. The blog also features planning tips and development tools to help women entrepreneurs set better goals and achieve them more quickly.

1. BossBabeThe BossBabe blog celebrates, supports, and connects women in business worldwide. All guidance on this women’s entrepreneur blog embodies the values of the BossBabe mindset: confidence, presence, and empowerment.

The blog gives ambitious women the knowledge and skills they need to reach personal and business goals and build lives they love, with individual success stories to inspire readers to find and achieve their purpose.

1. She Owns ItFor optimistic business tips, the business blog She Owns It is an inspirational site empowering women to launch and grow a successful, scalable company. The blog features actionable tips with a significant focus on how-tos and clear-cut guides.

Their guidance is driven by the belief that owning your story as a woman is the key to success. The site encourages entrepreneurs to unlock their potential and harness their strengths in every process phase.

1. Girls in TechGirls in Tech wants to eliminate the gender gap in the tech industry. Their insightful blog specializes in tech careers for women but also has career advancement information that entrepreneurial women of all sectors and backgrounds can apply.

The wealth of resources outlines relevant tech trends, offers tips for setting goals, and connects women with educational opportunities to give them a leg up in the tech industry.

1. Kathy CaprinoAs a successful business and career coach, Kathy Caprino uses her platform to encourage and inspire women in business. Her blog is an empowering resource for personal and professional growth.

Posts on this site take a holistic approach to entrepreneurial success, with topics offering individual improvement guidance and how to expedite business development and career advancement. While not exclusively for women, Caprino advocates for equality in the workplace and the world of business at large.

1. Women Love TechWomen Love Tech is an award-winning site focusing on tech careers and lifestyles. Their emphasis on supporting women in STEM careers caters to women who can benefit from posts on tech news, industry updates, career tips, and training opportunities.

The lifestyle posts here offer excellent, generalized advice for women in business, including tips for financial freedom, advice on building resilience, and recommendations for helpful apps and programs to establish better systems.

1. Women’s Business DailyCareer-driven women are the target audience for the inspiring Women’s Business Daily blog. The site publishes career tips for entrepreneurial women motivated by business success but also offers helpful tips for side hustles and lifestyle advice like recipes, travel tips, and workplace attire ideas. Posts also feature successful women sharing stories to encourage and inspire women to achieve their dreams.

Level up Your Leadership With CMOEThese blogs provide powerful insights to help women in business at every stage across several industries. If you’re interested in further leveling up your organization’s leadership, contact CMOE today.

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Statistics show that 70% of projects fail to deliver desired results and 42% of organizations don’t even understand the importance of project management—but they also show that 73% of organizations that use a formal project-management approach always or often have met their goal.

The accepted conventions of project management—from methodologies to practices and strategies to software—are there to ensure organizational effectiveness, a concept that measures how efficiently an organization achieves its business goals.

Project managers face a range of challenges in their day-to-day life including poor project planning, lack of communication, and lack of accountability. The right project-management approach can help address these challenges and complete projects on time and within budget.

In this post, we will talk about key challenges in project management, essential project-management skills, strategies required to navigate the challenges of project management, and more.

Key Challenges that Managers FaceProject-management challenges can make a negative impact on the project’s progress, productivity, delivery, quality, and budget. Let’s understand the project-management challenges in brief.

A project has three facets:

• Goals and objectives of the project
• How and when the various project components are to be completed, and by whom
• Monitoring the project for quality control and on-time completion

A project manager faces a range of challenges related to these three facets of project management on a daily basis:

1. Unclear and unrealistic goals and objectives
2. Scope creep
3. Budgeting issues
4. Lack of communication
5. Lack of accountability
6. Team conflicts due to lack of direction
7. Poor risk management
8. Inadequately skilled team members
9. Limited engagement of stakeholders

Now, let’s have a look at the essential skills a project manager needs to counter these common project-management challenges.

Essential Skills for Successful Project ManagementA certain set of abilities is required for project managers to ace the project-management game. Here, we focus on five core skills.

1. Planning and ManagementA project manager should be good at planning, scheduling, and allocating resources, including money and technology, in order to complete a project on time. A skilled project manager should be able to adopt various project methodologies and frameworks (such as agile, waterfall, and scrum) for effective and efficient resource planning and management.

2. Communication and Leadership SkillsAccording to Cesar Abeid, host of the Project Management for the Masses Podcast, project managers are involved in communication 90% of the time in some way.

A project manager should be able to effectively communicate with teams, clients, and other stakeholders involved in the project. Without good communication skills, it is hard for a project manager to lead the project well or credibly.

Communication skills include understanding challenges faced by collaborators on the project, knowing how to approach people, articulating the vision in simple words so that everyone can comprehend, and so on.

1. Time ManagementCompleting projects on time is very important. Project managers need good time-management skills so that they can prioritize tasks and compartmentalize projects.
   Consistent monitoring and reporting are also required for effective time management. A project manager should be able to track the project’s progress and ask hard questions if some team members are not delivering on time.

2. Budget ManagementCompleting a project within budget is the primary aim of a project manager. A project manager should be able to control, negotiate, and track project costs.
   Decision-making is another critical skill related to budget management. A good project manager should be able to make tough decisions using sound logic.

3. Risk ManagementProjects do not often proceed as originally planned so project managers need to be prepared for things to go wrong. A project manager needs risk-management skills and should be aware of risk-management methodologies. They should also be good critical thinkers and problem-solvers so that they can identify potential risks and develop a set of solutions to mitigate those scenarios.

Strategies for Navigating Project-Management ChallengesWhen you are working on a project, you are bound to hit a few bumps along the way. Some challenges are more common than others so we have highlighted five strategies to address them.

1. Set clear goals and objectives37% of projects fail due to a lack of clear goals. When team members do not know what is expected of them, a project is bound to fail. A project should have clear, well-defined, measurable goals, and everyone should be aware of their responsibilities related to those goals and the deadlines they are expected to meet.
   The SMART approach is often used for setting goals and objectives. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound.

2. Establish effective channels of communicationAccording to the Project Management Institute, 30% of projects fail due to a lack of communication. When it comes to teamwork, communication is of prime importance. Poor communication leads to disruption in workflow, wasted resources, missed deadlines, absence of accountability, and a lot of turmoil on the team.

Develop well-organized, open, and transparent channels of communication. This will make it easy for everyone to be on the same page, collaborate with team members, and stay accountable.

You can use project management software such as Basecamp, ClickUp, and ProofHub to effectively communicate with all project team members and stakeholders. It provides a central platform that your team can use to collaborate.

1. Follow the agile approach to address scope creepScope creep is often the biggest challenge of any project and refers to changes to a client’s original project requirements. When scope creep happens, it leads to two things: increased budget or extended deadlines. It is always a good idea to address how scope creep might affect deadlines and budgets so your clients are not caught off guard.

The best way to handle scope creep is to use an agile project management methodology. It helps you to focus on your specific project goals while continuously reviewing priorities and plans.

You can also address scope creep by involving clients in project planning and providing them with collaboration tools for stakeholder engagement in the project. This makes scope creep less likely and more manageable when it does occur.

1. Track progress and maintain accountabilityProject tracking is a key part of project management. It helps you take control of the project and meet its deadlines. It also ensures that project-team members always have direction. 14% of project managers reported that lack of direction was a cause of team conflicts in their projects.

You can ensure tracking and accountability when you have a centralized place for project management. Project management software such as ProofHub, Basecamp, and Asana helps you create, manage, and track tasks and hold people accountable.

1. Develop a plan to manage project risks and issuesRisk analysis is integral to successful project planning, but a good project manager should evaluate risks throughout the lifecycle of a project, especially for long-term projects. This will help you mitigate and manage project risks.

You can refer to the risk-management templates for risk analysis or you can adopt the philosophy of “what-if” to create hypothetical scenarios and develop contingency plans.

Ace Project ManagementGood project management can help organizations complete their projects successfully.

• Teams can complete the work with the least amount of resistance
• Organizations can complete the work on time, on budget, with the least waste
• Clients get the desired results

To achieve these outcomes, a project manager needs the right knowledge and understanding of project-management practices, software, methodologies, strategies, and skills. By using the right skills and tools, a project manager can ace project management over time, and this will be good for everyone: teams, organizations, and clients.

Author BioVartika Kashyap is the chief marketing officer at ProofHub, a powerful Asana alternative. She is a strong headed woman who always puts her innovative inputs into project management, collaboration, balancing work and life with technology, and more. She is active on various platforms, including LinkedIn, the e-learning industry, and more, to share her expertise. Off hours, she enjoys motherhood and reading about mental well-being.

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Staff training is integral to fueling growth and purpose among members of the workforce, and eighty-one percent of training and development departments embrace a people-centric culture.

However, as more companies and industries move to flexible work environments and hybrid schedules, business professionals have shifted how they approach workforce training.

These changes include:

• User increase on education platforms. For example, LinkedIn Learning experienced a 46% increase in time spent on learning by its enterprise learners.
• A 3,000% rise in virtual collaboration.
• 346% rise in the number of course recommendations given to staff members.

Rather than attending training events in the office, training center, or hotel, team members are instead getting their learning and training experiences virtually.

Knowing how to make virtual training more engaging is crucial to meet the needs of the workforce. With virtual training front and center, business leaders must find strategic ways to spark community and engagement in their learning programs. This actionable guide will demonstrate how you can engage your team.

7 Ways to Drive Engagement in Virtual TrainingBeyond improving workplace interactions, engagement drives bottom-line results. Companies with engaged team members outperform their counterparts by 147% in earnings per share.

Drive engagement in your upcoming virtual training with these seven virtual training facilitation best practices.

1. Offer Diverse Learning ExperiencesEvery team member has specific strengths and dispositions. Individuals thrive in various learning environments and respond differently to different learning experiences.

Offer your learners as much variability and variety as possible. Empathize with the experience from their perspective to direct the design of the experience and make the most impactful changes.

Examples of variety in virtual learning may include using:

• Real-time polls and quizzes in which team members can participate during training. You can anonymize these tools to gain more honest responses and spark more meaningful conversations. If individuals hesitate to provide input in face-to-face settings, they may feel more comfortable doing so in a digital and anonymous context.
• Chat features on your video platform. This feature is a convenient way for those who may not feel comfortable speaking to still be involved with the discussion
  and activity.

• Interactive presentation software rather than static PowerPoint presentations. For example, Mentimeter allows professionals to incorporate dynamic word
  clouds, entertaining quizzes, and more to build a fulfilling and interactive experience.

• Set Clear Expectations Up FrontAdvise learners on what to expect during the training. Establish the right tone and help individuals prepare to participate and engage.

How to Set Clear ExpectationsSend an email reminder before the virtual training that will provide details on what the training will entail and how participants should prepare.
Examples of expectations include the following:

• Turning off notifications on devices
• Closing other applications on their browser
• Turning on their cameras

• Coming prepared with questions

• Tap Into Gamification ElementsGamification adds experiential learning components to virtual training. The process shows promise in cultivating a positive learning or training experience. Here are the statistics:

• 80% of workforce members believe game-based learning is more engaging.

• Gamification produces a 60% increase in workforce engagement because when learning is exciting and interactive, employees are motivated to continue working on the activity and performing at their best.
• Gamification can drive up to a 50% increase in staff productivity as they engage in the game of work.

How to Implement Gamification ElementsWhen it comes to the concept of gamification, stat out simple. Identify ways to insert it into your existing virtual training process.

Here are a few examples of real-life organizations that leverage gamification for virtual training methods:

• Manufacturing company Siemens created a storyline and game around a character named “Pete the Plant Manager.” The intention is to train team members on best practices for plant operations. This game introduces a challenge, and Pete offers hints to guide users to a solution.
• Cisco’s Social Media Training Program entails three levels of certification— specialist, strategist, and master. Advancing to new levels requires virtual
  learners to complete a specified number of courses that show their expertise. The program also incorporates team challenges where players can earn badges.

• IBM’s Digital Badge Program incorporated gamification through badges or learner achievements. These badges were incentives to encourage engagement. In the end, 87% of IBM badge earners say they’re more engaged due to the program. The business further incentivized learners by allowing them to post their badges on social media.

• Stick to Simple and Consistent Multimedia ToolsRefrain from making the virtual environment too scattered or complex. Juggling too many multimedia elements may confuse participants. Lean on simplicity to create a more enjoyable learning experience.

How to Execute Simplicity and ConsistencyTo start, consider focusing on two primary tools. Here are some examples:

• A video conference platform like Zoom. This platform offers a chat feature so staff members don’t have to jump to another platform to interact with colleagues, break out rooms so participants can discuss content in smaller groups, and annotation features so that every member in the meeting can interact with the presentation. Zoom offers all of the diverse learning experiences mentioned above in tip 1.
• A learning management system (LMS) where team members can submit assignments and gain feedback from trainers. Forty percent of Fortune 500 companies have adopted LMS to manage and organize the learning and development plans for employees.

Begin with these two tools and over time, as demands shift and you acquire feedback, add additional tools or replace them.

1. Plan Around LimitationsRemember that virtual learning, whether it be digital on-demand courses on an eLearning platform or video conferencing workshops, cannot foster community independently.

Some limitations are:

• Technology and compatibility issues
• Bandwidth and speed issues
• The ability for participants to turn off their cameras and disengage
• The difficulty of interactions as people talk over each other and computer systems buffer
• The physical distance inherent with virtual learning
• Acknowledging this and planning for virtual training limitations is crucial.

How to Proactively Plan Around LimitationsBusiness leaders must adequately plan and prepare the right supplementary touchpoints to ensure that virtual learning is successful. These contact points should occur before or after the training.

Touchpoints may entail conversations and activities such as:

• Small group sessions – When training ends, virtual breakout rooms can discuss key takeaways and how team members plan to apply those to their roles.
• Pre-training worksheet completion – This activity enables individuals to come to the training prepared and ready to participate.
• Follow-up – Distribute information and answers to points discussed during the virtual training.
• Virtual icebreakers – Build participant connection before diving into the training.

Providing these touchpoints injects virtual training with the holistic attention and community spirit they deserve.

1. Refrain from Long Virtual SessionsYou may have the best creative virtual training idea, but these good intentions can backfire if the session runs too long, or if participants find it difficult to focus and engage.

How to Be More Conscientious of TimeRefrain from hosting virtual training that runs longer than 2 hours. The average human attention span is 8.25 seconds, and this statistic is 4.25 seconds less than it was in 2000. Your participants’ attention spans are incredibly limited, so aim to simplify and diversify content to inject training with efficiency and variety.

Consider the participants’ schedules as well when organizing training time frames.

Someone with back-to-back meetings on a particular day may not feel compelled to participate or stay focused during training.

1. Adjust and RepeatVirtual learning takes time to succeed. Finding a pattern that works takes experimentation, iteration, and patience.

How to Adjust and Repeat the Right WaySolicit feedback from the team. Feedback can be through individual conversations or quick workshop evaluations and surveys.

Consider asking for suggestions on how to apply specific feedback. Doing this provides three benefits:

• It makes implementing feedback quicker.
• It enables changes that set up staff members for success.
• It helps you create a robust training session participants will value and enjoy.

Lean on CMOE’s Virtual Learning ResourcesWith virtual training demand growing, business leaders must quickly adapt to these shifts, all while keeping workforce members engaged.

Lean on CMOE’s virtual courses and digital learning solutions to help your team develop critical skills and leader competencies. Our courses cover many business topics, from Coaching to Strategic thinking. Each comes with relevant resources and downloadable tools.

Contact CMOE today to learn more!

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Investing in your human capital is more crucial than ever as organizations continue to transition or adopt hybrid or remote work environments. This process leads to the need for executing effective virtual facilitation strategies for remote participants and inevitable challenges as participants and facilitators adapt to the virtual environments. Meeting facilitators and Learning & Development professionals must evaluate these challenges and identify the best practices to overcome them to create the most valuable experience for the participants.

The CMOE team has developed expertise in virtual facilitation and understands the potential roadblocks in executing a successful and effective virtual session. We also understand that time is of the essence. And that’s why we’re here to help.

Virtual Facilitation: The 5 Main Challenges and SolutionsWhether facilitating a group discussion, running a workshop, or overseeing a meeting, facilitation in a virtual environment requires unique skills and preparation.

The guide below is designed to help you overcome challenges that arise in virtual facilitation and elevate your capabilities. We encourage you to adapt these best practices to align with your people or organizational needs.

Each section discusses the challenges first, followed by actionable solutions you can implement today.

1. Challenge: ApprehensionFacilitating content and conversations can feel nerve-wracking. And today, on top of providing value, leaders are tasked with ensuring technical components go smoothly.

With these additional expectations and pressures, it can be challenging to initiate a facilitation session confidently.

Solution: Focus on the Facilitator MindsetLeadership consultant Dr. Flo Falayi encourages leaders to lean on what they call “The Facilitator Mindset.” This mindset encompasses five parts.

Utilizing all five is what makes a good virtual facilitator:

1. Front: You ensure the audience understands “where they are going and how to get there.” As the facilitator, you lead the charge by helping participants form connections and by offering purpose and direction.

2. Back: You focus on the needs of your team members. You manage the behind-the-scenes work, like overseeing chats during the virtual facilitation and monitoring the discussions to ensure participants receive the proper support.

Tip: If you find this process difficult, ask a team member to act as a producer to monitor the chat and presentation. This will allow you to focus on the content you are getting across.

3. Together: You establish a shared vision to connect participants. You provide team members the opportunity to speak up and share their ideas. By doing so, you drive collaboration, teamwork, and new ideas.

4. Outside: By working from the outside, you can see where the energy is focused. Spend more time on what the participants care about and ask questions to draw people out and bring their unique perspectives to the topic.

5. Inside: You practice self-awareness to work past your personal stressors and anxieties. Be fully present in the moment with your participants.

1. Challenge: Lack of Visual FeedbackIt’s easy to feel like you’re speaking to a blank wall during a virtual facilitation session. While it’s easy to pick up on visual cues and non-verbal signals in person, an online setting is more complex.

Solution: Establish Camera-on ExpectationsAs the facilitator, establish the expectation that all participants must have their cameras on. Communicating this in writing in an official communication, like an email prior to the event, will set the tone for the meeting.

With participants live on camera, you can see levels of engagement and how participants are reacting to your facilitation. This may offer visual cues that you need to adjust your approach, style, or agenda.

Be sure to use movements like hand gestures to elevate engagement. Studies suggest:

• Individuals tend to perceive those who speak with gestures “as warm, agreeable, and energetic.”

• Be aware of and consider how you would like to be perceived by participants because “Certain hand gestures such as sweeping motions and vertical movement signal extraversion and dominance.”

• Challenge: Technical MalfunctionsWhen facilitating virtually, technical issues are inevitable. Rest assured, technical expertise is not required for virtual facilitation. A very basic technical understanding of your video-conferencing platform, audio connections, and platform features will empower you to tackle most technical issues that arise.

The key is to take a proactive, rather than reactive, approach to this challenge. Most video conference platforms have test meetings where you can test connections, audio, video, and sharing features. Basic preparation pays dividends.

Solution: Rehearse BeforehandRehearse your facilitation session a few times before the presentation. This preparation offers you the opportunity to become familiar with your message and tools. Rehearsing will help you identify any tech tools that may cause inconveniences and prepare you to replace them with an alternate solution.

Equipment and software will sometimes fail due to circumstances beyond your control. Remember to keep calm and prepare with tech contingencies.

Backup contingencies may include the following:

Contact details of who you can reach out to for immediate, on-the-spot technical challenges that might be resolved quickly.
Contact details of participants to share quick updates if they have technical troubles on their end.
A basic troubleshooting guide for most common mishaps.
Sending resources and files ahead of time to ensure that participants will be able to access them during the event.

Challenge: Lack of Audience Attention/FocusWhen facilitators do most of the talking, participants are likely to disengage and begin to multitask during a workshop or meeting and may miss critical information.

A virtual environment often leaves more room for distractions, and participants, depending on their unique remote work environments, may be more easily distracted than in an in-person setting.

Solution: Offer Varied Learning and Interactive ExperiencesThe key to overcoming the lack of attention is to offer varied learning and interactive experiences.

Examples of these experiences include the following:

• Polls and quizzes to incorporate interactive exercises
• Breakout rooms to have team members work in small groups
• Reflection time
• Time for team members to share their thoughts or actions items
• Interactive presentations using an audience engagement platform such as Mentimeter that offer dynamic word clouds, live polling, and varied learning opportunities

As you can see, there are quite a few options from which to choose. Selecting the proper solution requires first knowing your audience.

Know Your AudienceTo whom are you speaking? What are their learning styles? Understanding these areas will help you identify the best learning experience and personalize your facilitation approach.

