Articles about 'Psychological Safety'

by Kayla Ambrose

Thu 17 August 2023

Diversity of thought and different backgrounds have become increasingly recognized as invaluable aspects of a high-functioning team. They are attributed to high levels of innovation and the consideration of diverse perspectives.

Companies can only harness the value of having diverse perspectives when team members feel comfortable vocalizing their thoughts.

An incredibly important aspect of an effective team dynamic is psychological safety. This term was introduced by Harvard organizational behavioral scientist Amy Edmondson and is defined as “a shared belief held by members of a team that the team is safe for interpersonal risk taking.” A team that embraces diverse ideas and allows members to challenge the status quo can allow for increased success and higher team retention rates as members will feel more comfortable making contributions.

Posing a simple question like “What is the goal for this project?” may sound simple, but often times people fear that asking such questions will present themselves as ignorant. Creating an environment that encourages team members to feel comfortable sharing their questions, big or small, is a crucial aspect of cultivating psychological safety.

To determine whether a team has psychological safety consider the following:

Do all team members feel valued?
Can team members take risks without fear of backlash?
Do team members openly voice their concerns?
Is curiosity encouraged or deterred?
Can team members ask for help?
Is it okay to fail?

If these questions reveal areas that require team improvement, the next 3 tools can be incorporated to create a safer workplace environment:

Demonstrate Engagement

Being present when conversing with colleagues will make them feel more valued during interactions. Things as simple as closing a laptop or silencing a phone can decrease distractions during conversations. Body language is another powerful tool when creating an engaged presence. Nonverbal cues such as facing the speaker, making consistent eye contact, and nodding occasionally demonstrate active listening.

Equally important listening habits include asking thoughtful questions and presenting follow-up questions if necessary. Once an idea has been shared, recap what has been said to demonstrate understanding. If further clarification is necessary this is the opportunity to ensure both parties are on the same page.

During conversations, it is imperative to avoid placing blame. Trying to find someone at fault will discourage team members from taking risks and may lead to dishonesty in the future. Rather than pointing fingers, work to find solutions for the problem at hand and develop methods to prevent future issues. Use this situation as a learning opportunity.

Leaders can determine the engagement of their team members through pulse or engagement surveys.

2. Cultivate Inclusivity in Interpersonal Settings

Actively developing an inclusive environment for team members can create an open environment that facilitates sharing. Provide information about personal working habits and preferences. Encourage other team members to share their working styles as well. Knowing more about how different people work allows for a greater understanding of what to expect from each other in the future.

Expressing gratitude for team members' work establishes an inclusive environment since members know that their contributions are valued. Along with spreading positivity, preventing negative talk among colleagues is equally important. When overseeing a team, complaints about team members should be listened to and taken into consideration, however, spreading gossip or unnecessary negativity should be shut down immediately.

Creating inclusivity can also manifest through building rapport. Ask team members about their life outside of work and try to remember important aspects of their personal life. If team members share important upcoming events, inquire about the event later on.

Establishing open communication about meetings is another important aspect. Prior to or at the beginning of meetings, communicate the intentions of the meetings so everyone can be on the same page. Also, make it easily accessible for team members to schedule meetings and provide ample availability to allow for such meetings.

3. Facilitate Open Decision Making

Ensuring a collaborative decision-making process will allow team members to feel valued. Encourage input and feedback from all individuals. When working to create a more open environment, team members may not initially feel comfortable voicing their insights. To counteract this, invite the team to share criticism and vocalize questions. This can be done by posing open-ended questions or areas of personal concern.

When facilitating meetings, restrain from interrupting members of the team. Cutting others off may discourage members from sharing in the future. Furthermore, prevent team members from interrupting one another. This can be done by immediately shutting down the interrupter or even circling back to the individual who was interrupted.

Another effective method for open decision-making is communicating clearly. Make sure to articulate soundly and speak at a volume that is audible to everyone. Prompt others to speak at an appropriate volume as well. If everyone can hear the conversation and understand what is being discussed, they will be more likely to contribute.

When reaching conclusions, explain the decision-making process thoroughly and articulate how the final decision was reached. While relaying the conclusion, acknowledge input and positive contributions from other team members. Although not all team members will be on board with each decision, this will show that their work in reaching the conclusion was beneficial.

4. Encourage Risks

People often try their best to avoid facing failure. By doing so this limits potential successes or learning opportunities. Have an honest conversation about failure and why it shouldn't be a point of fear. This conversation can be a moment to be vulnerable and share personal experiences dealing with failure. Open the conversation to others to share their thoughts on failure as well.

Encourage team members to take educated risks by leading by example. Team members will feel more comfortable taking risks if they see this in action. The team as a whole will shift from a mindset of perfectionism to a mindset of growth. Embrace mistakes and discuss takeaways one on one or in a group setting.

When creating a risk-taking environment, team members must be supported to other executive members. Celebrate the successes of team members during the risk-taking journey and share the learning moments as well. Ensure that these risks aren’t portrayed negatively to executives as this will prevent team members from employing creativity in the future.

Utilizing these steps can build psychological safety among existing team members. Focusing on a culture of psychological safety is equally important during the employment process. During hiring be conscious of candidates that possess a positive mindset. Consider which candidates would empower their team members and further the progress toward a safe team environment. Team members who are motivating and proactive bring out the best in those around them and can positively impact the productivity of the team.

Achieving psychological safety takes a conscious effort from the entire team. As a manager, it is crucial that a positive example is set to encourage a risk-free environment for all.

by Kayla Ambrose

Fri 25 August 2023

High-achieving employees sometimes find themselves doubting their capabilities even though they are more than qualified.

Imposter syndrome can be defined as “a behavioral health phenomenon described as self-doubt of intellect, skills, or accomplishments among high-achieving individuals.” Those who possess imposter syndrome cannot internalize their successes and subsequently feel fraudulent despite verifiable evidence that they are successful.

In order to combat imposter syndrome it can be helpful to identify how the imposter syndrome is presenting itself.

Perfectionism

While attention to detail is important, it can become detrimental when it reaches the point of perfectionism. Individuals who strive to create flawless deliverables at all times may possess imposter syndrome. Since they doubt their intellect, they want to ensure that everything is entirely correct before finalizing anything. These individuals tend to be overly self-critical and hold themselves to higher standards than the standards they set for those around them. This pursuit of unattainable standards cannot be sustained in the long run and may ultimately lead to self-sabotaging.

2. Super-heroism

This frequently presents as over-preparing for tasks to appear capable of completing them. Individuals may feel compelled to be the best at everything and that overpreparation will allow them to achieve this. Oftentimes, super-heroism leads people to overwork themselves and can cause serious mental health implications.

3. Fear of Failure

Individuals with imposter syndrome may fear being shamed if they fail to properly complete a task. They fear being exposed as an imposter in the event that they were to fail. This can lead to avoidance of certain tasks altogether because it is believed that not trying at all is favorable to underperforming.

Although fear of failure is commonly perceived to be related to externally imposed tasks, however, it can occur with self-imposed achievement-related tasks as well. Ultimately, avoidance of self-imposed tasks out of fear of failure can prevent progress toward personal career goals.

4. Denial of Capability

Discounting one's intelligence, experiences, and skills is another manifestation of imposter syndrome. People who have imposter syndrome may attribute their successes to external factors or even random chance. Even if evidence can be provided to validate their contributions, individuals may continue to discredit their influence in their achievements.

5. Fear of Success

Although contrary to the previously discussed fear of failure, imposter syndrome may lead to fear of success. This occurs because an individual perceives failure as a positive feedback mechanism. They may have difficulty recognizing their successes as success can lead to high future expectations or additional workloads.

Multiple of these characteristics of imposter syndrome can appear simultaneously and amplify the negative implications of imposter syndrome. Characteristics may present differently depending on the person and their workplace environment.

If the previously discussed characteristics of imposter syndrome are present, there are some ways to decrease the fraudulent feelings that arise.

Focus on strengths

Imposter syndrome often leads individuals to emphasize their weaknesses. It is imperative that individuals struggling with imposter syndrome focus on their strengths as much as they are considering their weaknesses. If there is a particular area that is difficult, consider exploring a skill that feels more natural. Making a list of individual successes or even analyzing data of successful past initiatives may allow for the recognition of personal accomplishments.

2. Talk to someone

Reaching out to peers or mentors is a beneficial way to combat imposter syndrome. Having an open dialogue about doubts and struggles in the workplace can work to diminish the sense of incompetence. Groups such as horizontal mentor groups can serve as a great resource for those struggling with imposter syndrome. Peers within these horizontal groups likely have had similar experiences and can provide strategies they used to overcome their self-doubts.

3. Counseling

Speaking with a counselor about imposter syndrome can bring awareness to what is contributing to feelings of imposter syndrome. Specifically, compassion-focused therapy can be a helpful tool in combating imposter syndrome. Compassion-focused therapy is designed for patients who are highly self-critical and works to manage those behaviors.

Most importantly, it is important to recognize that there are others who struggle with imposter syndrome. Taking active steps to counteract feelings of imposter syndrome will provide immense career benefits.

Combating imposter syndrome can also be influenced by management. Managers must recognize the impact that they can make on imposter syndrome in the workplace and take action to limit it. Although counteracting imposter syndrome is largely a personal journey, external factors may also have implications. Here are some approaches managers can take to improve the workplace experience for individuals who have imposter syndrome.

Watch for Triggers

What provokes imposter syndrome varies on an individual basis, however, managers can take note of situations or responsibilities that contribute to employees' imposter syndrome. For example, on a team with many experienced employees, a younger team member may feel uncomfortable leading an initiative despite their qualifications. This situation may potentially contribute to imposter syndrome and a manager can help by reassuring the team member of their capabilities.

Recognize Accomplishments

Individuals dealing with imposter syndrome may have difficulties recognizing their own achievements. As a manager, it is important to help acknowledge when employees have successes. This helps validate that they are capable and a valuable contributor to the team.

Foster Psychological Safety

Managers should foster an environment that celebrates all individuals and that isn’t limited to solely embracing successes. Encourage employees to experiment in the workplace and do things for the sake of learning rather than only for accomplishments. Developing a strong sense of psychological safety will help ensure everyone that it is acceptable to make mistakes.

Another method to increase psychological safety while reducing feelings of imposter syndrome is to encourage open dialogue between team members. Ensuring that all team members feel comfortable discussing their experiences within the workplace with their manager is a crucial aspect of counteracting imposter syndrome.

Be Conscious of Effects on Underrepresented Groups

Underrepresented groups may experience amplified effects from imposter syndrome. Recognize that these individuals may need additional support ensuring that there is a sense of belonging within the workplace. It is also important to be conscious of how personal biases may alter the treatment of individuals from underrepresented groups because this can contribute to their imposter syndrome characteristics.

Imposter syndrome can be very prevalent among individuals who have achieved great success. Recognize that some characteristics of imposter syndrome such as self-doubt are natural and occur among everyone on occasion. If characteristics of imposter syndrome persist for extended periods of time, it should be explored since it can limit one's ability to succeed.

by Kendall Barndollar

Fri 29 September 2023

Throughout ones career, every person faces a variety of conflicts and will address these inevitable road blocks differently. From youth, individuals experience conflict and as they grow older, they begin to build skills to address conflict and ensure better psychological safety from these perceived threats. These skills do not diminish when entering the workforce. However, conflicts appear with a new level of complexity most have not previously faced. Addressing conflict with a superior or supervisor creates new challenges to face which many struggle with.

Executive management is generally responsible for setting rules and regulations that play a heavy hand in establishing workplace culture and experience for all employees. However, management does not always follow these rules. As individuals climb an organizational hierarchy, their objectivity diminishes. Executives commonly are treated as if they are “untouchable” and therefore may act in a manner “above the law” or the organization, which is counterproductive to the work environment. Executives' failure to follow established rules creates a rift in the organizational structure. A defiance of rules, a poor demonstration of leadership and a disruptive attitude from executive management will reflect throughout the organization.

As employees, how can we point out hypocrisy - or even just uneducated asks from leadership - while still maintaining relationships with those structurally above them in an organization?

Managing conflict is uncomfortable for everyone but unfortunately, it is a crucial part of everyday life and necessary for advancement in a professional environment. Being able to effectively deal with distressing situations is a rare strength that many may leverage throughout their lives.

Come Prepared with Facts, Not Opinions

In addressing a conflict with a superior, it is important to be organized and prepared when entering a meeting. Preparing written topics, questions or pieces of “evidence” in preparation for a meeting can aid in organizing thoughts and feelings to create an effective explanation of the perception of the conflict at hand.

When an individual's cognition perceives a threat, the instinct to “fight” or “flight” ignites and can dominate words and actions. While in a professional environment, this is most likely not a physical fight or flight. Nevertheless, these instincts can lead to conflict avoidance or a hasty confrontation. Fight or flight can cause individuals to act without thinking which would not lead to a productive and mutually beneficial meeting. To remain in control of this instinct, focus on adopting the mental headspace to be patient and understanding while actively listening to the opposing party. Additionally, being prepared and organized for a conflict-focused conversation will help to keep a clear course of thought if someone perceives a threat or feels uncomfortable in the situation.

2. Be Respectful, Calm, and avoid defensiveness

In addressing conflict across any leadership boundaries, colleagues, or friendships, it is important to stay respectful and focused on the situation at hand. Rather than attacking or criticizing a person, focus on their actions and how they affect individual and organizational goals. To have an effective meeting, both parties must feel respected and valued despite the situation at hand. Be cognizant of the professional relationship with a superior and how they may perceive the situation. Very frequently emotions or feelings can “fog” the perception of an event and create a disparity in individuals' understanding of an event. Remaining calm will allow those involved in a conflict to better understand the situation from the other person's point of view which may change their actions following a conflict. It is important to remain calm and keep emotions contained to effectively communicate with others and hold reason.

3. Stay Solution Oriented

In a conflict-centered meeting, it is important to be focused on finding a solution. Do not bicker or argue over minuscule points or experiences, it is much more productive to express feelings from either party and seek a resolution that satisfies all members. A solution-oriented mindset allows for positivity and growth. Rather than feeling defeated, adopt a growth mindset that embraces mistakes as learning opportunities. Even those who are not leaders by title can lead within a team and contribute to building an advantageous culture for those around them. Focusing on building a community around accepting errors and encouraging resilience will reduce those feeling attacked or threatened by a workplace conflict. Rather than a threat, they will view it as feedback that is consistently shared for personal, professional, and organizational improvement.

Entering a meeting with a solution-oriented mindset is useful in multiple ways; however, the most beneficial points of this attitude are creating comfort for the “opposing” party and staying focused on a specific problem. Creating psychological comfort is crucial for a productive meeting in providing feedback. When people are in a zone of psychological comfort, they are more willing to listen and take feedback as a chance for improvement than as a personal attack.

4. Ask for Feedback

Demonstrate willingness to listen by requesting feedback. Everyone requires feedback for improvement and self-betterment however, impromptu negative feedback can lead to a lot of emotion if the individual is unprepared. In a constructive meeting of addressing conflict, acknowledge that there are two sides to each story and a manager or superior may have constructive feedback that would aid in mitigating the conflict in the workplace and contribute to a more harmonious work environment.

5. Follow Up

In cases of conflict, it is important to monitor problems after addressing them. If the problem persists, consider informing human resources or a similar resource, collect appropriate documentation of the conflict and the steps taken to mitigate the problem. Realize that changes of conflict may take time to be reflected in the actions of leadership and executives. In the meantime of addressing a conflict and seeing change, professionals should draw strict boundaries between work and personal life to make sure that conflicts do not negatively affect their personal lives.

Although daunting, effectively facing these conflicts in the workplace leads to better advocacy and behavior from all parties and allows for improved growth in personal and professional settings. Remember that each conflicting situation may be different but it is important to maintain balance between work and personal lives to encourage the best version of an individual in each setting.

by Kendall Barndollar

Fri 17 November 2023

As leaders, every individual has had to work with a difficult colleague. Someone who is counter productive to the team or challenging to get along with. Specifically, many struggle with identifying these difficult personality types in their groups and finding creative ways to pivot these traits to an asset. Within teams, specific behaviors can contribute to counterproductive work behavior, and disturb the natural growth and formation of teams. Across social and professional environments, distinct traits negatively affect development, leaders identifying these traits and shifting them to productive work environment behaviors heavily impacts the efficacy of leaders.

Tools towards identifying these behaviors begin with intentional observation of your team, feedback from employees and analysis of the psychological safety of your employees. Constantly in work settings, feedback from direct reports and colleagues allow for growth and learning across all positions.

Also important to keep in mind is that all of the following traits may be represented in team members. Each of these qualities falls on a spectrum, low demonstration may not endanger team success while frequent demonstration of these traits will heavily impact job satisfaction and success of teams. Each of the following traits may even be beneficial in specific workplace circumstances.

To identify counterproductive work traits, start by identifying these personality types by the following behaviors:

Narcissism

Most detectable through inflated self-esteem, narcissism can be spotted in individuals of all levels. An enhanced ego may lead to lack of empathy for others and a demand for recognition, threatening psychological safety in team environments. Individuals exhibiting these traits may have trouble accepting criticism or feedback. Being a necessity in workplace development, utilizing feedback is crucial for teams and especially, leaders. Managers who identify these traits in their team members should focus on turning these traits into a tool for their team. Consider using this individual as a point person for delegation, or as an “editor” to focus on attention to detail.

2. Machiavellianism

The second leg of counterproductive work behavior is Machiavellianism. Noticeable through strategic manipulation, machiavellianists may become identifiable through lack of empathy and focusing on personal gain, beyond a normal level. However, these individuals are often flexible and willing to adapt to achieve their desired outcomes. As a leader, this opens an opportunity for value alignment to impact goal commitment that would strengthen efforts towards a final project. However, without correct value alignment, this individual may endanger psychological safety of others through lack of understanding and care for others. If a manager suspects a member of their team may be a machiavellianist, they should focus on the analysis of psychological safety within the team environment. Individuals who exhibit traits of machiavellianism will negatively impact the efficacy of their teams.

