So why not ask your line manager if you can sign-up for a 3-Month, Annual or 3-Year membership and expense Mind Tools to your employer?

The email below shows the top 5 benefits having Mind Tools will bring. Use pieces or the whole email, send it on to the budget approver and good luck!

Email Subject Line: Expenses Request for Approval: Mind Tools Membership

Dear [Manager's Name]

I’d like to ask your approval for covering the expenses of my Mind Tools membership for 2024. After careful consideration, I am confident that this membership will significantly contribute to my professional development and our team's success. Here are my five reasons why.

1. I’ll have on-demand access to extensive management development resources and e-learning

Mind Tools provides an extensive library of resources, including articles, videos and tools covering a wide range of management development topics. I can also complete specialized management and leadership e-learning programs to enhance my skills and bring added value to our team. 

2. I’ll improve my performance and contribution to our team

I’ll be learning practical tools and techniques that I can directly apply to our team's projects, leading to improved efficiency and project outcomes. Mind Tools covers a huge range of relevant topics, from critical thinking and decision-making to team collaboration and communication. According to industry experts, such as Forbes, these are among the top in-demand skills that organizations require right now.

3. We’ll foster a productive team culture and work cohesively toward common goals

The insights I gain will positively impact my productivity and overall well-being, ultimately benefiting our entire team. Mind Tools membership also supports our company’s culture of continuous learning and can help us be more innovative and adaptable.

4. I can help our team to stay up-to-date with the latest workplace trends  

The world of work is constantly changing but Mind Tools offers fresh content regularly, as well as a weekly members-only podcast and newsletter covering the latest trends and insights from management experts.

5. Reduced training costs and time

Mind Tools on-demand digital learning is a cost-effective and time-saving alternative to traditional in-person management development training. This eliminates the need for me to take time out to travel and attend courses. For example, I can listen to podcasts while commuting or complete e-learning courses at lunchtime.

You can find more details about the Mind Tools membership here: https://www.mindtools.com/signup/

Thank you for considering my request, I’m happy to answer any questions. I’m looking forward to using my membership to focus on activities directly relevant to our 2024 objectives. And to having the opportunity to share my knowledge with our team to help them reach their full potential. 

Best regards,

[Your Full Name]

[Your Position]

[Your Contact Information]

Don’t miss out, email your request to your line manager today!

The post 5 reasons you should be expensing Mind Tools appeared first on Mind Tools.

Managers have a tough job and need support to learn, grow and lead effectively. But traditional management development programs are expensive, time consuming and just not that convenient. You have to book onto courses, wait for them to become available and take time out to attend.

At London Borough of Camden, these pressures are combined with tight budgets and a management population that covers everything from libraries and schools, to waste management and social care.

To drive performance in this context, Learning and Development Lead Jackie Kennedy developed a game-changing management development program that shunned traditional teaching methods. Instead, she and her team encouraged more self-directed and interactive learning that only required a light-touch from the L&D team and yet still aligned with the Council’s specific business needs.

Using Mind Tools as a strategic resource in blended learning programs

Camden Council’s management development program journey is meticulously planned. It guides participants to discover areas for improvement, share ideas and reflect on progress. This process is vital for personal growth, self-awareness and improved performance.

Managers are introduced to key management skills, such as team dynamics, stakeholder mapping and effective communication, through Mind Tools’ focussed Content Library. These resources aren’t just informational; they spark curiosity and self-directed learning.

Cohorts of managers meet periodically to delve into the topics. Between sessions, they engage with Mind Tools’ resources in ways that suit their learning preferences. Whether it's listening to a podcast, exploring online materials, or engaging in peer discussions, Mind Tools provides a rich tapestry of content that can be leveraged by managers, no matter their context.

Another innovative element is the introduction of learning buddies. This peer-to-peer learning strategy creates a dynamic environment where managers co-coach each other. As they apply new techniques, share insights, and reflect on their learning journeys, they enhance their overall learning experience.