For example:

Leaning on DISC assessments can help you brainstorm the types of activities to facilitate:

• A group comprising a majority of Is (Influence) may need more verbal interactions and group activities.
• A group with a majority of Cs (Conscientious) may need personal time to reflect and contribute answers.

Knowing participants’ strengths and weaknesses directs what topics to emphasize and which areas to spend less time on. This insight allows you to prioritize and, more importantly, engage your participants effectively. Rely on resources like your company’s 360-degree feedback or performance assessments to gain insights on the team.

1. Challenge: Lack of CommunityCreating an inviting and engaging virtual environment may be challenging if there’s a disconnect between participants. When team members don’t know one another very well, it may cause participants to be less engaged.

Solution: Build a Connection with Specific RulesYou can build community in a virtual environment. One study tested a set of rules that led to better group outcomes—86% of participants noted engagement levels as high or higher compared to face-to-face meetings.

These rules involve:

60-second rule: Ensure that participants understand the impact and purpose of the meeting or session. During the first 60 seconds of the meeting, present a topic, issue, or fact that creates a sense of shared responsibility or purpose among the group.

For example, you might bring up a competitor statistic or anecdote, which can help place everyone on the “same side” and remind them they’re working towards one collective goal.

The nowhere-to-hide rule: Assign specific tasks to individuals within a limited time frame. The more unique each task is, the better—this encourages team members to step up, do their part, and work together.

When everyone is responsible for the same task, this creates what social psychologists call diffusion of responsibility—individuals may stand back until others take action.

The nowhere-to-hide rule avoids this passivity and compels participants to act and participate. One example that embodies this principle is having group members pair up and focus on a specific task. At the end of the session, every pair must present their findings—ideas connect to everyone else’s, ultimately creating one big picture.

Sustain Workforce Engagement with CMOEDuring this era of rapid transition, adapting to constant change can feel incredibly challenging. Our courses and resources can help businesses of all sizes adapt and thrive in today’s hybrid and remote environments.

Contact us to learn more about how CMOE’s renowned eLearning and virtual resources can help make it easier.

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In today’s digital age, organizations lean heavily on eLearning to elevate performance and accommodate remote/hybrid working solutions. And it’s not going to stop anytime soon:

• Research notes that the global eLearning market was estimated at $332.6 billion in 2022. This amount is projected to reach $457.8 billion by 2026, which is a CAGR of 10.3%.
• 72% of businesses that leverage eLearning feel they earn a competitive advantage.
• 39% of millennials, the largest generation in the workforce, want to see more virtual education.

This rapid growth illustrates the significance of eLearning to organizations and staff members. If you’re looking to identify better ways to invest in your workforce, we encourage you to focus on the benefits of eLearning for employees.

The Advantages eLearning Offers for Employee DevelopmentThere are nine advantages eLearning offers for employee development. We invite you to use these insights to elevate the quality of your learning and development (L&D) program.

1. Learning RetentionManagement can tailor instructional materials to fit various learning styles on eLearning platforms.

Consider the following:

• 95% of team members agree they retain more information from video versus reading a document.
• The majority of learners today are visual learners. Studies illustrate that they make up nearly 65% of the U.S. population.

Individuals today need visual and customized eLearning training methods rather than lengthy, static sessions. Some of the benefits of eLearning programs include the following:

• They can be personalized to fit everyone’s learning needs.

• They can overcome roadblocks faced by individual learners.

• Convenience and AccessibilityStaff members benefit from eLearning’s convenience and accessibility for the reasons below:

• Team members don’t need to commute to and from a traditional meeting room and are free to learn in an environment of their choosing. Whether at home or in a coffee shop, team members can find a place to learn where they can focus and thrive.

• Team members can study and learn at their own pace. This individualized approach is something 58% of employees want. For example, participants can revisit videos offered through a learning management system (LMS) platform as needed to help them absorb information. New hires can also view those videos during on-the-job training. This is especially valuable since 49% of staff members like to learn at the “point of need.”

• eLearning technology makes it convenient for business leaders to share relevant training content. For example, if a team member is unable to attend a virtual training, an instructor can share video recordings, graphics, and discussion boards outside of the event. This makes it easy for the individual to still participate and engage with colleagues on learning topics.

• Cost and Time SavingsThe top reason individuals feel held back from learning is lack of time. The use of eLearning alleviates the issue.

Statistics show that eLearning is cost- and time-effective:

• eLearning requires 40 to 60% less time than a traditional classroom setting.
• Because team members can quickly apply their knowledge and skills, IBM reports that every dollar invested in online training results in $30 in productivity.

For a staff member, this

• Frees up more time for them to focus on other critical tasks.

• Helps them efficiently progress in their learning modules and roles.

• Staff RetentionLinkedIn reports that 94% of staff members would stay with their employer longer if they invested in their careers. The investment provided through eLearning produces powerful results.

When staff members can decide when and where they want to learn, it provides the following benefits:

• Improved retention rates by 25–60%

• Improved performance by 15–25%

• ScalabilityManagement can easily roll out eLearning programs to as many team members as needed, even as the business grows. It won’t be necessary to seek a larger training space or hire more instructors because eLearning scales with the team.

• Reports and AnalyticsOnline learning platforms offer analytic tools to help team members track their training progress. These tools keep team members accountable for reaching their learning goals.

Businesses can also use this data to assess the effectiveness of current learning and development programs (and what may need to change). Analytic tools help contribute to a more robust staff L&D program.

1. Feedback LoopBusinesses will find that eLearning can open up a feedback loop between staff and management/instructors. Instructors can examine completed tasks, offer feedback, and initiate productive conversations.

Every team member carries distinct strengths and weaknesses. Instructors can gain more insights into areas where an individual may need additional support and offer unique resources to supplement the team’s learning journey.

1. Consistency and StandardizationTeams can benefit from the consistency and standardization that eLearning promotes. With an effective eLearning course in place, each staff member will receive the following:

2. High-quality training

3. Relevant company-wide information
4. Appropriate materials to ensure their success in the organization

With consistency and standardization, all workforce members will be on the same page and set up for success.

1. Energy SavingsThe environment benefits from eLearning, and workforce members appreciate this. Less paper and travel and fewer training facilities help decrease energy consumption. Gallup reports that environmental sustainability is essential to millennials, and Studies illustrate that eLearning can reduce carbon emissions by 65%.

Visit CMOE’s eLearning ResourcesHuman capital is the key to sustainable growth. Invest in your workforce’s eLearning programs by learning about CMOE’s online courses.

From empathic leadership to diversity, equity, and inclusion essentials, our team offers the tools and resources you need to fuel eLearning in your organization.

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How Teamwork Helps Achieve Business Goals [Everything You Need to Know]The saying “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts” conveys the importance and function of teamwork. It is not only who is on the team that determines how strong the team is. How the team works together determines the ability of the team, department, and organization to deliver results and create value for all stakeholders. Individually, we might accomplish the task, but by working collaboratively under a single purpose, the team can reach new heights and success.

When executed well, teamwork unites people and purpose, enhances trust and collaboration, and ultimately boosts productivity and elevates workforce engagement. It’s worth the time to understand the true value of how teamwork helps achieve business goals, and how you can realistically incorporate this into your team.

What Is Teamwork?Teamwork develops when individuals take on a cooperative mindset to accomplish goals. Rather than considering how their actions and behaviors impact themselves, team members assess how their performance affects the team and organization as a whole. By moving from self-interest to a group-interest mindset, individual members are empowered to work collaboratively under a common purpose to reach success.

Why Is Teamwork Important in Business?Demonstrating teamwork in the workplace is vital for the following reasons:

1. Better problem solving: Empirical research illustrates that teams perform better than a group of individuals working alone. Experts attribute this to the group’s ability to more effectively correct issues, think creatively, process information, and solve problems. The diversity in thought and learning styles allows a team to execute tasks and produce results quicker and more productively.

2. Improved productivity: Team members who motivate their peers and offer proactive assistance will improve capacity and productivity because teamwork, by its very nature, creates better working relationships. For example, cross-training and brainstorming sessions often pave the way to better strategies and outcomes.

3. Heightened morale: When every team member is given a unique task that contributes to the team’s success, a feeling of belonging and purpose develops which leads to psychological safety and engagement. This type of morale cannot develop within an individualistic working environment.

4. Upgraded communication: When a team understands precisely what they need to achieve and how to do it, there is less confusion and fewer details are lost in translation. This leads to team members sticking around because they know the expectations and how to reach them, and effective communication produces 4.5 times higher workforce retention.

How Can I Utilize Teamwork Effectively in the Workplace?Here are five actionable ways to utilize teamwork effectively in the workplace.

Apply these suggestions and customize them to align with the needs and goals of your team:

1. Establish Clearly Defined RolesWhen roles and responsibilities are clearly defined, the path is clear for better, more precise, and more frequent communication.

Team members understand when to step in—and in what capacity. There is also less overlap and confusion—all of which supports each team member’s role with more clarity and satisfaction. This process also enables the business to be more efficient and productive.

Clear role definitions involve:

• RACI (Responsibility Assignment Matrix) chart: This RACI framework helps you lay the groundwork for clarifying team member roles while minimizing confusion. As every team and organization operates differently, we encourage you to adjust this framework as necessary:
  • Responsible: This individual performs the work for a given task, milestone, or deliverable.
  • Accountable: This person ensures the task/milestone/deliverable is progressing as planned and ensures it gets done.
  • Consulted: This individual provides essential input on the work.
  • Informed: This team member receives information on how the task/milestone/deliverable is progressing and its outcome.

Ensure all team members have access to the chart so everyone knows the roles.

Clearly explaining the whys: In addition to explaining what team members must do, explain the why. 79% of leaders believe purpose is essential to business success. Purpose is what drives individuals to get up each day and complete their tasks. Take time to explain how each person’s role applies to the overall vision and mission of the organization as well as the success of the team, organization, and individual contributors. These big-picture insights foster a shared purpose, growth, and inspiration.

1. Encourage Teams to Participate Actively in Decision-MakingAccording to Deloitte, cognitive diversity—diversity of thought, values, and personalities—in a team improves innovation by 20%.

Every person possesses unique strengths. Encourage your team members to tap into their strengths and backgrounds to make decisions collectively. When team members feel their voices are heard and acknowledged, they are 4.6 times more likely to put their best foot forward. Here are a few opportunities to consider:

• If your team tends to be quiet or refrain from speaking up, consider initiating a survey that team members can anonymously fill out and submit. You can then hold a group session that discusses the survey results/feedback.
• Implement brainstorming sessions that allow individuals to work together. These sessions invite team members to jump-start the problem-solving and decision-making processes.

• Display empathy—an essential element of emotional intelligence—to connect with team members and ensure you take the time to understand their viewpoints. When you actively listen and ask follow-up questions, others will follow suit and feel included. This will inspire them to open up more and share their ideas.

• Initiate Team-Building ActivitiesA strong team that works well together includes individuals who feel:

• They can depend on one another.

• Psychologically safe (listened to, can express concerns and ideas without feeling judged).

Consider initiating various team-building activities. These help to build and bond the team.

• 73% of staff members wish their organization would provide more team-building opportunities.
• In response to ever-changing market shifts, significantly more businesses are meaningfully investing in virtual team-building.
• Team simulations and exercises can help staff members enhance their problem-solving, communication, and planning skills. Remember—a high-performing team needs a balance of both technical and social skills.

For example, encourage events such as the following:

• Hold a business-focused team activity. Take an integral skill set within your industry and hold a workshop on this to build competency among the team. For example, a conflict resolution workshop educates individuals on how to have difficult-yet-productive conversations around differing viewpoints.

• Sponsor informal team activities. Consider a dinner to celebrate achievements and encourage individuals to get to know one another better in a more relaxed environment.

• Leverage Social TechnologiesMcKinsey reports that organizations using social technologies can raise the productivity levels of “high-skill knowledge workers” by up to 25%.

For example, the average staff member spends:

• 28% of the workweek handling emails
• 20% of their time tracking down internal information

Utilizing social platforms and communication channels can minimize this time and create space for learning and problem-solving.

Social platforms reduce manual searching by 35% and drive more efficient and effective collaboration. Consider the following social, engagement, and project management tools to get started:

• Slack: Instant messaging platform where team members can communicate and form channels based on interests or topics
• Asana: Project management software that allows team members to build plans, add collaborators, and communicate progress and obstacles
• Blink: Intranet dashboard that serves as a one-stop engagement solution for staff members

• Bonusly: Recognition and rewards platform that helps enhance motivation and build a positive company culture

• Be PatientGreat teamwork doesn’t happen overnight. Like other business practices, it takes practice and commitment. So, be sure to:

• Make time to share and receive feedback: Giving and receiving feedback bolsters relationships through trust, candor, and collaboration. In addition, those who know they can speak their mind feel more driven to contribute unique ideas and push boundaries.

• Gain the insights of your team members: What is—and is not—working? How can processes be improved? What are some ways your staff can augment their teamwork skills? How can they collaborate more?
• Recognize and reinforce work that is well done: Acknowledge or reward your team members when they accomplish a milestone through teamwork. Recognizing the quality work of groups boosts profitability by 29% and reinforces the value of communication, cooperation, and coordination among your staff.

Develop Teamwork Skills and Capabilities with CMOEYou don’t have to figure out how to achieve high-performance teamwork alone.

CMOE offers a High-Performance Teamwork workshop that provides team leaders and team members with the skills and tools they need to bolster team performance. Through workshop exercises, case studies, and discussion, our team will help you identify the critical areas that must be leveraged. For intact teams and senior leadership teams, CMOE offers a highly effective team-alignment process that helps teams apply skills, uncover issues, and create solutions to ultimately reach their potential.

Contact us for more information.

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Training is essential in any workplace, including those in the manufacturing sector. Companies that invest in training have 24% higher profits and experience a 20% increase in sales compared with their counterparts.

Unfortunately, the reality is that roughly 59% of staff members do not receive workplace training, and since 2.1 million manufacturing roles could go unfilled by 2030, the stakes are very high. Simply put, workplace training for these team members must begin here and now.

Learn the six best practices for training staff in a manufacturing environment. Reach out to the CMOE team with questions along the way.

What Are the Most Effective Training Methods?Establishing an effective training roadmap is easier said than done, especially when you’re juggling other manufacturing- and operations-related tasks. This is where we step in. Use the six training methods described below to steer your team in the right direction.

1. Establish Clear ExpectationsClearly explain the expectations you have for each person in a given role. Miscommunication is costly: a survey of 400 large companies reported an average loss of $62.4 million per organization per year.

Don’t assume team members have underlying knowledge or understand exactly what you mean, especially in an environment with safety hazards. Practice being clear and specific.

How to Set ExpectationsIn the manufacturing industry, establishing clear expectations may involve tasks like those below:

• Mapping out the specific responsibilities each role will take on during the manufacturing process
• Showing examples of products that have passed quality checks or products being manufactured
• Communicating how each role and responsibility impacts both the bigger picture (business goals and priorities) and the smaller picture (team and individual aims)

• Setting aside time for team members to ask questions

• Provide Hands-on TrainingStudies indicate that only 10– 20% of training transfers to the workplace. Thus, it’s crucial to establish a direct relationship between expected outcomes and the specific tasks required to fulfill those expectations.

When considering how to make training more hands-on for staff members, use the following guidance:

• Pair new team members with seasoned colleagues who can demonstrate how to use certain equipment: Trainees can watch their mentors use the tools before performing the task themselves. Upon using the equipment, mentors can offer constructive feedback on what trainees did well and where they can improve.
• Establish real-life scenarios to encourage critical thinking: This step provides the space and time for trainees to make and correct common mistakes made on the production floor, helping them to improve their skills and feel more confident in their roles.

• Provide various learning materials: Accessibility is vital to training in the manufacturing environment. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to training, so providing training via multiple learning platforms and modalities helps ensure that you are catering to different learning styles. For example, you could include courses with written content alongside video-based training.

• Put Health and Safety Front and CenterIn the manufacturing industry, over 13 million individuals are at risk of injury at any given time. Keep your workforce members safe by reinforcing the importance of health and safety during training and regularly coaching your team on safe workplace practices.

Emphasizing health and safety with your team members may entail some or all of the following:

• Including a health and safety section in each training. For example, if you’re holding a training on how to use plasma-cutting equipment, be sure to dedicate time to explaining the guards and safety features of the tool—elements that protect the teams’ hands from injury.
• Coaching team members consistently. Safety is a natural coaching topic, and coaching conversations of this type lend themselves well to formal discussions as well as coaching on the spot. Look for opportunities to discuss safe working practices during regular interactions with your team members.
• Holding regular safety-training sessions to review procedures and discuss best practices. This reinforces the importance of workplace safety and makes safety a topic of frequent discussion. Normalizing safety conversations creates an environment where people are encouraged to recognize safe practices and discuss any concerns they may have.
• Prioritizing housekeeping to reduce safety risks. It’s essential for all workers to put their equipment and tools away correctly, both to keep the workplace free from trip hazards and to protect the items from being damaged.
• Making safety and well-being a part of each employee’s annual goals. Workforce members can submit their goals for safety and well-being during the upcoming year and suggest tangible, measurable ways to achieve them.

The intention behind these steps is to become an advocate for workforce safety. When the lives of your people rest in your hands, it is especially crucial to look after their well-being and to make safety conversations a regular part of your day. Workers who feel cared for, valued, and appreciated become more engaged—and improved engagement increases profitability by 23%

Engagement in the manufacturing industry is essential, yet often falls lower on the scale than in other industries. Investing in your workers can help them feel more engaged and interested in their work.

1. Request Training and Development FeedbackWhen it’s executed well, staff training and development can help mitigate turnover; 94% of individuals express that they would stick with a business longer if it invested in their development. What constitutes a high-quality training and development roadmap will depend on the needs of the manufacturing business you are in.

Success looks different across the business landscape because every organization and workforce is unique. To improve your training curriculum, it’s essential to gain insights and feedback from staff members. The more feedback you gain and implement, the more targeted and impactful your training will become.

Tips for Gaining Insights from Team MembersGain insights proactively by

• Conducting regular 1:1 meetings. Carry out regular meetings with each team member, as often as weekly or at least monthly. Since individual experiences vary, it’s important to provide the opportunity for team members to express any concerns and share their thoughts about how training can improve.

• Establishing individual training and development goals. When you meet with individual team members, ask about any areas they would like to improve on or skills they would like to learn. Determine KPIs to help individuals measure their progress and fulfill their goals. Consider establishing quarterly goals and encourage workforce members to document key milestones and outcomes throughout that period.

• Focus on UpskillingThe Manufacturing Institute Training Survey reports upskilling workers can enhance productivity and encourage them to progress in their field.

This survey included the following findings:

• 67.2% of respondents believe upskilling has helped individuals move into supervisory roles.
• 48.9% of respondents believe upskilling has extended the longevity of careers.

Here are three ways manufacturing professionals can enhance their skills:

• Training in new technologies or advanced equipment and systems. Think ahead. Where do you see your manufacturing team in five years? Providing additional expertise can allow them to advance in their current roles and prepare for future changes.
• Cross training. Building an effective cross-training program allows team members to transition seamlessly between workstations, lines, or shifts. Additionally, cross-training helps individuals to build additional skills, bolstering company operations.

• Creating a skills matrix to keep track of skill levels across teams. This will provide you with a bird’s-eye view of each person’s skills, which you can use to determine how to adjust shifts or positions as needed.

• Train Your LeadersAdequately training staff begins with you. Invest in yourself and your leaders. Continuously developing those who oversee training sessions is crucial to making a difference on the production floor, but according to a recent survey, 58% percent of leaders report that they did not receive any management training.

Learning should never stop. Leadership Development Program Design equips leaders at all levels to develop their confidence and the skills they need to lead and train others effectively. CMOE will collaborate with you to build a leadership development program based on your organizational leaders’ specific challenges and roadblocks.

In addition to introducing tools and techniques, CMOE’s development programs provide an interactive, highly applicable learning experience that enables leaders to apply the training to their manufacturing teams right away.

Drive Bottom-Line Results with CMOEExplore CMOE’s training programs to determine whether they align with the needs of your manufacturing business. Our team is looking forward to helping you craft a training plan that is customized specifically to the needs of your organization.

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What has stopped you from committing to consistent coaching? The benefits of coaching are obvious. Coaching team members encourages a culture of trust and communication, and effective coaching helps people reach their full potential and ultimately deliver bottom-line results. Through coaching, you can create a work environment where people are engaged and feel encouraged to do their best. So, what is stopping you?

Now is the time to consider your own coaching practices and culture as well as the obstacles you have encountered. Here are three common coaching obstacles and how to overcome them to improve your coaching practices and culture.