3. Psychopathy

The final piece of counterproductive work behavior is Psychopathy. Individuals who are seen as anti-social and demonstrate a lack of remorse can be identified as psychopathic, creating an unstable work environment. In team environments, these individuals will frequently demonstrate a lack of empathy and low control over impulses. Leaders may also notice manipulative habits by these individuals and a disregard for team norms or practiced behaviors or, leaders may not notice these habits at all because these individuals are frequently well-versed in impression management and acting how they think a superior would want them to. Leaders should be cognizant to mitigate any discomfort caused by these individuals as it could further affect team behavior. To spot these behaviors, leaders must depend on feedback from team members to further understand In team settings, these characteristics may be helpful in being unaffected by stressful situations and maintaining a steady level of stress tolerance.

Recall that the above traits are counter productive in extreme cases but natural in small doses. Managers should also consider the causes of these counterproductive work behaviors which could stem from different points of uncertainty within the workplace such as unclear roles and organizational change.

As always in professional settings, it is crucial for leaders to evaluate teams on objective measures on a frequent basis to better understand team dynamics. In addition to measuring the success of teams, it is important to receive honest employee feedback on team members to ensure that the psychological safety of a team is not threatened by one individual.

Finally, managers should be cognizant of these personality behaviors within themselves. Frequently as individuals climb the organizational hierarchy, their objectivity diminishes. Once an individual is near the top of an organization, it is common for narcissistic behavior to foster from lack of constructive criticism. Executives may feel “untouchable” yet, this feeling is counter productive to the work environment. To be a self aware manager in terms of these counterproductive behaviors, ensure that your employees feel safe and comfortable in sharing helpful feedback with you and, consider use of analytic softwares such as AIM Insights that allows for continuous feedback from both superiors and subordinates.

Overall, managers must utilize their relationship management skills to thoroughly analyze and monitor teams in all work environments. Being a strong leader also means advocating for individuals within a team and fostering a safe environment that allows professionals to prioritize work-life balance. Managers set the tone for the team as a whole through all levels of development. Setting an example of self-awareness, an environment of embracing mistakes and learning from feedback will ultimately lead to the greatest success within a team. In addition to utilizing past leadership experiences, managers should create an environment that promotes adaptability. Every situation may not fall within ideal circumstances and great leaders are able to learn and grow in dynamic environments that fosters creative problem solving and creates strong work relationships and teamwork which in turn, will lead to the greatest successes.

by Kendall Barndollar

Mon 4 December 2023

Good managers are good listeners. As a manager, it is crucial to practice active listening to make the best decisions for an organization or team. Rather than simply hearing the words an individual says, managers should practice active listening through demonstrating genuine interest and undivided attention with their members. In active listening, managers should focus on hearing the communication beyond the explicitly stated words but understanding feelings, intentions and underlying messages. In any industry, encouraging managers to practice active listening deciphers opportunities for growth and learning that may result in increased customer and employee satisfaction.

Leaders must practice thoughtful, active listening to foster a collaborative and thriving work environment where employees feel valued. When employees feel that they are valued by the organization, they demonstrate stronger organizational commitment and job performance which leads to increased job satisfaction. With the necessity of technology in the workplace, work from home, and hybrid cultures of companies, active listening skills in the workplace have depleted.

When communication habits shift from in-person to online chat, communications become far less effective. Without face-to-face contact, 93% of communication is lost from nonverbal and vocal communication, leaving a mere 7% left to recognize opportunities for growth and learning. Albert Mehrabian, a body language researcher, led a research campaign to discover what portion of communication is based solely on diction. Mehrabian found that 55% of communication is non-verbal cues, 38% of communication is vocal, and only 7% is from specific words.Through using video calls, individuals may be able to recover effectiveness in conversation through vocal and non-verbal cues but, most will continue to struggle with active listening.

Although convenient, using online chats and emails as the primary conversation medium significantly diminishes the efficacy of communication attempts. Leaders must find creative ways to combat these changes to uncover hidden growth opportunities and team discrepancies. The subtle art of reading undertones and ensuring psychological safety to team members reflects within team culture. Managers can enhance their active listening in the following seven ways:

Listen for the Undertones

As is human nature, it is expected that we hear an individual’s words but only sometimes comprehend the underlying objective or purpose of the communication. Managers should be deliberate in decoding communications to find the concealed message within an interaction or suggestion from employees. Additionally, managers should be aware of differences and communication barriers between cultures. When working in international settings, leaders must consider the cultural norms and barriers that could affect communication effectiveness.

2. Be Present

Actively listening to direct reports requires undivided attention and devotion to hearing what employees are saying. This means minimizing distractions, eliminating interruptions, and thoroughly thinking and understanding not only statements made but also body language and verbal cues that showcase the intent behind the communication. Being a present and engaged listener will aid the leader's contact with the team by valuing thoughts, opinions, and experiences.

3. Prioritize Psychological Safety

For a strong team, diversity of thought and diverging opinions are invaluable. To encourage these crucial conversations, managers must create an environment of psychological safety that will enable direct reports to come to leaders with ideas, suggestions, and experiences that managers may use to better an organization. Those who are unaccepting of others deteriorate psychological safety within a team. In creating psychological safety, managers need to focus on empathy, support and understanding amongst all team mates.

4. Withhold Judgment

To be better active listeners, leaders should avoid instances of judgment by entering each conversation with an open mind. In these conversations, managers should avoid responding to suggestions with defensiveness or hostility. Instead, take each conversation as a learning opportunity rather than a personal attack. Open mindedness and improved relationships with team members will enhance problem solving and creative thinking team-wide.

5. Cultivate Empathy

An essential part of active listening is cultivating empathy and understanding for those around you. Managers must prioritize a culture of empathy by being understanding and adaptable to their employees. Adding to a culture of compassion, leaders must focus on making every team member feel valued and welcomed. Once a team has established a culture of empathy, all members will grow as active listeners, streamlining communication for all parties.

6. Ask Questions

In practicing active listening, asking questions is imperative to thoroughly understand the topic. Asking questions demonstrates genuine care and interest in the case, leading employees to feel heard and understood, even if their suggestion is not implemented. In asking questions, prioritize creating a conversation of open dialogue, with explanations and reasoning on either side, to encourage a culture that welcomes diverse opinions and embraces mistakes, allowing for further growth and success.

7. Ask for Feedback

Managers seeking feedback on their active listening skills are crucial for team growth. Regardless of the industry or specific role, all leaders must be good communicators, meaning strong listening and speaking skills. One without the other will not foster the productive work environment that makes groups successful. Managers should consider their self-awareness and seek opportunities to grow in the communication field. To collect this feedback, consider using AIM Insights, which will provide continuous feedback for all organizational levels, enabling constant improvement.

Leaders may encourage the process of prioritizing psychological safety for active listening by establishing group norms or policies within their team. For example, a manager may have an “open door policy” to welcome any concerns, questions, and suggestions from employees. Other managers may cultivate this through weekly team-wide discussion meetings that allow individuals to share their concerns. In determining which approach is best, leaders need to evaluate their teams to determine which route is most impactful for their team.

Throughout the process of improving active listening skills, managers should remember that changes may take time to happen. It takes time for trust to be fostered within a team and psychological safety to develop. Growth paths may not always be linear, but should have ups and downs and obstacles along the way. By actively listening to feedback, managers can find the next step forward for bettering their team.

by Kendall Barndollar

Fri 15 December 2023

“Give a man to fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” Learning has always been the foundation for success. In creating a successful culture of autonomy, managers must prioritize learning, development, and experiences to build a team of self-sufficient, well-prepared employees.

Autonomy in the workplace may lead to improved engagement, job satisfaction, and productivity. Allowing professionals to be entirely responsible for their work will create a team of individuals committed to their work. Autonomy and task follow-through improve job satisfaction. Seeing a project from start to finish makes a role more meaningful, leading to increased job satisfaction and in turn, job performance. Finally, a culture prioritizing autonomy produces a highly productive team of well-versed individuals. By creating faster decision-making processes and well-prepared individuals, productivity will skyrocket in autonomous teams.

As managers, many struggle to build a culture of independence for their direct reports. When managers do not promote an autonomous environment, their team members lose learning opportunities, and managers become overworked. A crucial part of learning is having the ability to make decisions that lead to mistakes. A crucial part of leading is learning how to be flexible in correcting these mistakes and learning from past experiences.

A culture prioritizing autonomy teaches direct reports to be resourceful and thorough in their work. Rather than an individual asking their boss or team leader, they should first use every resource available as a tool in completing their task. Promoting a culture of autonomy continues beyond task performance and enables managers to build strong employees. As individuals gain decision-making experience, they grow into thoughtful, experienced, self-sufficient leaders.

Managers commonly struggle with transferring decision-making responsibilities to other leaders in a firm. However, without autonomous professionals, managers become overworked and burnt out over time. To build a culture of autonomous employees, managers must consider the following factors' impact on the workplace.

Embrace Mistakes

It is impossible to grow without feedback. Creating a culture that embraces mistakes as learning opportunities will contribute to role autonomy. As managers, many will eventually forget the hard work, mistakes, and learning opportunities it takes to reach an executive position. Creating a culture that views errors as areas for growth is crucial for team success. To build an autonomous team, it is vital to cultivate a culture that approaches mistakes as opportunities for learning. In a culture that does not encourage risk-taking, emerging leaders struggle to get the experience necessary to succeed after making a poor decision. Most importantly, leaders need practice to efficiently and effectively identify solutions after making inevitable mistakes.

2. Encourage Team Development

Encouraging team development produces autonomy within teams. Allowing independent development through the four normative stages of team development (forming, storming, norming, and performing) enables a team to succeed. Team development puts priority on direct reports working amongst each other, without consistent involvement from executive management. Teams foster a habit of learning from others, and communicating amongst peers, rather than relying on managers. Thus, enhancing the autonomy and capabilities of direct reports and, enabling individuals to learn from their colleagues. Although challenging, managers practicing limited involvement in team development enables professionals to make mistakes and rehearse the required skills to become outstanding leaders.

3. Prioritize Psychological Safety

Prioritizing psychological safety in the workplace is crucial to building a team of autonomous and responsible individuals. Allowing employees to make mistakes and learn from them is what builds a resilient, sustainable team. Allowing for problem-solving skills to be practiced and rehearsed equips direct reports with the skills to succeed. These crucial skills develop with experience and time, allowing direct reports to practice in a safe environment and enabling great workplace success. Focusing on psychological safety creates an environment where it is okay to fail. While failing seems counterproductive to success, managers have to weigh the cost of a few failures with the benefit of building strong and experienced professionals in a team.

4. Encourage Horizontal Mentorship

Mentorship is a building block to a culture of autonomous employees. Building mentorship programs in a firm enables those with more experience to learn from others, rather than creating a dependence on executive management. Horizontal mentorship enables employees to learn from their peers at all levels, from entry-level to executive management. Building a mentorship program brings value to autonomous culture by teaching professionals the steps through a decision-making process and factors to be accounted for rather than relying on a manager to make the decision. Managers may also benefit from horizontal leadership by learning how others relinquish control and put trust in their team.

In the aforementioned steps, managers need to be cognizant that building a culture takes time. Resistance to change is common, especially in transforming from a culture dependent on executives to a culture that operates independently from executives. Creating autonomy in a team is challenging when managers have been heavily involved in the day-to-day tasks of employees so, learning to delegate and trust team members is a challenging process for most managers. Prioritizing learning and development within a team will enable leaders to promote autonomy. Adaptability will lead to a thriving, autonomous culture in adjusting to change and promoting flexibility in the process.

Throughout an autonomous culture, it is necessary to promote communication among team members. Without feedback and open dialogue, it is challenging to grow. As always in the workplace, it is imperative to establish systems for feedback. Rather than an annual performance review, consider using a platform such as AIM Insights that will provide continuous feedback at all levels to aid in the development of a strong team, prioritizing goal setting and achievement.

by Kayla Ambrose

Fri 15 December 2023

Mergers and acquisitions present opportunities for companies to streamline their operations, develop economies of scale, create synergies, and establish various other growth opportunities. Despite all these beneficial changes a company may experience, mergers and acquisitions can be a stressor for employees as there are many uncertainties.

Undergoing mergers and acquisitions can create structural and cultural changes for organizations, leaving employees unsure of what to anticipate. Organizational changes and redundancies within the workforces of both companies can lead employees to have serious concerns about their job security.

Even minor changes that result from mergers and acquisitions such as cultural shifts, slight process adjustments, or changes in communication channels can enhance the anxious environment and threaten psychological safety. Recognizing the emotions arising from these changes is essential for a smooth transition and continued team success.

Here are some ways to create a more people-focused approach to navigating a team through a merger or acquisition:

Develop a Communication Plan

When conveying the news of a merger or acquisition it is important to consider how to best articulate the intentions of the decision. Communicating the overarching vision, company beliefs, and future of the company that led to the decision can help employees better understand the motivations for undergoing such changes. Presenting an optimistic vision for the company will encourage employees to support the new direction of the company.

Lack of communication or poor communication can lead to the spreading of misinformation and decreased employee engagement. To prevent issues from arising with employees drawing inaccurate conclusions about future steps, ensure that there is constant communication as the process evolves. Immediately when information is allowed to be shared with direct reports, communicate the information to demonstrate that all employees are valued and informed.

2. Ensure Transparency

Simply communicating updates to the team isn’t sufficient during uncertain times. Honest and frequent updates are most suitable for ensuring all members of the team understand how the changes will personally impact them.

When permissible, communicate as much detail as possible about the deal's implications. Although it may feel obligatory to reassure team members that everything will work out and they won’t be negatively affected, it is important to communicate the truth. If there is a risk that the team will be impacted by layoffs or structural changes, communicate that uncertainty and work with them to develop action plans. If the team does experience negative changes as a result of the deal, it is best to avoid a complete blindside.

3. Positive culture

Continuing to celebrate team successes can help to improve team morale and motivation. Amidst these big changes going on within the organization, recognizing the achievements of individuals or the team as a whole can help empower the team and reinforce a positive future outlook for the team.

Connecting these celebrations to the core values of the merged company. Aligning the celebrations to organizational values reinforces their importance within the organization. Drawing these parallels will ultimately help reassure the team that their efforts are valued and key attributes of the entire organization.

4. Involve and Empower Team

During times of uncertainty, it is crucial to allow direct reports to be involved wherever possible. Opportunities to share concerns, feedback, or other insights will allow employees to feel heard. Providing such opportunities will allow for a smoother transition to the new organization since adjustments can be made to best support the team.

Team involvement develops a sense of ownership. During times of uncertainty, employees may begin to search for outside opportunities. Allowing employees to make an impact on the organization through their input and inclusion in the decision-making process, will increase their sense of commitment to the firm.

5. Provide Resources

As a manager, providing ample resources for team members to navigate these changes is a necessary step. Mentorship initiatives, training programs, or external professional development opportunities can help employees prepare for potential future steps.

Directing team members to consult with human resources or other applicable internal resources can serve as a good reminder of the readily available options they can contact. Continuing to identify various resources that can support team members will help ensure that they feel more in control of their future and can make more informed decisions.

6. Lead by Example

Increased stress is inevitable when transitioning through a merger or acquisition, however, employees look to their manager as an example of how to handle these unpredictable times. Remaining composed and adaptable will encourage the team to exemplify these characteristics as well, and embody the vision of the organization.

Exemplifying other characteristics such as prioritization of work-life balance is another key way to guide a team to stay on track. During periods of change, ensuring all team members take care of their well-being and not overworking themselves can help to prevent additional stress. When direct reports see their manager balancing their personal life and their work obligations, they will feel more comfortable making balance one of their priorities which will ultimately lead to a more sustainable work environment.

As a manager, it is important to continue to advocate for the team and take steps to support their best interests. During these periods of uncertainty, managers serve as a guide for their team to help them understand what is going on around them.

Determining the best method to navigate these organizational changes can be incredibly difficult. Utilizing horizontal peer mentor groups can be a powerful tool to gain insight into how others in similar situations manage their teams. Within these groups, peers can share strategies they found to be successful and advice specific to the situation at hand.

Remember that managing a team through large organizational changes such as mergers and acquisitions is specifically difficult for managers as they must balance personal stress resulting from the changing environment along with team concerns. Strategies on how to best lead a team depend on the team dynamics and the changes the organization is experiencing. Keep in mind that big changes are stressful and personal mental health should be prioritized. A sound-minded manager will be most suitable for leading a successful team through mergers and acquisitions.

by Grace Tripathy

Fri 15 December 2023

We all have life events that distract us from work from time to time: an ailing family member, a divorce, the death of a friend. You can’t expect someone to be at their best at such times. But as a manager what can you expect? How can you support the person to take care of themselves emotionally while also making sure they are doing their work (or as much of it as they are able to)?

Emily, a dedicated team leader, found herself facing a challenging situation. One of her team members, Charlie, was grappling with personal turmoil, juggling the complexities of an external affair leading to a divorce that was tearing apart his family. Balancing the demands of the workplace while carrying such a heavy emotional burden, Charlie was struggling to meet performance expectations, leaving Emily in a delicate position as a leader torn between empathy and professionalism.

Understanding the delicate nature of Charlie's situation, Emily knew that leading with empathy was crucial. However, maintaining a professional work environment was equally important. Striking the right balance required a thoughtful and nuanced approach.

First, Emily decided to initiate a private conversation with Charlie. She wanted to create a safe space for him to share his struggles without judgment. Instead of immediately addressing performance concerns, she began by expressing concern for his well-being and acknowledging the challenges he might be facing outside of work.

During their conversation, Emily demonstrated active listening skills, allowing Charlie to open up about his personal life at his own pace. This approach helped build trust and allowed Emily to gain a deeper understanding of the emotional toll Charlie was experiencing. In doing so, she learned about his fears, uncertainties, and the difficulty he faced in separating personal issues from his professional responsibilities.