Learning that fosters connection and better performance

The outcomes have been nothing short of remarkable. Managers report feeling more connected, empowered, and better equipped in their roles. The program has also successfully embedded a culture of continuous learning across the organization. Once managers have personally experienced the benefits of Mind Tools, they are more inclined to encourage their teams to engage with the resources.

By leveraging the rich management and leadership resources available in Mind Tools, Jackie and her team had no need to create any learning content from scratch. The management development program they designed is nurturing effective managers and a pervasive culture of curiosity and growth. It also clearly demonstrates how learning can be both impactful and budget friendly.

Read the full case study

Discover how Camden Council’s strategic use of the Mind Tools Content Library has generated amazing feedback - from very different audiences. Read the case study here.

Listen to the podcast

Listen to the full episode of our interview with Jackie where we discuss the unique challenges faced by local government, how to develop a management development programme without providing any ‘teaching’ and the role of digital in Camden’s L&D strategy.

The post Doing more with less appeared first on Mind Tools.

AI Conversations features realistic scenarios that managers might encounter in their own workplace, such as coaching conversations and delegation challenges. You get the chance to talk with a team member who’s brought to life by AI technology.

Like a character in a story, they have their own personalities and realistic responses. Your conversation ends with detailed feedback and suggestions for improvement when you have those challenging conversations in real life.

In this blog, I share our experience of working on this innovative new product. We’ll cover how we approached the process of crafting skillful AI-human interactions from a Content perspective, and what we learned in the process.

Getting to Grips With AI

No one on our team began this process as an AI expert. In fact, some of us were nervous about its potential to take our jobs! Many of us had tried it out a bit, asking ChatGPT to summarize ideas or generate poems in, say, the style of Roald Dahl.

At work, we’d just started exploring its potential uses. Generative AI could be fun, and with increasing exposure, we recognized that it could be a powerful tool for learning and creation.

When the AI Conversations project was first proposed, excitement mingled with trepidation. We worried that it was big and complicated for our small team, especially given the ambitious timescale.

Would we have to imagine entire workplace conversations? And how would we feed those into the AI? But a few chats with our project partners at Learning Pool reassured us. We learned that we’d create realistic management scenarios, and the AI would produce the conversations. We embraced this new challenge and moved ahead.

Deciding on Topics for AI Conversations

We know that having challenging conversations is one of the things that managers often dread. Armed with data around popular and highly requested topics from our client base, we focused on six key topic areas we know will resonate with line managers, regardless of their industry or sector. We also wanted to reflect the move, for many, to virtual or hybrid working environments.

The six scenarios that we developed were:

1. Managing Poor Performance

2. Goal Setting with the GROW Coaching Model

3. Getting a Project Back on Schedule

4. Delegating Customer Service Tasks

5. Managing Resistance to Hybrid Work Requirements

6. Managing a Disengaged Member of your Virtual Team

Developing Realistic AI Scenarios

The scenario development process began with Managing Editor Keith Jackson and Senior Editor/Writer Jonathan Hancock meeting at a seaside café. I’ll let Keith tell you about it in his own words:

“Fuelled by industrial amounts of coffee, we did what we do best: write compelling, engaging, yet practical and relevant scenarios. Jonathan and I are experienced journeymen in the field of work and management. We both had long experience of difficult management situations, and we were able to use that experience to write characters and scenes that our learners will encounter in their own careers.”

Given that we were adopting new skills, the Content Team used a buddying approach to develop the scenarios further. Once the first one was refined, the writer shared their learning and expertise with the next writer, and so on. This helped us to develop robust scenarios – and the skills to create them at pace.

Developing the Key Characters

So, we had our scenarios fleshed out. Time to create the characters that users would converse with! Each team member took charge of a scenario and imagined three different personalities that they might find in that situation.

For example, what type of people were likely to struggle with time management at work? Perhaps a new manager who lacked confidence, an employee with ADHD, or someone who focused on relationships at the expense of productivity.

