In order for your organization to thrive, there needs to be more inclusive representation at work.
First published at https://www.get5.io/blog
What if you had a key 🗝️ that could turn and make your organization considerably more profitable, more innovative, attractive to top-tier talent — to retain employees, improve your brand, and make everybody happy?
Would you use it? Oh, yes, no strings, and it’s free.
Well, certainly you’d use the key! But, what it unlocks is something you may already know; you just need to do it (apologies to Nike).
So, what is the key? Well, it’s diversity, inclusion, and creating a culture of dignity, of course, and it’s never been more critical — especially in…
Some call them soft skills, but to capture them one must embrace a certain state of mind
First published at https://www.get5.io/blog/7-states-being-soft-skills
Since March 2020, we’ve gone from the wonderment of Zoom to near total fatigue with the technology. Yet, more than 515 million professionals meet on global virtual platforms daily.
We’ve faced many new challenges as we navigated primarily indoor personal and professional lives. We had to! In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the workplace of yesteryear is gone for good.
Now technology is paving the way, and it’s imperative that leaders know how to manage global teams of employees working in-person, remotely, and possibly on-demand.
How can you ensure your team thrives in a 24-hour…
Of course times have changed. But some things should not slip. Professionalism and care in presentation are two of them.
It feels like it’s been ages since many of us met with our co-workers in the office. Meanwhile, we’ve developed Zoom fatigue, Covid fatigue, and in general, fatigue — from everything!
In the beginning it was thrilling using the latest technology to meet virtually. Various platforms allowed us to work or play together from the comfort of the new home office we put together one busy weekend. It even worked for our Friday night virtual Happy Hours; talk about drinking at your desk!
Now the bloom is off the rose. We’ve grown tired and virtually weary, and our professionalism has…
Anastasia Frugaard
Looking at what makes others happy is a double edged sword. It's great to look at and see where you can improve your lifestyle and hence mood, but be careful holding yourself to the standards and styles of others. It can be discouraging if it becomes too much!
To thrive in a virtual workplace, your communication skills may need an upgrade.
These days a fast internet connection is half the battle when it comes to career development. The other half of the battle is ensuring the technology we use to facilitate remote work, actually works!
When all the stars align and our tech is working fine, the focus shifts to how well we use it. That’s why it’s critical that career mobile professionals continually polish their virtual soft skills. Further, organizational leaders should demonstrate and promote the preferred soft skills and behaviors to ensure our new, tech-centric workplace cultures continue to thrive.
Don’t just communicate often, communicate well
This underrated soft skill will greatly improve your ability to communicate personally and professionally.
If you ask the average person, are you a good listener? They’ll probably say yes. But the truth is, most of us aren’t — at all. Between technology and the rapid changes we’re constantly absorbing, not to mention the increasing speed of business and the need to react or perform quickly, listening has fallen by the wayside. That has serious implications for our ability to communicate, personally and professionally.
Listening is an essential soft skill. Before if you were smart enough, you worked hard, and you had the right hard skills, you could land a job — perhaps even your…
A leader must be selective, and wisely decide when to show your vulnerability or “human side.”
I remember watching the movie U-571, and thinking, wow. Harvey Keitel, who plays the seasoned Chief Klogh, personifies leadership during a life-and-death situation. He told the young Lieutenant, played by Matthew McConaughey, how to address his submarine crew after the captain’s battle loss to a German U-boat:
“Don’t you dare say what you said to the boys back there again, ‘I don’t know.’ Those three words will kill a crew, dead as a depth charge. You’re the skipper now, and the skipper always knows what to do, whether he does or not.”
The Lieutenant was unsure what to do after…
Never underestimate the power of soft skills to advance your leadership influence — and earn you strange local cakes
First published at https://www.get5.io/blog/being-soft-power-diplomacy-skills-leader
Many discount the power of soft skills because their impact is difficult to measure. I also think the word “soft” may have something to do with neglecting these valuable leadership tools. However, I’ve seen their power at work in my own career — the ability to communicate effectively in different milieus, for instance, has helped me to advance in many organizations — and it’s part of the reason I’m so passionate about helping others to hone their soft skills.
Soft skills such as cultural competence are necessary in our increasingly connected, global world.
Take soft diplomacy…
Communication skills may suffer in a tension filled environment. That can be dangerous for leaders, especially in a work context.
We are upside down right now. Political furor, pandemic fatigue, a poor economy, changed lives, and unknown futures have led us down a rocky road. At times, it feels like we’re navigating through a fog, stumbling over bumps, and tripping into holes as we search for a smoother route. Uncertainty often manifests as frustration, and it makes some of us more vocal, in-person, virtually, and through social media, as we try to sort through what’s happening, to find help, and simply, to cope.
Communication skills, however, are suffering in this tension filled environment. That can be dangerous in a work…
You’ll know EP when you see it, and if you want to use it’s power for yourself, expect your career to show tangible dividends.
I was attending the national meeting for the American Medical Association Alliance, Confluence, a fitting title. There were hundreds of members from across the country, each of us Presidents-Elect for our local chapters, gathered one cold and dreary February afternoon at the posh Drake Hotel overlooking Lake Michigan in Chicago. I was excited to represent my group, and I was especially looking forward to the opening session, a luncheon to hear the National President welcome us.
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Heidi Dulebohn
Cracking Social Codes for Good| International Cultural Consultant | https://twitter.com/heididulebohn