Understanding that Charlie might find it challenging to communicate openly in a face-to-face setting, Emily subtly introduced the idea of using AIM Insights, a platform designed for non-face-to-face communication among team members. This platform served as an online forum where employees could share their personal struggles, ambitions, and non-work-related goals in a comfortable and confidential manner.

Emily emphasized the benefits of AIM Insights, explaining how it could provide a supportive space for team members to express themselves freely. The platform allowed individuals like Charlie to share their experiences, offering insights into their lives outside of the office, making it easier for leaders like Emily to comprehend the challenges faced by their team members.

Without explicitly revealing Charlie's personal situation, Emily encouraged the team to use AIM Insights as a channel for open communication about their non-work-related struggles and aspirations.

These 3 tips are also used to ensure that the workplace is a confidential, empathetic and supportive environment.

Listen First, Suggest Second

When you speak to an employee about their current struggles, listen first instead of immediately advocating for some particular course of action. They may just want a sounding board about the difficulties of caring for a sick relative or an opportunity to explain why a divorce has affected their attention span. If you immediately suggest they take a leave of absence or adjust their schedule, they may be put off if that’s not what they were thinking. Instead, ask what both of you can do together to address the issue of performance during the difficult period.

2. Know What You Can Offer

You may be more than willing to give a grieving employee several weeks of leave, or to offer a woman with a high-risk pregnancy the ability to work from home. But the decision isn’t always yours to make. If you have the leeway to get creative with a flexible schedule, an adjusted workload, or a temporary work-from-home arrangement, do what you think is best. But also be sure you understand your company’s restrictions on short- and long-term leave, and what, if any, bureaucratic hurdles exist before promising anything to your employee. Explain that you need to check what’s possible before you both commit to an arrangement.

If the employee needs counseling or drug or alcohol services, there may be resources provided by your company’s medical insurance that you can recommend. But investigate the quality of those resources first. The last thing you want to do is send a suffering employee to avail themselves of a program or supposedly helpful people who then fall short.

3. Consider Workload

You also have to consider whether prolonged absences will adversely affect clients or team members. If so, mitigate those risks by easing the person’s workload. If there are people who are willing and able to take on some of the individual’s projects, you can do that temporarily. Just be sure to reward the people who are stepping in. And then set timelines for any adjustments you make. If the person knows that their situation will last for 6-8 weeks, set a deadline for you to meet and discuss what will happen next. Of course, many situations will be open-ended and in those cases, you can set interim deadlines when you get together to check in on how things are going and make adjustments as necessary. Whatever arrangements you make, be crystal clear about your expectations during this time period. Be realistic about what they can accomplish and set goals they can meet.

by Kendall Barndollar

Fri 12 January 2024

Most managers find it challenging to build a perfectly harmonious environment for a team. Accounting for different personality types within groups is critical to creating an environment of success.

Developed in the late 1940s by Donald Fiske as a psychometric tool, the five-factor model of personality traits creates a guide for leaders to better understand dimensions that heavily impact the personal and professional lives of every individual. Commonly, managers will use an online platform to gauge these traits in their direct reports however, grasping the foundation of this model will allow managers to make informed decisions based on observed behavior in the workplace. Managers may gain a better insight into organizational culture, work-life balance, psychological safety, leadership styles, and decision-making processes through an improved understanding of the dimensions within the five-factor personality model.

Using the five-factor personality model, individuals' traits will be measured on five distinct dimensions: extraversion, openness, agreeableness, conscientiousness and neuroticism. To better gauge individuals' on these dimensions, managers should consider utilizing a software or personality test that will provide a better insight into the makeup of a team. Additionally, in constructing a productive work culture, managers may consider a horizontal mentorship program that will expose them to other executives with invaluable experience. Horizontal mentorship will allow executive professionals to better connect with their peers and find innovative solutions for growth and change within a team. With clarity and identification of the five personality dimensions within a group, managers will be able to construct the culture most beneficial for their specific team. Here is how each of the big five personality dimensions impacts the workplace:

Extraversion

Direct reports ranking high in extraversion are outgoing, warm, and welcoming. These are great traits to improve camaraderie and community within a team. Those who are introverted may prefer to work independently, while extroverted individuals will seek work with others. However, managers should consider the efficiency of highly extroverted individuals who may err on the side of a relationship-oriented mindset. Many consider extraversion to be preferred yet, individuals on either end of this spectrum bring strengths to a team. Additionally, managers should be deliberate in the inclusion of professionals falling in either category. Managers should focus on personally engaging to ensure individuals feel satisfied and valued within a team.

Openness

Highly open individuals are curious and independent. These individuals can be easily identified by their willingness to try new things and their innovative ideas. Individuals demonstrating high openness will strive in a culture that promotes autonomy. On the other hand, individuals lower on this scale may be more practical and conservative in their thinking. Both are great assets to teams. Those with low openness are generally task-oriented and will ensure a practical completion of a task. In contrast, those with high openness find new and innovative solutions to bring to a group. In considering different levels of openness within a team, leaders should deliberately search for a balance of openness and utilize feedback when implementing changes.

Agreeableness

Highly agreeable individuals are trusting and compassionate. These individuals are great assets to improve camaraderie and the community feeling within a team. However, managers should be aware that individuals demonstrating high agreeableness may internally struggle with sharing their own opinions and speaking up for themselves. When working with direct reports that demonstrate high agreeableness, managers should focus on asking direct questions and communicating the importance of genuine feedback to these individuals. If an individual demonstrates low agreeableness such as being overly critical or harsh, their personality may detriment psychological safety within a team. To monitor potentially harmful personality types, managers should collect feedback and work with professionals to develop SMART goals in moving forward with a collaborative, productive, and compassionate team.

Conscientiousness

Highly conscientious individuals are generally well-organized, dependable, and hard-working. These members are an incredible asset to a team and will likely improve efficiency and outputs. However, if a team member exhibits low conscientiousness, they may be more impulsive and flexible. Nevertheless, people with low conscientiousness bring strengths to a team. For example, these individuals may be more creative, outside-of-the-box thinkers and more willing to take risks than those who exhibit high conscientiousness. In working with professionals who demonstrate high conscientiousness, managers should promote a healthy work-life balance. Highly conscientious professionals may struggle with perfectionism, and extreme focus on details and may have a hard time walking away from tasks.

Neuroticism

Individuals expressing high neuroticism may have a tendency to be easily stressed, overwhelmed, or anxious. With the factor of neuroticism, managers should be deliberate because topics of anxiety and mental health are personal and sensitive in the workplace. Yet, mental health heavily impacts the success of professionals. Although many think it unfavorable, individuals demonstrating high neuroticism bring invaluable strengths to a team. Generally, individuals ranking high in neuroticism are detail-oriented and, have a heightened sense of empathy for others. Additionally, professionals demonstrating high neuroticism have displayed a correlation with an increased motivation to change with feedback, which is an extraordinarily favorable strength in the workplace. Those low on the scale of neuroticism are calm and even-tempered but, may not be as prepared and cautionary as those with high neuroticism. In addressing neuroticism within teams, managers should focus on feedback and the promotion of work-life balance to ensure a healthy environment.

Across the above big five personality traits, each dimension is good in moderation. To develop an outstanding team, managers need to find the balance and ideal work environment that accounts for the team chemistry of the above traits. Managers should carefully consider the big five personality traits when determining project assignments and task prioritization.

Furthermore, the most impactful measure in determining an ideally structured work environment for a team is gathering and analyzing feedback. The best method of utilizing feedback is conducting continuous reviews rather than an annual performance review. For an improvement in the feedback process, managers should consider using software such as AIM Insights that will provide continuous feedback across all levels. In addition to this software, AIM Insights provides executive coaching and tools for SMART goal setting that will drastically improve the growth of teams.

by Kendall Barndollar

Fri 26 January 2024

Everyone experiences times of nervousness and anxiety. It's human nature and, it's contagious. Many struggle to manage these feelings on their own and unmanaged anxiety can lead to rash and spontaneous decision making. Impulsive communication and decision-making will foster an internal feeling of urgency that others mirror which may spread across groups and offices creating immense stress and anxiety for all levels.

Anxiety can stem from a variety of sources. Specifically in the workplace, anxiety can stem from: poor workplace culture, unclear expectations, too heavy of a workload, conflict with superiors, organizational changes, job insecurity, lack of control, or imposter syndrome. Additionally, managers' words and actions have a higher impact on creating or mitigating anxiety due to their hierarchical position and perceived power within an organization. Similar to the effect of stress or anxiety in an individual's personal life, workplace anxiety can cause a variety of problems such as sleep deprivation, poor work performance, body aches, or physical ailments. Within teams, managers may have a hard time identifying causes of anxiety, or worse, managers may be the cause of anxiety within a team.

Leaders “venting,” gossiping, or complaining to their team members creates a different culture that fosters anxiety and worry for team members, usually leading to a counterproductive work environment. Once a team leader begins complaining to their teams about executive management, timelines, the work environment, or other team members, their direct reports become uncomfortable in the workplace and anxious about their performance.

Similar to anxiety, gossip is a detriment to the work environment and is certainly contagious within the workplace. Both productive and counterproductive work cultures can foster and spread gossip across a team or office. Many feel the need to gossip to be “in the know” or to protect themselves from any potential conflicts within a group. Gossip encourages judgment, cliques, and toxic work behavior that may undermine the success, camaraderie, or expansion of teams. Moving into a psychologically safe and comfortable work environment, managers must reduce any occurrences of gossip and spreading of misinformation to create an environment that values every individual team member.

To better understand the ripple effect of gossip and anxiety, consider Trish who is a partner at a large accounting firm. Trish has been facing struggles with the corporate office creating unreasonable timelines for completing projects and, Trish is becoming frustrated with a professional on her team, John who submits unfinished and unpolished reports. Trish is feeling anxious due to a heavy workload and a lack of support from her team. Trish decides to vent about her challenges with the corporate office to Leo, a manager in her team. Now, Leo is self-conscious about his performance and focuses on overworking and taking on extra responsibilities, eventually leading to burnout. Also after their conversation, Leo begins to lose faith in their company and has decreased organizational commitment to their firm. Throughout the next week, Leo discusses his feelings with other team members, leading to a spread of stress and anxiety in the workplace.

As in the above example, venting and crucial conversations can lead to a spread of anxiety team-wide which exponentially grows, creating an unproductive work environment and negatively impacting the mental health, work-life balance, and personal lives of team members. If managers are feeling anxious or overworked, they should consider finding a new channel. Potential outlets may be horizontal mentorship, executive mastermind groups, or coaching opportunities that provide a safe space to share challenges.

Horizontal mentorship enables leaders in similar positions to share issues they are facing in the workplace and creates an open environment to learn from peers in lateral workplace roles. Opening new opportunities to grow and learn in a dynamic environment catered to the specific problems faced in the workplace makes horizontal mentorship a great tool to reduce anxiety and gossip in the office.

Executive mastermind groups serve as a peer advisory service that allows leaders to share a problem they are facing and receive feedback and advice from executive-level professionals. Through Ambition In Motions Executive Mastermind groups, leaders can find horizontal mentorship, peer advisory resources, and experiences that support individual and team learning which in turn, helps to reduce managers' stress and anxiety.

Finally, managers may consider executive coaching opportunities to improve their team environment and mitigate causes of anxiety. Ambition In Motion offers both team and individual coaching to improve communication and productivity team-wide. In an executive coaching program, individuals are paired with an experienced coach who aids in setting SMART goals and, creating a process for collecting and analyzing measures of success for these goals.

In working to reduce overall workplace anxiety, managers should concentrate on reducing gossip within the workplace. Gossip fosters cliques, damages professionals' reputations, erodes trust, and spreads misinformation which will eventually detriment workplace morale. Gossip in the workplace may also lead to unnecessary conflict and a decline in productivity.

Even with understanding the implications of workplace gossip, it is still challenging for a manager to control or decrease gossip in the workplace. Managers working on decreasing gossip in the workplace should focus on leading by example. Building a cohesive team that promotes collaboration and communication will work to decrease gossip throughout a team. In having a more collaborative team, misinformation will be challenging to spread because direct reports will build a community and embrace camaraderie within the team.

Other steps to reduce gossip in the workplace may be to set clear expectations about professional behavior or to host a seminar explaining the negative effects of gossip. With clear communication, individuals will be less likely to spread misinformation. However, if a manager feels that their team needs additional guidance, they should always communicate with human resources and find out about other tools or resources available to leaders and team members for the betterment of the team.

by Kendall Barndollar

Fri 9 February 2024

In 1998 Daimler Motor Company Group (now Mercedes-Benz) attempted a merger with Chrysler Corporation. On paper, Daimler-Chrysler was a perfect combination. Daimler and Chrysler brought price points for different target audiences and their respective leaders had high hopes for a successful merger of the companies. Internally, Daimler had a vertical structure with enforced hierarchical roles while Chrysler used a horizontal structure with less formalities. The two entities split shortly after because they could not find a mutually beneficial culture or compromise the two hierarchical structure approaches.

Finding the perfect team culture is challenging as is. Combining with another entity only creates additional battles for managers to face. Finding ways to maintain team or group culture through organizational changes puts a further burden on executive leadership and team managers within companies.

In learning to deal with this new, unique workplace challenge, here are ten tips for managers in leading their teams through organizational changes:

Understand the Stages of Team Development

Using the four normative stages of team development, leaders should allow teams to autonomously develop and grow into a culture that fosters specific team values. Allowing teams the time to go through the stages of forming, morning, storming, and performing to find the best-fit roles can be a daunting challenge for hands-on leaders going through organizational changes. However, by enabling new teams to flow through these changes, they will develop a productive team environment that allows a team to be efficient and effective.

2. Practice Effective Communication

Effectively communicating in times of change enables leaders to collect feedback and grow from two-way communication with their direct reports. Leaders practicing active listening will be able to voice employee concerns throughout the process of organizational change. On the flip side, leaders effectively communicating with their direct reports will provide clarity and reduce resistance to changes within a company.

3. Use Inclusive Decision Making

In management decisions, allowing direct reports to voice concerns and opinions whenever possible will improve adaptability and allow for creative solutions that will satisfy all levels within an organizational hierarchy. Ensuring that team members feel heard and valued will foster a team culture that is beneficial to employees and executive management. Inclusive decision-making empowers company leadership to adapt from direct reports' experiences when undergoing an organizational change in addition to whole team efforts to creative problem solving that will be most beneficial to sustaining the organization's culture.

4. Develop Employee Support Programs

If managers find that certain employees struggle with organizational changes, they should consider developing an employee support program. This may be as simple as having a point person for employees to direct questions to or creating a guide of all expected changes and how the firm will adapt. Unexpected changes create anxiety for team members that some may struggle to overcome. In dealing with anxiety in crucial conversations and organizational changes, managers need to practice caution and

5. Prioritize Psychological Safety

In addition to developing employee support resources, a necessary concern for management should be the psychological safety of all professionals in the organization. Psychological safety can be a largely impactful aspect of an individual's ability to adjust to organizational changes and to maintain the most beneficial culture for the company. To maintain an environment of psychological safety, managers should focus on clear communication and allowing individuals a safe environment to grow and learn with the company.

6. Foster Cohesion

In going through a merger, acquisition, or general organizational changes, establishing an environment that fosters cohesion and camaraderie can make a drastic difference. Facing changes as a united front will communicate support and community to all direct reports, especially those struggling with finding their place in organizational changes. A cohesive group also creates a safe environment for direct reports to voice concerns, opinions, or opportunities for growth.

7. Set SMART Goals

A smart goal is specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely. Managers setting team-wide SMART goals will provide realistic and effective areas for professionals to concentrate on when undergoing hectic changes that frequently disorient teams' progress. Setting SMART goals with continuous feedback is essential for the stable growth of an organization undergoing foundational changes.

8. Celebrate Success

Celebrating successes through an organizational change brings a variety of benefits to the team working to maintain their group culture. Specifically, celebrating success at all levels will boost team morale and work to reinforce the best practices before and throughout big changes. The ability to reinforce best practices will highlight values, behaviors, and achievements that are best for the organization. In addition to moral support, acknowledgments of individuals' hard work and dedication throughout the process.

9. Collect & Utilize Continuous Feedback

The collection and use of continuous feedback is crucial to sustaining an organization's culture through large changes, mergers, or acquisitions. In collecting this feedback, consider using a platform such as AIM Insights that will aid in setting SMART goals, finding measures of feedback, and collecting the feedback year-round to provide opportunities for continuous growth across all hierarchical levels in an organization.

10. Seek Guidance

If a manager feels that they need additional support for guiding a team through a foundational organizational change they should consider finding additional support and guidance. First, leaders should consider joining a horizontal mentorship group that will create an environment for executives and managers to speak to other professionals at their level for collective feedback and learning. Additionally, if managers feel that they need additional guidance in aiding their team, they should reach out to their company's human resources department. The HR professionals will likely have developed guides or tools that will help teams practice flexibility and adapt to continuous changes within a firm.

Addressing organizational changes is a unique challenge with unique experiences for every team. Although a daunting challenge, managers have the tools necessary to sustain organizational culture throughout times of change. It is crucial to collect and use feedback from direct reports as the most impactful tool for determining a team's next steps, growth areas, and opportunities for learning or development. In supporting teams through organizational changes, leaders can boost employee engagement, hopefully improving job satisfaction and commitment.

by Kendall Barndollar

Thu 22 February 2024

The onus is on leaders to establish trust within a team and foster the best-fit culture. But, building a company culture with a foundation of trust requires commitment and constant communication from leadership. When expectations are met, trust is built. Although seemingly simple, many leaders may struggle with clear communication expectations and setting realistic goals for their direct reports, thus diminishing the trust being built and detrimenting the growth of their team. To set realistic goals, leaders must focus on honesty in expectations and, work to limit unrealistic optimism about the outcome of projects or goals. While setting high goals can be a great motivator, unrealistic expectations discourage direct reports from working towards high standards.