Each of these became a character for whom we wrote AI prompts to program different priorities and speech patterns. With AI Conversations, when users select a scenario, the character they interact with is chosen at random.

So, you might meet a change-resistant team member who won’t return to the office; a disengaged direct report who feels cut adrift in the world of remote working; or an ambitious worker angling for promotion.

How We Prompted and Tested AI Conversations

Because we were working with a new technology, there were a few kinks to work out. Before testing our scenarios, the Learning Pool team gave us feedback on what elements we should tweak.

A key skill when writing prompts is not to overdo it! If you tell a generative AI program that your character “uses emojis,” it’s likely to use them in every statement. So, you have to temper your wording – saying, for example, that the character uses emojis “occasionally.”

Once we’d adjusted our prompts, it was time for Learning Pool to see how our scenarios performed!

AI Conversations Come to Life

Our partners at Learning Pool tested the AI interactions in a “sandbox” area, and we went through a final round of quality assurance to iron out a few wrinkles.

It was amazing to see the characters that we’d created interacting with us! We were surprised to see how realistic they were. Like humans, some of them did their best to wriggle out of tough conversations, while others checked in about your feelings. One team member ran a test where they tried to speak about anything other than the scenario, and the AI brought them back to the topic.

Once managers have practised having these challenging conversations, and received their feedback, that’s not the end of the story. Each module is supported by a package of carefully curated Mind Tools resources. These include videos, animations, infographics, and articles to help embed and expand the learner’s knowledge and skills.

Final Thoughts on Creating AI Conversations

The Mind Tools Content Team found it a refreshing and highly rewarding experience to work with Learning Pool on this project. We were out of our comfort zones, working with cutting-edge technology, and we learned a great deal from the process.

We’ve ended up with a high-quality, credible, effective learning tool that we’re confident can carry the Mind Tools and Learning Pool names into the market. We look forward to seeing managers and leaders interacting with the characters we created and practice navigating difficult conversations in an innovative way!

See AI Conversations in action! Find out more about AI Conversations, watch a quick overview video and book a full demo with the Mind Tools team.

The post How We Built AI Conversations appeared first on Mind Tools.

Learning Pool, the leading global provider of workplace learning solutions, today announced the launch of AI Conversations, a Generative AI offering that allows employees to practice challenging workplace conversations with an AI generated character. AI Conversations leverages OpenAI’s GPT4 to provide users with convincing, conversational responses, but also detailed, personalized feedback to help them improve their communication and management skills. It’s a breakthrough way for companies in any industry to ensure productive workplace conversations.

Only 21% of employees today feel that they received meaningful feedback in the last week, according to Gallup. It’s up to team leaders to coach and develop their people, but they are often left on their own to learn to do so. The fear and anxiety of a difficult conversation leads many to avoid the discussion all together – a disservice to employees and the greater business. Organizations must equip employees with the resources to feel confident in all kinds of conversations, like salary negotiations, poor performance, and goal setting. Intelligent eLearning tools like AI Conversations can help bridge the communications gaps for managers and their teams.

“Workplace conversations are delicate and often high stakes. With AI Conversations, our team has set a new standard for what’s possible in intelligent eLearning,” said Ben Betts, CEO of Learning Pool.

“This first-of-its-kind capability introduces the power of generative AI to workplace learning and better enables the kind of workplace where we all want to work – one with managers that offer clear and productive feedback.”

Human interaction is incredibly difficult to simulate and scale. AI Conversations changes this by using GPT4 to generate limitless responses to user inputs. These responses can be tailored to fit any combination of character attributes, from their mood – frustrated, happy, etc. – to their role and tenure at an organization. With both two-way audio and text-based options, scenarios are simple to deploy on any learning platform, and organizations can pull from Learning Pool’s off-the-shelf scenarios or create custom scenarios tailored to meet individual needs.

Learning Pool has partnered with Mind Tools, a celebrated provider of business skills, personal development, and leadership and management content, to produce the first off-the-shelf AI Conversations collection. This collection focuses on managing the performance of a direct report. Mind Tools applied its expertise to the authoring and assessment framework of each scenario.