1. Time pressures, demands, and emergenciesThis is very common as many industries are critically constrained by time and hindered by surprises. The team’s tasks must be completed, but ensure that along with the tasks, you prioritize your team members’ development. It must be an active choice to prioritize coaching and scheduling coaching sessions along with other expectations of the role. Otherwise, it will never get done.

2. A Coach who is confident and certain of their opinionsThe wonderful thing about coaching is that it requires you to active ly engage your team members and understand them. As you coach, practice empathy as you ask about their process, their experiences, and reasoning. Remember that they will not have lived the life that you have, so they will approach their tasks and demands differently. But this is your opportunity to both learn from them and guide them on how to reach their full potential, so take the opportunity to ask them questions and be open and accepting of others’ opinions.

3. A Coachee who is unwilling to assume responsibility for their actions or future plansAs you approach this coaching session, be careful to refrain from making accusatory or aggressive statements. Rather than telling them that they are wrong, ask questions to understand where their reasoning is coming from. If the resistance continues, call it out by naming it with neutral and descriptive terms. For example, say “You seem to be focusing on the things that will prevent the plan from succeeding. Are you feeling uneasy about this?” If the message is not resounding with them, schedule another session to revisit the issue. Overall, you must remember the importance of what you trying to achieve. By coaching, you are creating a culture of trust and productivity. You want to continue trying.

Don’t let coaching obstacles keep you from creating a team of engaged employees that trust you. By prioritizing coaching in this new year, your team will undoubtedly succeed in both development and bottom-line results. But if you want to improve your coaching skills with the aid of industry experts, contact CMOE for more information about Coaching TIPS2TM , our highly validated, research-based system for coaching.

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An organization’s success depends on a business strategy that establishes the organization’s mission and what decisions or actions must be taken to achieve it. Every individual in the organization, from front-line worker to Chief Executive Officer, is responsible for implementing the strategy and ensuring the organization’s success.

Recognizing opportunities for and potential obstacles to strategic success requires knowledge and insight from the organization and outside sources.

To be good leaders, managers must continuously foster a learning approach in themselves and their team members. As industries continue to evolve, so must we.

Research shows that organizations that offer a learning culture, which can help build strategic skills, knowledge, and competencies, are 92% more likely to create original products and services.

To get started, begin bookmarking these 21 best business strategy blogs. Each blog offers unique thought leadership materials to help guide your strategy in the upcoming quarter.

1. strategy + business (s+b)Whether it be topics centered around operations, marketing, or human capital, strategy + business aims to “illuminate the complex choices that leaders face….and the impact of their decisions.”

s+b is a publication managed by member firms of the PwC Network. It offers meaningful thought leadership articles, podcast series, and commentary from:

• Corporate leaders
• Academics and researchers
• Journalists

• Best-selling business thinkers and philosophers

• First Round ReviewFirst Round Review is a publication run by First Round Capital—a venture capital and private equity firm that helps founders build companies from scratch. The blog provides business resources broken down into six categories:

• Articles: The latest articles that cover a wide range of topics, including management, people and culture, engineering, design, and PR and marketing

• Collections: Articles that are organized into topical sections (e.g., improving as a manager, guidance for hiring managers)
• Books: Essentials, a management book that offers a collection of articles intended for first-time and seasoned managers
• Newsletter: Weekly newsletter that keeps subscribers up to date on all of First Round’s latest stories
• Resources: Templates, frameworks, and must-ask questions collected over the years

• Podcast: A podcast series that offers advice for startup leaders

• Center for Executive ExcellenceThe Center for Executive Excellence (CEE) is a coaching and advisory company that helps CEOs, executive leaders, and the businesses they manage.

To help leaders build resilient cultures, CEE offers a blog that takes readers through unique perspectives in the workplace.

The blog features:

• Self-help learning mechanisms such as mindfulness and emotional intelligence
• Diversity, equity, and inclusion topics and webinars

• Feedback in a virtual environment

• McKinsey & CompanyA global management consulting firm, McKinsey & Company is a trusted advisor to leading businesses, governments, and institutions.

McKinsey & Company’s blog features comprehensive stories centered on the consulting firm’s latest research, achievements, and team members. From topics ranging from diversity to innovation to analytics, the blog offers invaluable and actionable insights leaders can benefit from.

1. StrategyzerStrategyzer is a business enterprise training company that houses helpful blog articles on topics such as:

2. 3 mistakes CEOs and CFOs make when investing in innovation

3. How to innovate when failure isn’t an option
4. What leaders get wrong about innovation

Whatever issues business leaders face, they can rest assured they will find useful solutions on the Strategyzer blog. These solutions are intended to help them manage roadblocks as effectively and efficiently as possible.

1. MIT Sloan Management ReviewThe leadership and management blog MIT Sloan Management Review (MIT SMR) offers leaders evidence-based strategies and guidance to help them evolve with technology and societal shifts.

MIT SMR is organized into five main sections:

• Topics: Articles that discuss relevant topics such as data, AI, machine learning, social responsibility, and leadership
• Research: Reports, panels, and webinars that discuss how current trends are affecting the business landscape
• Spotlight: Interview, column, and research series that offer actionable insights from employee and business data
• Magazine: Seasonal MIT SMR magazine that focuses on a single topic for each issue

• Webinars and podcasts: Online events and podcasts that feature academic experts and leaders

• Knowledge at WhartonKnowledge at Wharton is an online business analysis journal run by the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Knowledge at Wharton covers an array of subjects, such as finance and accounting, marketing, and analytics. Its goal is to share Wharton’s faculty research of current business trends.

The publication also has podcasts and a bookstore, which provide business leaders with a wealth of additional resources.

1. Business Models Inc.Run by a team of “entrepreneurial spirits”, Business Models Inc. is an advisory and consulting company. It carries a comprehensive blog that dives into current business trends, highlighting specific companies that are manifestations of those trends.

Business Models Inc. offers useful case studies to help inspire leaders to pivot their strategy in the right direction.

1. Chief ExecutiveChief Executive highlights the voice of the CEO community. Established in 1977, the publication aims to assist business leaders in overcoming roadblocks and nurturing them for future growth.

The publication offers:

• Insights that cover topics such as talent management, finance, and inflation
• Research data via compensation reports, panels, and whitepapers

• Newsletters that include information from industry insiders regarding current events

• INSEAD KnowledgeINSEAD Knowledge is the business thought leadership platform of INSEAD—The Business School for the World. As one of the leading and largest graduate business schools, INSEAD focuses on providing a “global educational experience.”

The blog platform offers articles, blog posts, podcasts, and videos for business leaders.

These resources cover subjects such as:

• Economics and finance
• Entrepreneurship
• Operations
• Marketing

• Strategy

• Working KnowledgeWorking Knowledge is managed by the Harvard Business School. It aims to illuminate the School’s research and ideas on business management with insights from practitioners, thought leaders, and academics.

Working Knowledge’s articles discuss a range of subjects, from leadership to globalization to social enterprise. The publication platform aims to shed light on current events and trends to provide a “big picture” perspective and how they apply to current business practices.

1. The Strategy StoryThe Strategy Story, an e-learning provider, is spearheaded by a group of professionals who believe in the power of forming connections through storytelling.

The Strategy Story blog dives into marketing and brand strategies and business models, highlighting not only the whats of each strategy but also the whys and hows. Business leaders can use these tips to hone their tactics.

1. Hubstaff BlogA software company that delivers productivity and workforce tools to organizations, Hubstaff provides a comprehensive blog for business leaders.

The blog is aligned with Hubstaff’s products in that it centers on employee productivity, time management, and workforce data. It also discusses remote team and project management, keeping up to date with industry shifts and trends.

1. Delivering HappinessAs a culture coach and consulting company, Delivering Happiness offers insiders applicable knowledge and tools on its blog. Delivering Happiness is a good business strategy website for those looking to enhance their culture and workplace environment.

Here are just a few of the subjects the Delivering Happiness blog focuses on:

• Happiness habits
• Mental health
• Hiring and retention

• Success stories/case studies

• NoobpreneurNoobpreneur is made for entrepreneurs seeking strategic advice. It intends to foster a network of small business owners who can gain and share information.

This business magazine helps entrepreneurs get into the right mindset and move forward with their ideas with confidence. Here’s a preview of a few of their article topics:

• How to Come Up with a Company Name
• 5 Ways to Save Up for Your Next Real Estate Purchase

• Three Tips on How to Juggle Being a Great Mom and Business Owner

• Cooler InsightsComprising a team of experienced content strategists, designers, account managers, and analytics experts, the Cooler Insights blog offers strategic insights and data on the following subjects:

• Digital marketing

• Content marketing
• Marketing psychology
• Social media marketing
• Brand storytelling

The blog is founded by Walter Lim, ”Singapore’s oldest and most prolific business blogger”. Follow his team, as they uncover strategies to help you bolster your business’ online presence and potential.

1. flevyblogflevyblog’s strategy blog page covers business strategies, theories, and stories. From innovation during COVID-19 to integrative innovation management, flevyblog highlights current events and provides actionable takeaways on remaining competitive amid those shifts.

Business leaders who are looking to safeguard their bottom line and competitive advantage can find helpful takeaways from the blog.

1. Business Strategy InsiderBusiness Strategy Insider is a publication that centers on strategy around branding. Readers gain insights into the key areas and techniques to shape their brand. Subjects include brand strategy, storytelling, culture, and licensing.

Business leaders looking to bolster their brand positioning can benefit from the Business Strategy Insider.

1. Think InsightsThink Insights offers a “compendium of strategy frameworks for Executives, Leaders, and Strategists.” The site and blog are founded by Mithun Sridharan, who brings 20 years of strategy, management, and technology consulting experience in the following industries:

2. Financial Services

3. Capital Marketing
4. Automotive and Hi-tech

With a passion for blogging and writing, Sridharan explains various frameworks and theories that can apply to your business and team.

1. MKA InsightsMKA Insights offer advisory services. The publication’s blog posts have a valuable business strategy planning section that features articles on competitive advantage such as:

2. Competitive vs. comparative advantage

3. Getting rid of the SWOT

4. Overcoming strategic pitfalls in strategic planning

5. Business Strategy HubBusiness Strategy Hub is a site dedicated to competitive, organizational, and product strategy articles. Their well-researched and high-quality content offer useful case studies that demonstrate how leaders can apply strategies to their business.

Some companies that Business Strategy Hub covers include:

• Trader Joe’s
• Wendy’s
• Leg
• Toyota

Learn and Grow with CMOEIf you’re interested in revamping your business or team strategy, contact CMOE. Our customized strategic training programs can help you inspire your workforce to maximize their ability to think and act with intention and drive better business results.

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The individuals on the production floor are crucial to the success and performance of the business. Allowing poor communication to jeopardize their essential work can have dramatic impact:

• Poor communication causes an average loss of $62.4 million yearly for businesses with over 100,000 employees. For smaller businesses with (over 100 employees), the average loss is $420,000 per year.
• 86% of leaders report ineffective communication and collaboration as a cause of workplace failures.

Information silos on the production floor can also lower team morale and engagement and introduce safety hazards to operators and maintenance professionals.

It’s well worth your time to implement actionable ways to improve production floor communication. We have five tips to help you get started.

5 Tips for Improving Production Floor CommunicationThese five tips will help you and your team better communicate. Each method comes with actionable steps to help you begin incorporating it on the production floor today.

1. Have Clearly Defined RolesEighty-five percent of leaders need to better define what each person should be working on.

When roles are vague, the staff can develop inefficiencies. There needs to be clear indication of who does what.

Having clearly defined roles helps boost productivity and communication, especially on a production floor where multiple team members work on various operating tasks. Defining roles ensures that each person understands who to approach for specific concerns and questions, and how to avoid overstepping boundaries.

How to Clearly Define RolesLeaders should begin with the following:

• Define each individual’s responsibilities. This should include specific tasks along with the short- and long-term goals of that role.
• Define clear expectations for each person’s role. Describe the level of quality you expect workforce members to achieve. Provide an example of what quality looks like (e.g., a demonstration of what efficiency looks like in an assembly line, a product that has met all compliance standards, packaging that has exceeded expectations, etc.).
• Take the points above a step further by mapping out how each person’s responsibilities are connected to the production area’s short- and long-term goals.

Communicate these points using various methods:

• In -person during team meetings. This allows everyone to stay updated and make the necessary adjustments (if there has been a shift in roles).

• In writing via document or email. Having something in writing is helpful for because staff members have something to refer back to.

• Invest in Ongoing Learning and DevelopmentConsider the following:

• Manufacturing is one of the top four industries hit hard by turnover.

• Time is of the essence on the production floor. When dealing with a the demand for products, assembly lines and procedures need to operate seamlessly to fulfill customer needs.

When a facility is short-staffed amid pressing operational deadlines, establishing and maintaining consistent communication becomes even more important.

Studies illustrate ongoing learning and development (L&D) can be a great solution for retention issues:

• 94% of workforce members state they would stay at their company longer if it invested in their learning.
• Businesses that excel at internal mobility can retain staff members for two times
  longer than those that struggle with mobility.

How to Invest in Ongoing Learning and DevelopmentHere are three proactive steps you can take to invest in ongoing L&D with communication in mind:

Assigning each new hire a training/mentoring partner to show them the ropes. If your team members comprise individuals who speak different languages, assign them someone who is comfortable communicating in the new hire’s preferred language.

Receiving feedback from production- floor workers on what they’d like to learn or improve on. Help your team members find opportunities to fulfill these goals. Partnering with them to map out a professional- development plan can drive accountability to meet these objectives.

Identifying what skills are lacking on the production floor. Use this to create a customized and skills-focused L&D program—that is aligned with team and business goals.

1. Gain Expertise in Conflict ResolutionEach team member contributes unique talents and skills to the team, but they also bring different personalities to the table.

Combining multiple personalities can shift team dynamics and sometimes lead to conflict. This isn’t at all unusual. In fact, 85% of staff members experience conflict in the workplace, making conflict nearly unavoidable. The key is understanding how to navigate and resolve conflict proactively and constructively. Otherwise, you may face turnover and a decline in team morale.

How to Execute Conflict ResolutionThere are five stages of conflict resolution. Touch on each step when helping your team navigate challenges.

1. Define the conflict: All production workers involved should take the time to explore the situation and precisely define the issue.
2. Watch for underlying issues: Emotions and past experiences may affect judgment and conflict resolution. Address these areas first to allow space to
   solve the conflict proactively productively.
3. Identify needs: Give each person/party a chance to express their needs. This will help team members understand one another’s perspectives and identify possible solutions.
4. Brainstorm possible solutions and goals: Production workers should brainstorm possible solutions. Encourage them to collaborate on ideas and explore realistic options.
5. Agree on a solution and implement it: Team members decide on a solution and map out an action plan to implement it.
6. Once you feel confident in executing your conflict- resolution skills, train your team on this to successfully navigate through conflict as well; people report that their confidence in managing conflict increases by 27% upon as a result of training.

Learn about CMOE’s Conflict and Collaboration workshop.

1. Share Relevant Company and Team InformationHere are two statistics:

2. 77% of production leaders report that ineffective communication causes their company to miss deadlines.

3. 68% report that ineffective communication inflates production costs.

Sharing relevant company and team information can help fill these gaps.

Think about it this way: failing to share key information will only create silos among teams and staff members and lead to a lack of trust and transparency on the production floor.

For example, a lack of communication on recent compliance updates can cause team members to overlook important areas during quality checks. This may delay production and increase costs.

Thus, the key is to make information accessible to production floor workers. After all, they are the individuals who directly contribute to or create the final product.

How to Proactively Share Information with the Floor TeamLeaders can consider the following options to share information:

• Having regular weekly team meetings to allow workers on the production floor to collectively chat through ideas and issues. Group them based on their schedules if your staff members work on different shifts.
• Conducting regular 1:1 meetings to provide individuals with the safety and platform to express concerns. Some individuals may feel uncomfortable bringing up certain information in group meetings. Thus, having 1:1 meetings provides them with additional opportunities to provide important feedback.

Keep in mind that while sharing information is important, oversharing is still a concern. Be mindful of about what you’re communicating and to whom.

For example, you would not want to share personal information about a particular staff member with the group (unless you received prior approval from that individual). Respect boundaries and confidentiality.

1. Rely on Digital Communication ToolsDigitizing communication can speed up the flow of information flow and your operation’s performance. More specifically, it can contribute to a 30% increase in productivity.

How to Execute Digital Communication ToolsLook for shop floor control (SFC) tools. SFC software allows you to collect, access, and analyze relevant data from your operations workflow. This provides real-time information you and your staff can use to take the appropriate action as a team.

Depending on the size and complexity of your production floor, keeping everyone on the same page can be challenging. Messaging apps and tools like Slack and Beekeeper can help fill this gap. Moreover, easy-to-use software applications can help bolster and encourage regular communication between all team members.

Build Mutually Beneficial Relationships with CMOEStrong communication is the foundation of a good team and business, and requires consistent effort. Developing effective communication skills is an ongoing process.

At CMOE, we offer a Communication Skills for Leaders workshop to help leaders like you stay committed to influencing others to achieve desired results and inspire your workforce to make a lasting impact.

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A strong coaching culture is integral to the long-term success of the modern workplace. A coaching culture empowers team members at all levels to be able to move quickly, respond to emerging business priorities, and contribute to the bottom-line, and 80% of team members who have received coaching report improved performance, productivity, and well-being. By developing this culture, organizations reap long-lasting benefits, such as greater employee retention, and increased revenue.

Developing a successful coaching culture involves purposeful actions and a focused effort. We have curated a list of select coaching resources to provide you trusted and relevant expertise that will help you take those actions and make the effort needed that will provide lasting impact.

Here are 22 of the best business coaching websites that will offer different approaches to coaching in an effort to create and sustain a positive coaching culture in your organization. We encourage you to bookmark these as a resource to help yourself, team, and business move forward.

1. Strategic CoachRun by “entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs,” Strategic Coach has worked with over 20,000 successful business owners to reach success in both their professional and personal goals.

Strategic Coach offers curated content with blog posts, ebooks, worksheets, and guides to help entrepreneurs overcome roadblocks and achieve their goals. They also host events that business leaders can register for.

1. a) plana) plan runs an insightful blog focused on business coaching for organizations and individuals. The site also offers digital guides on building company culture and the ROI coaching can provide.

a) plan was founded by a client and his coach, making it a true manifestation of a successful coaching relationship that hopes to provide support and guidance for others.

1. Building ChampionsBuilding Champions offers podcasts, books, and a leadership blog to enable professionals to be educated and motivated to consistently improve. The coaching site also provides executive retreats that cover topics such as:

2. Vision casting

3. Strategic planning
4. Building a coaching culture
5. By utilizing Building Champions’ resources and tools, leaders reported:
6. 96% improved their business performance
7. 93% acquired new skills

8. 96% were satisfied with their coach

9. BetterUpBetterUp® leans on science and technology to identify a personalized coaching path for leaders and companies. It advocates for up-and-coming business leaders by offering valuable library resources such as:

10. Events: Webinars that feature leaders from various industries with available recordings

11. Blog articles: Cover various topics such as diversity and inclusion as well as sales management
12. Research: Peer-reviewed academic journals regarding the workplace and leadership

Twenty-five percent of leaders experienced a boost in team performance and had a 52% decrease in team burnout by using BetterUp tools.

1. Jennifer Dawn CoachingJennifer Dawn Coaching is run by coaching guru, Jennifer Dawn. Dawn specializes in mentoring entrepreneurs and has a blog and podcast that focus on:

2. Business: Building and growing a business

3. Executive: Managing money and profitability
4. Accountability: Maximizing productivity and results
5. Profit first: Helping achieve your profitability goals
6. Life and health: Reclaiming your health and well-being to help drive your
7. business

Dawn also hosts men’s and women’s retreats across the U.S.

1. Jack CanfieldWith over 40 years of experience, Jack Canfield is a business and life guru who offers information on topics such as:

2. Personal success coaching to help identify your personal purpose and stay rooted in high priorities

3. Book writing and publishing to help aspiring authors stay on track and promote/market their upcoming books
4. Business and entrepreneurship to help professionals of all levels build their leadership skills.

Canfield’s site offers a wide variety of videos and training resources to empower individuals to be motivated and educated.

1. Performance ConsultantsPerformance Consultants is comprised of a global team of coaches, facilitators, and project managers across 23 languages.

Performance Consultants offers online resources that cover:

• Culture transformation: Supports those who aspire to drive organizational performance and productivity.
• Coaching training: Helps those who are looking to acquire and hone their coaching skills.