Finding the balance of achievable expectations is extraordinarily challenging for leaders. In working towards direct reports meeting expectations, here are 10 tips for leaders and executives to improve their team culture and build trust:

Lead By Example

Managers and team leaders' indirect actions are key communicators to their direct reports. Managers' commitment to meeting expectations and holding up their end of responsibilities creates a culture that values accountability and builds trust based on past experiences. Leaders set the tone for the whole team, if leaders put trust in their direct reports, their team may autonomously flourish and grow. Leaders' practice of trust will create a ripple effect throughout the entire organization allowing for tremendous growth and innovation in teams.

2. Set Goals

The best way to encourage direct reports to meet expectations is to set clear, SMART goals. SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Timely. When setting these goals, teams, and leaders must collaborate and follow each letter of the acronym for maximized motivation and ability to meet the expectations. In setting goals, consider the use of software such as AIM Insights that will provide continuous feedback for growth. The best tool for establishing these goals is a collaboration between executives and their direct reports to find a realistically attainable goal without jeopardizing the work-life balance of any team member.

3. Encourage Open Communication

Open communication is essential for the development of trust. Leaders must be deliberate in effectively communicating with their teams promptly. With open communication, direct reports are better equipt to meet and exceed goals. Managers should consider sharing decision-making practices and promote open discussions that will encourage a community feeling. Trust in a team where individuals know that the managers value their contributions and work in the best interest of the team will see tremendous growth.

4. Set Accountability Standards

Accountability is a key aspect of establishing trust within a work culture. Over time, direct reports meeting expectations build trust in company culture. Holding individuals accountable for mistakes and errors along the way, without scrutinizing them will work to build a company culture foundation of trust. Open discussion of errors or shortcomings will allow individuals to learn from their mistakes, build trust, and, allow executives to learn how to better their team. Trust cannot only be built on exceeding and meeting expectations but in honesty through shortcomings and errors along the way as well.

5. Practice Consistency

An important factor in establishing trust is consistency and predictability. With executives in decision-making processes, leaders must practice a process of consistency to build trust with direct reports. Inconsistencies in leadership build a culture of uncertainty and fear within direct reports. With a lack of reliability, direct reports will not be meeting their fullest potential and may be negatively impacted by fear or uncertainty within their team.

6. Emphasize Team Building

Team building, in and out of the office is imperative to build a culture with trust. Team building enables individuals to see their co-workers as friends, and builds a community with camaraderie and morale that will encourage collaboration and success. Getting to know peers allows individuals to build connections and trust with their teammates. These connections will not only improve trust but, will improve accountability and collaboration amongst direct reports.

7. Establish Recognition Norms

Regularly recognizing individuals who have met or exceeded their goals builds a system of appreciation and will further encourage success within a team. With a regular practice of acknowledging individuals, management can express the value of hard work and determination. Sharing team members' success will greatly improve trust and morale within a team's culture. Additionally, recognition can serve as a great motivator for direct reports to meet their goals and expectations of managers. When a company creates a culture that communicates how valued each employee is, turnover will decrease and a team community will be built.

8. Promote Psychological Safety

As always, managers must consider the psychological safety of their team environment in working to establish a productive culture. Psychological safety builds an environment centered around valuing individuals and building trust. Any individual on a team may detriment to the psychological safety that is built, from managers to direct reports. In this instance, managers should focus on building an environment that values individuals and their contributions which will build mutual trust for both management and direct reports.

9. Limit Jargon

A crucial factor in building trust in a team environment is to be clear and honest in all communications, including limiting jargon and phrases that are intentionally indirect. To establish expectations and build trust, leaders must be transparent with their direct reports. The same holds for recruiting practices. In recruiting, leaders should be clear in their communication of the expectations and culture of the team, avoiding phrases such as “work hard, play hard” that create a confusing expectation of the work environment.

10. Empower Team Members

Members in teams with trust should feel empowered to succeed and excel with the support of their peers. Managers working to build trust should focus on empowering direct reports to meet expectations independently. Direct reports sense of belonging and support from teammates will enable individuals to meet and exceed expectations with the help of their peers. Building a culture that values inclusion will create a safe space for members to productively fail and find great success.

In establishing a culture of trust, leaders need to recognize that the results may not be noticeable overnight. Building trust takes time. To build trust, leaders need to provide ample opportunities for direct reports to meet and exceed set expectations while still maintaining a productive team culture. In creating attainable expectations, trust within a team will unlock growth and collaboration, leading to great success.

by Kendall Barndollar

Wed 28 August 2024

It is no secret that the Covid-19 pandemic significantly affected norms and traditions in the workplace. The transition to work from home and eventually hybrid work schedules sincerely impacted professionals' productivity and well-being. Yet, nearly 5 years later, many companies continue to struggle with promoting work-from-home productivity and mixing new members into team culture when welcoming new hires.

In the pre-pandemic traditional office, team culture and expectations were effectively communicated to incoming team members face-to-face in offices and meetings. However finding the best way to communicate these objectives to new hires in a virtual environment is still paramount for establishing a well-oiled, productive team.

On the other hand, after a five-year stent of the work-from-home environment, leaders are now tasked with transitioning teams back into the office while maintaining a previously established culture or, even more difficult, adjusting to better-fit team culture. Managers face further challenges leading through change in welcoming new team members throughout this transition and establishing clear expectations whilst working to integrate new hires into the team or company culture.

When new members join teams that exclusively work from home, how can leaders effectively acclimate them to their teams' culture? How can managers continue to promote their ideal team culture in an entirely virtual or hybrid environment?

Adding new members to a virtual team can create feelings of isolation and exclusion so fully integrating new hires is crucial to sustain their involvement with a team. However, this is a daunting task for managers in fully virtual and even hybrid environments. Here are three steps for leaders to better integrate new hires into a remote company culture:

Building the Right Culture for a Team

Building the right culture can be a daunting task but, finding an adaptable, productive team culture based on values and expectations is crucial for the optimization of every team and the success of team members. In building a team culture representative of members' values, new virtual team members will be able to observe the importance and priorities of a team, making it easier to fuse with the culture. On the contrary, if the culture is not representative of members' values and demonstrated by current team members, new hires will have a challenging time following and joining the company culture.

To begin building a beneficial team culture, leaders and managers should focus on psychological safety and building genuine connections across a team. Leaders can establish a beneficial team culture through a variety of ways, including structured onboarding, social events, and, cross-team collaboration. However, a highly effective manner of building a strong culture is through leaders ‘living the values’ and principles that the culture is built on. Leading by example is the best way to demonstrate expectations. Through embodying company values, managers promote team culture and provide an informal opportunity for learning in both technical and relationship-based expectations.

2. Encouraging Communication Across Teams

Through efficient and effective communication, leaders and managers can communicate expectations, norms, and roles that aid in building a productive team culture. Especially in the work-from-home environment, encouraging open communication is paramount to integrating new hires. Allowing open streams of communication that encourage asking questions and getting to know others will certainly demonstrate and welcome new team members. Specifically, leaders should promote collaboration and teamwork in the beginning of the role before focusing on more autonomous aspects of a new-hires responsibilities. Through open communication, productivity will skyrocket via efficient problem-solving and team members collaborating and participating in events with each other. Through open communication, new hires can observe team dynamics and norms that will help them better join the team or firm culture.

3. Promoting Mentorship Across Levels

Promoting mentorship is a necessary tool for developing strong leaders and integrating team culture throughout different levels of the workplace. Mentorship can be implemented in professional atmospheres through a variety of ways but essentially should aid in the personal and professional development of younger generations from those with more experience in the industry. To establish a mentorship program in an office, leaders should focus on building connections and encouraging relationships throughout different levels. Additionally, managers should consider a formal mentorship program in which senior employees are paired with new hires or more junior employees to establish connections and provide guidance throughout their careers. Mentorship is a necessary tool aiding in the continuation of team culture across generations and organizational hierarchies.

Managers and leaders seeking mentorship or guidance should consider joining an executive mastermind group to gain insights from other high-level professionals across industries. Executive mastermind groups create the opportunity for leaders across fields to learn from each other's experiences and expertise. Mentorship is crucial for development across all levels, not just for new hires or college recruits, and establishing strong mentor relations will serve individuals throughout their lifetime.

4. Leveraging Technology in a Creative Way

Using technology in creative ways to encourage socialization is a pivotal tool in welcoming new hires into a team. Holding virtual events primarily focused on the social development and connection of a team is a primary way of integrating new hires. These meetings are an opportunity for everyone to relax and form genuine connections with their colleagues. In traditional in-person teams, professionals will take it upon themselves to personally connect with their colleagues in the lunch room or throughout the office whereas in a virtual environment, individuals do not necessarily take the initiative to socialize unless organized by leadership.

Leading through change is a critical aspect of management but certainly a very challenging aspect, especially in such significant changes such as work-from-home to in-office shifts. As always, leaders need to stay positive through times of change and understand that large transitions may take time and patience. Great leaders adapt to change and approach their teams with empathy and support through challenging adjustments. To best lead teams through change, managers should focus on transparency and building trusting relationships with their direct reports. More than anything, the best leaders serve as advocates for their teams, working to find the perfect medium of productivity and balance in the workplace that supports individuals in the office and their well-being outside of the office simultaneously.

by Kendall Barndollar

Sun 22 September 2024

Daniel Kahneman’s Thinking, Fast and Slow provides valuable insight into understanding how the human brain's analytical systems impact decision-making. The book provides a dual system thinking theory, explaining that when someone is faced with a decision, they will utilize one of two systems, called system 1 or 2 thinking.

Strong decision-making skills are crucial for managers' success. Leaders are constantly faced with decisions that heavily impact the lives of others. Managers' decisions affect team morale, culture, and efficiency so mindfulness in making these decisions is crucial to team success and longevity. Layoffs, raises, promotions, client placements, and strategies are all decisions that leaders face on behalf of their direct reports. To best keep serving teams and executives, it is paramount for leaders to be deliberate in their decision-making.

Managers may employ a variety of decision-making tactics so to mitigate bias in decision-making, every leader should be conscious of how they utilize system one or system two thinking.

System one thinking is immediate. This system is essentially automatic and is initiated by the surrounding environment and habits. System one thinking is dangerous because it is subconscious and can sincerely affect decision-making processes in all people. System one thinking enables unconscious bias to influence choices. These biases are problematic because the individual is unaware of the bias that impacts their decisions. Unconscious bias can appear in all individuals and is extremely hard to detect and reverse.

System two is critical thinking. System 2 thinking is intentional and engages the brain in analyzing every aspect and result of decisions. System 2 thinking is usually initiated by a fight or flight type response. When the brain is unfamiliar with the circumstance, system two thinking kicks in to analyze and understand aspects the brain doesn’t realize in system one thinking.

To minimize bias and prioritize system two thinking, managers can employ a variety of strategies to challenge their perspectives and beliefs. For managers to foster a positive team culture, they must encourage open dialogue, learning, and psychological safety. Being mindful of individuals' cognitive processes, biases and experiences will enhance decision-makers' tendencies away from system 1 thinking. To better utilize system two thinking, managers should consider finding new opportunities for mentorship or collaboration that will broaden their understanding and perspective.

A critical opportunity for leaders to learn from others' experiences is mentorship programs. Mentorship programs have benefits for individuals at all levels within an organizational hierarchy. Every member can benefit from mentorship but, finding mentors for executives can be challenging. Ambition in Motions Horizontal Mentorship Program is an opportunity for executives of different industries and experiences to collaborate and create a productive learning environment. Opening new opportunities to grow and learn in a dynamic environment catered to specific problems faced in the workplace makes horizontal mentorship a great tool to initiate system two thinking and encourage learning from others.

In the workplace, situations depending on system one or system two thinking heavily impact the outcome of decisions. For example, consider Sarah. Sarah is a manager at a small consulting firm and is responsible for 15 direct reports working underneath her. In a quarterly meeting with her boss, Sarah learned she has to lay off 20% of her staff, 3 members. Sarah is faced with a tough decision to make.

If Sarah depended on her system one thinking, she would not critically evaluate her employees' performance. System one thinking promotes irrational decision-making and emotionally driven reasoning. If Sarah utilized system one thinking, she would likely lay off employees with whom she had issues or problems within the last couple of weeks rather than evaluating long-term commitment and performance. Or, using system one thinking, Sarah may lay off an individual who she had an argument with or faced a conflict while working on a client project.

On the other hand, if Sarah critically evaluates options for this decision, she will be more apt to conduct the layoffs with consistent reasoning and explanation. System two thinking forces decision-makers brains to be engaged in the process of finding an evidence-based solution. If Sarah engages her system two thinking, she will be basing her decision on quantitative data or, factors such as efficiency or long-term performance, goal setting, and achievements.

To collect quantitative data useful in system two decision makers, leaders should consider utilizing AIM Insights. AIM Insights is a software that provides continuous goal and progress reports to both managers and their teams. Members can see personal and team goals, sincerely impacting performance and lifting expectations. Additionally, AIM Insights provides tools for attainable goal-setting that are accessible to both managers and direct reports, with benchmarking and gap analysis available, creating transparency in performance, expectation, and growth. Through the use of software such as AIM Insights, managers have readily available data to find evidence-based solutions to problems they face in their roles.

However, a pivotal benefit of AIM Insights is executive coaching. Executive coaching provides leaders with a personal connection to aid in goal setting and analyzing AIM Insight metrics. These experienced industry professionals provide guidance and consistently analyze results and metrics through a system-two lens. From the removal of personal connections with direct reports, executive coaches gain emotional distance and are able to objectively evaluate the performance of members, aiding in data-driven decision-making.

Overall, it is crucial for all individuals, and especially leaders to engage their system's two thinking processes. Understanding the differences in automatic and critical thinking provides valuable insights into decision-making habits and how information is processed. By recognizing the best settings for each of the thinking models, leaders are enabled to enhance decision-making skills and efficiency along with mitigating bias. Embracing the dual-system thinking model will unlock potential and encourage mindfulness in decision-making across roles.

by Kayla Ambrose

Fri 4 October 2024

Managers appreciate having a “high-performing” star employee who consistently exceeds expectations and is highly motivated. An equally valuable, but often overlooked team member is the “silent star”. This individual is also a high performer consistently driving exceptional results, but they are more introverted and less visible in team interactions. While these silent stars may thrive individually, their introverted tendencies can pose challenges in team settings that rely heavily on collaboration. Given their heavy contributions to the team, it's crucial for managers to find a balance between supporting individual productivity and team cohesion

How to Identify Silent Stars?

With silent stars being less vocal about their contributions to the team, it can prove difficult for managers to identify which individuals are truly creating this positive impact. Identifying these employees takes a strong awareness of performance metrics and behavioral patterns. Managers should look beyond vocal participation and pay close attention to consistency, quality, and impact of individuals' work. A strategy to help determine the silent star is to utilize performance measurement software to gain insights into individual team members' contributions and progress toward goals. Additionally, regular performance reviews and observing how team members engage in smaller or more controlled environments may also lead to a greater understanding of which individuals are heavily contributing under the radar.

Managers may also find a crowdsourcing approach as a more involved approach to determining silent stars. Speaking with team members and others throughout the organization asking them to nominate peers who are strong contributors and don’t receive sufficient recognition from management. Once identified by peers, managers can speak one-on-one to the silent stars and learn about their contributions to the team.

Why is it important to recognize these silent stars?

These individuals are the top talent on the team, but if they feel unrecognized they may leave for an organization that will value them more. One of the main reasons employees quit their jobs is insufficient recognition and appreciation, so managers must actively ensure these silent stars feel valued within their team. Silent stars are often willing to take on thankless tasks within the team and won’t publicize their successes to the team. Despite these behind-the-scenes contributions, they aren’t content with anonymity and this lack of recognition can cause them to disengage from the team over time.

Here are Some Strategies to Recognize These Silent Stars and Support Them:

1. Active Praise

Managers should make a conscious effort to recognize these employees both in private and in public. Praising contributions privately through email or even a one-on-one conversation to thank them for their work can go a long way. Make sure to publicly recognize employees as well, specifically to other managers and executives so these silent stars know that their work isn’t going unnoticed. Recognizing these efforts not only signals that managers are noticing their contributions it can also boost confidence ultimately encouraging them to be more vocal within the team.

2. Increased Responsibility

Along with recognizing their talents, increasing their responsibilities within the team can demonstrate that their work is appreciated. Managers should assign the silent stars to high-impact projects that align with their skill set. This provides the silent stars opportunities to take ownership of their work and encourages them to take on leadership in areas which they feel more comfortable. Ensure that with this increased responsibility they are also given resources that they need to support them in this new role.

3. Training Opportunities

Offering specific training opportunities to support their professional development is another way to recognize and support silent stars. Silent stars may be less inclined to pursue professional development opportunities or situations outside of their comfort zone to grow their skill set. Providing online courses, one-on-one mentoring, or horizontal mentorship opportunities are all great ways to facilitate professional growth. Additionally, it may be beneficial to encourage them to pursue additional certifications to enhance their individual contributions. Providing these training opportunities can be a subtle yet effective way to support silent stars and appreciate the value they bring to the team.

4. Foster Psychological Safety

Silent stars may be quieter in team settings due to a lack of psychological safety. It is important to ensure that they have a safe and comfortable environment at work. Managers should create a culture in which all team members feel they can share their ideas free from judgement. Silent stars may be more hesitant to contribute to group meetings, so providing them more time to prepare for meetings or placing them in smaller group settings can increase their psychological safety. Focusing on improving psychological safety may help these silent stars be less silent.

5. Build Rapport

Work to develop a relationship in one-on-one settings through monthly conversations. Establishing a relationship with silent stars takes a conscious effort and intentional actions. Since they may not engage in personal conversations as frequently as other team members, it is important to reach out to build this relationship. Regular check-ins to discuss their progress with their work and their life outside of work is a great way for managers to gain insights into the motivations of these silent stars.