“When it comes to incorporating generative AI into workplace learning, organizations will be looking for authoring that is trusted and credible,” explained Nahdia Khan, Chief Impact Officer at Mind Tools.

“We’re able to deliver on that expectation with AI Conversations – building on our proven 25 years of content provenance equipping leaders and their teams. Pilot participants validated our approach, reporting that AI Conversations provided clear, realistic, and personalized feedback, and the conversation with the AI tool felt natural.”

Learn more about AI Conversations

Explore how this new AI tool can support your managers in the most engaging way. Find out more here.

About Learning Pool

Learning Pool creates learning experiences that deliver extraordinary outcomes for workplaces investing in the performance and skills of their people. Supporting thousands of businesses investing in learning experiences for their global learners, Learning Pool’s innovative AI learning platforms and skills solutions combine integrated technology and adaptive content to produce actionable insight on every learner’s performance. Its world-class customer experience ensures clients can harness its unique ability to produce a highly skilled workforce, new competitive advantages, and an organization prepared for whatever the future might bring. Wherever you find ambitious workplaces investing in their people, you’ll find Learning Pool.

The post AI Conversations launches, bringing the power of generative AI to workplace learning appeared first on Mind Tools.

Performance support can mean different things to different people. Here at Mind Tools, we feel it can best be described as a self-directed tool or job aid that provides specific task-related guidance precisely at the moment of need.

Why performance support matters

Remote working environments have fast-tracked the demand for self-directed learning, as opposed to more traditional in-person learning activities.

This shift was very much in evidence in our 2022 Learner Intelligence Report. It showed that by 2021, employees were becoming more motivated to learn for their own personal development. Whereas in the past, learners were more likely to engage with learning because they felt they had to.

During a Mind Tools client webinar, Cat Greenwood of ActionAid UK pointed out that the charity has seen a move away from learners expecting the organization to deliver learning to them.

"Learning is happening all the time, and for me, it’s about people noticing that." - Cat Greenwood, ActionAid UK
Her organization now encourages a culture of ongoing reflection, with individuals encouraged to recognize their own development needs.

Many organizations now offer a hybrid approach to meet a range of needs. ActionAid, for example, might use more traditional classroom delivery sessions to signpost toolkit resources that learners can then access in the flow of work.

Creating a learning culture

For your learning culture to change, it’s essential to educate and engage stakeholders across your organization about the benefits of performance support. This might include lunch and learn sessions, webinars, managers’ one-on-ones, and promoting it as part of employee onboarding. Signposting where people can find the right resources is also key.

Another way to promote engagement is to help draw comparisons with other parts of learners’ lives. In our Mind Tools Performance Support webinar, Kerry Gabriel O’Sullivan of the RSPCA pointed out that, with devices in our pockets and search engines a mere click away, we expect immediate answers to questions. And to be able to watch or listen to anything we want at any time. Why should learning be any different? Performance support-style delivery simply makes sense as it’s served in the way people expect – whether they realize it or not!

Performance support can help drive inclusion

Providing in-the-moment learning allows every learner access to the same information around a topic of interest. And without having to wait for dedicated time to study it in a classroom environment. Similarly, in organizations that have a widely dispersed workforce, Mind Tools’ “pull” rather than “push” approach to learning allows employees to access it in their own way.

At ActionAid, with staff mostly office-based, inclusivity is focused on delivering specific tools for specific needs and ensuring that the breadth of content is suited to learners of all levels. By choosing performance support from Mind Tools, they have been able to offer a solution to learners who may be time-poor, feel less confident in the classroom environment, or learn better in a certain style.

Amanda Walters, L&D Business Partner at housing association Home Group, also described how Mind Tools’ functionality can be used to increase awareness about inclusivity at work. For example, her team put together playlists on their toolkit around cultural events that reflect the diversity of their workforce.