• Coaching: Provides coaching services to those looking to learn/bolster their skills, including executive, team, and group coaching. The service also provides mentor coaching for coaches.

• Jody Michael AssociatesJody Michael Associates specializes in:

• Executive coaching

• Career coaching
• Workshops
• Resumes and LinkedIn profiles

Jody Michael Associates offers free downloadable ebooks to support professionals on their growth journey. Their clients come from diverse backgrounds, from college students to lawyers to executive recruiters.

1. CoachHubDeemed the “global leader in digital coaching,” CoachHub offers plenty of tools that include:

2. Blog articles

3. Ebooks and infographics
4. Webinars
5. Podcasts

These resources cover people development, leadership, talent, and transformation.

1. CoachFirmCoachFirm leans on the S.O.M.E. Method:

2. Sales

3. Operation
4. Money
5. Employees

The online coaching site encourages leaders to pay equal attention to each section to drive business results. The site proudly states that they are not merely a motivational or cheerleading coaching partner—rather, they offer real and actionable solutions that encourage growth.

Check out their business blog for more information.

1. Brian TracyLife coach Brian Tracy is a public speaker who specializes in:

2. Business leadership

3. Personal coaching
4. Book writing and publishing

Tracy offers a blog, newsletter, and free resources such as:

• Sales profitability assessments
• Personal and financial achievement webinar

• 3-part video sales training course

• EMythEMyth is a business coaching site that helps leaders at $100K – $100M companies. Its business approach is broken down into four parts:

• Employees: Building a team that aligns with company values and goals

• Systems: Creating a process that drives clarity, organization, and growth
• Financials: Gaining better control of finances to confidently manage cash flow
• Customers: Identifying ways to attract and retain target customers

The site includes a blog focused on areas such as managing employees and leadership skills. EMyth also provides an assessment to help leaders examine where they have room to grow.

1. Transformational LeadershipTransformational Leadership was founded by Henna Inam, who holds a 20-year corporate career with Fortune 500 companies. With her background, her coaching company is specifically passionate about growing female talent.

The business offers:

• Insightful blog articles on executive coaching to inspire leaders to perform better and gain more confidence

• Speaking engagements to help individuals become more self-aware, courageous, and engaged in their roles

• Small Business CoachFormer business owner, Alan Melton, founded Small Business Coach Associates, which coaches and consults entrepreneurs and business owners/leaders.

Their site lists profit increases of clients who have leveraged Small Business Coach’s resources and practices. These achievements have enabled leaders to support charitable causes and local communities.

Small Business Coach’s blog is a valuable resource, covering everything from small business loans to lead generation to crafting the right marketing budget.

1. John Mattone GlobalLeading with the motto, “Changing the world, one leader at a time,” John Mattone Global (JMG) balances personal growth with business growth to help individuals become the best version of themselves.

JMG offers:

• Leadership assessments and development tools for sale
• Free blog resources that delve into specific areas of leadership

• A book—The Intelligent Leader—which goes through the seven secrets of intelligent leadership

• Alternative BoardThe Alternative Board (TAB) is a membership-based coaching business. TAB specifically helps leaders grow small businesses. It strives to help business leaders stay focused on real, big-picture issues instead of day-to-day distractions by offering:

• Blog articles

• Case studies
• Webinars
• Videos
• News
• Pulse survey
• Whitepapers

The coaching site includes client case studies that celebrate wins, such as:

• Leaders achieving better work-life balance

• Leaders gaining better perspective and control of the big-picture business goals amid a growing company

• Transformation AcademyTransformation Academy is an online education company that focuses on providing entrepreneurship tools and training. It offers:

• Resources (i.e., blogs, podcasts, and books) on life coaching, entrepreneurship, and personal development.

• An online coaching platform for budding and seasoned business coaches. This gives them access to a better, streamlined platform that enables them to manage their coaching services/tools in one place.

• Society of Women Business OwnersThe Society of Women Business Owners (SOWBO) is a “nationwide network for women in business.” It’s intended to bring together female business leaders and entrepreneurs together to:

• Share and build ideas to create profitable businesses

• Support one another and build a community

SOWBO’s resource center entails:

• A library of how-to videos
• Recommended business tools (with discounts)
• Digital guides

• Helpful articles

• Vanguard Business CoachingVanguard Business Coaching is run by Andy Turner, a sales and marketing expert who works with small business owners. His blog carries insightful tips and strategies for enhancing and leveraging your business’s value proposition. These posts are translated into smaller subtopics such as:

• Team building and creating staff with key roles

• Growing the lifetime of your business

• Converting prospects into customers

• Matt WardEntrepreneur turned business strategist, Matt Ward, is a climate investor and thought leader in the startup and advisory services industries. He offers “strategies, tactics, and big tech industry insights” on his blog.

Ward’s resources are meant to help businesses take their funding and growth to the next

level. They cover areas that include:

• Investing via an angel syndicate
• Startup fundraising mistakes to avoid
• Influencer marketing

• Climate-conscious business practices

• ActionCOACH/AMB Performance GroupAMB Performance Group offers knowledge, expertise, and motivation to drive and increase productivity in business leaders.

AMB provides:

• Tangible resources for small business owners that range from a 7-step business valuation process to building the right team and retaining the members
• Blog posts from AMB’s very own coaches to offer leaders with business news and tips

• In-person and virtual events

• Concord Leadership GroupThe Concord Leadership Group (CLG) helps CEOs and boards achieve sustainable success, boost staff performance and satisfaction, and navigate difficult situations. Its goal is to consistently fuel leaders with unique ideas to drive themselves and their business forward—rather than staying comfortable with traditional processes.

CLG’s resources include:

• A blog that dives into diverse topics such as storytelling in presentations, navigating critical conversations, and customer service essentials
• Podcast series that feature executives from various industries

Reach Your Full Leadership Potential with CMOEIf you’re interested in furthering your coaching skills, abilities and knowledge, contact CMOE today. We offer many leadership development and coaching workshops that provide proven results that will impact productivity and bottom line results for your business.

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In school, we were asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” and there were many answers to that question– doctor, writer, teacher, police officer. Although you may not have the job that you wanted at the age of six, is your current job the one that you want to have for the rest of your career?

Your job is what you do day to day, and it will typically include set tasks and responsibilities as well as a leader that advises you. A career is the journey you will take throughout your working life. It is comprised of many jobs and positions, and the way that this journey unfolds is determined by your personal passions, goals, and decisions.

These five prompts will help you determine what you want out of your career and then outline where you have been and where you would like to go with a Career Plan. This plan will provide you with insights on what you appreciate about your current position as well as ideas for changes you would like to eventually see. Your Career Plan will also include specific goals for you to accomplish. By laying out your goals and skills in this way, you will have a clear understanding of what you want to accomplish and what you need to get there.

1. How did you get here?Begin your Career Plan by reflecting on what has brought you to your current position. Include your education, previous jobs or experiences, and why you originally chose this position and industry. These notes will help you determine whether you want to remain in your position, organization, or industry as well as give an idea of what you can use to help your development in the future.

2. What do you like about your current and previous positions? What do you dislike?The answers to these questions could relate to the culture or workplace as well as your assigned tasks and projects. Reflect on what was asked of you and moments when you felt the most accomplished in these positions. No job is perfect, but by listing the positives and opportunities for improvement of your current and previous positions, you will be able to see what you prioritize and want to see in your future.

3. What would you like to change about your current position?As you are writing your Career Plan, you are also looking into where you want to be in the future. Based on your answers to the previous question, decide how you would change your current position. While you may want to stay where you are, consider how improvements to the position could make it better for you and your lifestyle. Try to be specific and understand why you made these choices. For example, you may decide that you want to be able to have flexible start and end times for your workday. Why? Because your children get out of school at 3:00 pm and you want to be home to take care of them. Being specific in your choices and reasoning will enable you to understand your priorities and desires as you progress in your career.

4. Identify your transferable skills.These skills can be soft skills, such as communication, teamwork, or critical thinking. They can also be hard skills like experience in programs or software, data analysis, and marketing. As you write your list, consider how you could be improving your skills or using them in a different way in your current position. Where do you see yourself using these skills in the future?

5. What are your goals in the short-, medium-, and long-term?After reflecting on where you have been and where you are now, it’s time to look towards the future. Use your answers to the prior questions to guide what you want in your future and career. Will you develop within your current position? Will you vie for a promotion in your organization? Do you need to completely switch fields? This is the space for you to decide what comes next.

For short-term goals, decide what you would like to do in the next two years. For your medium-term goals, determine what you want to accomplish in two to ten years. And for your long-term goals, decide what you want to achieve after ten years. These goals should be as actionable as possible, although your long-term goals may be more speculative. Then, for each goal, spend time listing out what needs to happen for you to accomplish it.

Through answering these questions and developing a career plan that you can reference and adapt, you are taking control of your career path as well as actively looking towards what comes next.

For support in developing a career plan for yourself or a career planning process for your organization, contact CMOE today!

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When team members spend 130% more time learning, and there’s a 159% increase in CEOs driving L&D initiatives at their organizations, there’s no overlooking the value of L&D.

L&D continues to play a pivotal role in managing change and bolstering organizational resilience. Business leaders must consistently prepare with the correct tools and resources to safeguard their people and company.

CMOE is here to drive you in the right direction. Lean on these 23 best learning and development blogs to gain insights on elevating L&D at your organization.

1. The Learning Guild Community’s TWISTAs the official blog of The Learning Guild, TWIST provides bi-weekly blog posts that share a compilation of L&D content, trends, and insights. David Kelly, founder of The Learning Guild and thought leader on all things L&D, curates each post.

2. aNewSpringaNewSpring offers insights on the latest L&D trends through:

3. Tips and tricks

4. Infographics
5. Podcasts
6. Webinars

The site houses a page, Ger’s Learning Notes, written by Ger Driesen, an internationally renowned expert on learning and leadership.

1. Learning & Development Blog by Dashe & ThomsonDashe & Thomson’s L&D blog holds numerous articles and guiding tips on current L&D trends of which professionals should be aware.

Here are some of the topics Dashe & Thomson has covered:

• Performance support for managers
• Reskilling and upskilling

• Learning in the moment of need

• UpsideLMS BlogAs an LMS (learning management system) solutions company, the UpsideLMS blog specializes in the following:

• Offering guidance on how to enhance the value of one’s LMS

• Communicating the value of L&D for small- and medium-sized businesses

Recent subjects the blog has covered include:

• Top 8 LMS must-have features for successful employee onboarding
• L&D budgets

• Debunking the top 8 LMS myths

• Clarity Learning & Development BlogThe Clarity Learning & Development blog offers perspectives on workplace training/learning and leadership development. Their team comprises learning and development consultants and team members.

The blog’s objective is to create more engaged and future-ready workforce members through guiding topics like:

• Staying up to date on instructional design technology
• Innovating your training program for the new workplace

• Upskilling your organization to increase engagement and retention

• eLearning Industry (eLI)Made specifically for eLearning professionals, eLearning Industry (eLI) strives to deliver “inspiring, industry-specific content.”

eLI’s blog discusses topics that focus on improving the professional learning experience. These resources tap into soft and hard skills that L&D professionals must carry out to bolster their team’s growth.

eLI offers thoughtful pieces that provide the time and space for reflection via these topics:

• Leveraging emotional intelligence to humanize and improve the learning experience
• Age and learning

• Year-end L&D review, including key lessons from 2022 as you look forward to 2023.

• MindTools BlogThe MindTools blog aims to provide details on “the very latest in learning.” As a company that offers on-demand learning tools, MindTools covers a diverse range of topics on its blog, such as:

• L&D Research

• Tips and Expertise (e.g., gamification in learning, management dos, and don’ts, measuring impact)

• The ELM Learning LabWith a mission to “create meaningful learning experiences that build community within organizations,” the ELM Learning Lab offers tips, how-tos, and tools.

Compared to other L&D blogs, ELM offers articles that lean into the psychology and science of learning and how to leverage that to bolster growth at your company.

For example, the site’s Immersive vs. Interactive Learning blog post dives into the different learning methodologies and why they’re essential to apply in the workplace. ELM also offers multiple articles on instructional design.

1. The L&D Academy BlogThe L&D Academy Blog is on a mission to offer clarity to L&D professionals who are new or seasoned in their roles. With the understanding that there can be confusion and a lack of guidance, the L&D Academy Blog smooths out those uncertainties.

The blog provides insightful articles in the following categories:

• L&D basics
• Training design
• Learning design
• Culture
• Career
• Personal development
• Training basics

• Management development

• LinkedIn Learning BlogLinkedIn’s Learning Blog helps leaders and workforce members enhance and safeguard their roles. The blog offers courses, productivity tips, job-seeking tips, leadership and management advice, and more, taking readers through a diverse and valuable L&D journey.

Many of the tips offered apply to both leaders and team members.

1. Go1 BlogGo1 Blog focuses on helping “achieve your L&D goals through the latest learning and development insights, trends, and technology.”

The blog covers general L&D topics and industry-specific trends (e.g., construction, hospitality, healthcare). It has 11 specific blog categories:

• Affiliates
• Compliance
• Content partner
• HR
• K-12
• Learning and development
• Learning technology
• News
• Podcasts
• Product updates

• Wellbeing

• Train Like a ChampionTrain Like a Champion, brought to you by the Endurance Learning Team, offers guidance on three main categories:

• eLearning: Creating learning pathways in eLearning, solving training challenges, matching training media and delivery format to business needs, and more.

• Learning & Development: Topics include updating training materials, starting your own training consultancy, and developing training for a global audience.

• Instructor-Led Training (ILT) / Virtual Instructor-Led Training (VILT): Crash course for a beginning training designer and creating better Powerpoint decks, among other topics

• Tesseract Learning BlogThe Tesseract Learning Blog touches on eLearning, professional development, learning design, and leadership. With an emphasis on innovation and quality in their business model and values, Tesseract dives into both evergreen and timely content that addresses the following:

• COVID-19

• Learning design
• Microlearning
• Mobile learning

• Compliance

• Meridian Knowledge Solutions BlogMeridian Knowledge Solutions is an LMS solutions company. Its blog discusses L&D, career development, learning technology, and learning trends.

Here’s a quick preview of their content:

• Rise of mobile learning
• LMS architecture
• Measuring employee performance with customized reporting
• Training and upskilling

Having been awarded several accolades, such as Best Learning Management Systems Watchlist 2023 and Tops LMS for Compliance Training 2023, Meridian’s blog carries valuable takeaways from which professionals can learn.

1. LEO Learning BlogAs an eLearning provider, LEO seeks to offer insights into the intersection of technology and strategy.

LEO understands that workplace learning habits and environments are rapidly shifting. The LEO Learning Blog aims to illuminate these critical shifts so learning professionals may equip themselves for what lies ahead.

Some of the blog themes entail:

• Training vs. learning
• Hybrid learning
• Increasing engagement with blended learning

• Learning games

• AllenComm BlogThe AllenComm Blog shares “training insights, the latest L&D trends, and tips to improve your training and development.”

As an award-winning eLearning provider, AllenComm has over 130 in-house experts across multiple industries. Its blog aims to provide insights that match organizational needs. The AllenComm team covers topics that include:

• Instructional design
• Training

• Onboarding

• Learning Forward BlogA professional association specializing in educator professional development, Learning Forward helps members leverage the power of professional learning to drive their students toward excellence.

The Learning Forward Blog highlights the latest education news and includes actionable learning and development tips for educators.

1. Inspire Group BlogWith over 100 learning and development associates worldwide, Inspire Group takes pride in creating learning experiences to “help solve business challenges and shift behavior.”

The Inspire Group Blog touches on L&D, leadership, and learning strategies and design via article topics such as:

• Using personas in learning design approach
• Coaching in uncertain times
• Getting the most out of your SMEs (subject matter experts)

• Cognitive learning

• Learn Amp InsightsLearn Amp Insights offers digital learning solutions backed by multiple thought leaders in the L&D space. The Learn Amp Insights Blog provides excellent learning and development information covering a range of subjects, from L&D trends to choosing the right L&D platform.

The blog also offers insights on people and culture, the employee experience, and risk and compliance.

1. Spiceworks BlogWith a mission to eliminate IT challenges in the tech space by bringing together a network of IT professionals, Spiceworks offers a great learning and development blog. In this blog, you’ll find specific L&D blog topics that cover areas like the following:

2. Top training trends

3. Technology’s role in professional development

4. Using gamification in L&D

5. ATD (Association for Talent Development) BlogATD comprises thought leaders coming together to share insights and ideas on the ATD blog and other resources provided by the team. Thousands of blog articles are listed on the page—many of which pertain to the L&D space.

As ATD’s mission is to “empower professionals to develop talent in the workplace,” you’ll likely come across insightful tools to help unlock your team’s growth potential. ATD also provides local chapters where you can widen your network.

1. Learning SolutionsLearning Solutions is a publication focused on supporting learning professionals. Operated by the Learning Guild—a member-driven organization—Learning Solutions aims to bring together a community of learning professionals to share their knowledge.

Learning Solutions’ blog illuminates multiple themes and topics in the learning solutions space, including:

• Learning culture
• Emerging technologies
• Instructional design
• Management and strategy

• Professional development

• Cypher Learning BlogThe Cypher Learning Blog is dedicated to educators, L&D professionals, and knowledge entrepreneurs. The blog posts articles about learning design, L&D leadership, and skills development.

At the top of the page, you’ll find a user-friendly navigation tool allowing you to select from various categories:

• L&D leaders
• Course design
• Online training
• HR
• Business LMS
• ILP (intelligent learning platform)

Keep Growing with CMOEIf you’re interested in taking your organization’s learning and development to the next level, contact CMOE today. Our Learning and Development Consulting Services and Employee Development Workshop can help you unleash the growth potential of you and your workforce members. The results? Better performance and a boost in the bottom line.

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Seventy-two percent of leaders believe accountability is vital to business success, yet only 31% are satisfied with their company’s level of accountability. Even staff members notice a serious gap: 91% express accountability as their employer’s top leadership-development need.

When leaders are not held accountable for their actions, commitments, and work, this permeates the entire business. Simply put, the time to bolster accountability is now, and this all begins with leadership.

Keep reading to learn why accountability is important in leadership and six actionable steps you can take to help close the gap.

What Is Accountability in Leadership?Accountability in leadership is when leaders take pride in and personal responsibility for business goals and results by fully committing themselves to the organization and its people.

Accountable leaders display behaviors like those below:

• Accept responsibility for their actions no matter the results
• Rectify the outcomes of actions and decisions when necessary
• Give credit where it’s due
• Inspire workforce members to follow their lead

Why Is Accountability in Leadership Important?Accountability in leadership is vital for the following reasons:

• Accountability encourages team members to stay rooted in honesty and integrity. Making mistakes is inevitable in the workplace. Instead of sweeping them under the rug, an accountable leader acknowledges errors and grows from them without fear of blame or repercussions. Accountability promotes trust and develops a team driven by learning and growth.
• Accountability bolsters company culture. When employees at all levels follow through on promises, don’t blame others, and support colleagues in achieving their goals, this fosters a healthy and positive work culture. Individuals at high-trust companies report
  • 74% less stress
  • 50% higher productivity
  • 40% less burnout
• Accountability enhances performance and engagement. Leaders who lack accountability don’t put their best foot forward and fail to assume responsibility for team members and customers—and when team members witness this, they follow suit. As a result, workforce members may complete the bare minimum just to get by instead of offering their best effort.

Research shows that workforce members are 2.5 times more likely to be engaged in their roles when they have a manager who keeps them accountable for their performance. A leader who embodies accountability can inspire workforce members to be more committed and produce higher-quality work.

What Is a Good Example of Accountability?Accountability in leadership looks something like this:

• To help the company reach its quarterly revenue goal, a sales leader commits to boosting sales by 10%. When the leader realizes that their team doesn’t have enough deals in the pipeline to meet that goal, they work with their team members to create a feasible plan.
• The sales manager creates a mentorship plan to help underperforming team members. The manager establishes specific performance metrics they and the team members can follow. The manager also assigns projects to each person to boost their performance and abilities.
• The leader meets with each team member weekly to coach them and work through any issues.
• The leader’s commitment to accountability inspires the team to put forth their best effort and achieve the team goal by the end of the quarter.

How Can Leaders Improve Accountability?As a leader, you can’t force team members to develop a sense of accountability. However, you can create a workplace environment that fosters it.

Here are six actionable ways leaders can achieve those conditions and improve accountability in the workplace.

1. Define What Team Members Are Accountable ForRoughly 93% of team members don’t know what their company is trying to accomplish. As a result, they don’t align with the organization or understand what they are accountable for achieving.