Recognizing and supporting silent stars is crucial for creating a balanced and high-performing team. Although these introverted team members may not highlight their contributions, their consistently high performance has a significant impact on the team’s success. Managers must work to identify these under-recognized team members through careful observation and performance metrics. By praising silent stars, increasing their responsibilities, creating development opportunities, fostering psychological safety, and building relationships with silent stars, managers can ensure that they feel valued and appreciated. Acknowledging and supporting silent stars will not only boost their motivations but also retain these top performers who might otherwise go unnoticed.

by Kendall Barndollar

Fri 18 October 2024

In the continuously evolving workplace, generations have begun to prioritize emotional intelligence and interpersonal factors. A 2023 Forbes article entitled “Why Emotional Intelligence Is Crucial For Effective Leadership” explains that today's leaders differ from those of traditional, stereotypical leaders. Rather than solely focusing on specific data, sales targets, or goals, managers are now expected to achieve these goals while also promoting psychological safety. Forbes author, Sanjay Sehgal highlights the difference in today's leaders, boasting self-awareness and care for fostering relationships over giving directions creating a new kind of workplace.

In this new and evolving role that managers have an expectation to undertake, many struggle to support direct reports going through personal struggles or challenges. Managers' ability to navigate these situations requires empathy, emotional intelligence, and the focus to balance professional and personal needs. Sometimes managers struggle in switching from a task-oriented to a relationship-oriented workplace, however, prioritizing relationships in the workplace is paramount to the success of modern leaders. Leaders commonly lack the training or experience relevant to handling sensitive, emotionally impactful conversations, which can make it difficult to provide genuine support. As organizations increasingly prioritize balance, managers must develop the awareness needed to effectively support their teams during challenging times. Here are 6 ways managers can provide emotional support and build psychological safety for their team members:

Encourage Open Communication

Oftentimes, communication barriers hinder managers' ability to emotionally support their direct reports. Without a clear understanding of the extent or challenge someone is facing, leaders have no way of knowing what will best support their teams. Miscommunication or lack of trust can lead to misunderstandings, leaving employees feeling unsupported or unvalued by the team. On the other hand, open communication strengthens relationships, fosters a sense of psychological safety, and ensures employees understand the personal and professional support available.

2. Offer Flexibility

To emotionally support direct reports by demonstrating empathy and understanding of personal challenges, managers can offer flexibility in teams, where available. Finding productive methods to manage contributions and find a compromise to support individuals is challenging. Altering schedules, adding a cushion to deadlines, or allowing remote work can aid employees in managing their struggles. Flexibility and understanding when possible can foster stress and aid in reducing stress for employees facing a variety of challenges. Creating an environment where direct reports are comfortable asking for help or support should be at the forefront of focus in creating psychological safety.

3. Build a Strong Team Culture

Creating a strong team culture positively boosts a manager's ability to emotionally support direct reports by fostering a sense of trust, camaraderie, and mutual respect among teams, and levels of an organization's hierarchy. Working in an inclusive culture, employees are much more likely to openly communicate personal and professional hurdles, enabling managers to provide timely and appropriate support. Building productive workplace cultures has another benefit for providing support to team members. A strong culture encourages peer support and empathy, building a culture where team members care for each other, reduce stress, and provide a comforting work environment.

4. Set Clear Expectations

Employees' fundamental understanding of their roles, responsibilities, and goals works to mitigate stress and promote efficacy in the workplace. Clear expectations offer a foundation for trust and open communication which encourages employees to ask for help, and clarification and express concerns as they arise. Building a structure to foster a supportive environment will promote employees' feelings of security, and better enable managers to provide meaningful emotional support when needed.

5. Promote Balance

Enhancing workplace balance is a strong tool for managers hoping to provide emotional support to their direct reports. When managers encourage work-life balance, employees are more in control of their personal and professional lives which, can be supportive in facing hurdles in either sphere. Ongoing support reduces burnout and anxiety, which makes employees more apt to approach managers or leaders to discuss their challenges. A balanced workplace creates an environment where every employee can feel supported in work and personal needs. By prioritizing balance, managers demonstrate care for their team's well-being, strengthening trust and improving their ability to offer emotional support when needed.

6. Offer Continuous Feedback

Providing opportunities to receive continuous feedback can aid in supporting direct reports through personal challenges. In creating trust and promoting transparency, providing continuous feedback is crucial for continuous growth. Regular feedback not only provides employees with a clear sense of their performance but helps to alleviate confusion and, provides opportunities for discussion about responsibilities and workloads. Feedback circles enable a conversation between direct reports and their employees, allowing managers to better address challenges and comprehend major factors affecting their direct reports. Having a proactive approach to discussing performance with employees demonstrates a focus on overall development and well-being, promoting comfort and support.

In today’s workplace, emotionally supporting team members is crucial for managers to foster a positive and productive environment. Encouraging open communication ensures that employees feel heard, valued, and safe to express their challenges. Offering flexibility, where possible, helps managers accommodate personal struggles, reducing stress and building trust. A strong team culture and clear expectations further reinforce psychological safety and mutual respect, making it easier for employees to seek support. Promoting work-life balance enhances employees' well-being, helping them manage both personal and professional demands. Finally, continuous feedback creates a foundation for growth and clarity, allowing managers to offer timely emotional support. Altogether, these strategies build a resilient, connected team, benefiting both individual employees and the organization as a whole.

by Kayla Ambrose

Fri 18 October 2024

While dependents are great when filing taxes, they are way less beneficial to have as team members. Instead of providing a nice tax break, overly dependent team members seek constant approval, require guidance for simple tasks, and avoid making decisions they are qualified to do. This constant need for external support results in ordinary tasks taking copious amounts of time, ultimately decreasing team productivity. While it’s natural for employees to seek guidance, too much reliance on direction from managers can affect individual and team performance. The challenge for managers is how to transform these dependents into self-sufficient team members who are confident in their abilities.

What Causes Manager Dependency?

When managing an overly dependent team member it’s crucial to consider the root cause of their over-reliance. The main causes of manager dependency include micromanagement, lack of confidence, inexperience, and fear of consequences.

Micromanagement

Employees who have experienced a micromanager on their previous team may lack exposure to functioning autonomously. While their frequent seeking of approval is exhausting on this team, it was the norm on their previous team. Similarly, it’s important to reflect on personal management styles to ensure micromanagement isn’t occurring. Managers often struggle to delegate tasks and allow team members to take ownership of their work. Reflect to ensure delegation strategies are implemented throughout the team.

If a team member joined the team with little to no prior experience, they may still receive treatment like the ‘newbie’ despite working on the team for a considerable time. Reflect on management styles with this employee to ensure they are treated appropriately.

Lack of Confidence

Team members also may be dependent due to a lack of confidence. Doubting their abilities leads employees to seek additional reassurance when completing tasks or making decisions because they believe this will prevent errors or failure. While they have good intentions of avoiding mistakes, this can create a cycle of continued dependency ultimately decreasing productivity.

Lacking confidence can manifest as a result of poor psychological safety. Creating a safe space for employees to make mistakes and receive constructive feedback works to build confidence and allow team members to feel comfortable taking educated risks.

Inexperience

In certain situations, new or inexperienced team members might lack exposure to specific tasks they are responsible for completing. This lack of prior knowledge can lead them to seek additional guidance when carrying out the tasks. To promote more autonomy for team members with limited experience, provide clear directions and expectations for their assigned tasks. Additionally, provide resources they can refer to throughout the task and develop mechanisms for them to get more structured feedback while progressing through the assignment.

Fear of Consequences

A workplace culture that heavily scrutinizes and penalizes mistakes can develop dependent tendencies within teams. This overemphasis on failure avoidance and perfection may prevent team members from taking risks or frequently seeking approval. When employees feel a mistake could lead to repercussions such as disciplinary action or criticism, they become more risk-averse. Furthermore, this fear of consequences can stifle innovation due avoidance of innovative yet, risky solutions.

General Strategies to Limit Dependency

After considering what is contributing to team members dependency, managers must develop strategies to progressively decrease dependent behaviors.

1. Slowly Increase Responsibility– progressively allowing team members to gain responsibility will signal trust in their capabilities. Slowly increase their responsibility through delegating more significant tasks overtime to build confidence and competence. Tasking them with more responsibility will allow them to feel more capable and have an increase since of ownership over their work. Break down milestones and deadlines into smaller, more achievable goals. When each goal is achieved, make sure to celebrate their successes to continue to develop self-assurance.

2. Provide Clear Directions– when communicating tasks or how to get feedback, make sure to provide specific instructions. Reliance on management can arise when team members are unsure of the directions they are given and consequently ask a lot of questions. To prevent this constant bombardment of inquiries and reassurance, articulate tasks thoroughly. This can be achieved through demonstrating examples, asking if they have initial questions, and providing resources they can utilize when they encounter difficulties. The goal is to provide sufficient information, so they don’t need further guidance.

3. Establish Boundaries– team member should know when they are empowered to make their own decisions. Discuss clear boundaries so employees know when to seek approval from management and when they are encouraged to be independent. To better establish when team members can seek support, set up regular meetings to discuss concerns and relevant questions. Creating a set time to provide assistance will prevent them from seeking out guidance throughout the day. Over time, these meetings can decrease in frequency as the employee becomes more confident and autonomous.

4. Accept Mistakes– throughout this process of developing independence it is crucial for managers to accept mistakes. Although mistakes may occur more often due to the less frequent clarifications, the dependent employee will become better at working independently over time. Being hypercritical of mistakes when trying to boost confidence is counterproductive. Provide constructive feedback and make sure to celebrate successes. Not only should managers being accepting of mistakes, but it is important to foster this acceptance of mistakes in the dependent employee as well. Work to help them develop a growth mindset, so they start seeing setbacks as opportunities.

Working to reduce dependency can be a challenging initiative. Even with increasing responsibilities, communicating clear directions, establishing boundaries, and developing a safe place to make mistakes, team members may still struggle to become more independent. Recognize that each employee is different so different strategies may need to be utilized to coach them towards independence. If consistent issues arise, seek advice from mentors who have experienced similar challenges to learn about successful strategies they have utilized.

Throughout this process of increasing independence, remember that team members won’t become autonomous overnight. Working to change their natural habits will require patience and guidance. Help theme to take small steps each day to become more confident completing tasks on their own.

by Kendall Barndollar

Fri 1 November 2024

Moore's Circle of Conflict is a powerful tool for understanding the underlying causes of conflicts in professional environments. This model, developed by Christopher Moore, categorizes conflict sources into 5 different areas: data, values, relationships, structure, and interests. Each of these 5 types of conflict gives insight into why arguments or disagreements arise and how they can best be addressed. For managers, understanding how to categorize and address types of conflict is paramount for building a beneficial team culture. Understanding the Circle of Conflict enables managers to make strategic decisions in effective resolution within a team.

Both conflict management and relationship management are paramount to building successful, productive teams in the workplace. Effective conflict management allows leaders to use constructive resolution techniques, mitigating impacts on morale and productivity as a result of said conflict. However, the most crucial aspect of mitigating and resolving conflict is promoting active listening, enabling managers to strategically address issues. When resolved with strategic solutions, team members can become more innovative, and collaboration may be improved across team members. Leaders also play a vital role in preparing the next generation of leaders to adequately address conflicts.

Relationship management, on the other hand, focuses on fostering mutual trust, respect, and open communication within the team. Building a team culture based on trust will promote transparency and honesty in resolution. Strong relationships between team members or direct reports and managers will encourage constructive conflict where individuals feel supported to share their ideas and contribute and disagreements are easily solved. Effective relationship management will enable psychological safety within a team and promote balance. Conflict and relationship management skills enhance individual performance and drive collective success, as teams work in harmony toward common goals.

1. Data Conflicts

Data conflicts occur when there are misunderstandings or disputes over information or lack thereof. In a professional setting, data conflicts are common and can arise from miscommunications, incorrect data interpretations, or the absence of vital information. For example, if two departments are working together and have different data sources or data interpretations, disagreements are almost inevitable.

When leaders are equipped to recognize a data conflict, they can prevent misunderstandings from escalating. The primary strategies for managers addressing data conflicts are clarifying information, enhancing transparency, and potential preventative training. Specifically, clarifying information could utilize leaders holding a meeting to go over any questions or disputes, with full access to data and information. To enhance transparency, leaders should work to provide as much information upfront, including how data is collected and shared. Finally, preventative training on data literacy or something similar may benefit teams repeatedly struggling for data conflicts. Addressing data conflicts effectively reduces tensions and enhances decision-making, ensuring everyone operates from the same factual basis.

2. Value Conflicts

Value conflicts are rooted in differences in beliefs or personal principles, such as ethics, cultural values, or social norms. For instance, one team member may value innovation and risk-taking, while another prioritizes stability and proven methods.

Leaders who recognize value conflicts can play a pivotal role in guiding discussions that respect everyone’s beliefs. Key strategies for addressing value conflicts are setting common ground, promoting diversity, and creating open communication paths for disagreements. Value conflicts revolve around disagreements of morals or beliefs. To mitigate, promote conversations that find common ground and compromise for similar beliefs. Additionally, policies and actions that promote diversity and inclusion will bring outside perspectives that can impact value conflicts. Acknowledging diverse perspectives can help find similarities in values and resolve conflicts. Finally, creating open communication paths for conversation between team members provides an opportunity for individuals to share, feeling respected and understood. Addressing value conflicts with empathy not only improves relationships but also fosters a workplace where diversity of thought is valued.

3. Relationship Conflicts

Relationship conflicts typically stem from personal issues between colleagues, often due to misunderstandings, communication issues, or historical grievances. These conflicts can be deeply personal and can quickly disrupt team dynamics if left unaddressed.

Leaders can tackle relationship conflicts by encouraging open communication, promoting team building, and additional training on conflict resolution. Creating opportunities for team members to share their perspectives and experiences is paramount to resolving relationship conflicts. Encouraging mutual respect and team building a great tools to aid in mitigating the conflict. When people feel connected to their co-workers, they are less likely to have serious conflicts that are beyond their ability to resolve. Finally, conflict resolution training can be a great tool for preventing relationship conflict, and equipping leaders with necessary tools to promote harmony across a team. When leaders proactively address relationship conflicts, they create a cohesive, positive environment, reinforcing a culture where collaboration can flourish despite personal differences.

4. Structural Conflicts

Structural conflicts are caused by organizational structures, such as unclear job roles, power imbalances, or resource constraints. For example, if a team feels overwhelmed due to a lack of support staff or unclear role definitions, tension is likely to increase.

Leaders can resolve structural conflicts by clarifying responsibilities and addressing power dynamics. Ensuring each individual understands the requirements and expectations of their role and how it impacts others can clarify and prevent misunderstandings. Accordingly, addressing power dynamics can be a great tool for managers to mitigate power differences as they relate to conflict in the office. Together, these tools serve as prime resources to strategically address structural conflicts in the workplace. By addressing structural conflicts head-on, leaders can ensure a fairer workplace where systems and processes support rather than hinder productivity.

5. Interest Conflicts

Interest conflicts arise when team members have competing personal or professional goals. For example, one employee may seek a promotion while another wants to maintain a work-life balance. These conflicts are common in goal-oriented environments and require thoughtful leadership to resolve.

Leaders can address interest conflicts by promoting personal and organizational value alignment, and flexibility and encouraging a collaborative culture. Values alignment will create an understanding environment for both managers and their teams. By understanding individual goals, managers can find ways to align these with the company’s objectives, allowing for mutually beneficial outcomes. Flexibility will create an environment where compromise is encouraged and professionals are willing to meet in the middle. Finally, a collaborative culture will allow leaders to help team members and facilitate a productive environment moving forward. When handled effectively, interest conflicts can be opportunities for growth and innovation, as team members find creative solutions that satisfy multiple interests.

Moore's Circle of Conflict is a valuable tool for managers and executives who strive for effective conflict resolution. Improving communication and open dialogue will enable managers to efficiently resolve conflict within teams. By understanding the nature of conflicts and taking targeted actions, leaders can transform challenges into opportunities for collective growth.

by Kayla Ambrose

Fri 13 December 2024

In many organizations, confidence often indicates strong leadership. Managers who display a strong sense of assurance and decisiveness are recognized for their strong encouragement and serve as an inspiration for their team. Although confidence in leadership is motivating, it becomes detrimental once it evolves to overconfidence which can significantly impact decision-making and organizational success. Learning to recognize and manage overconfidence is essential for management success.

Overconfidence Bias

Overconfidence is a cognitive bias discussing how people tend to overestimate their abilities or the accuracy of their predictions. The National Bureau of Economic Research published a study exemplifying the overconfidence bias. This study revealed that financial executives only saw actual market returns fall within their expected confidence interval 38% of the time. This large discrepancy highlights how overconfidence presents in management, leading to flawed decision-making.

Overconfident managers will often underestimate the risks associated with their decisions and ignore contradictory evidence to their beliefs. This exclusion of important information creates an illusion of control and a false sense of stability. Managers may believe that their expertise on a subject matter or past successes exempt them from facing significant challenges, leading to unrealistic project timeline estimates, exceeding budgets, and encountering unanticipated challenges. These unplanned issues can become incredibly damaging within complex organizations when there are high stakes and slim margins of error.

Overconfidence vs. Optimism

While optimism and overconfidence may sound similar, the two concepts are distinct and have opposite effects. Optimism is characterized by possessing a positive outlook, which can motivate teams and rally a community. Overconfidence is an inflated sense of certainty that leads individuals to disregard contradictory evidence and discredit potential risks. When considering the two concepts, optimism can coexist with realism as managers can be positive yet skeptical. On the other hand, overconfidence often leads to misjudgments.

The Cost of Overconfidence

The repercussions managers experience due to overconfidence are far-reaching and can lead to:

Project Failures

Determining unrealistic budgets or timelines can disrupt promising initiatives. Managers who overestimate their team's abilities or efficiency may put excessive pressure that they are realistically unable to perform. This can lead to a cycle of missed deadlines or increased costs, ultimately leading to a loss of stakeholder confidence.