Cat Greenwood did something similar to support ActionAid’s feminist leadership approach: as well as curating playlists, she has created a calendar of internal learning events. This includes ActionAid’s own materials on their customized version of the toolkit to help it feel more familiar and provide a one-stop shop for learning.

The post What is Performance Support? appeared first on Mind Tools.

Think about it: Every day, employees are responding to hundreds of emails and instant messages, attending back-to-back meetings, and working on projects with tight deadlines. When do they have time to take a breath? To walk away from their desk without feeling like they are missing out? To take some time to recharge so they can return fresh and more productive?

This constant demand for productivity and responsiveness can take a toll on employees' physical and mental health, leading to higher stress and anxiety levels, lower productivity, increased turnover rates, and potentially costly mistakes.

Unfortunately, even when employee well-being is known to be an issue, it is often overshadowed by the pressure to complete projects, launch initiatives, and achieve business goals.

So, what's the answer?

While new well-being programs and benefits may help some employees, the underlying organizational issue of how the work is done still needs to be fixed. It requires a dismantling of the always-on culture.

Leaders can pave the way for that to happen by re-engineering how work and daily schedules are structured to provide employees with the necessary space to work with reduced stress, increased energy, and improved mental clarity.

Let's explore three actionable ways to incorporate well-being throughout the workday.

1. Make space in the workday for breaks

In today's fast-paced work environment, the constant influx of information can overwhelm our cognitive capacities, leaving little time for processing and reflection. And continuous task-switching with no break in between can deplete our physical and mental energy throughout the day, and lead to increased stress levels and diminished creativity.

Prioritizing regular breaks during the workday is a crucial building block for employee well-being.

Applying this can be easy:

• Incorporate dedicated break times into your daily schedule to remind yourself and your team to step away from work.
• Avoid reaching for your phone or responding to work matters, so you can truly disconnect and recharge.
• Gaze at the clouds, go for a walk outdoors, or connect with a colleague.
• Consider holding shorter meetings and encouraging participants to take a stretch break or walk after the meeting concludes.

2. Make setting boundaries cool again

Let's face it; the fear of missing out is real and can drive us to overcommit ourselves. Sometimes, we assume we must attend every meeting or take on every new project, even when it's not explicitly required.

This sense of obligation is often self-imposed, assuming that others expect our constant availability. However, it's crucial to recognize that team members should have the freedom to evaluate their workload and confidently say no when necessary.

While specific tasks are non-negotiable, it's essential to create a work culture where setting boundaries is not only accepted but encouraged.

Putting this into practice:

• Foster a culture that values and respects boundaries by leading by example. As a leader, prioritize setting your own boundaries and make it known that you support your team members in doing the same.
• Encourage your team to reflect on their priorities to identify areas where they can assert their limits without compromising their responsibilities. For example, try saying no to a meeting where your attendance isn't vital to the outcome.
• Celebrate instances when team members confidently say no to commitments that aren't urgent or aligned with their core tasks.

Remember, by empowering your team to set and honor their boundaries, you foster trust and support their mental and physical well-being, leading to increased job satisfaction and productivity.
It's not about saying no all the time, but ensuring everyone has the space to thrive while maintaining a healthy work-life balance.

3. Normalize talking about it

As a leader, do you regularly hold conversations with your team about their workload, well-being and job satisfaction? If not, it's time to start.

Don't assume your team will proactively share their challenges; they may hesitate to voice their concerns, fearing they'll be perceived as complainers. And don't rely on the vague "I'm fine" responses - they often hide the real challenges that can lead to burnout and disengagement.

The truth is, stress from heavy workloads, toxic environments, or disengaging tasks can gradually accumulate and lead to burnout.