Leaders should take the time to discuss the organization’s main objective and how each team member can contribute to that goal. Leaders must demonstrate accountability by devoting time to defining their team’s responsibilities along the following lines:

• Precisely what an individual should be working on—85% of leaders fail to do this. Definitions may include clear objectives and examples to help guide team members.
• Clear expectations. What level of quality do you expect from workforce members? What does this level of quality or performance look like?

• Short- and long-term objectives. Offer individuals the complete picture of organizational objectives and guide them on prioritizing their goals and initiatives.

• Monitor ProgressMonitoring progress is key to establishing accountability. Keeping track of the progress you’re making not only pushes you to stay accountable for team goals but also drives team members to fulfill their responsibilities. Reports indicate that people have a 65% chance of completing an objective if they have an accountability partner, and that percentage increases to 95% if specific deadlines and regular accountability meetings are established with that person.

You can be that accountability partner for your teammates by helping them monitor progress. Progress monitoring requires leveraging two tools:

• Milestones: Each goal should have milestones. These smaller subgoals illustrate incremental progress or growth. Every milestone should have a deadline to ensure team members are on track and accountable for their responsibilities.
• For example, if your goal is to produce a mentorship program concerning a new company objective, the milestones you set in support of that goal may include the following:
• • Meetings with individual mentees to discuss weaknesses and strengths
  • A roadmap outlining specific coaching objectives
  • Feedback from mentees
  • Final approval to green-light a coaching program
• Performance metrics: Metrics should connect to concrete actions. Some examples of metrics include attendance, the number of deals closed, 360-degree feedback, product defects, and revenue per individual.

Document progress on a platform where all team members can access the milestones and metrics. That way, they can reference a hard copy and track progress. Taking time to revisit these areas during weekly meetings or check-ins is an excellent way to ensure everyone is on track to achieve their goals.

1. Proactively Respond to Challenges and ObstaclesProblems will always arise. Rather than ignoring them, stay accountable for those issues.

Proactively respond to challenges and obstacles by

• Initiating discussions about the issue with relevant team members. Invite input and avoid criticism. You can leverage the five stages of conflict resolution for productive discussions. Organize potential solutions around common themes.

• Outlining potential risks, rating the likelihood of each risk, and building an action plan for mitigating those risks.
  Being constructive and action-oriented. Conclude the discussion by outlining clear next steps: Who’s responsible for what? What are task deadlines?

• Provide Support and FeedbackProviding support and healthy feedback ensures that leaders keep themselves and their teams accountable for their goals. Feedback and support also allow individuals to learn, improve, and grow.

When workforce members feel cared for by their leaders, they’re more likely to contribute the best of themselves to the team.

• Provide the right tools and resources. When they have the right support mechanisms, team members can accomplish their tasks promptly and effectively. Address roadblocks that prevent a team’s ability to deliver on goals while offering a learning and development experience.
• Make feedback a two-way street: Leaders should provide team members with constructive feedback but they must also provide opportunities for individuals to give feedback to them. Feedback allows teams and departments to tackle issues, make decisions, and enhance processes collectively.

When both sides take the time to provide and discuss feedback, this helps everyone uphold company and team goals and bolsters accountability.

1. Participate in Accountability TrainingResearch illustrates that 82% of leaders believe they have “limited to no” ability to instill accountability in others successfully. Helping leaders feel more empowered in driving accountability begins with proper leadership training.

Tools like CMOE’s Effective Delegation & Accountability workshop are excellent resources to leverage. The workshop offers leaders a set of core delegation skills along with practical tools to help them establish accountability. The goal is to help leaders confidently support teams to produce desired results and enhance engagement.

1. Model the Right BehaviorIt all comes down to you. Are you modeling the right accountability behaviors? Are you setting a good example for your team?

Though accountability should be everyone’s responsibility, leaders are the driving force behind it. Your behavior dictates what your workforce members interpret as the expectation.

Amplify Accountability at Your Organization with CMOEFor more guidance, lean on CMOE’s Effective Delegation & Accountability workshop. Intended for new and seasoned business leaders, use our workshop to gain more actionable tips that align with your organizational objectives.

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Execution excellence is one of the top challenges leaders face globally—90% of them fail to achieve their goals. In addition, two-thirds of large organizations globally struggle to implement their strategies.

Many leaders understand what needs to be done within their organization. But how to fulfill that objective is often the challenging part. Establishing the right department goal and roadmap is key to overcoming companies’ execution challenges and obstacles.

If done right, department goals must be aligned closely with company objectives. The results? Workforce members understand what is expected of them, and they are more likely to achieve goals when they work collectively as a cohesive team.

Here’s your guide on how to set department goals. Learn what department goals are and why they are essential and review a five-step plan to actually execute them.

What Is a Department Goal?A department goal is a specific achievement you would like your department to reach. A good department goal is:

• Clearly defined and measurable. Defining measurable goals allows you to track progress and make adjustments where necessary to stay on course.
• Consistent with the organization’s strategy and mission. Alignment ensures your department is helping the company move forward in the right direction.

Why Are Department Goals Important?Department goals are essential because they:

• Unify workforce members with a common direction. A department goal encourages individuals to work collectively towards one mission and vision. It helps define a department’s purpose and how that purpose supports the company.
• Enable departments to establish meaningful expectations. For example, the level of quality each team member must achieve for the department. What success and winning look like. These statements help to set expectations and encourage individuals to learn, grow, and contribute.
• Promote accountability. Having shared goals drives commitment and accountability among workforce members. According to global research, 72% of leaders believe accountability is essential to business success. Additionally, 91% of surveyed staff members indicated accountability as their employer’s top leadership development need.

What Are Examples of Good Department Goals?Some examples of goals that align with the vision and mission of the organization include:

• Improving project completion by X% by the end of October. Perhaps one current company initiative is enhancing communication between team members and departments. This PM goal could focus on better streamlining projects and boosting efficiency by X%.
• Increasing customer conversion rate by X% by the end of Q3. This can work well with a company objective to boost margins and customer satisfaction. A department may work on this goal by distributing evaluations to clients, tracking feedback, and finding actionable ways to address important issues and opportunities.

5 Actionable Tips on How to Set the Right Department GoalReview these five tips that outline how to set a department goal that can create more value for the overall enterprise.

1. Evaluate Company GoalsGoals exist as a means to inspire growth and opportunity for an organization or business. Department goals support the overall company’s vision by applying to how specific teams and members can contribute to the organization’s success.

When creating a department goal, look at the company-wide goals and identify the goals that your department can support. Some factors to consider when setting department goals are

• Urgency: How soon does the company goal need to be achieved? For example, if a company goal is to reach 80% billable utilization across all teams by the end of the quarter, your department may prioritize this objective and create an immediate plan of action.
• Connection: There may be an organizational goal that directly relates to what your department does. If the goal is to decrease employee turnover, the HR department may map out departmental goals to drive retention.

• Growth: Look for an opportunity to create a goal that will help the business grow. Consider a company objective that aims to improve communication across teams. If one department has already created a phenomenal communication process and has the data to prove it, that leader can share insights with other department teams to help bolster the overarching organizational goal.

• Perform a SWOT AnalysisA SWOT analysis is a framework that examines the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) of your department. This data can serve as a helpful brainstorming tool to develop new department goal ideas.

To start, discuss the following key areas with your department:

• Strengths: What are we good at, and what capabilities and resources (personnel, space, technology) do we have? How can we leverage these assets?
• Weaknesses: What are we not doing well? What resources do we lack? What pain points or roadblocks inhibit us from doing our best work?
• Opportunities: What positive changes can we expect to unfold in the coming year? How can our department help support those changes and maintain the company’s competitive advantage?

• Threats: What vulnerabilities, issues, and risks might we encounter in the coming year? What are other departments doing that we aren’t? What changes can our department expect in the coming years that may negatively impact us? Discuss with your department how you might create some goals and action plans to mitigate or turn these risks into opportunities.

• Agree on a Goal Based on the SMART FrameworkOnce you’ve brainstormed possible goals, collaborate with your team to choose a few critical goals that everyone wants to strive to achieve. To ensure you are making the right choice, lean on SMART goal setting.

The SMART framework taps into five key elements:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Aligned
• Realistic
• Time-bound

This goal-setting method enables your department to build actionable plans that support your goal. Studies show 76% of individuals who leverage the SMART process are more likely to achieve their goals. This is 33% higher than those who do not leverage that framework.

SpecificHow clear and well-defined is your goal? The more specific your goal is, the more likely your team members can effectively plan and execute it.

For example, “improving project management” is a rather broad goal. But “improving project management completion by 30% by the end of Q3” provides more context and specificity.

MeasurableIs the goal measurable? Can you set up and track specific metrics? Metrics vary depending on the project.

Here are a few examples of types of projects/goals and relevant metrics:

• Number of leads
• Improve internet exposure and ratings
• Customer satisfaction scores
• Employee satisfaction scores
• Cost reduction
• Enhance managing

AlignedDoes the goal align with the team, department, and organizational direction? If you’ve reviewed the first tip on this list with your team, then all should be well here.

This area is also an opportunity for your department to discuss how staff members can collaborate or contribute to the goals of other teams. Taking this action further helps unify departments and creates an enterprise mindset rather than a silo mindset.

RealisticIs the goal workable or unattainable? Revisit your SWOT analysis—are your department’s resources and capabilities enough to carry out the goal?

Time-BoundIs there a clear deadline to aim for? Having one in place will motivate your team to prioritize accordingly and stay focused on key goal-related tasks.

Be sure to establish deadlines for milestones to enhance accountability further.

1. Leverage Goal Management SoftwarePeople are 42% more likely to achieve goals when they record them. Using goal management software allows team members to record their goals and track their progress. It also makes progress visible for colleagues and leaders.

When everyone has direct access to the goal pipeline, this maintains accountability for their responsibilities. Goal management software provides a bird’s-eye view of individual projects and assigns tasks to relevant team members.

1. Follow Up RegularlyHave regular conversations and coaching sessions with department members to review the progression of the goal. The purposes of ongoing follow-up include:

2. Maintaining accountability

3. Discussing any roadblocks or issues
4. Identifying opportunities to adjust and make improvements to the action plan
5. Recognizing progress and success (organizations who offer recognition have 14% higher engagement, productivity, and performance levels)

Establish Relevant and Measurable Goals with CMOEFor more guidance on delivering a department goal, enroll in CMOE’s Leadership Development Programs. These training programs can help leaders at all levels. The goal is to help create an aligned organization that delivers on expectations and drives an organization’s competitive advantage.

Learn more about our programs and contact our team if you have any questions.

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What impression would your workplace give to a newly hired team member? What would they notice the first time they walked through the front door or sat at their desk?

The workplace culture is the organization’s character or personality. The culture is conveyed and shown through the collective attitudes, behaviors, systems, and values. An organization or workplace can have a positive culture, shown by high productivity, collaboration, and retention, or a negative culture. Absenteeism, turnover, low productivity, client churn, workplace conflict are just a few signs of poor workplace culture.

If your organization is facing all or some of these tribulations, leaders and team members alike must work to change a negative workplace culture into one that can be positive and productive. But what does that entail? Each organization is different and unique, yet there must be somewhere to start.

Here are six actionable and customizable suggestions for achieving a positive workplace culture that you can start implementing today.

What Is a Negative Workplace Culture?A negative workplace culture is a business environment where certain practices and values lead to lack of teamwork, communication, and productivity. The negative culture affects the organization’s productivity as well as the wellbeing of team members and the overall retainment of talent.

The cause of the negative culture will vary between organizations and companies, but MIT Sloan Management Review reports there are three common factors to a declining culture:

1. Lack of diversity, equity, and inclusion
2. Lack of respect shown to staff members
3. Unethical practices/behavior

It is essential to address these problems sooner rather than later in order to mitigate the lasting effects of the negative culture. Negative workplace culture can weaken an organization’s reputation and retention—staff members are 10.4 times more likely to quit due to toxic workplace culture than low pay.

6 Actionable Suggestions to Change Negative Workplace CultureNegative workplace culture brings unnecessary stress, burnout, and mental health issues. Support and help your workforce by implementing these six suggestions and beginning to change your culture.

1. Receive Feedback from Workforce MembersWork culture encompasses the collective attitude, beliefs, and behaviors in the workplace. Therefore, gaining feedback from staff members is key to shifting culture in the right direction. Team members lie at the heart of the business and are the people who experience the repercussions of a poor workplace culture firsthand.

Take time to conduct anonymous surveys and individual discussions to root out issues that have been contributing to the negative culture. Consider asking the following questions:

• What elements of the current culture are causing a decline in productivity, high turnover, and/or high absenteeism?
• What is the “last straw” compelling team members to leave?
• What specific behaviors or practices are going against business values?

As you have these discussions, note any common themes that surface. These notes will help you understand where your current culture stands and how it needs to change.

1. Define Where You Want to BeWhat is the culture and values you want your organization to embody? Because the culture is built on the organization’s values and behaviors, defining what values you want the organization to stand for will give your organization the foundation for a positive culture. Consider the well-being of individuals, such as their work-life balance, growth opportunities, and job satisfaction.

Here are a few examples of values for the workplace:

• Accountability: Individuals feel comfortable taking credit for their successes and mistakes.
• Expression: Individuals can comfortably express their feelings, ideas, and interests at work.
• Equity: Team members feel they are treated equally and provide value to the organization.
• Recognition: Team members’ efforts do not go unnoticed; they are recognized and appreciated for their hard work.

Implement the discussion points from #1 to outline specific values with notes on why they are important to the people and organization. Fleshing out the purpose or need will help ensure your new culture is focusing where the organization needs it to.

1. Map Out Action ItemsOnce you have crafted a clear definition of your new workplace culture, it’s time to map out specific action items to fulfill that definition. Consider having team members participate in this process because the more staff members have a say in the upcoming new culture, the more successful it will be. Again, building a work culture entails bringing together collective ideas.

Here are examples of action items companies have established to drive their culture:

• Google: Innovation is a large part of Google’s work culture. One tactic the tech giant uses to achieve innovation is encouraging workforce members to:
  • Experiment and be creative in their work approach
  • Stay focused on learning and development, allowing for greater mobility and less turnover
  • Practice transparent communication
• Microsoft: The tech company is implementing a transition from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset. A vital part of this growth mindset is collaboration—Microsoft asks team members to:
  • Be customer-focused
    Focus on learning and coaching.
• These culture shifts contributed to lasting outcomes:
  • Profits exploded during the pandemic
    95% of Microsoft workforce members feel proud to work at the company.
• Patagonia: The outdoor apparel company is committed to providing work-life balance and promoting sustainability and outdoor life. Eighty-eight percent of their workforce is satisfied with Patagonia’s actions to be a mission-driven business.

• The company:

  • Hires individuals who are committed to environmentalism via volunteer activities or past experience
    Offers flexibility even in the middle of the day to enjoy the outdoors (“Let My People Go Surfing” policy)
    Provides three onsite childcare centers

• Place Strong Leaders at the FrontlineCompany leadership establishes the tone for workplace culture through politics, benefits, and company objectives. Leaders also shape the culture from the hiring phase throughout their tenure with the organization.

Thus, it’s essential to have the right key players in place. Identify your strongest leaders and elevate potential leaders at your organization. These are individuals who:

• Carry a positive reputation at the company
• Actively lead by example
• Are skilled at adjusting their behaviors to stay aligned with objectives

• Are confident in providing and receiving feedback

• Implement Policies and ProceduresPolicies and procedures offer the necessary framework to ensure consistency in the new workplace culture. Without them, workforce members may not understand what exact behaviors to embody or what decisions they need to make to uphold positive workplace values.

Use your selected leaders to drive these policies and procedures. Consider initiating a training session to teach leaders how to:

• Plan an effective strategy that educates team members on new policies and procedures.
• Establish team cohesion to inspire staff members to achieve a set of common goals.
• Handle issues proactively if they arise.

• Reinforce good behavior and values.

• Leave Room for Feedback and ImprovementYou won’t get it right the first time because this will be a process. Change takes time and continuous feedback.

Set up check-ins with leaders and team members to discuss how the new policies and procedures are going and what improvements can be made. Consider conducting weekly or monthly check-ins.

Keep these notes in mind as your team navigates the feedback process:

• According to Gallup, a meaningful and approachable way to give feedback is quickly and frequently. Also referred to as “fast feedback” or “real-time feedback”, this approach allows the receiver to walk away knowing precisely what and how to improve. To help initiate this process, ask for feedback frequently until staff members feel comfortable approaching leadership independently. Read about real-time feedback in the workplace.
• Consider asking staff members for examples when providing new ideas on workplace culture. Having concrete examples allows you to become a better listener and understand exactly what needs to be changed.
• Work on your emotional intelligence (EQ). EQ enables you not only to manage your own emotions but also to be sensitive to the emotions of others. Rather than reacting, those with high EQ are equipped to offer responses that combine emotion and logic, helping them navigate through tense situations well.

Strengthen Your Culture and Build Trust with CMOEAt CMOE, we are committed to helping businesses survive and thrive amid any challenge. Our Organizational Effectiveness Services offer applicable workshops to help you get your work culture where it needs to be.

Contact us for more information today!

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Having technical expertise and knowledge does not mean that a person has leadership skills. Rather than only being able to manage, a leader’s success is measured by their capability of bringing people together under a collective purpose and vision. The transition periods of new leaders can be difficult because many are not taught the skills to meet these new expectations.
CMOE’s extended research indicates the characteristics that team members find most desirable in their leaders, and the top three are communication skills, interpersonal skills, and their values and ethics. Unfortunately, these results conflict with the fact that many new leaders were promoted to their leadership roles because they could manage their individual tasks well. Here is a list of five reasons that some new leaders struggle in their positions and some suggestions on how to make the transition easier.

Struggle 1: CollaborationA leader’s success depends in part on their ability to master the fundamentals of management—planning, organization, and staffing—combined with and supported by people-leadership traits. The leader must now work strategically and collaboratively to support their team rather than going into the field or performing minor tasks. New leaders must try to improve their skills in communicating and collaborating to make this transition easier.

Struggle 2: Releasing Control and Trusting Team MembersMany new leaders have trouble delegating because they are used to completing tasks themselves. But the leader cannot do everything, and they must trust their team members to perform and complete tasks just as successfully as they would. By delegating, the leader will be able to perform all their new responsibilities.

Struggle 3: Needing to Learn and GrowDuring this transition period, the leader should be learning about the team members, tasks, processes, and leadership techniques. If the leader resists this process of learning and growth, their leadership abilities are restricted. Leaders can’t expect others to grow and develop if they don’t model that behavior themselves. They must be worth emulating.
Instead, the leader must seek out situations that they would learn from, such as sitting in on meetings and asking for feedback. The leader can also seek out books and courses that can guide them into this new role. Leaders must embrace this change and the opportunity it gives them.

Struggle 4: Meaningful CommunicationTeamwork is founded on the ability to communicate and share thoughts and ideas. The new leader may be unwilling to engage in a candid dialogue, but people need a leader who can share important information and artfully engage in dialogue and other modes of communication. Beyond speaking, people in our study indicated that the most critical communication skill is the ability to listen. If the new leader is struggling with communication, they should schedule 1 on 1s with their team members, so that they must engage in this dialogue.

Struggle 5: Maintaining a Healthy Work-Life BalanceThe new leader may feel intense pressure to succeed and work more than they expected when taking the position. Rest is a necessary part of working, and if a person does not schedule it in, their body will. The new leader’s unhealthy work-life balance will eventually lead to burn out and decreased abilities to lead. The new leader must set boundaries between their work life and their life outside the building, whether that be by turning off email notifications or leaving at a specific time every day. These boundaries will ensure that the leader is getting the rest that they need.

By identifying reasons why new leaders struggle, we can help to support and teach new leaders to ensure their success. Being a leader extends beyond product or process knowledge, and helping leaders make that transition will support the abilities of the leader, the team, and the organization itself.

If Transitioning Into Leadership or Leadership are skills that you would like to improve, visit CMOE’s website for leadership products and services.

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As the workforce continues to experience heightened levels of stress (whether it be at work, at home, or a combination of both), the ability to effectively handle pressure is key to successful leadership, time management, planning, interpersonal communication, change management, and goal achievement. If ignored or left unchecked, stress can lead to a decrease in job performance, efficiency, and an individual’s overall mental health, as well as increase the chance of employee burnout. Knowing that conflict, challenge, and change may be inevitable at work, being able to identify when we are feeling overwhelmed and how to respond in a positive way is a key skill for all leaders and employees.