2. Poor Decision-Making

Ignoring alternative solutions can reduce innovation and can result in suboptimal outcomes. Failure to consider dissenting information and solely relying on a manager's previous experience can exclude important information in the decision-making process. This closed-minded approach can leave the organization vulnerable to risks that may have been avoided with a broader perspective.

3. Erosion of Trust

Persistent overconfidence that leads to multiple failed projects can destroy a mangers credibility. Not only can this reduce trust, but a team's morale may suffer from the continued failure to meet expectations. Over time, low morale can result in higher turnover rates as team members seek out environments with more achievable goals.

Strategies to Circumvent Overconfidence

Seek Multiple Perspectives

Reach out to gain an external perspective to help counterbalance internal biases. Eliciting guidance from consultants, peer mentors, or even team members can provide a unique perspective. Incorporating various insights works to challenge assumptions and highlights areas of overconfidence. When gathering these perspectives, make sure to include diverse viewpoints. Individuals from different backgrounds, expertise, or organizational levels can help uncover hidden assumptions. Consider anonymous feedback mechanisms to encourage honest input.

2. Solicit Disconfirming Feedback

Actively seek out information that contradicts initial beliefs. While this may be uncomfortable, it's essential to identify blind spots in judgments and improve strategies. If struggling to find disconfirming feedback, put a team member in charge of seeking out contradictory information. Tasking a team member with this role can help prevent bias while sourcing the information. Furthermore, establishing “devil’s advocate” meetings that encourage team members to critique proposed ideas can make it easier to identify potential flaws in plans. Encouraging open conversation and critical perspectives can add value to the decision-making process.

3. Consider Consequences

When evaluating decisions, it is important to consider the consequences of each solution. Planning for each scenario and evaluating each on a case-by-case basis can work to remove initial biases. Incorporate quantitative tools such as cost-benefit analysis to objectively evaluate options. Additionally, dedicate time to review the long-term implications of decisions to ensure alignment with team and organizational goals.

4. Utilize Decision-Making Framework

Structured decision-making processes, such as SWOT analysis, can help mitigate overconfidence by ensuring consistent factors are evaluated on the same criteria. Consider documenting the decision-making process for transparency and to use it for future decisions.

5. Create a Culture of Openness

Create an environment that empowers team members to voice concerns and challenge ideas. Building a space that fosters psychological safety is crucial for gaining diverse perspectives and challenging overconfidence bias. Regularly reinforce the importance of constructive feedback and encourage team members to respectfully question assumptions. Leaders must set the tone by modeling openness and encouraging discussions.

Overconfidence bias is a challenge that many managers face, but actively implementing strategies to prevent this bias can ensure strong leadership capabilities. By understanding the root causes of this bias, and adopting strategies to counteract it, managers can make more informed decisions and enhance their organization. Cultivating an open environment, seeking diverse perspectives, and embracing uncertainty will lead to stronger, more effective leadership.

by Grace Tripathy

Fri 10 January 2025

Mentorship is often seen as a cornerstone of personal and career growth. However, to truly unlock the potential of a mentorship relationship, it is critical to establish mutual respect, value each other's time, and foster an environment of growth and collaboration. By examining the perspectives of mentors, mentees, and the dynamics of their partnership, we can uncover the principles that make mentorship thrive. Additionally, these principles align with the values of mastermind groups, where professionals come together as equals to accelerate collective growth.

The Mentor’s Perspective: Guiding with Intentionality

A good mentor recognizes the privilege and responsibility of shaping another’s professional journey. Key attributes of effective mentorship include:

Respect for the Mentee’s Goals: Tailoring advice and guidance to align with the mentee’s aspirations fosters trust and ensures relevance. A mentor should take the time to understand the mentee’s long-term objectives and provide guidance that bridges the gap between current skills and future ambitions. This approach ensures that the mentorship remains focused and meaningful.
Consistent Availability: Being present and honoring scheduled commitments demonstrates respect and professionalism. Mentors who consistently make time for their mentees signal that they value the relationship. This consistency builds trust and sets the tone for productive interactions, even when schedules are demanding.
Constructive Feedback: Providing actionable insights helps mentees navigate challenges and hone their skills. Constructive criticism, when delivered thoughtfully, can inspire growth and encourage mentees to embrace new opportunities. A mentor should also celebrate the mentee’s progress, reinforcing confidence and motivation.

Beyond these traits, mentors should remain adaptable, as each mentee brings unique needs and challenges. By cultivating empathy and remaining approachable, mentors can create an environment that fosters open dialogue and shared success.

The Mentee’s Perspective: Learning with Humility and Drive

Being a good mentee goes beyond absorbing wisdom; it involves active engagement and respect for the mentor’s time and expertise. Key qualities of effective mentees include:

Preparation: Coming to meetings with clear questions or updates maximizes the mentor’s time and creates productive conversations. This practice signals that the mentee values the mentor’s guidance and is willing to take the necessary steps to benefit from the relationship.
Gratitude: Expressing appreciation for the mentor’s efforts strengthens the relationship. Small gestures of acknowledgment, such as a thank-you note or verbal recognition, can go a long way in reinforcing a positive dynamic.
Accountability: Following through on advice or agreed-upon actions demonstrates dedication to personal growth. Mentees who consistently act on their mentor’s guidance show that they value the relationship and are committed to improving their skills and achieving their goals.

Effective mentees also embrace a growth mindset, viewing challenges as opportunities to learn rather than setbacks. By staying curious and maintaining a proactive attitude, mentees can deepen the relationship and derive greater value from the mentorship.

Working Together: Building Mutual Respect

The mentor-mentee relationship thrives on mutual respect and shared effort. Common pitfalls, such as rescheduling meetings last minute or failing to show up prepared, can erode trust and diminish the partnership’s value. To cultivate a healthy dynamic:

Value Each Other’s Time: Both mentors and mentees should honor commitments and communicate proactively if changes arise. This mutual respect helps establish a professional tone and ensures that both parties feel their time is appreciated.
Set Clear Expectations: Define the purpose, frequency, and boundaries of the relationship to avoid misunderstandings. Regularly revisiting these expectations ensures that both parties remain aligned and can adapt to evolving needs.
Celebrate Progress: Acknowledge milestones and successes to reinforce the partnership’s impact. Celebrating achievements, no matter how small, can strengthen the bond between mentors and mentees and maintain momentum in the relationship.

Moreover, both parties should prioritize open communication. Addressing concerns or challenges directly and respectfully can prevent minor issues from escalating and ensure a productive partnership.

The Mastermind Group Connection

Mastermind groups offer a unique space where mentorship principles intersect with peer collaboration. Defined as small, focused groups of professionals who meet regularly to support and challenge each other, mastermind groups operate on the mantra that all members are equals, regardless of career stage or experience level. The only prerequisite is the willingness to add value to others’ journeys.

Ambition In Motion (AIM) exemplifies the power of mastermind groups in professional development. These groups prioritize diverse perspectives by bringing together members with varied experiences and insights, enriching discussions and broadening viewpoints. This diversity fosters creativity and innovation, exposing members to ideas they might not encounter in their immediate professional circles. Structured accountability is another cornerstone of AIM, as regular meetings with defined goals encourage participants to stay on track and make meaningful progress. By holding each other accountable, members create a supportive yet challenging environment that drives growth. Additionally, collaborative growth is achieved as members share challenges and solutions, accelerating each other’s learning and professional success. This approach ensures that all participants benefit, regardless of their career stages or industries. In AIM mastermind groups, participants are encouraged to be both learners and contributors, mirroring the essence of mentorship where mutual respect and shared effort drive success.

Whether in one-on-one mentorships or mastermind groups, respect and intentionality are non-negotiable. By valuing each other’s time, honoring commitments, and fostering open communication, professionals can create relationships that elevate everyone involved. Mastermind groups, like those offered by Ambition In Motion, take this principle further by creating a platform where equals collaborate to achieve unparalleled growth.

by Kendall Barndollar

Fri 24 January 2025

In the modern workplace, prioritizing clear and effective communication is paramount to team and individual success. Sustained productivity is fostered through effective capacity management and maintaining morale while preventing burnout. While to-do lists continuously grow, many struggle to communicate their overwhelm or burnout to their managers. Without clear communication, many will stay silent or eventually leave the organization, eliminating the possibility of collaborating and growing through innovative solutions.

Addressing capacity management issues with a boss can be daunting, many fear they will be perceived as lazy or ‘not team players’. To change the tone of these meetings, professionals should suggest strategy sessions to propose solutions to the problems they are experiencing. The key to discussing these issues with a superior is to switch the mindset from discussing problems to proposing solutions.

For example, let's consider Joe, who manages a team of about 15 professionals at an emerging tech company. Joe’s team generally has a pretty productive team culture and they work really well together. In the past few months, the team has been working around the clock for a launch date in two weeks. Throughout the project, Joe noticed interpersonal conflict and tensions continuously heightened as the deadline became near.

Joe’s boss, Rebecca, emailed to inform him of an exciting new client the company has just landed and how Joe’s team will be involved in the project, with a deadline in two weeks. Joe becomes worried because he knows his team has already been putting in overtime and it will jeopardize their team culture and productivity to add another task to the to-do list with a short deadline. Joe schedules a meeting with Rebecca to discuss their management strategy for his team.

If Joe comes to the meeting angry or upset about the tasks needed from his team, Rebecca will likely not have a positive response. She may think members of Joe’s team are not contributing, or that Joe has not adequately instructed and motivated them to complete their deliverables. Instead, Joe should come to the meeting with potential solutions and an open mindset to discuss deprioritizing certain tasks or finding alternative solutions to manage the workload. Through a productive conversation, Joe can foster a collaborative approach to capacity management; listening to his team, discussing with his superior, and finding a balance. Furthermore, in advocating for his team, Joe would have contributed to building team trust and enforcing a productive, positive environment.

More than being able to manage a team's capacity, proactive capacity management prevents immediate burnout and stress, setting a foundation for long-term productivity and collaboration. Managers monitoring and adjusting workloads to reflect appropriate team capacity build a strong, connected, and supported workforce. Employees feel a stronger organizational commitment and value to the organization and team when understood. When employees are more committed and aligned with the organization, they have higher job satisfaction and strive for growth in their roles.

Additionally, a well-managed team can more effectively handle unexpected challenges, as they are not already operating at their highest capacity. Flexibility and adaptability ensure smooth project executions and foster innovation when team members work together to find solutions. By prioritizing capacity management, managers enable their teams to cultivate positive environments for clear and effective communication and collaboration. Here are 3 foundational aspects to recall for managers working on capacity management:

Open Communication

The most critical aspect of being able to effectively manage a team's capacity is establishing clear, effective, and open communication. Without communication, managers would only find out of instances of capacity overload from failures to meet deliverables or assignments. By encouraging open discussion, managers can cultivate a communication culture that empowers the voices of their direct reports and, prevents team failure or backup. Furthermore, to truly manage capacity, managers need to communicate effectively with their executives in order to meet deadlines.

2. Work-Life Balance & Psychological Safety

Another prominent aspect of prioritizing capacity management is considering work-life balance and psychological safety within the office. Work-life balance ensures that team members do not struggle in their personal lives for work and psychological safety prioritizes a positive team culture and mindset. By focusing on these two factors, managers are able to better grasp the capacity and boundaries of their teams.

3. Training and Development

A final foundational aspect of capacity management is the training and development opportunities available to teams. To truly improve a team's capacity without conceding accuracy or work quality, organizations need to invest time and resources into team training and development. Depending on the organization these experiences may take different forms and could be team bonding exercises, technical classes, or skills workshops that improve team productivity.

Managers concerned with overloading their team or those struggling with capacity management should consider utilizing goal-setting and tracking software. Many managers face challenges in capacity management because they do not appropriately gauge the capacity of individuals and teams. Through goal-tracking software such as AIM Insights, managers and their direct reports can benchmark goal achievement and progress. Furthermore, utilizing tracking software enables managers to have a more objective view of overall progress and growth. Finally, through utilizing software, managers are able to self-reflect and grow through provided feedback.

Proactive capacity management is essential to sustain productivity, and team morale while preventing burnout. Through fostering open communication, encouraging a healthy work-life balance and team environment, and providing continuous training opportunities, managers create an adaptable and productive workforce. Through leveraging tools to understand team members' goals and progress, managers are enabled to be great leaders who vouch for their team. Ultimately prioritizing proactive capacity management creates a foundation for long-term success and a sustained positive team culture.

by Grace Tripathy

Fri 24 January 2025

Jessica, mid-level employee, sat at her desk, staring at a growing to-do list and an inbox full of unanswered emails. Her frustration wasn’t just about the workload; it was about the lack of direction. She felt disconnected from her manager, unsure if her efforts aligned with the team's priorities. She had tried to initiate one-on-one meetings to clarify her goals, but her manager always seemed unprepared or distracted. Jessica worried her career was stagnating, and her upcoming performance review loomed over her like a dark cloud.

Then she decided to try something different. Instead of asking for another generic check-in, Jessica approached her manager and said, “Hey, can we have a strategy session?” The response was immediate. Her manager’s eyes lit up with interest, and they scheduled a dedicated hour later that week. Little did Jessica know, this simple shift in language would transform not only her relationship with her boss but also her career trajectory.

Why “Strategy Session” Resonates with Managers

The term “strategy session” holds power. Unlike vague requests for a “1:1” or a “check-in,” it signals intentionality and alignment. Most managers juggle competing priorities and dread meetings that lack a clear purpose. By framing the conversation around strategy, you’re tapping into your manager’s mindset of planning and action, making them more likely to engage meaningfully.

Here’s why this approach works:

Managers value alignment: The phrase “strategy session” suggests you’re focused on aligning your personal goals with the team’s overall vision.
It emphasizes forward-thinking: It shifts the conversation from reactive problem-solving to proactive planning.
It positions you as a partner: By prioritizing strategy, you show that you’re invested in the team’s success, not just your own.

How to Prepare for a Strategy Session

To ensure a productive meeting, preparation is key. Here’s how you can take charge of the conversation:

Clarify your objectives:

Identify what you want to achieve from the session. Are you seeking clarity on your role? Do you want feedback on recent work? Are you planning for the next quarter?

2. Align with team goals:
Review your team’s objectives and think about how your contributions fit into the bigger picture. Be ready to discuss how your work supports overall priorities.

3. Draft an agenda:
Include topics like:

Reviewing current responsibilities and performance.
Discussing alignment between your goals and the team’s mission.
Identifying areas for growth and development.
Planning next steps for key projects.

4. Gather data:
Bring examples of your achievements, challenges, and areas where you need support. Be ready to back up your points with metrics or specific anecdotes.

Setting Expectations and Taking Control

When the strategy session begins, set the tone with clear communication and actionable steps. Here’s a framework you can follow:

Start with context:
- Begin by thanking your manager for the time and explaining the purpose of the session. For example: “I wanted to take this time to ensure my work is aligned with our team’s priorities and to map out a clear path forward.”
Review your goals and alignment:
- Share your current goals and ask for input on how they align with team objectives. For example: “Here are the key projects I’m focusing on. Do these align with what the team needs most right now?”
Seek feedback:
- Proactively ask for insights on your performance. Use open-ended questions like:
  - “What’s going well from your perspective?”
  - “Are there areas where I could improve or add more value?”
Plan for the future:
- Work together to outline next steps. Discuss what’s needed to achieve both your goals and the team’s priorities. For example: “What should I focus on in the next quarter to contribute more effectively?”
Summarize and confirm:
- At the end of the session, recap key takeaways and agreed-upon action items. For example: “To summarize, I’ll focus on X project, improve Y skill, and check in with you on Z progress in two weeks. Does that sound right?”

Making Strategy Sessions Routine

To maximize the impact, don’t let strategy sessions be a one-time event. Incorporate them into your routine by:

Scheduling regular meetings: Aim for monthly or quarterly meetings to stay aligned.
Preparing in advance: Treat each session as an opportunity to showcase your growth and recalibrate priorities.
Following up: After each session, send a brief email summarizing key points and next steps to ensure accountability.

Strategy sessions aren’t just about day-to-day alignment; they also set the stage for successful performance reviews. By proactively discussing your goals, progress, and challenges, you demonstrate ownership of your career and make it easier for your manager to advocate for you. These sessions create a narrative of consistent growth and alignment, which can lead to better evaluations and opportunities for advancement.

Jessica’s decision to ask for a strategy session not only clarified her goals but also strengthened her relationship with her manager. She felt more confident, focused, and motivated—and her manager appreciated her proactive approach. By adopting this simple yet effective strategy, you too can take control of your career, ensure alignment with your team, and set yourself up for success. Start today by asking, “Hey, can we have a strategy session?” and watch how it transforms your professional journey.

by Kayla Ambrose

Fri 7 February 2025

Managers play an important role in their teams, serving as a leader and guide. While managers' involvement in projects can promote growth for their team members, constantly overseeing team members and micromanaging them can lead to direct reports feeling untrusted and unsupported. Leaders with micromanaging behaviors often have good intentions, but stifle productivity through ineffective leadership styles.

When dealing with a micromanager, it’s challenging to determine how to navigate the situation. While it may seem uncomfortable, addressing concerns to the micromanaging manager in a professional manner is the best way to promote positive change. Working under a micromanager is exhausting and causes the entire team’s morale to suffer. Communicating the negative implications of micromanaging and working to develop a solution will overall create a better team dynamic.

Micromanagers typically don’t recognize that they are exhibiting these traits within their teams which is why it must be addressed through a conversation. While it may be intimidating to address a manager about their negative behaviors, their actions are majorly impacting the team. Micromanaging is making the work environment miserable for the whole team, and if unaddressed, will force the team to continue to suffer. Since micromanaging is already causing so much harm to the team environment, having a conversation has the potential to majorly improve the managers’ behaviors.