What to do next:

• Incorporate regular workload conversations with your team. It's not just about the quantity of tasks but also the quality and fulfilment they derive from their work.
• Help them visualize their "job jar" – is it overflowing, or does it contain engaging and meaningful projects? Discussing this will empower employees to share their concerns and highlight areas they need support. Take a cue from a former boss who asked, "Is your job jar overflowing, and are you finding fulfilment in your tasks?" This simple analogy eased the conversation and enabled me to express when I needed help.
• Encourage them to share honestly and candidly, knowing their well-being is a priority. You'll gain valuable insights to make the necessary adjustments by actively seeking their input and understanding their needs.

It’s important to lead by example

Leaders set the tone and inspire their employees to follow their example.

A balanced work culture begins with the leader's commitment to their own well-being. This means taking breaks, setting boundaries, and being open about the importance of well-being. When employees witness their leaders prioritizing self-care, they feel more supported and empowered to follow suit.

In the relentless hustle of today's hyper-connected workplace, prioritizing well-being isn't just a luxury; it's a necessity. By taking action consistently, we can break free from the "always-on" culture and create a thriving work environment.

So, let's lead by example, embracing breaks, setting boundaries, and having open conversations about well-being. We'll foster a healthier, more engaged workforce that shines with productivity and innovation.

References:

Deloitte. "Employee Well-being." Deloitte Insights, Deloitte, https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/topics/talent/employee-wellbeing.html.

Tugend, Alina. "How to Take Better Breaks at Work, According to Research." Harvard Business Review, 4 May 2023, https://hbr.org/2023/05/how-to-take-better-breaks-at-work-according-to-research.

The post Prioritizing Well-being in Today's Hyper-Connected Workplace appeared first on Mind Tools.

The global financial cost in terms of lost productivity is enormous, with Gallup putting this at $7.8 trillion – or 11percent of global GDP. [2]

How can employee engagement improve business performance?

For us to improve employee engagement, we need to understand what it really is and why it's important to organizational success.

According to engagement expert, David MacLeod, employee engagement is concerned with “how we create the conditions in which employees offer more of their capability and potential.”[3] It’s about helping employees to feel:

• committed to their organization’s goals and values
• motivated to contribute to organizational succes
• ​supported in terms of their own wellbeing

Organizations that fail to engage their employees can expect this to impact their bottom line, through greater staff turnover, higher absenteeism and lower customer satisfaction.

Global consulting firm, DDI, offers up some key signs of low engagement to look out for in your employees,[4] including:

• reduced job performance
• resistance to change
• withdrawal of discretionary effort
• ​focusing on problems, rather than problem-solving

What are the key enablers of employee engagement?

Improving employee engagement can be tricky  – particularly if the organization has a very rigid culture, or if human resources budgets are tight. The truth is that improving employee engagement often requires a cultural change, and a long-term effort from everyone involved, from the CEO down.

In the UK, highly regarded research by David Macleod and Nita Clark of Engage for Success identified that organizations which showed high employee engagement and performance shared four "enablers," for success. Let’s take a look at each of these enablers in turn.

1. Strategic narrative

When a company fails to communicate its purpose to its people, they inevitably "fill the gap" with their own story. This often leads to rumors spreading, and causes people to lose focus and purpose. According to MacLeod, strategic narrative is "a story that people understand about where the organization's been, where it is today, and where it aspires to go in the future." He adds that this strategic narrative is a common language that inspires everyone in the organization. It gives meaning and purpose to each job and activity.

The narrative must have a beginning, a middle and a future. It also needs to be a compelling and authentic story. One that people can believe in, and which "ignites passion" in their hearts. Crucially, strategic narrative only works if leaders are "visible." For instance, by launching a personal blog, having an "open door hour" one day a week, going back to the shop floor, and having regular one-on-ones and weekly briefings with staff.

2. Engaging managers

The relationship between managers and their people can make or break the performance of an organization. So, managers must build strong bonds with their team members by helping them to focus on their personal and professional goals, treating them as individuals, and coaching and challenging them. As MacLeod explains, "The people who're managing organizations with an engaged workforce do three things well."