External vs. Internal PressuresIn a study completed by The American Institute of Stress, forty-six percent of workers said their workload is the cause of their stress; twenty percent said it was caused by juggling work and their personal lives; six percent said it was due to lack of job security; and twenty-eight percent said it was related to people issues. Pressure or stress can be positive or negative, good or bad, welcomed or undesired, pleasant or painful. Most of the pressure we feel can be put into two categories: external and internal.

• External pressures are those that occur in our environment and may be beyond our immediate control, such as changes at work, deadlines, or production requirements.
• Internal pressures are those we personally create. They increase our anxiety levels, negative attitudes, unhelpful thinking, and poor use of time. Internally created stress and pressure is often overlooked or ignored or explained away as, “that’s just the way I am.”

Regardless of the source of your stress, here are eight strategies to help you reduce the potential for stress and/or increase your ability to handle it more effectively:

1. Prioritize your tasks.

• Take ten minutes each day to prioritize and organize the things you need to accomplish.
• Be proactive about the things that cause pressure and stress rather than waiting for those things to become a problem for you.

2. Break tasks or projects into small steps.

• If a project or goal seems overwhelming or unmanageable, break it down into a step-by-step plan so you can focus your energy on accomplishing one thing at a time.
• You’ll also want to try to minimize interruptions whenever possible.

3. Seek support.

• Find ways to involve, engage, and delegate to others to reduce the workload and help you achieve a goal.
• Finding support of any kind can help you build strong relationships and manage pressure and stress.

4. Be willing to compromise.

• Adjust goals if you need to so you can commit to doing what you know you can realistically complete.
• It is important to be practical and allow yourself enough time to do the things you need to do.

5. Recognize when you are stressed or under pressure.

• Identify your response to high-pressure situations and find ways to remind yourself to find a sense of calm so you can reassess the situation objectively.
• You might find it helpful to practice deep breathing or relaxation techniques.

6. Don’t try to control things that are beyond your control.

• Focus on the things you can control, like your reaction to situations that cause you personal stress or pressure.

7. Change your mindset.

• Stop and evaluate how you are responding.
• Find some quiet time to breathe, think, and ask yourself why you are feeling so much pressure.
• Evaluate a situation that is causing pressure instead of letting your emotions control you. Then, focus on how to improve the situation.

8. Take time for self-care.

• Our physiological and psychological condition plays a role in how we respond to pressure.
• Nutrition, physical fitness, and self-maintenance can add to or detract from our ability to bounce back from stress and pressure.

Don’t let pressure build to a breaking point. Be mindful and more attuned to your stress levels so you can address and manage them appropriately. As you implement the best practices mentioned above and identify other strategies of your own, you can be a greater asset to your team and organization by calmly navigating and leading others through high-pressure situations. For more resources on personal and leadership development, check out our website, www.cmoe.com.

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In a growing number of organizations, there is an uptick in the level of employee stress due to work-life imbalance, remote work, and blurred lines between people’s personal and professional lives. The pandemic certainly didn’t help matters either; a recent global study by Qualtrics revealed that 67% of people are experiencing increases in stress, while 57% have increased anxiety and 54% are emotionally exhausted.

With these statistics in mind, it’s no surprise that empathy has become one of the most critical factors in the overall effectiveness of today’s leaders. In the past, tremendous value was placed on taking decisive action and getting the job done, irrespective of the person, their uniqueness, their generation, or their experiences in life. Greater emphasis was placed on results than people. Since then, there has been a notable shift in this way of thinking and most organizations will agree that people are their greatest assets. Great people drive great results.

So, while empathy is often seen as a leadership characteristic that is nice to have, research indicates that it is actually critical to organizational success. A study of 889 employees by Catalyst found empathetic leadership positively affects the following factors:

• Innovation—61% of employees working under empathetic leaders were more likely to report the ability to be innovative compared to only 13% of employees with less-empathetic leadership.
• Engagement—76% of people who experienced empathy from their leaders reported they were engaged compared with only 32% who experienced less empathy.
• Retention—57–62% of women across racial boundaries said they were unlikely to think of leaving their companies when they felt that their life circumstances were respected and valued by their companies.
• Inclusivity—50% of people with empathetic leaders reported their workplace was inclusive, compared with only 17% of those led by less-empathetic leaders.
• Work-Life—86% reported they are able to navigate the demands of their work and life, successfully juggling their personal, family, and work obligations. This is compared with 60% of those who perceived less empathy.

Imagine the leadership impact you could make within your organization if you increased your commitment and capacity to lead with empathy. Here are a few simple steps to help get you started:

1. Check in with your team members on a regular basis about their personal wellness.

Don’t ignore the personal lives of your team members. Empathy is an ingredient that is essential to all positive interpersonal relationships and should be part of your daily practice. If this hasn’t been part of your leadership approach in the past, be patient as team members may be a bit cautious or reluctant to open up. As you do so, help them understand that their personal well-being is just as important as how they are performing at work.

2. Engage in active listening

Use active listening and seek to understand what your team members are experiencing. The tendency is to offer solutions, but keep in mind that one of the most important skills of empathy is simply giving people a chance to open up, share, and be heard. Think about how you come across to your team members. Do they see you as someone who is willing to listen and avoid jumping to conclusions or as a problem-solver who proposes quick solutions?

3. Be in tune with your own well-being

This is an often-overlooked aspect of empathic leadership. According to HBR, “Being kind and non-judgmental toward the self is a good practice for treating others with compassion and engaging in authentic interactions.” By acknowledging and valuing our own life experiences, we can use those to recognize and understand the feelings of others. We don’t need to have the same experiences as others to experience similar feelings.

As employees continue to juggle and navigate through the various stressors in their lives, it’s clear that people want to work for empathetic leaders now more than ever. As you strengthen your ability to lead with empathy, you will leave a lasting leadership legacy and influence others in both their personal and professional development journeys. Learn more about this important skill by registering for CMOE’s self-paced digital course on Empathic Leadership.

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Many things can feel outside of our control or reach. For instance, a person can ask for a raise or promotion, but whether they receive the advancement is not a decision they directly get to make and is ultimately beyond their control. A person can also get stuck in traffic because they have no control over other people’s driving habits or because an accident happened farther down the road. This lack of control over situations and circumstances can be frustrating.

Controlling What You CanIn the modern workplace, it’s important to focus on the factors within our control that can affect our personal and professional growth.

1. Your AttitudeYou can decide how you approach situations. You have the option to be enthusiastic, annoyed, or ambivalent. By taking control of your attitude, you can decide how you feel during a task or situation and influence the outcome. If you feel empowered or excited to complete a project, you will probably work faster and more diligently than you would if you were frustrated or annoyed.

2. Your ProductivityAlthough you can’t control other people’s productivity, you can control your own. You can choose which tasks to focus on first and how quickly and conscientiously you complete them.
   Attitude also influences productivity, and by choosing to have a good attitude, a person will be more productive and feel more personal pride in the high-quality work they produce.

3. Your Work EthicDo you think that it’s valuable to work hard? Do you feel motivated to work? Are you proud of what you can contribute when you put in the effort? You decide how strong your work ethic is and how much you’re willing to bring to the table every day. By reminding yourself of this, you can choose to work harder and be a team player in your organization.

4. How You Treat OthersEvery day you have the opportunity to be kind to others, and you are in complete control over what you say and how you act. By offering support or chatting with your team members, you can show them that you appreciate them and want them to succeed.

5. How You See YourselfThe opinion that you have of yourself can influence how you perform and how productive you are. Do you see yourself as someone who is capable and deserving of respect? By taking the time to develop your skills and self-confidence and become the person you want to be, you can ensure your own personal and professional growth.

Ways to Take Control of Your GrowthBeyond the list of five things that you can control, there are other things you can do to take charge of your development. Even if you are not currently up for a promotion or a growth opportunity, you can still work to improve in your current role and develop in place.

1. Prioritize Your Own DevelopmentMake the time every week to focus on your growth. By reading books, researching, and engaging in development opportunities, you can build skills that you can use in your current position—and in the next one. Whether these skills are in communication, innovation, teamwork, or something else entirely, by taking the time to develop your abilities, you will ensure that you are a better member of your organization.

2. Ask for SupportLet your leader know that you are interested in professional-growth opportunities and what role you would like them to play in the process. Do you need stretch assignments and oversight? Access to other departments or team members? A mentor? A coach? This way, you’ll have support, but you’ll also be the one choosing its form.

3. Ask for FeedbackBefore you can improve, you need to be aware of what you can do better. By asking for feedback from team members or leaders, you are taking control over what you know you need to work on. This can also be an exercise in trust as you show your co-workers that you are willing to be vulnerable with them and that you value their opinions.

Professional growth does not need to stem from others or a promotion—and using internal motivation to take control of what you can and develop yourself and your abilities will ultimately be more rewarding. Check out CMOE’s digital course library to aid in your development journey!

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Team members are the heart of any organization. They ensure the key parts of your business run like a well-oiled machine. Therefore, tracking team performance is key to keeping people engaged and motivated to achieve excellence daily.

Below is a detailed guide on how to monitor team performance. For questions related to this topic or others, reach out to the CMOE team.

Why Is it Important to Monitor and Evaluate Team Performance?Monitoring and evaluating team performance is important because it enhances the following key business areas:

GrowthTracking team performance allows employees to grow and improve in their roles.

It also helps employees:

• Engage in constructive feedback. Feedback goes a long way toward building healthy relationships between members of the workforce. It also fosters engagement; team members are three times more engaged when they receive daily feedback.
• Establish accountability. When all team members create goals and understand their expectations, they are more likely to commit to their work. This dedication will push them to grow and reach their full potential.

Data-Driven DecisionsAnalyzing and monitoring team performance by using CMOE’s team alignment tool and processes gives you hard numbers that help you gain insights into essential team intel:

• Your team’s strengths and weaknesses
• How processes, management styles, or coaching programs can be improved
• How teams can proactively optimize their performance

Research illustrates that data-driven businesses are

• Three times more likely to report improved decision-making.
• 23 times more likely to acquire new customers.
• 19 times more likely to be profitable.

PurposeHaving a sense of purpose in one’s role affects employee happiness: Nine out of 10 employees would be willing to work for less money if it meant they could do work that is more meaningful to them.

Monitoring and assessing team performance and objectives helps bring the purpose of a person’s role into greater focus because team members understand how the work they do contributes to the team’s overall success. Not to mention, by understanding where individuals need to improve, you can lead and coach your team members with greater intention and impact.

Fifty-two percent of purpose-driven businesses earn over 10 percent growth. This growth may manifest in some or all of the following ways:

• Global market expansion
• Increased product launches
• Success in transformation change initiatives

VisibilityTracking performance gives your team a bird’s-eye view of all objectives in relation to benchmarks. This helps to eliminate any guesswork on how your team members are progressing. This visibility bolsters transparency and communication across teams.

6 Effective Ways to Monitor and Improve Team PerformanceBusiness leaders can successfully monitor and improve team performance by executing the following six initiatives:

1. Set Relevant GoalsResearch shows that teams who set goals can experience 20 to 25 percent improved work performance. Meet with each team member and establish relevant individual, departmental, or team-wide goals.

Goals should follow the SMART framework:

• Specific (What needs to be accomplished?)
• Measurable (What metrics will you monitor to ensure the specific goal is completed?)
• Aligned (Is the goal aligned with business/team/individual objectives?)
• Realistic (Is the goal doable?)
• Timely (Can the goal be achieved within the desired timeframe?)

Think about both short- and long-term initiatives that your team or business is working on. What types of goals apply to these strategies? These goals can be team- or- individually focused depending on each person’s learning and development objectives.

Once you have identified a goal, help your team craft a goal statement that hits each SMART point listed above.

Read more about setting SMART goals.

1. Establish Relevant MilestonesMilestones are smaller subgoals that

2. Show progress or growth.

3. Help team members get closer to accomplishing their goals.
4. Help individuals stay committed to their goals.

Assist your team in setting relevant milestones by breaking up an objective into smaller steps.

For example, if a person’s goal is to create an in-house workflow process guide, they might want to include the following milestones:

• Holding meetings with key stakeholders
• Producing a draft of the guide
• Receiving feedback on the guide from colleagues
• Revising the guide as necessary

Each milestone should have a hard deadline.

1. Track Key Performance IndicatorsMaking data-driven decisions is essential to business success. Key performance indicators (KPIs) are the linchpin to making that a reality.

Below are a few examples of key performance metrics to consider tracking. Keep in mind that KPIs vary across teams depending on the objectives they are striving to achieve. Therefore, be sure the metrics you establish complement the needs of your staff.

• Quality of work: How consistent is quality across team members? Qualitative feedback from customers and peers via 360-degree feedback will help you attain this data. For example, you can request that customers provide a numerical satisfaction score (e.g., “On a scale of 1–10, how likely are you to promote this product?”). You can also track the percentage of projects managers reject to assess the quality of work.
• Productivity: This signifies an employee’s output in a given period of time. Measuring this in relation to quality may be helpful, as quality and quantity often go hand in hand. Depending on the nature of your team’s work, you can measure the percentage of tasks completed on time versus tasks finished late.

• Goals achieved: What percentage of goals did a team member achieve? What percentage of goals did they fail to achieve? Evaluating these numbers can initiate necessary discussions to help staff members find practical solutions to enhancing their performance.

• Leverage a Monitoring SoftwareLeverage technology to automate tasks and acquire accurate data on your team’s performance. Using reliable software can remove the guesswork and ensure that your team members are progressing.

Here are some monitoring-software applications to consider:

• BambooHR
• Empuls

• Leapsome

• Check In Regularly with Team Members85 percent of individuals believe trust is key to building a high-performing team, so feedback is crucial to making the right improvements and building team trust.

Successful monitoring of performance entails

• Conducting regular one-on-one meetings. Meet with each team member every week to discuss pain points, concerns, and/or wins. What is and isn’t working when it comes to achieving their milestones and goals? What could be improved when it comes to the way team performance is being monitored and measured?

• Conducting regular team meetings. This allows everyone the opportunity to discuss goals and identify ways to do things better collectively. It also allows for solving any challenges the team faces. That way, everyone can get back on track and focus on achieving their goals.

• Recognize and RewardMotivating team members via recognition and reward is vital in helping them achieve their performance goals. After all, 46 percent of workforce members have left their jobs because they felt underappreciated.

Recognition and rewards go a long way in elevating performance and business outcomes; companies that have a recognition program drive an 11.1 percent increase in average workforce performance.

Recognize and reward team members as you’re monitoring their performance by using the methods below:

• Regularly express appreciation for their contributions and hard work. This can be done in a public setting (e.g., company meetings) or privately (e.g., one-on-one meetings or handwritten cards). You can reach out to your team members and ask what type of recognition they’d prefer.
• Share praise from clients/customers. This is a great way to show individuals their efforts and outcomes are making impactful contributions.
• Offer rewards that workforce members prefer. For example, one survey indicated that 44 percent of team members prefer gift cards, while 41 percent prefer being rewarded with a paid trip.

Enhance Team Performance with CMOEInvesting in the development of your workforce begins here. To learn more, look into CMOE’s comprehensive portfolio of Teamwork and Team Development solutions. These resources are intended for all types of teams and individuals seeking to build a high-performance team.

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It is no secret that 2023 is coming at us fast. If you want to be a proactive leader and create a winning team and strategy, now is the time to start focusing on a forward-looking direction and identifying strategic priorities. Here are 5 things you can do to get started now.

1. Carve Out Some TimeA Bloomberg study found that the time spent on planning ahead or strategizing has declined to single digits – 9%. This means for the remainder of this year, you can’t be shy about delegating some tasks, reprioritizing tasks, or outright eliminating some that won’t create much value. Allocate this freed time for thinking about and planning for the future. This practice certainly requires some discipline because of the sheer number of day-to-day demands, but without being more mindful, extra time for strategic thinking and planning will be filled with other operational distractions. You need to set boundaries and block some time on your schedule to contemplate priorities and plans for 2023 before it is too late.

2. Scan for Opportunities and ChallengesWith the reflection time you have created, scan your business environment, and identify near term or longer-term opportunities and challenges. Keep in mind that practical strategy is a team sport, so get the perspective of your team members about the biggest obstacles or looming challenges your organization and team will have to cope with in 2023. Then, ask them to share their perspectives about hidden opportunities that might be within reach in the new year.

3. Define the Direction and PrioritiesOur goals are constantly changing and evolving. So, as you begin preparing a strategy for 2023, define where you want to be and what you and your team will need to accomplish using the information you gathered in your scan for opportunities and challenges. Simply thinking about the long term isn’t enough. You must clearly define a strategic direction and priorities that will shape the future you desire and allow you to stay relevant. You might start with three goals that will provide direction for the work of your team. If you haven’t done a lot of strategic thinking and planning in the past, just focus on 2023 and start building a better future bit by bit, year by year.

4. Communicate and AlignBring the team together (virtually or in-person) and begin a dialogue about the strategic vision and plan you are formulating so your team can internalize what needs to be done and begin aligning their own goals, activities, and thinking. By taking this step to communicate your strategy, you are able to bring your team together under one vision and purpose.

5. Build a Plan of ActionEffectively executing on strategies, changes, new ideas, and goals requires more than just a compelling idea or plan. To make real progress towards the results you desire—and that the organization needs—you and your team must have the right mindset and execution plan. The combination of actions, behaviors, and processes is what makes execution come to life and produce value-added outcomes. Once you have defined and communicated the strategic direction and priorities, create a plan of action with specific steps and expectations. This will enable your team to start the year strong and work towards your strategy step by step. Complexity can be the death of plans, so put a simple timeline together with the “must have resources” along with roles, assignments, and key milestones.

6. Make Strategy Part of the RoutineIn order to make strategy a priority, you must make a long-term commitment. Regularly talk about strategic work and keep it at the front of people’s minds. Establish the expectation that everyone will need to make some tangible strategic contributions to the business or organization. To mobilize your strategy and sustain the effort, set up your first “results forum” at the end of February to review progress, tweak plans, pinpoint problems, and maintain accountability. With consistent dialogue throughout the new year, there will be greater accountability for generating some tangible results for the organization.

Remember, be agile, learn, and adjust as you go. Simplicity and consistency are the keys to gaining traction and being a proactive strategic leader in the upcoming year.

If Strategic Thinking and Strategic Leadership is new to you or is a leadership competency you would like to sharpen, explore CMOE’s strategy products and services.

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Good communication is effective and is an integral part to a productive organization. Like teeth on gears, communication allows separate team members to work in tandem for a common purpose. Good communication is the key to unlocking a successful workforce and business, but practicing good communication is easier said than done. In fact: 86 percent ...

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Promoting team members into leadership positions is exciting—but only if they are equipped with the tools to succeed. Here’s the hard truth: 46 percent of managers don’t hold their team members accountable. 75 percent of managers surveyed are unsatisfied with their organization’s learning and development (L&D) program. 84 percent of U.S. workforce members point toward ...

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When less than half of all team members consider their organization’s leadership practices to be highly effective, leaders at every level of every organization must examine their current leadership behaviors and create a flexible approach to leadership that will have the right impact on today’s teams and team members. The way you lead plays a ...

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The terms supervisor and manager are often used interchangeably. However, there are distinct and important differences between them. Understanding the distinctions between the supervisor vs. managers role and their nuances is crucial in identifying ways to coordinate your organization’s responsibilities and tasks to achieve results. Organizations will also achieve better fit and alignment when you ...

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A key component of being a good manager is being able to effectively communicate with leaders and key stakeholders. Whether it is a structured presentation or a more casual conversation, being able to "talk the talk" is crucial to letting leadership know how hard your team has been working and the challenges you are facing. ...

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Did you know that 5 in 6 employees feel disconnected at work? The reality is that any employee can struggle with connecting with their work teams, no matter what their schedules, occupations, and backgrounds are and regardless of whether they are working remotely, in house, or on a hybrid model. So, how can companies ensure ...

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Words hold implications and meanings that exist outside of their dictionary definitions. Although the words “team member” and “employee” can technically be synonymous, they have different meanings and feelings attached to them. The way that you discuss people and situations inherently affects how you and others approach and understand what you were talking about. Leaders ...

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What are interpersonal skills? Interpersonal skills refer to interactions between people, especially those related to positive engagement with others, successful teamwork, and the ability to integrate into an organization. People’s interpersonal skills improve when they have more opportunities to practice interacting with others. In the end, your interpersonal abilities may be the factor that separates ...

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In the latest 2021 Training Industry Report, conducted by Training Magazine, results indicated that U.S. training expenditures rose nearly 12 percent to $92.3 billion in 2020-2021. While this increase can be attributed to various factors, it seems safe to conclude that corporations find value in offering their employees learning and development opportunities and are willing ...