Understanding the Cause of Micromanaging

Micromanaging is a pattern of behaviors that often stems from fear of failure and lack of trust of other members of the team. Managers have a lot of responsibilities, and the excessive pressure can cause them to be particular and overbearing on their direct reports. While micromanaging isn’t a positive solution, it is important to recognize that these behaviors originate from wanting the team to succeed. Lacking trust is another main cause of micromanagement. If a manager doesn’t have established trust with their direct reports, they may be compelled to become overly involved in their assignments. Since the team’s work is the responsibility of the manager, they may want more frequent and detailed communication because they want to ensure a successful end result.

While there are various reasons a manager micromanages their team, recognizing the cause of these actions is a critical step in addressing the issue. Going into a conversation with the mindset that a manager is terrible because they are micromanaging isn’t a productive way of thinking. Since managers often exhibit micromanaging behaviors due to their desire for the team to succeed, it’s important to enter the conversation with the intent to adjust their behaviors for the mutual goal of supporting the team.

Strategies for Addressing a Micromanager

Describe the Effect on the Team

Everyone on the team wants the team to succeed. With this common goal in mind of supporting the team, describe how this managing style is an obstacle to the team’s progress. Discussing different implications of their behaviors, such as how the team must sacrifice limited work time to constantly communicate updates with their manager rather than making progress on their assignments, can help a manager better understand the real impacts the micromanaging is having.

When addressing the behaviors, make sure to utilize ‘I’ statements rather than ‘you’ statements. By discussing the personal impacts of their actions, a manager is less likely to feel attacked and be on the defensive. Using such statements opens the conversation up to be more collaborative. Owning the personal effects of their behavior rather than blaming the manager, communicates concerns in a way that promotes positive problem-solving.

2. Establish Trust

Since a lack of trust can cause micromanaging, working to develop a stronger working relationship with the micromanaging manager can establish more trust. During the conversation, collaborate on a solution that can encourage more autonomous work, while still allowing the manager to feel updated. For example, scheduling weekly meetings to share progress can alleviate hovering while working on assignments. Working together to devise a strategy that balances each other's needs, can begin to establish a foundation of trust.

Managers may also lack trust because they aren’t confident in the abilities of their team members. Utilize this conversation as a moment to solicit feedback about areas of improvement. Working to develop skills can allow a manager to be more confident when assigning tasks and be less compelled to constantly check in. Establishing credibility through a stronger skill set will ultimately continue to create a more trusting relationship and minimize micromanaging behaviors.

3. Provide Specific Expectations

As discussed, this conversation should include specific examples of instances when micromanaging behaviors are negatively impacting the team. Not only should the conversation address specific concerns, but a focus should also be placed on providing solutions. Collaborating to derive specific methods that the manager can adjust their behavior to better support the team will create a solid action plan. Without tangible steps for them to implement, it can be difficult to have an actual change going forward.

4. Suggest Accountability Tools

Another topic to discuss during this conversation is accountability tools. Scheduling meetings to revisit this conversation and collaboratively evaluate progress over time can also ensure accountability. Additionally, considering performance management tools for the manager to implement can work to reduce micromanaging behaviors. Tools such as AIM Insights can allow managers to better gauge their direct reports' performance without hovering over their work. Considering alternative creative approaches is a productive way to conduct this conversation with a micromanaging manager.

Oftentimes managers are unaware of their micromanaging behaviors. As a direct report, it can be intimidating to address these behaviors, but it's important to remember that the issues will persist if undressed. When conducting this conversion, focus on giving specific ways these actions are harming the team, establish a trusting relationship, devise ways these behaviors can be adjusted, and collaborate on accountability tools to ensure tangible changes are made.

by Kendall Barndollar

Fri 7 February 2025

Effective communication is the most paramount element to success for every team. It is crucial for expectations and responsibilities to be clearly communicated and understood for goals to be met. However, managers frequently fail to communicate effectively. Without clear communication, teams often feel confused and frustrated and have demonstrated decreased productivity throughout groups. Poor communication can appear in a variety of mediums, including unclear instructions or responsibility expectations leading to repeated work or missed deadlines. When communication issues go unaddressed, they can contribute to an unhealthy work environment, hindering productivity and achievement and fostering a negative culture.

The consequences of poor communication can be very impactful to a team. Group members experiencing communication issues commonly feel aggravated, unengaged, or confused, which all lead to an overall decrease in efficiency, team-wide. Another significant problem with poor communication is the elimination of critical feedback that is necessary for growth and improvement. Without proper feedback, employees may struggle to improve their performance or coordinate effectively with their team members.

For direct reports, initiating a conversation about communication challenges can be a daunting task. But, poor communicators will not realize their ineffectiveness unless someone brings it to their attention. Many employees fear that bringing up an issue such as this with a director may be viewed as criticism rather than constructive feedback. To avoid this issue, direct reports should phrase the meeting as a strategy session to talk about effective communication methods for the team. Rather than presenting flaws and personal attacks, direct reports should present solutions for the issues the team experiences, without pointing fingers. Fostering an open and honest conversation about communication gaps is essential for improving team culture and is a cornerstone to improving productivity.

Meeting with a Manager

Prior to addressing communication concerns with superiors, direct reports need to recognize and document the specific issues affecting the team. Poor communication can happen through any medium but identifying the root of the issues will help in creating a strategy to improve. Some common indicators of ineffective communication are vague or confusing instructions, last-minute changes, and inconsistent messaging, creating a lack of transparency across a team. Perhaps most notably, managers will realize there has been a communication failure when a deadline or important deliverable is missed or inadequate.

When discussing potential improvements with a leader, direct reports should be sure to come up with specific examples and targeted solutions. Rather than making ambiguous or vague statements, team members should really bring light to the problems the team has experienced with concrete examples of the patterns observed. Pointing out these issues with appropriate solutions aids in the manager's understanding of how an action may be affecting their team.

By clearly explaining the problems and offering some solutions, a collaborative approach to problem-solving can be achieved to improve communication habits. When discussing potential solutions, direct reports should consider any tool that could benefit the group or team. When struggling with communication, team members may offer a variety of solutions including scheduling consistent check-in meetings, sending meeting recap emails, utilizing goal-tracking software, or holding open brainstorming sessions. By narrowing the focus to specific issues with proactive solution possibilities, team members can assist team leaders in building a beneficial communication environment.

By pinpointing communication gaps, offering constructive feedback, and open communication methods, employees are enabled to improve the overall working environment of their team. Through proactive communication, direct reports can help lead the team to become a highly productive and collaborative group.

Building Communication Culture

Although many communication issues can stem from a team leader or manager, it is also the group members' responsibility to uphold a beneficial communication culture within their team. To find sustainable changes for a team, members should work to build a communication norm of open and honest communication. Creating a norm of open communication dialogue will enable managers to share feedback and areas of improvement better, improving the skills of team members.

The most crucial step to fostering open communication is establishing repeating opportunities for providing feedback. Leaders should be open to hearing what their direct reports have to say, whether, in questions or suggestions for new ideas, both parties grow from giving and receiving feedback. Managers who prioritize psychological safety within their teams will see the most success in creating an open dialogue within their teams. Creating a safe space where team members feel empowered to learn from each other and embrace mistakes will enable further conversation and collective growth. Although the onus may be on the manager to set the tone, it is the team's responsibility to consistently contribute and engage in communication to foster a positive culture.

Overcoming previous communication issues to rebuild a positive communication norm within a team can be challenging. Oftentimes a poor tone at the top can influence the entire team to shift to ineffective communication. Team members and direct reports struggling with the manager's communication should recall that it is likely, not intentional. A difficult factor of communicating is that leaders who are poor communicators usually will only find out at the failure or collapse of a project or effort. Managers are commonly unaware of how their communication style and habits will impact the team. By finding specific examples of miscommunications, matching the resulting impact, and suggesting targeted solutions, members of a team can contribute to improving a communication issue.

Effective communication is essential for every team but can be a common struggle for leaders. Miscommunication can create frustration, confusion and can deteriorate the productivity within a team as well. Direct reports play a vital role in bringing communication issues to light with their superiors and finding targeted solutions to approach communication flaws. Beyond individual conversations, direct reports have a key responsibility to uphold and practice positive communication habits and foster a productive team environment. Through proactive planning and innovative thinking, communication issues can be overcome to build a strong, collaborative, and efficient team culture.

by Grace Tripathy

Fri 7 February 2025

The Problem of Being “Too Valuable to Promote”

Emily was a top performer. As an operations specialist at a fast-growing tech firm, she had spent three years mastering her role, streamlining processes, and consistently exceeding performance metrics. But despite her clear qualifications and aspirations for growth, her manager, Dan, continued to stall her promotion. It wasn’t that Dan didn’t recognize her talent; he depended on it. The thought of replacing Emily, training someone new, and potentially losing productivity made him hesitant to let her advance.

This situation is more common than employees might think. A manager may not consciously sabotage an employee’s growth, but their reluctance to let go of a high-performing team member can create an invisible career ceiling. The challenge for employees like Emily is navigating this bottleneck strategically, ensuring they don’t remain stuck in a role that’s too convenient for management to change.

The Manager’s Perspective

From Dan’s point of view, Emily was a linchpin in the team’s success. She handled high-priority tasks with precision, trained new hires, and solved problems before they escalated. Promoting her meant finding someone equally competent, training them, and accepting a potential period of reduced efficiency—all of which felt like unnecessary risks.

However, this mindset can be detrimental to both the employee and the organization. Companies that fail to promote from within risk losing top talent, damaging morale, and sending a message that growth opportunities are limited. For Dan, he needs to be sure about how to evaluate whether someone is ready for a promotion as well. Emily knew she had to approach the situation with both patience and a strategic plan.

How to Talk to Your Manager About a Promotion When They Resist Change

Emily understood that directly confronting Dan about his reluctance would not be effective. Instead, she needed to frame the conversation in a way that addressed his concerns while advocating for her own growth. Here’s how employees in a similar situation can navigate this discussion:

1. Acknowledge the Manager’s Concerns

Rather than jumping straight into why she deserved a promotion, Emily started by recognizing Dan’s perspective. She acknowledged that she understood how valuable she was to the team and expressed appreciation for the opportunities she had been given.

2. Frame the Promotion as an Organizational Benefit

Instead of making it about personal growth alone, Emily highlighted how her promotion would ultimately benefit the company. She emphasized that stepping into a leadership role would allow her to:

Train and mentor others, ensuring long-term team stability
Take on more strategic responsibilities that could enhance department efficiency
Help develop a structured transition plan to minimize disruption

3. Offer a Transition Plan

To alleviate Dan’s fears about losing her expertise, Emily presented a plan outlining how she could gradually transition her responsibilities to a successor. This included training a replacement, documenting key workflows, and ensuring continuity in her absence.

4. Set Clear Career Goals and Expectations

Emily then asked Dan directly: “What steps do you see as necessary for me to move into a leadership role?” By shifting the conversation toward actionable SMART goals, she encouraged Dan to define what he needed to see from her before approving a promotion.

5. Get a Commitment and Timeline

To prevent the conversation from becoming an indefinite discussion, Emily worked with Dan to set a timeline for reevaluating her promotion. They established measurable benchmarks and agreed to revisit the conversation within three months to track progress.

Instead of assuming her manager’s intent, Emily scheduled a one-on-one strategy session with Dan. This wasn’t just a casual career check-in—it was a structured conversation with a clear agenda:

Align on expectations: What does Dan believe needs to happen for Emily to be promoted?
Identify gaps: Are there specific skills, leadership qualities, or accomplishments Dan wants to see?
Establish a timeline: What is a realistic timeframe for promotion, and what benchmarks must be met?

One of Dan’s biggest concerns was replacing Emily. To ease this, she proactively began training a junior colleague, documenting workflows, and suggesting a transition plan. By demonstrating that her team wouldn’t suffer in her absence, she removed one of Dan’s key barriers to promoting her.

Emily also recognized that promotions often require advocacy from more than just a direct manager. She began increasing her visibility within the company by:

Volunteering for cross-departmental projects
Seeking mentorship from senior leaders
Presenting her work and contributions in leadership meetings

This approach ensured that multiple decision-makers recognized her readiness for advancement.

6. Framing the Promotion as a Win-Win

Rather than positioning the conversation as a personal request, Emily framed her promotion as a strategic move for the company. She highlighted how moving into a leadership role would allow her to drive greater impact, mentor others, and enhance team efficiency.

This reframing helped Dan see the long-term benefits rather than focusing on the short-term inconvenience.

7. Setting a Deadline for Action

To avoid endless delays, Emily and Dan agreed on a clear timeline for revisiting the promotion decision. They set a three-month period to track progress against defined objectives. This ensured accountability and kept the conversation from becoming an indefinite cycle of “maybe later.”

Employees like Emily must recognize their manager’s concerns while advocating for their own growth. By aligning on expectations, developing a transition plan, and framing the promotion as a win-win, they can shift the conversation from reluctance to action. Ultimately, career advancement isn’t just about proving capability; it’s about making it easy for decision-makers to say yes.

by Grace Tripathy

Fri 4 April 2025

For years, a large retail company stood at the pinnacle of its industry. Once known for being an industry leader, the company now faced declining revenues, dwindling market appeal, and a growing perception of being outdated. Internally, employees felt disengaged, and stakeholders began questioning the company's ability to innovate.

Jenna, the company’s Chief Strategy Officer saw the warning signs: flatlining sales, a lack of excitement around new product launches, and a growing disconnect between leadership and consumers. But by the time these trends became impossible to ignore, the company was already slipping. She knew that a rebranding effort couldn’t just be cosmetic; it required a deep, cultural shift that engaged employees, reinvigorated consumer trust, and positioned the company as a forward-thinking leader once again.

Recognizing the Shift Before It’s Too Late

Many companies fail to notice their decline until it's too late. Signs of stagnation such as declining market share, reduced consumer engagement, and an outdated brand perception often creep in gradually. The large company had long relied on its reputation, assuming customer loyalty would remain intact. But Jenna understood that a successful company cannot operate on past achievements alone. Monitoring industry trends, consumer sentiment, and internal engagement through regular feedback loops, data analytics, and direct customer insights are critical to staying ahead. Companies must use tools to detect early warning signs of market and company shifts.

Taking Action: Rebranding as a Cultural Transformation

Rebranding is more than just a new logo or marketing campaign—it’s a company-wide commitment to change. The company’s leadership recognized that for their rebranding to succeed, employees had to be at the center of the transformation. Jenna led an initiative to involve employees at every level, conducting internal surveys, town hall meetings, and brainstorming sessions that encourage innovation and direct input from those on the ground. She partnered with HR to redefine corporate values, aligning them with a more customer-centric and agile mindset.

To truly reshape the company’s culture, leadership adopted a transparent approach. They communicated the company’s challenges openly, showing employees why change was necessary and how they could be a part of the solution. Incentives were introduced to reward innovative ideas, and cross-functional teams were formed to pilot new projects. Employees who once felt disconnected from leadership now saw themselves as vital players in the company's evolution.

Gaining Employee Buy-In for Lasting Change

For rebranding and cultural transformation to be successful, employees must feel like active participants rather than passive recipients of change. Engagement and enthusiasm stem from clear communication, meaningful involvement, and a sense of ownership. Employees need to understand not only what is changing but why it matters and how they contribute to the company's renewed vision.

How to Get Employee Buy-In for Rebranding and Cultural Change:

Communicate the Vision Clearly – Employees need to understand the rationale behind the change and how it aligns with the company's future.
Involve Employees Early – Solicit input through surveys, brainstorming sessions, and open discussions to make employees feel heard.
Create Cross-Functional Teams – Encourage collaboration across departments to foster innovation and shared responsibility.
Recognize and Reward Contributions – Acknowledge employees who bring creative ideas and drive the transformation forward.
Provide Training and Development – Equip employees with new skills and knowledge to adapt to the evolving company culture.
Lead by Example – Leadership should model the behaviors and values they want to instill in the organization.
Celebrate Milestones – Regularly highlight successes and progress to maintain momentum and enthusiasm.

Rebuilding Consumer Trust and Market Relevance

With an energized workforce, the company turned its focus outward. Re-establishing trust with consumers required more than an updated brand identity—it needed genuine engagement. The company launched interactive campaigns, leveraging social media to connect directly with customers and solicit real-time feedback. Personalized experiences, product enhancements driven by consumer insights, and strategic partnerships with influencers helped reintroduce the company as a brand that listened, adapted, and innovated.

Additionally, leadership worked on rebuilding trust with stakeholders by showing clear, measurable progress. Transparency in reporting, a commitment to sustainability, and a renewed focus on corporate social responsibility reassured investors and partners that the company’s transformation was more than just rhetoric.

The Outcome

Two years after initiating the rebranding strategy, the company saw a remarkable turnaround. Employee engagement scores were at an all-time high, product launches were met with renewed excitement, and the company’s financial performance rebounded. Customers who once viewed the brand as stale now saw it as dynamic and responsive to their needs.

For Jenna and the company’s leadership, the experience served as a crucial lesson: reinvention is not a one-time event but a continuous process. Businesses that remain agile, listen to their consumers, and empower employees to drive innovation will always have a competitive edge.

by Kendall Barndollar

Fri 4 April 2025

Strong team relationships are paramount to a positive company culture, specifically during the early growth phases. These connections improve psychological safety and build trust within a team, improving collaboration and employee engagement. As companies grow, their needs evolve, yet many CEO’s decisions are impacted by their long-standing friendships. While CEO friendships with team members can foster a positive company culture, when these relationships cloud judgment, it can result in poor decision-making, increased mistakes, and losses for organizations. To maintain long-term success, CEO’s must find the balance between relationships and professional accountability.

In the workplace, there are many benefits to developing friendly relationships within teams. Groups prioritizing relationships tend to have clearer communication and increased collaboration. Relationships and connections built with a CEO increase transparency and psychological safety in the workplace. The full benefits of a communicative team are only enabled through two-way communication between a leader and their team. Simultaneously, psychological safety can be improved as leaders foster an environment where employees feel more confident sharing feedback and ideas across levels. Combined, these improvements are critical for sustaining growth through the early stages of an organization. However, one of the most crucial focuses for many executives is building team trust. When the CEO of a company takes time to develop relationships with employees across different groups and positions, they can impact the culture of their team, improving employee engagement and commitment.