The first, he says, is that "they're clear what 'success' in their role will look like, and they're given scope to bring themselves to that role, to harness their creativity and energy to bring about what 'success' in the job will look like. "Moreover," he continues, "engaged workers feel that their manager treats them, not as a mere 'human resource,' but as a human being. That relationship encourages workers to bring more of themselves to work.

"The third thing that successful managers are doing is coaching their people - usually at least once a week," MacLeod says. "This doesn't always have to be via a formal coaching session, but it will acknowledge good behavior and address dysfunctional behaviors in a positive way."

3. Employee voice

Giving people a voice empowers them. They feel listened to and are encouraged to use their knowledge to improve the business, and to innovate. As Nita Clarke explains, "If you see your workers as part of the solution, and not as part of the problem, you make them partners in the organization's success." She adds: "The third thing that organizations that engage their staff do well is that they listen - – and allow their people to talk across silos.

In any organization, the indications are that, whenever something's going to go wrong, somebody knows. "So, if you've got a good 'listening organization' where your workers trust you, they'll tell you when something's about to go wrong. That's a cheaper way of protecting your organization's reputation than lawyers or PR companies getting to work after an event."

Often, giving employees a voice is one of the cheapest and easiest ways to improve engagement. It could be as simple as setting up an employee engagement survey or a suggestions box. Or installing an "Idea Street," where staff can post their ideas online, comments can be added, and people can vote on them. You can also try hosting more formal events designed to encourage employee engagement. For example, a World Cafe, or a solutions group using Ohmae's 3C Model.

4. Integrity

The fourth and final enabler is about having a "say-do" attitude. This means keeping the promises that you make, and providing a clear explanation if you are unable to do so. As MacLeod says, "The fourth thing that we found was a sense of integrity. What they said their values were, were reflected in day-to-day behaviors - – how people acted and what the culture of the organization was. If you have a gap between who you say you are and what you actually are, that creates huge mistrust. And you don't get engaged employees in an organization where there's distrust."

If an organization has integrity, it can also build trust. But, for it to be truly effective, integrity needs to be upheld by everyone from board members to frontline staff. Managers need to be held to account and good behavior must be acknowledged through recognition and reward schemes. Building trust, however, can take time. According to MacLeod and Clarke, organizations that have good engagement achieve it by:

• Setting, enforcing and reinforcing the behavioral expectations of staff. That means rewarding desired behavior and punishing those that show bad behavior, such as discrimination or bullying.
• Encouraging all staff to tell the truth. For instance, by sharing information, or sharing credit with those who deserve it. And by making sure that messages and actions taken are consistent across the organization.
• Reporting back. Providing regular feedback on goals, priorities, and promised actions.
• Going back to the shop floor. Senior leaders spending time with junior employees to gain a first-hand view of the challenges they face.

[1] Gallup, State of the Global Workplace: 2022 Report. Available here.

[2] Ryan Pendell, ‘The World’s $7.8 Trillion Workplace Problem’ (June 14, 2022). Available here.

[3] Engage for Success, ‘What is Employee Engagement’. Available here.

[4] Mark Smedley, ‘Signs of Low Employee Engagement’ (February 17, 2021). Available here.

The post The four enablers of employee engagement appeared first on Mind Tools.

What is ikigai?

Ikigai can be translated as "reason (gai) for being (iki) " – essentially, what is the source of your daily motivation?
Ikigai can be adopted as a practical philosophy for life, a way to find strength in tough times, and even as a long-term career planner. It can give value to mundane, humdrum activities, while also helping you to identify what it is that you truly value. So, how can you find your ikigai?

The four elements of ikigai

A Venn diagram of 'the four elements' of ikigai has blazed a trail through office cubicles, boardrooms, and HR presentations in recent years.

This way of applying ikigai was popularized by Albert Liebermann and Hector Garcia in their book Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life.[1]

The diagram shows ikigai as the convergence of four areas of life: what you love, what you're good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for.

The very center, where each area overlaps, is your ikigai – your reason for getting up in the morning and where you should focus your efforts to find ultimate fulfilment. Whether you're a janitor, journalist or Jeff Bezos, if you find your ikigai, you'll find pleasure and value in what you do.