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Many leaders and professionals tend to assume that coaching is a formal discussion you have when someone is struggling. In fact, it’s actually an agile practice that can be weaved into virtually any type of interaction. It could be a conversation between a leader and team member or between 2 colleagues. Organizational leaders must understand ...

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As businesses continue to adopt remote or hybrid working solutions, this notable labor shift has illuminated the value and need for organizations to provide more e-learning options related to workforce training and education—and the results of training and education are noteworthy: 72 percent of businesses that use e-learning gain a competitive advantage. It’s no wonder ...

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Mission statements help to shape team culture and better unify your team members under a singular purpose. This critical component increases innovation by 30 percent and retention by 40 percent. By creating and instituting a team mission statement with your team members, your team will be more inventive, more productive, and more dedicated to its ...

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Coaching is a critical aspect of every team and organization. When teams have managers and leaders who can coach well, employees are 40 percent more engaged in their roles. And when team members coach their peers, the team members’ psychological safety within the workplace improves because the coaching session creates a culture of connection and ...

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Organizations have spent nearly $160 billion on training and education. Yet: 58% of workforce members haven’t received leadership training. 77% feel there is a leadership gap at their company. 63% of millennials (the largest generation in the U.S. workforce) express that their leadership skills are not fully developed. There is a lack of leadership, and ...

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The Covid-19 pandemic forever changed the workplace and the people who operate within it. Some companies are still fully remote, some are “hybrid” (part-time in the office and part-time from home), and some are back in the office full time. Beyond where and how the work occurs, the labor force itself has also changed dramatically ...

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Every leadership team has its own unique issues and challenges that need to be managed in order to achieve extraordinary results and become a truly high-performance team. When you understand that team members have diverse styles, personalities, priorities, preferences, and experiences, you accept that it is natural for a team to encounter some difficulties from time to time. In addition to these interpersonal challenges, organizations face formidable business problems that must be resolved on a regular basis. It could be supply chain shortages, employee retention, responding to competitor strategies, or technological struggles. The vast array of challenges teams face creates a vital need for leadership teams to come together, coordinate, collaborate, and get better aligned across all functions within the organization. However, more often than not we see teams taking a reactive approach to these situations rather than a proactive approach.

Over the past four decades, we at CMOE have developed and refined a team alignment process that has produced significant results for our clients. In doing so, we have discovered five critical lessons that are key to achieving successful team alignment.

Lesson #1: Understand the Purpose It is important for stakeholders and facilitators to keep in mind that the overarching goal of a team alignment or realignment process is not to bring an end to all issues that teams will encounter. It is critical to acknowledge and accept the fact that we live in a changing world with lots of volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity. That said, the central goal of team alignment is to equip team members with the skills, capabilities, and methodologies to resolve issues constructively and turn them into opportunities that will lead to a competitive advantage. Don’t expect miracles to happen overnight. Most teams simply need an apparatus or methodology that enables them to productively work through obstacles and barriers to team and organization success.

Lesson #2: Measure Progress There is a saying, “progress is made where progress is measured.” Another key element of achieving team alignment focuses on establishing quantifiable data that will help teams measure progress on their journey to becoming a highly effective team. By identifying key performance indicators, whether it is for specific projects, overarching team goals, or both, the ability to track progress keeps team members accountable and drives improvement. For example, CMOE’s Team Alignment Survey is a great resource that enables teams to thoroughly assess their development. The survey creates a benchmark that allows a team to measure their progress every 6-12 months and identify new opportunities for improvement.

Lesson #3: Enhance Communication Skills After working with a large variety of teams, we have discovered that clear alignment cannot happen without clear communication. Developing communication skills in the leadership team is essential for having clear, candid, constructive, and courageous conversations that need to happen in order to address obstacles and achieve success. All members of the team must continually develop and practice good listening skills, have the ability to ask penetrating questions, and be assertive in a helpful way. It is essential that the group can talk freely, collaborate, and construct consensus around solutions while keeping an open mind and being less competitive or domineering during the problem-solving process.

Lesson #4: Have Patience Growing and developing highly effective teams requires patience and a lot of it. Developing a high-performance team is not like flipping a light switch on. It is truly a process and a learning journey. As people work together, establish positive emotional connections with colleagues, and build trust, team synergy will grow, and it will lead to greater performance. It is important to remember that getting in sync takes time and it requires ongoing, active engagement to ensure sustainability.

Lesson #5: Be Flexible Last but not least, each team member must develop flexibility and be open to feedback about their individual strengths and opportunities for improvement. We are all a work in progress and in order for the leadership team to change, individuals must be willing to learn and change as well. Sometimes this may require individual coaching to help team members become more engaged in the team alignment process. When individuals grow the team grows, and the ability to own up and adapt to a need for change will only facilitate a more engaged and successful alignment process.

No leadership team is perfect and there is always room for improvement either in the tasks they perform or in the interpersonal relationships between team members. All teams have a potential for greater synergy. The key is consistency in bringing teams together every few months to reflect and build cohesiveness, assess and resolve big dilemmas, take bold action for new opportunities, and maintain accountability. If you think your team needs to achieve greater alignment and these lessons resonate with you, we encourage you to reach out to a CMOE representative for a no obligation call to discuss your team needs.

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Whether team members feel supported, valued, and included at work ultimately falls into the hands of organizational leaders—their words and actions influence whether someone feels included by about 70 percent.

With this in mind, how can leaders demonstrate inclusivity to their team members? What can they do differently to motivate their teams to put their best foot forward? What exactly does inclusive leadership entail? Let’s dive into the six characteristics of inclusive leaders. Take note of the actionable takeaways included with each trait that you can immediately put into practice.

1. Visible Commitment Inclusive leaders have a passion for creating an equitable and inclusive environment. They illustrate this commitment through their interactions with team members and how they hold others accountable to being equitable and inclusive.

Inclusive leaders also challenge the status quo and invite new and diverse perspectives to the table.

How to Achieve This Proactively illustrate your commitment to inclusion by inviting team members to sit down and have an open discussion about what inclusion means to them. Listen to the team members’ perspectives and discover how you can better work with the team members to meet those expectations.

Though it might initially seem trivial to have team members involved in these types of conversations and plans, this gesture shows how important their opinions are to you and the organization. In addition, it conveys your commitment to building a happy, healthy workplace environment.

1. Humility Inclusive leaders are not pompous. They admit to their mistakes, are modest about their skills, and invite people to contribute and collaborate. Even if they are the most senior member of their team, inclusive leaders are open to learning from their team members.

How to Achieve This Develop and demonstrate humility as a leader by taking the following actions.

• Taking time to recognize the contributions of others
• Sharing or giving credit to those that deserve it

• Asking for feedback from others regularly to identify ways you can improve as a leader and proactively help your team

• Awareness of Bias Though 95 percent of people believe they are self-aware, only 10 to 15 percent actually are.

An inclusive leader is self-aware of their own biases and blind spots. They also understand the biases that occur on an organizational level and make the effort to call them out—not out of spite but because they care.

After all, when you are a part of a team and business, you don’t want to be subjected to biases that unfairly put you in dire circumstances.

How to Achieve This Conduct 360-degree feedback on yourself and your team members. The feedback can help you and your team gain more self-awareness of how actions and behaviors affect those around you.

Take the opportunity to have 1:1 discussions with team members during which you can

• Discuss feedback results.

• Establish a roadmap for improvement.

• Willingness to Build Connections Good leaders understand the value in relationships and encourage team members to create meaningful connections with those around them. Inclusive leaders also step outside the comfort of their own team to get to know and collaborate with other departments.

How to Achieve This Create and support a culture rooted in connection by taking the following actions:

• Host multi-team activities like “lunch and learns” to bring different teams closer together and learn from each other.
• Engage in regular conversations with individual team members to gain feedback, facilitate open and honest conversations about workplace issues, and discuss how they want to grow at the organization.

• Discover each team member’s strengths and weaknesses to better understand how to provide relevant opportunities that help them succeed.

• Social Intelligence Social intelligence refers to the ability to understand and manage interpersonal relationships. A socially intelligent leader understands when to talk or listen, what to say, and what to do. Emotional intelligence plays a large role in helping leaders navigate social situations with good intent and finesse.

When leaders develop good relationships, it can improve their social intelligence.

How to Achieve This Developing social intelligence requires:

• Thinking before you speak or act: Avoid speaking or acting impulsively by taking the time to think through what you need to say or do.

• Building empathy: Empathy helps you build a genuine understanding of what the other person is feeling and experiencing. It can serve as a path to fostering greater authenticity in your relationships.

• Collaboration Leaders who embrace collaboration can create teams that perform five times better and increase profitability by 21 percent. Inclusive leaders know collaboration is central to building a community that welcomes unique thoughts and values.

How to Achieve This Empower your team members to work together by

• Pairing or grouping people based on their strengths and weaknesses
• Reaching out to other departments to discover opportunities in which your team can participate
• Streamlining technology to bridge the gap between employees
• Recognizing and rewarding successful teamwork

Develop into an Inclusive Leader with CMOE Creating an inclusive culture can be challenging and complex, so it’s important to continuously learn and hone your skills. CMOE can help you do this. Our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Essentials Workshop offers a dynamic learning experience that can help you adopt viable skills to help you build a safe and healthy work environment.

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Have you ever seen a company that was known for its positive culture and high retention rates transition into one with rapid turnover and low morale? Perhaps you were employed within the organization, or maybe you were just on the outside looking in, but in either scenario you witnessed a company that once had potential candidates swarming towards it suddenly transform into one that struggled to retain even its most seasoned employees. This is a surprisingly common occurrence and it’s unfortunate to witness devoted and loyal staff, who once saw the bigger picture and went the extra mile, quickly become jaded and worn-out.

What Is the Cause? So what is the cause? The answers will always vary from company to company and many interwoven factors can initiate this type of negative change. However, it is startling how often the root cause of a negative downturn in a business is not traced back to many factors but instead one single organizational shift; a single change, as small as adjusting an existing policy or as large as a corporate merger, can become the catalyst for large seismic shifts within a corporation with many unanticipated long-term consequences. I coin this period of transitional vulnerability as “organizational moratorium,” during which an often well-meaning company, stressed from the demands of change, runs a higher risk of employee burnout, shelved company culture, and dwindling investment in their employees in order to meet bottom line metrics. Sadly, these negative changes and habits which were meant as a temporary adaptation to just “get by” often take root in the company culture and psyche long after any change was implemented.

However, there is a solution. While subjects such as staff morale, employee investment or corporate culture may seem like they conflict and compete against the types of daily pressures organizational moratorium breeds, this is simply not the case. Making smart investments in employees empowers them to solve those daily demands and meet metrics which not only fortifies them against stressful storms but positions them to take the helm, pro-actively evolve to the environment, and positively change those around them including the organization as a whole.

So how does a company make smart investments in employees during delicate times like an organizational moratorium? For each business the answer may slightly vary, but generally speaking there is no better, faster, easier, or more fine-tuned way to invest in employees smartly than through leveraging the power of consistent coaching.

Coach the Individual

During complicated transitions, tensions often arise when outdated company processes, roles, and expectations are not adequately or quickly adapted to the changing circumstances. On the other hand, when new policies and metrics are enacted too quickly and broadly without management having a robust understanding of the many implications and consequences, it is employees who feel the pressure to stretch to fill this unnecessary gap. Whether the expectation is old and outdated or new and untested, an expectation that doesn’t realistically match with the current resources, capabilities, and climate of an organization will pin its staff into a lose-lose scenario. Luckily, individual coaching solves these ambiguities by facilitating honest conversations about the current landscape, creating opportunities to take ownership, and actively finding and filling gaps.

Discover The Gaps When time is limited, even small and somewhat informal conversations with staff can show management the actual gaps between abstract expectations and hard realities. Nobody understands those gaps more than those on the frontlines who are expected to bridge them daily. Consequently, candid conversations give management a pulse on the current situation which allows them to develop a more concrete and dynamic understanding, see the warning signs early on, course correct rapidly, and make adjustments on-demand.

Coaching also allows management to see and quickly address knowledge gaps in employees. It’s easy to assume if an employee attended a training or saw an announcement that they will immediately know how to implement it. However, even the most star employees can struggle to navigate how to apply their new knowledge (especially during an organizational moratorium) when new and unseen scenarios arise in rapid-fire and competing demands make it difficult to decide what to prioritize and what should be shelved. With coaching, employees can bring their training to task by pausing and reflecting with a mentor on their daily, real-world scenarios and situations where things feel less black and white. They can then strategize on how to bridge the gaps between the real and the ideal. Through guided coaching they can work through and troubleshoot complex scenarios with management on a case-by-case basis and collaboratively decide on the best approach forward. This reflective exercise naturally lends an employee a more robust mental hierarchy of how to apply the principles taught during training making that employee stronger, more specialized, and more skilled in the workplace.

Managers that put in the work to help staff break down large issues into manageable pieces demonstrate that big changes and large tasks are in fact manageable when separated, organized, processed, and delegated. Showing them they have this kind of control and power boosts employees’ confidence in themselves and in the situation at large making them more proactive and less reactive when moratorium brings in large waves of change. In fact, just knowing that management is there to actively support, strategize, and troubleshoot when new and dynamic issues arise can provide a huge amount of psychological relief during organizational moratorium. Employees are more likely to take personal ownership, engage in calculated risk-taking, proactively problem-solve, and gravitate towards active leadership roles during uncertain times when they know they have a net of support from management via coaching and some level of space to accommodate trial and error.

Coach the Team

During stressful junctures like organizational moratorium, it is easy to default to fight or flight mode. When just getting through the day or the week feels risky enough, it’s all too easy for a company to slip into autopilot and shift into habits more aligned with just “making do” and just “getting by.” However, as with most planes stuck on autopilot, missing the mark by just a few degrees can land you miles away from your goal. This is why coaching is even more vital during a moratorium than any other time. For departments that lack time to coach each individual to the level they would like and want to throw in the towel altogether, I would suggest this possible solution – Focus on coaching teams versus individuals. You can expend your resources on coaching the individuals that need it most and direct the majority of your resources towards coaching teams because strong teams naturally coach, nurture, and sustain the individuals in it as well as the company at large.

What are some of the biggest differences you have noticed when you were in a strong team compared to when you were in a weak one? The first thing I notice is the energy. In a strong, tightly knit team the energy is electric. The synergy of the group naturally places people into a growth mindset because the team that trusts its members will naturally leverage each other’s strengths and the team that respects each individual will naturally create a social safety net where team members cover for each other’s weaknesses and vulnerabilities. The saying goes we stand together, or we fall separately and this axiom is never truer in the corporate sphere than during organizational moratorium. During a moratorium, fewer things boost employee morale more when facing uncertainty than knowing their community is facing the problems together. And once you build and coach the team, that investment often becomes self-sustaining in a lot of ways. Connection and care within a team always leads to the internal coaching of each other which overtime actually saves a lot of time and resources as the team learns to self-correct and internally adjust to upcoming challenges on their own accord.

Synergy Breeds Strategy Team synergy creates something else that is really special – Synergy breeds strategy. A tightly knit team engaging in high levels of communication, cooperation, and collaboration adapt and learn in quicker iterations not just as individuals but as a collective. As synergistic teams collaboratively learn from previous mistakes and slip-ups that often come out of the gray areas and blurry lines of organizational moratorium, they slowly work their way up to finding smarter and better ways to do things. After improving and refining their internal team and daily systems and processes they intuitively look outward to improve and refine their outward environment and even explore what types of structural adaptations could benefit the company in the long-term. A strong team’s inherent efficiency lends them the time needed to see the bigger picture; it lends them time to pause and reflect on what went well for the company, and what can be improved. With that long-term mindset, a synergistic team actively anticipates upcoming needs that sprout from organizational moratorium and strategizes new and innovative ways for the company to address them. Overtime, good teams can not only shift companies out of organizational moratorium but also change the landscape and usher in a new and better culture.

Strategy Breeds Morale In these modes of high levels of connection and high levels of creation that come from both individual and team-level coaching, nothing boosts employee morale more because coaching gives employees power over their situation. Through coaching, employees are not just looking into the future, they are actively creating it. Especially during high-pressure company transitions, individuals can take comfort in knowing that while a situation may be stressful today, they and their team can actively shape their environment so they aren’t stuck in that same mire tomorrow.

In the end, growing pains within a company are hard and even the highest levels of preparation often cannot smooth out every bump in the road, especially unexpected ones. Meeting regularly to coach individuals and teams is a foundational way to fortify and strengthen an organization during uncertain corporate shifts and transitional changes. This is because employees that are invested in, will naturally invest in the environment around them; furthermore, nothing could protect a company during an organizational moratorium more than having employees that care about and the organization’s success and health. This type of investment most naturally sprouts through authentic and collaborative coaching where shared goals are created. In the end, coaching is a conversation. Conversation breeds connection, and connection creates relationships where mutual and reciprocal investment flourishes.

About the Author: Annabel Detering Annabel joined CMOE in 2021 and brings diverse curriculum development and teaching experience to the Design Team and CMOE clients. She graduated from Utah State University with a Masters degree in Instructional Technology and Learning Science. She works with the Design Team to guide the design, development, and production of innovative learning and development curriculum.

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There are many types of leadership styles out there. Which one is right for you? Here, we’ll discuss two specific styles: directive and supportive leadership. One is not objectively better than the other—it all depends on your work culture, the people you manage, and the situations you encounter.

Let’s take a moment to discuss what directive and supportive leadership are and the specific circumstances that merit each style.

Directive Leadership Directive leadership focuses on providing direction to team members. It takes an instructional and task-oriented approach where the leader actively directs the work of the team:

• Assigns responsibilities to each team member
• Establishes deadlines
• Defines each task
• Communicates firm rules and boundaries
• Supervises the team closely rather than giving them autonomy

Supportive Leadership When individuals take on a supportive leadership role, they provide their team members with high levels of autonomy and offer further guidance when necessary. Team members are encouraged to take initiative, foster positive team morale, and focus on their professional development.

Supportive leaders ensure everyone has the tools and resources they need to:

• Work independently.
• Make their own decisions.
• Achieve the desired quality for a given project.
• Work collaboratively with others and form positive relationships.

Here are some examples of supportive-leadership tactics:

• Facilitating discussions rather than taking charge of them
• Inviting team members to take a central role when making decisions
• Offering guidance rather than dictating how something should be done
• Initiating candid but caring discussions around one’s professional growth

Directive vs. Supportive Leadership Directive and supportive leadership differ in three main ways:

Directive leaders focus more on developing their team members’ competencies, while supportive leaders focus on developing relationships.

Directive leaders focus on work tasks and responsibilities, while supportive leaders focus on professional development.

Directive leaders manage interactions, while supportive leaders facilitate interactions.

When to Use Directive Leadership Leaders should use directive leadership under the following conditions:

1. Working with Unskilled Team Members Unskilled members can be anyone new to the team or a given task. Since they may require more direction on what to do and how to fulfill responsibilities, taking a directive approach is ideal in this situation. Leaders can define the task and supervise the team to ensure that everyone achieves the desired results.

2. An Urgent Situation Arises Emergencies come up in the workplace that need to be dealt with quickly. Including all team members in the decision-making process can prolong workflow, which is not ideal in an urgent situation.

To speed up the process and help achieve the desired results within the desired timeframe, directive leaders make decisions for the team and assign tasks to each person.

1. There is No Room for Error When high-priority initiatives arise and there can be no errors, directive leadership can help team members complete the project effectively and efficiently. Leaders may also outline strict rules to safeguard the team from the risk of making mistakes.

When to Use Supportive Leadership Leaders should tap into a supportive leadership style in situations like the following:

1. Working with Competent or Experienced Team Members Competent or experienced team members already understand how to perform their jobs and what is expected of them. Therefore, with supportive leadership, leaders can take a hands-off approach and instead be available to offer guidance and insight when individuals need it.

2. Working with Disengaged Team Members Some team members might be capable of performing a task but lack the motivation to do so. This might be due to low team morale, a mismatch in values, or a lack of self-efficacy. This is where supportive leadership can be especially impactful.

Supportive leaders take an empathetic approach, having open, honest, and caring conversations with team members. These discussions can help leaders assess what their team members need to succeed.

1. Decisions Don’t Have to Be Made Quickly If individuals are working on a long-term project where decisions do not need to be made quickly, you have the time to employ a supportive leadership style. Supportive leaders can

2. Foster collaboration to help bolster the quality of work.

3. Invite team members to take part in the decision-making process.
4. Give individual contributors the freedom to take the reins on the project.

In the event that issues arise, workforce members can approach supportive leaders for further guidance and resources.