In the beginning stages of a company, executives must become friendly because, in this stage, relationships are a cornerstone to success. In the early stages of a company, the CEO and employees are likely friendly, working in a small but collaborative and communicative setting. When working on smaller teams, trust develops relatively quickly, and strong relationships contribute to creating a close-knit, family-type community. These relationships foster a strong sense of camaraderie in the workplace; however, it is important that as a company grows, leaders are properly equipped for the new requirements, demands, and changes of their roles.

With growth, these relationships and workplace dynamics can become complex. Leaders experiencing rapid growth and change together bond over their connection and success. As a company grows, it becomes challenging for leaders to maintain such close relationships with peers and direct reports. CEO’s may face new challenges in upholding their personal relationships or building team culture. Nevertheless, many CEO’s are reluctant to replace the individuals they have formed relationships with, even if the organization's needs have outgrown the individual's capabilities. Complex relationships in the workplace commonly lead CEO’s to make biased hiring and leadership selections that may not reflect the business's evolving needs. While friendships may be crucial for early growth, they can blind a CEO’s understanding of team members' strengths or weaknesses in leadership positions.

When a CEO’s relationships begin to impact leadership outcomes, it becomes challenging for that individual to take a step back and evaluate the team members’ qualifications from a holistic and objective point. However, recognizing and tackling this issue is essential to securing the longevity of a company’s success. CEO’s must prioritize finding a balance between personal connections and professional accountability by adopting strategies that will ensure the most qualified individuals hold leadership positions. Below are some tools to help enhance decision-making:

Implementing Performance Metric Tracking

The most effective way for a CEO to reduce the influence of personal relationships on decision-making is to use objective performance metrics. Concrete metrics allow CEO’s to analyze leaders' efficacy and evaluate the potential for future leaders based on quantifiable metrics rather than subjective opinions or relationships. Utilizing a tool such as AIM Insights to track, benchmark, and review performance metrics is crucial for improving data-based decision-making. Furthermore, AIM Insights may be a critical tool for leaders of expanding teams to track and manage their groups to maintain an objective record of performance.

Through defining key responsibilities and setting clear expectations, CEO’s can establish a fair and impartial system for evaluating individuals' suitability for a position. Utilizing measurable outcomes and enabling leaders and direct reports to view progress towards goals encourages transparent communication and accountability.

2. Promoting a Culture of Accountability

An additional tool in these scenarios is working towards creating a culture of accountability. Encouraging accountability within the workplace culture does not necessarily need to be set by the CEO or leadership team. Accountability can be encouraged by direct reports through open communication and feedback. Cultures of accountability welcome criticism and allow opportunities for individuals to learn from their mistakes.

Furthermore, if leaders are hoping to increase accountability practices within their teams, they should consider implementing a performance review process. Through formal feedback, employees are given the chance to reflect and improve on their practices, bettering the team and business as a whole.

3. Engaging Mentors or Executive Coaches

A final tool for minimizing bias in decision-making is engaging an outside party such as a mentor or executive coach. Because a mentor or coach is not immersed in organizational relationships, dynamics, or friendships, they are enabled to offer a different, likely clearer insight on the situation.

If an outside party observes the leadership team, they may be able to advise CEO’s as to the exact weaknesses in the organization. Additionally, consultants can suggest solutions and strategies to better these inadequacies without risking personal relationships or connections. A horizontal mentorship program could enable CEO’s to connect with other executives that may be able to provide clearer guidance in these situations. Many executives have had experiences with similar scenarios and can help CEO’s recognize when personal relationships cloud their judgment or give advice on prioritizing the businesses in decision making.

To promote the longevity of organizational success, CEO’s have to navigate the balance between fostering personal relationships and maintaining professional responsibilities. While leaders should certainly work to build team trust, upholding unbiased decision-making processes should be the primary objective. By leveraging tools such as AIM insights for performance metrics, implementing accountability practices, and including mentors or consultants, CEO’s can create a more objective approach to match leaders' capabilities with the needs of the growing company.

by Grace Tripathy

Fri 18 April 2025

At first glance, a culture built on positivity seems like a dream. Uplifting messages, cheerful attitudes, and constant encouragement are all hallmarks of a "healthy" work environment. But what happens when positivity becomes mandatory—when it overshadows reality and invalidates the honest struggles employees face? That’s when positivity becomes toxic.

Toxic positivity is the subtle, yet damaging practice of demanding optimism at all costs. In this kind of culture, employees may feel they are not allowed to express disappointment, frustration, or doubt without being labeled “negative” or “unmotivated.” Over time, it leads to emotional shutdown, superficial conversations, and a lack of real feedback—all under the illusion of morale.

Take, for example, a mid-sized marketing tech company that has experienced rapid growth during the pandemic and was celebrated for its “can-do” attitude and upbeat culture. “We only want positive energy here” became a catchphrase repeated in all-hands meetings and internal Slack channels.

But as the company hit a plateau and began facing delivery delays and client churn, employees started to feel a disconnect. Team members who voiced concerns about deadlines were told to “trust the process.” Junior staff who asked for clearer priorities were reminded to “stay positive.” Over time, employee engagement scores fell and levels of burnout rose. And trust in leadership began to erode.

Why This Matters: The Hidden Consequences of Toxic Positivity

While leaders may adopt positivity as a well-intentioned morale booster, its overuse can undermine team performance, trust, and retention. When people feel they cannot express what’s really going on, innovation stalls, accountability slips, and emotional fatigue sets in. Employees don’t want to work in environments where emotions are filtered and struggles are ignored—they want to feel heard and valued for the full range of their experiences.

Moreover, research shows that psychologically safe workplaces—where employees can voice concerns without fear—outperform those where only agreeable input is welcome. In short, a culture that denies problems denies progress. For companies navigating uncertainty or change, addressing issues with realism and empathy isn’t just important—it’s essential for long-term success.

Leading with Authenticity

Fixing toxic positivity doesn’t mean abandoning optimism. It means rebalancing it with emotional authenticity. The marketing tech company began this shift by implementing three key strategies:

Executive Mastermind Groups

Recognizing that leaders need space to process difficult decisions before delivering them with clarity and compassion, the company instituted quarterly executive mastermind groups. These confidential peer sessions gave senior leaders a space to discuss challenges openly, get advice on how to deliver hard news with empathy, and reflect on how to model vulnerability without losing authority.

One CFO shared, “Being able to talk through layoffs with other executives before I spoke to the team helped me center the message in care and transparency, rather than panic or forced positivity.”

2. Real Feedback Systems

To rebuild psychological safety, the company launched an anonymous feedback platform and encouraged managers to hold monthly “Open Reality” sessions—non-judgmental, structured conversations where employees could discuss what wasn’t working and where they needed more support. This initiative helped surface actionable insights and fostered trust, as employees saw their concerns acknowledged and addressed.

3. Modeling Honest Optimism

Executives stopped ending every company meeting with “everything’s great” and began adopting a new mantra: “It’s okay to not be okay—but we’ll face it together.” By sharing challenges alongside successes, leaders signaled that being real was not only allowed, but valued. This shift helped employees see that optimism wasn’t about pretending, but about committing to progress, even when it’s tough.

How to Implement This Change: A Practical Guide for Leaders

Transforming a culture of toxic positivity doesn’t happen overnight—but it starts with intentional shifts in how leadership communicates and creates space for others to do the same. Here's how business leaders can begin:

Audit the Current Culture

Use employee surveys, listening sessions, or facilitated focus groups to ask tough questions: Do people feel safe speaking up? Are concerns being brushed aside in favor of “staying positive”? Identify areas where feedback is absent or glossed over.

2. Reframe Leadership Messaging

Instead of over-relying on optimistic language, aim for a tone that balances encouragement with honesty. Phrases like “We’re facing a challenge, and we’re working through it together” are more grounding than “Everything’s going to be fine!”

3. Build Support Systems

Set up mastermind groups or peer circles for executives and managers to talk candidly, vent in a healthy space, and get advice on how to communicate tough news with empathy. When leaders feel supported, they’re better able to support others.

4. Train Managers in Psychological Safety

Provide training on active listening, validating emotions, and managing conflict without avoidance. Give middle managers the tools to foster authenticity in 1:1s and team check-ins—without defaulting to forced optimism.

5. Celebrate Transparency

Reward transparency. When an employee voices a hard truth or surfaces a risk, acknowledge it publicly as a courageous and constructive act. This shows that the company values integrity as much as performance.

A strong company culture doesn’t shy away from the hard stuff—it meets it head-on with honesty, empathy, and shared resolve. The marketing tech company’s journey shows that when leaders move from toxic positivity to genuine optimism, they unlock not just morale, but meaning. By embracing reality and building space for honest dialogue, businesses create the kind of trust that fuels resilience, and results.

by Kayla Ambrose

Fri 2 May 2025

Managers are often encouraged to listen and collaborate during decision-making, but sometimes, this democratic leadership style isn’t the most effective approach. While inclusivity and participation can empower employees, certain decisions require managers to be more direct. Understanding the balance between executive authority and team involvement can transform a slow, confused organization into an efficient and motivated one.

Executive Vision vs. Day-to-Day Decisions

A company’s vision is the purpose and direction of a company, which should largely be shaped by executive leadership. Long-term goals set the path for the organization and require a high-level understanding of the environment in which the organization operates, including markets, competitors, and brand identity. While gathering input from various department heads may provide valuable insights, the ultimate decision should fall within the scope of executives.

Vision setting and other large-scale corporate decisions are not situations well suited for a democratic process. Working to incorporate too many opinions can dilute focus and prevent decisive action. It is the responsibility of leadership to guide the organization toward a strong, cohesive future, even if decisions aren’t popular in the short term.

With all this being said, managers should still gather feedback. Successful leaders consistently gather data from employees, not to vote on strategies, but to inform them. Surveys, one-on-one conversations, and management insight tools can support leaders in gathering information from their workforce.

When to Leverage Democracy

While strategic decisions may require top-down leadership, day-to-day decisions often benefit from a democratic approach. Processes that affect how employees do their work, such as communication channels or workflow tools, are great opportunities for collaborative decision-making.

When employees are involved in decisions that directly impact them, they are more likely to feel empowered and valued within the organization. Consequently, this can improve retention, morale, and overall productivity. Conversely, top-down decisions about operations can lead to frustration and inefficiency if they don’t reflect the needs of the workers these decisions are impacting.

Consider a team that is told to adopt a new communication software. An executive decision might prioritize cost without considering the ways in which workers actually utilize their communication channels. However, if the team is involved in a trial period or able to provide their input to select a communication software, there will be better adoption and reinforcement of a culture of trust.

Evaluating the Level of Democratic Input

To decide if a decision should involve democratic input, weigh the potential benefits and drawbacks of involving employees in each scenario. Here are some things for managers to consider when weighing the pros and cons:

Pros of a Democratic Process

When people help shape a decision, they have an increased sense of ownership and buy-in.
Employees closest to the work often have a perspective that upper management lacks, so there may be outcomes more catered to the needs of employees.
Involvement fosters psychological safety and shows that leadership trusts their team.
The organization will have higher morale when employees feel recognized and understood.

Cons of a Democratic Process

Gathering input takes a lot of time and can delay the decision-making process.
Without clarity, teams may assume decisions are up for debate when they aren’t, which can confuse roles.
Not all input from employees is informed or strategic, so democracy doesn’t guarantee good decision-making
Trying to satisfy everyone can result in a solution that ultimately doesn’t satisfy anyone.

Using some of these points of consideration, managers can weigh the stakes and evaluate the context to better inform their decision-making approach. When making decisions, managers may struggle to communicate with their employees about how and why a decision was made. These are some tips that managers can use when implementing a decision-making process.

Be transparent about decision-making boundaries. Clearly outline which areas are open for collaboration and which are leadership calls. This avoids false expectations and builds trust with employees.
Use strategic feedback mechanisms. Even when decisions are made top-down, implement mechanisms to gather insights from various levels of the organization. Leveraging anonymous surveys or roundtable discussions can allow executives to make decisions that work throughout the organization.
Pilot large-scale decisions before implementing. For operational changes, create a test group to try a new tool or process and learn from their experience before doing a company-wide rollout. This may not be feasible for all large-scale changes, but it can be incredibly informative of actual feasibility.
Foster a culture of accountability and respect. Democratic processes work best in environments where individuals are informed and respectful of differing perspectives. Collaborative decision-making processes won’t be effective if those involved in deciding don’t value others' opinions and consider them.
Invest in leadership development. Teach emerging leaders how to engage their teams in decision-making and when it is appropriate to do so. Sometimes leaders will need to make difficult decisions, and emerging leaders should be prepared to handle such situations.

Utilizing democratic decision-making styles is not suitable for every situation. Managers should consider the context of a decision and weigh the benefits and drawbacks of leveraging a more collaborative approach. The key for managers is to find a balance that allows for efficient and aligned with the company’s larger mission.

A well-functioning organization uses more directive leadership when supporting the company’s vision, but gives a voice to employees when decisions relate to day-to-day operations. Managers who understand the difference between leadership and collaboration create more effective organizations.

by Kendall Barndollar

Fri 2 May 2025

Effective leadership has become increasingly complex and important in today's fast-paced workplace. Leaders must align communication methods with team culture to optimize results and create psychological safety within teams. Each team or group in the workplace, classroom, or any environment creates its own specific culture and dynamic. Teams go through stages of development that contribute to building a productive team culture. These phases are form, storm, norm, and perform. Following through phases of meeting, role alignment, conflict, resolution, and completion, teams create a curated dynamic. Much of a group's culture is developed in the storm and norm phase, where teammates are enabled to establish team processes and group values. Understanding the developmental stages of a team's experiences enables leaders to foster connections with team members, support groups through challenges, and improve overall engagement.

Although there are a variety of factors contributing to these team cultures, Dutch author and researcher Fons Trompenaar has established a model breaking group types down into two spectrums: relationship-oriented or task-oriented, and egalitarian or hierarchical. Relationship-oriented cultures value personal connections over a focus on goals and work towards building relationships early on. Task-oriented cultures value objectives, prioritize goal completion, and do not necessarily emphasize personal connections. Hierarchical cultures emphasize titles, roles, and the overall structure of the organization, whereas egalitarian cultures value achievement, ability, and experience. The various combinations of these aspects create 4 different group types: Family, Eiffel Tower, Guided Missile, and Incubators. Trompenaars' model has explained that the overlap of these dimensions creates these categories of general team environment habits, values, and norms.

Family Culture

The family style culture is hierarchical and relationship-oriented. Leaders of family-style groups create nurturing team cultures that foster personal and professional growth for team members. As implied by the name, this group type generally has a tight-knit, loyalty-based culture for support and mentorship from the top down. Family-style cultures focus on communication and trust within the group or organization. Because of the emphasis on personal relationships, communication may be informal, and group members may be more expressive in their emotions.

Mentorship programs would be particularly useful for this culture, reaching alignment in prioritizing relationships, growth, and connection within a team. In such hierarchical environments, leaders serve as leaders, mentors, and friends who support both professional and personal growth. These programs can aid in formalizing connections in the workplace, to ensure that each member has a mentor or guide to help support them.

2. Guided Missile Culture

The guided missile style culture is egalitarian and task-oriented. The guided missile group type values direct communication and is driven through results-oriented processes. Furthermore, teams of this type generally have a shared goal and work towards efficiency and specific objectives. This group type heavily emphasizes feedback and enables opportunities for professional growth, but relationships are not personal. The Guided Missile group thrives in a fast-paced, results-driven environment where collaboration is structured around expertise and ability over role or title.

Groups of this type may benefit from utilizing a tool such as AIM Insights. AIM Insights enables managers and their teams to view goals, progress, and benchmarks. A transparent platform works to build team alignment and enables timely and objective feedback to optimize productivity and reach team goals.

3. Eiffel Tower Culture

The Eiffel Tower group culture type is hierarchical and task-oriented. In these groups, leaders and roles are distinct, and expectations should be clearly communicated across individuals. Teams in this category prioritize direct communication and emphasize the importance of formal processes and standardization. Because this group type concentrates on clarity, these teams tend to be very organized and decisive. To best align with team culture in this environment, members should focus on organization and prioritizing procedures and efficiency in their work.

Leaders of these groups may experience some isolation due to the emphasis on hierarchy; many of these leaders may benefit from horizontal mentorship programs. Horizontal mentorship programs enable executives to connect with their peers for mutual growth, learning, and guidance. These peer-to-peer relationships foster a sense of mutual support and collectiveness that enable members to learn from each other. Additionally, horizontal mentorship programs enable leaders to continuously learn from each other's experiences and provide a private setting to discuss challenges.

4. Incubator Culture

The incubator group culture is egalitarian and relationship-oriented. These teams generally communicate informally but form close relationships across peers. These teams focus on self-expression, personal growth, and innovation. Furthermore, these relationships and growth efforts create environments where team members are connected and engaged in their work and environment. Incubator cultures often build environments where team members can learn from their failures, and open communication is encouraged. Aligning with these cultures requires individuals to be adaptive and free-thinking to engage in team-wide collaboration. This group type is well-suited for startups or innovation hubs that value entrepreneurial efforts, curiosity, and creativity.

Although challenging, recognizing and adapting leadership and communication styles to team cultures is crucial to enable long-term success. To foster a collaborative and productive environment, leaders should prioritize aligning their communication methods and styles with the group culture they have observed. Each of the group culture types, Family, Guided Missile, Eiffel Tower, and Incubator, represents an overlap of two key dimensions driving workplace cultures. Through analyzing the dimensions of relationship or task orientation and egalitarian or hierarchical outlook, leaders can better adapt their communication tactics. By aligning leadership, culture, and communication, teams are enabled to reach higher productivity and efficiency. Furthermore, leaders' efforts towards alignment work to foster team values of trust, clarity, and connection. Ultimately, leaders who are attuned to their team's cultures and needs are best positioned to build resilient, successful teams.

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