Strengthen Your Leadership Skills with CMOE It takes time to master various leadership styles to drive your team in the right direction. At CMOE, we’re here to help leaders like you navigate leadership challenges with confidence and ease. We encourage you to explore our Flexible Leadership Workshop to become experts in applying the right leadership style to any given situation.

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Successful businesses certainly offer a product or service that their customers need, but they also have one other feature: the ability to adapt to an ever-changing business market and customer demands. Being able to quickly adapt operations to these changes is an important part of any highly successful business strategy.

Having an idea or two on how to react to change isn’t enough; to guide the direction and support the success of their business, leaders must put forth a solid, flexible strategic plan.

A Common Misconception A lot of people who are responsible for strategic planning at the enterprise level seem to think that once a strategy is in place, that’s it—everything is set in stone, and nothing can be tweaked or changed. This line of thinking couldn’t be further from the truth and actually has the potential to hurt the business.

Strategic plans need to be flexible, agile, dynamic, and built on processes that can change with the evolving needs of your business and its customers. Strategic flexibility can be and often is a great competitive advantage for companies. As the business climate changes, organisations with flexible strategies can adapt easily, keeping in step with or ahead of their competitors.

Changes in the Business Environment There are numerous factors associated with changes in the business environment:

1. Changes in tastes and preferences
2. Politics (changes in policy direction, political unrest, coups)
3. Social demographics (age distribution, population growth, health awareness)
4. Economics (growth, interest rates, inflation, exchange rates)
5. Environmental (natural disasters, climate change)
6. Technology (the Internet, AR/VR, remote work)
7. Legal changes (trade restrictions, tax regulations, capital controls)
8. The competitive environment (rivalries between existing companies, the threat of new entrants, bargaining power of suppliers and buyers, substitution risk)

Changes in the external environment are beyond your business’ control, so you must adapt your business to these changes.

How to Create a Flexible Business Strategy If businesses need their strategies to be flexible to help them adapt to changing needs, then what are some ways to create and develop a flexible strategy? Here are some ideas:

1. Learning continuously If an organisation wants to stay current and adapt to a new climate, then learning the most current set of skills is an essential part of facilitating an agile company strategy. Although an organisation’s learning capacity largely depends on that company’s human-resources team, the company needs to have an enthusiastic, supportive, and competent management team as well. Without this type of buy-in to the necessity of learning and development, it becomes next to impossible to identify changes and/or assign the appropriate people to handle those changes, limiting the firm’s adaptability.

2. Getting the right people involved Your strategic plan will be anything but flexible if only a small number of people are involved. Your planning needs to involve all the necessary people from across your organisation who have the relevant skills and knowledge to make the changes required to move the strategy forward.

3. Having contingency plans “Expecting the unexpected” applies in a business as well as in everyday life. Organisations are rarely able to control every internal process, let alone any external factors which may have an impact on your business. Even the most flexible strategic plans need backup plans in case there is a sudden change. In fact, it may be better to have a few.

4. Closely monitoring internal and external factors You created a plan and implemented it; now you need to track it to make sure it’s working. Be sure to monitor both internal processes and the external market and industry using whatever methods work best for you.

A flexible business strategy is necessary in order to keep up with today’s constantly changing business climate. Use the tips provided above to create a strategy that will work well for your business and flex over time.

About the Author Shanon Donnelly is a business strategist at Speech writing service and has considerable experience in the IT industry. She helps her clients build brands through developing detailed strategies for their companies, as well as varying her approach while working with each new client.

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Coaching others is one of the most important skills a leader can possess but is often undervalued or approached in the wrong way. Rather than viewing coaching solely as a tool for delivering difficult feedback, the most effective coaches use this skill as a complete performance-management tool. Through this lens, coaching is viewed as a broad, holistic development methodology, a powerful vehicle for delivering ongoing feedback and support, and a relatively simple way to keep the lines of communication open and consistent with all team members.

There are many benefits of establishing a healthy coaching culture in your organization, and enhancing a team’s performance by having regular coaching conversations is one of the most attractive potential outcomes. Let’s take a look at five ways coaching can improve your team’s performance.

1. Enhances Understanding of Blind Spots among Team Members Coaching is tremendously helpful as organizations strive to create a productive and routine environment for their team members. In order to create greater harmony and teamwork, everyone needs to make some adjustments to their behaviors, skills, and style of working. Generally speaking, most people do not need to make major changes to fit into an organization’s culture or be a valued member of a team, but most of us do have some blind spots. If they are not discussed openly, these blind spots may prevent us from seeing the subtle changes and accommodations that need to be made to support the development of a highly effective team. Coaches who are skilled and courageous work to guide and support members of the team in making personal changes that will benefit the individual, the team, and the organization.

2. Establishes Boundaries and Expectations Every new member of an organization will experience a learning curve as they work to understand their job as well as their larger role on the team and within the organization. Team-member orientation is a natural process that takes time and requires active coaching as people strive to understand what is expected of them, learn about the team and organizational culture and their role in it, and meet the demands of the job. Good coaches help people learn how best to contribute to the organization and meet critical performance expectations.

3. Provides Support and Facilitates Open Communication

It is not uncommon for people to experience disruptions and personal challenges that can cause their level of performance to drop. In these situations, coaching can be used as a mechanism to help people recover from adversity and challenges and return to acceptable levels of performance more quickly. This can help team members avoid formal performance-improvement plans or even separation from the organization and helps the organization avoid the tangible and intangible costs of employee turnover, recruitment, and onboarding.

1. Provides a Mechanism to Celebrate Success and Progress One-on-one coaching can be a powerful tool for reinforcement and acknowledgement of important breakthroughs, achievements, and progress. When people are recognized for meeting targets and excelling in their roles, they feel seen and appreciated. This benefits the organization by strengthening communication, increasing team-member loyalty, and bolstering employee commitment and engagement. Coaching can and should also be used as a tool for continuous improvement, where the coach and coachee discuss how to repeat, sustain, and share new processes, insights, and best practices with other members of the team and organization.

2. Supports Change-Management Efforts Coaching can be instrumental when new initiatives, plans, and strategies are introduced to the organization. In order to succeed with a strategic agenda and execute on the required change, people will need to adapt to new requirements, fulfill new roles, and perform new activities. Change can be uncomfortable for many people, and effective coaching can help people to understand how they fit and why they matter in the new structure. This helps spark higher levels of performance, facilitates acceptance of the changes being made, and helps people to elevate their performance.

Organizations will struggle to compete and deliver long-term value to customers and stakeholders if leaders don’t engage individuals and establish an active coaching regimen. Coaching is an essential leadership responsibility and learning how to coach people effectively has a cascading positive effect on the entire organization. To learn more about the skills of highly effective coaches and how to use them with your team, click here.

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In a world where businesses have been hyper-focused on doing whatever it takes to survive during the pandemic and the phrase “post-pandemic” has become ubiquitous, leaders are now looking towards a future that promises to bring even more challenges that demand a quick response.

When crises arise, strategic plans are often affected dramatically. As they respond to the situation at hand, leaders understand that they have to keep the overarching business strategy in mind to ensure continued success—in the day-to-day work and in the future. To do this, leaders must navigate changes and challenges with a strategic mindset and purpose:

• Be nimble as they solve problems and make decisions that help ensure business success, even in chaos.
• Keep careful records of the actions taken by the team and the results of any new processes or procedures that arise out of necessity or are put aside during the crisis.
• Meet frequently with other leaders across the organization to share successes and challenges and brainstorm solutions.
• Demonstrate agility and resilience so they are prepared to adapt, shift, and transform the business.

You might ask, “How can leaders strategically move beyond a crisis or challenge and prepare for future uncertainty or change?” Keep in mind that a strategic plan can no longer be a static document subject only to one- or five-year evaluations. Instead, the creation of strategy must be ongoing. To help leaders reset the strategy, provide team members with direction, model a strategic mindset, and inspire new levels of strategic thinking across the organization, leaders must look at the crisis from two perspectives: evaluating the situation and reimagining the future.

Evaluating the Situation Once the business begins to move beyond the crisis, leaders need to avoid starting where they left off with the old strategic plan. Instead, they can take advantage of the opportunity to reevaluate and reimagine the strategic plan as well as make adjustments that will help the organization better manage the next challenge.

1. Take a fresh look at the industry, the business, and the strategy. What has changed?
   • Are there new opportunities for expanding the business, opening a new product line, or targeting a new market?
   • How has this event affected your access to resources (people, materials, production, etc.)?
2. Ask every business unit to review its processes and procedures through the lens of the crisis.
   • What needed to change and how did that affect the strategy?
   • What worked, what didn’t, and why?
   • What processes were changed or developed in response to the crisis? Will these changes continue to benefit the business in the future?
   • Which changes or responses to the crisis pulled you further away from your current business strategy?
3. Ask business units to think of themselves as a “business within the business” and focus on how their part of the business can thrive, rather than how it can merely survive, based on what they learned during the crisis.
   • What new avenues for growth or innovation were revealed during the crisis? What new processes or procedures are needed to strengthen the business so it can respond more successfully to the next event?

Reimagining the Future The key to getting ahead of future challenges is first understanding that strategies can and should shift as the organization continues to evolve in response to changes in the larger market. Leaders can prepare for unknowns by regularly reviewing the current strategy through a lens that asks, “What if?”

1. Think about potential future challenges and try to anticipate the impact that given scenarios might have on industry, technology, workforce, supply chain, or customers. It is critical that you are strategically attuned and understand the dynamic forces that shape your world and the worlds of your key stakeholders including external and internal customers.
2. Think about how the impact of these scenarios might cause the business’ strategy to shift. Brainstorm solutions for these situations. This is the perfect time to think creatively, ask questions, and discuss new ideas. What are the potential strategic opportunities and threats?
3. Consider new and future strategic initiatives based on your analysis. This is a great opportunity to identify innovations, adjacent prospects, and other strategic changes that the organization could make.

For organizations to remain relevant and thrive in the long term, they need to reshape their strategies to meet the needs of the market, and leaders are central to strategic planning and execution at the functional level. Invite leaders from every business unit to operate with an enterprise mindset, lead strategy at their level, question the way things are done, and regularly identify new opportunities. Make it a key part of your ongoing strategic planning.

Are your leaders prepared to lead the organization out of crisis and transform the business to meet customer demands in the long term? Are they prepared for future challenges? Call us or visit our website to learn more about how CMOE can help you build strategic leaders and create a strategic-thinking mindset across your organization with our Strategic Leadership and Applied Strategic Thinking® learning experiences.

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As leaders, we all can appreciate a little, or a lot of help in performing our work responsibilities. In a fast-paced, demanding work environment, most leaders have a lot to do and not enough resources, time, or energy to get it done. On high-performing teams, members cultivate a desire to serve others and are genuinely concerned about one another’s success. Here are three simple tips to help you build a team culture that has a spirit of inclusion, rewarding relationships, and people who are willing to give and help each other.

Inclusive Culture You may have some team members who willingly share their perspectives, ideas, and opinions. You may also have team members who tend to hold back their opinions. They may see things in a different way than other team members and shy away from contributing innovative ideas and their unique point of view. It is important to give these team members a voice. Seeking their input with an accepting mindset will help the person feel like they can add insights and are truly a valuable part of the team with the capacity to give and contribute their strengths and abilities.

Cross-Team Collaboration Provide team members and yourself with opportunities to learn new skills, grow, and collaborate outside of regular responsibilities. There are opportunities all around to help and give service outside of our station. Every organization and team has “white space” that is a visual description of the activities, tasks, roles, and responsibilities that are not clearly defined by current roles and responsibilities, boundaries, or structures. The white space is where important tasks, activities, and problems can fall between the cracks.

Create a culture on your team where team members can step in when they see something that needs to be done and take the initiative to do something about problems or opportunities that fall in the white space. This kind of effort transforms organizations and builds highly accountable, unified teams. As a leader you can show your team that you too are a team player by expressing support, providing recognition, and helping team members in need.

Provide Feedback Give team members supportive and constructive feedback. When we receive help from team members, it is important to talk with them about what worked well and what could have been done differently. Being supportive and kind with our words and our tone when providing feedback, helps team members understand that their help and contribution is valued. They will be more open to new or different approaches in the future. Feedback is the ideal way to direct and guide team members to help in the ways you need it most.

When team members feel valued and included in the process, they will take more responsibility and demonstrate more pride in their work, which will unleash discretionary performance. Your team will be on the fast track to new levels of success as team members experience and understand the three elements of the reciprocal support equation:

• An awareness of when others need help, plus
• A willingness to give or offer help in a genuine way, plus
• The ability and courage to accept help when needed in return.

The result is an unstoppable team where people find personal and professional satisfaction.

About the Author Di Snarr joined the CMOE team in 2016 and supports the business as a Shipping and Production Specialist. Di plays a critical role in the production, assembly, and shipment of all products and materials for client workshops and events. She devotes her time and talents to ensuring the accuracy and professional quality of every order she fulfills for our clients. Di is also a very versatile team player, and offers support in various other aspects of the business.

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Managing multiple projects, budgets, and tasks is essential for a manager to be effective, but these responsibilities shouldn’t overshadow the importance of team morale and engagement. Research notes only 15 percent of workforce members feel motivated—and that’s a problem.

If you’re having trouble creating a team culture of productivity and engagement, CMOE has you covered. In this post, we’ll explore the essence of team drive and how to motivate your team as a project manager.

Why Is Team Motivation Important? Team motivation is important for the following reasons:

• Decreases turnover. Highly engaged and motivated team members are 87 percent less likely to leave the organization.
• Reduces absenteeism. Motivation inspires team members to show up and stay committed to their work. Motivation decreases absenteeism by 41 percent.
• Fosters a positive work environment. Motivated team members tend to be happier and more satisfied with their role and workplace. This creates a healthy and positive team environment where people contribute their best and support each other.

What Are the Repercussions of an Unmotivated Team? Project managers who fail to invest time and effort in boosting motivation may set these repercussions in motion:

• Lack of productivity. Unmotivated people do the bare minimum to get through the workday. As a result, this puts more stress on other team members, harming productivity, morale, and cooperation.
• Lack of growth. Due to the apathy that a lack of motivation triggers, people who are unmotivated avoid challenges and run the other way to find an easier alternative rather than capitalizing on these opportunities to grow and expand their capabilities.
• Profit loss. Team members may not fulfill their responsibilities, which can negatively impact your team, project budget, and customer relationships. The lack of productivity and growth can cost businesses as much as $550 billion each year.

3 Tips on How to Motivate Your Team as a Project Manager Take a look at the following three motivation tactics that you can begin employing today:

• Make a Commitment to Happiness

Research reveals that when team members work in a welcoming atmosphere that meets their needs, their productivity increases by 12 to 20 percent. In short, a happy workforce is a motivated workforce.

Here are a few tangible ways to prioritize your team members’ happiness:

• • Understand what happiness means to them. During your 1:1 discussions, ask each team member what types of roles, tasks, and environment they find most fulfilling. After your conversations, analyze your team’s responses. Are there any similarities and/or patterns? Identify key themes and find ways to implement them into your team culture.
  • Offer flexibility. People’s preferences differ according to their needs and lifestyle. Consider offering flexible scheduling, a hybrid working environment (e.g., work from home and in the office), and opportunities to unwind (e.g., team retreats, yoga sessions, gym passes, etc.). Be open to your team members’ needs as long as they promote higher motivation and productivity.

• Ensure Your Goals Are Clear and Realistic

Establishing clear and realistic goals is crucial in setting up your team for success. Though this advice might seem obvious, 90 percent of business leaders fail to achieve their goals due to poor execution.

How are you carrying out your team goals? Are there areas that could use some refinement? To ensure you’re on track, stay centered on the SMART goal theory that goals should be specific, measurable, aligned, realistic, and time-bound. Here are a few examples of SMART goals:

• • Onboard 5,000 new online customers in the upcoming quarter.
  • Reduce customer complaints/issues by 10 percent in the next month.
  • Complete one training course every two months.

Specific Project managers should ensure the goal is clearly and concisely defined for team members. The narrower it is, the better your team can effectively plan and execute on the objective.

Measurable The goal should include specific milestones that measure how successfully the team fulfills the objective. For example, if your goal is to reduce customer complaints, you might measure this by the number of complaint tickets that come in.

Aligned The goal must be aligned with the team, department, and organizational objectives. Project managers should communicate with other managers to stay up to date on business objectives and identify potential areas of overlap or opportunities to collaborate. Collaborating with other teams may help team members achieve their goal more efficiently and effectively.

Realistic The goal must be challenging but realistic for it to be achieved. Look at your current resources. Are there any preliminary steps that need to be taken before spearheading the goal? Make sure your team is ready to tackle the objective.

Time-Bound The goal should have a clear time frame or deadline. This will help motivate your team and help you prioritize tasks. Make sure the deadline is realistic by building in extra time for feedback and anticipating potential errors and roadblocks (especially if you’re diving into a new area of work).

For additional guidance, be sure to read SMART Goal Setting.

• Create a Healthy Feedback Loop

Although it is your job to provide each of your team members with feedback as they navigate through their goals, you should also allow them to voice their concerns or ideas. Team communication should always be a two-way street. Allowing for open dialogue will foster trust and camaraderie between you and your team members.

There are four main types of feedback you and your team can utilize:

360-Degree Feedback 360-degree feedback gathers feedback from several different sources, such as direct reports, peers on the same and/or different teams, and clients. The goal is to help employees acquire a holistic view of performance and behaviors and identify areas for improvement.

According to Richard Lepsinger and Anntoinette D. Lucia, the authors of The Art and Science of 360 Degree Feedback, this type of feedback is beneficial for those wanting to

• • Improve individual and team effectiveness.
  • Achieve a specific business strategy.

360-degree feedback can help your team members gain better self-awareness, guiding them towards more desirable attitudes and behaviors and becoming better teammates.

When creating your 360-degree survey, it’s essential to align your questions with the team values you’d like to promote. For example, if you want to promote adaptability, you may want to ask questions like, “How well does this person adapt to changing priorities?”

Real-Time Feedback Real-time feedback is a performance-management method that keeps team members up to date on their performance. Instead of waiting for annual reviews to discuss issues, it offers on-the-spot feedback. As a result, team members can save time and reduce mistakes.

For example, when a project manager addresses issues on a report with a team member, that would be considered real-time feedback. It focuses on action and performance and allows both individuals to clarify expectations and offer or seek guidance.

Here are a few ways to approach real-time feedback the right way:

• • Directly ask team members what help they need. That way, you can become an advocate of their learning journey rather than veering into micromanagement.
  • Be specific by using the SBI (Situation, Behavior, and Impact) Model. When using this framework, project managers should describe the following:
    • The situation (e.g., “When you took on the research project, …”)
    • The behavior (e.g., “I didn’t receive your outline by the deadline we agreed to.”)
    • The impact one’s behavior had on the team (e.g., “When you don’t meet deadlines, the team cannot move forward.”)
  • Give team members time to learn and grow from the feedback. Real-time feedback is prompt, but you can’t expect team members to change overnight. Be patient and give them the time to learn and grow from your feedback. Check in with them regularly to see if they need help or clarification on anything you’ve discussed.

Coaching Less than three in ten employees strongly agree that they are managed in a way that motivates them to put their best foot forward.

To increase the odds, employers must shift their performance-management strategy by training managers to be coaches. And millennials—the demographic that dominates the workforce today—agree; seventy-nine percent of them would like their managers to be coaches or mentors.

Project managers can work on their coaching skills by strategizing ways to

• • Ask for and offer constructive feedback.
  • Identify a team member’s strengths and weaknesses.
  • Proactively solve problems and handle difficult conversations.
  • Initiate productive performance and compensation conversations.

CMOE’s Coaching Skills Assessment can help you analyze your skills as a coach so you can gain awareness of your personal opportunities for improvement and become a better coach to your team members. You may also consider looking into coaching training programs led by industry experts who set up a roadmap aligned with those critical areas above.

Evaluation Evaluation involves using a numerical scoring system to rate performance.

For example, when evaluating team members, you would rate them and they would rate themselves. Then, you both compare and discuss the scores together. This enables your team to measure its performance and openly discuss it.

Keep in mind that as the team project manager, it is your responsibility to set an example that’s worth following. Be sure to be candid but caring as you provide feedback during your evaluation discussion. Otherwise, the scoring system can backfire and create hostility and resentment.

Stay centered on the intention of providing feedback to nurture your team’s development—and remember that this is a vital area that encompasses over 90 percent of a person’s decision to stay or leave their job.

Learn and Grow More with CMOE’s Teamwork Solutions At CMOE, we aim to help teams like yours achieve their full potential. If you’d like to learn more about team-management strategies, look into our Teamwork and Team Development trainings. The programs can help you overcome team challenges and offer ideas on unleashing your team’s potential.