The five pillars of ikigai

Beyond your career, ikigai can also become a framework for approaching life in general. Tokyo-based neuroscientist and author Ken Mogi [2] identifies the five central pillars of ikigai as:

1. Starting small
2. Releasing yourself
3. Harmony and sustainability
4. The joy of little things
5. Being in the here and now

Much like mindfulness, the key is to be present in the moment and to not get caught up in your thoughts. At the same time, it's unmistakably about looking forward and savoring special moments when they arrive.

Where Buddhism teaches you to shed the things you crave to find freedom and peace, ikigai is more generous. It teaches us simply to appreciate and consciously enjoy things once we have them. And those things can be small – the anticipation of a decent cup of coffee, your lunchtime run, or tending to your windowsill pot plants.

How to discover your ikigai

Ikigai and your career

Taking the cue from the four elements diagram, seeking your ikigai is akin to finding your perfect, dream job. Imagine combining what you love, what you're good at, what the world needs, and – the kicker – what you can get paid for. Is it even possible?

Finding your calling

This might seem especially difficult if, like many people, you haven't got a clue what you want for dinner, let alone what your ultimate calling in life is.

We've all heard stories of dramatic career changes in pursuit of dreams. Like ditching the nine-to-five to become a ski instructor, or quitting a high-powered corporate role to retrain as a midwife.

But it doesn't have to be so drastic.

Consider which types of tasks give you the most pleasure in your current job:

• Do you enjoy managing people or working in isolation on technical tasks?
• Do you get satisfaction from solving complex issues or giving presentations and chairing interviews?
• Do you like directly managing stakeholders or prefer to get stuck into a spreadsheet?

By slowly sifting out the aspects of your work you don't enjoy, and increasing what you do, you can start to gain a sense of your ikigai.

Saving the world

But does this cover the trickiest aspect to ascertain: is what you do something the world needs?
This selfless, giving aspect of ikigai traditionally manifests as giving yourself over to something other than yourself. This isn't perhaps as difficult as it first appears.

You don't need to quit your job to go retrain as a vet or start a charity. Remember that the first pillar of ikigai teaches us to "start small." Giving yourself over to something else can be as simple as offering to buy your elderly neighbor some groceries, taking a day out to volunteer, or providing apprenticeships to underprivileged community members.

Small moments and gestures of kindness can have a dramatic impact on how you feel about the other areas of your life, especially when you're struggling to find motivation.
Many organizations already engage with the third pillar of ikigai ("harmony and sustainability") by adopting a "triple bottom line" [3] – placing profit alongside the impact on the planet and people as a measure of success.
This approach to social responsibility can provide a greater sense of purpose that has a subtle, but powerful, effect on how we relate to our work. Especially on a dreary Monday morning.

Finding flow

You might think that finding your ultimate calling is all well and good, but right now you're struggling to feel engaged in your job. Ikigai, as a way of life, doesn't just have to be about finding your mission: it can help you today – right now!
Japanese scientist, Ken Mogi, vouches for pleasure through absorption in an activity. Work can become an end in itself – not something to endure to get something else, like a promotion or bonus.
Mogi uses Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's concept of being "in flow" [4] to show how getting lost in even the dreariest of tasks can bring a sense of reward and freedom. (This is related to the pillars "releasing yourself" and "being in the here and now"). With the satisfaction that comes from being "in the flow," even the most dreaded task can become, not just bearable, but rewarding.

Looking forward

Ikigai isn't only about powering forward in your career, it can have a powerful effect on your motivation and focus every day.
By combining the career-honing powers of the Venn diagram with the more foundational five pillars, you can start to build up to something new, while making the most out your current situation – seeing you through both the bad times and the good.

References

[1] Albert Liebermann and Hector Garcia, Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life (Hutchinson, 2016).
[2] Ken Mogi, The Little Book of Ikigai: The Essential Japanese Way to Finding Your Purpose in Life (Quercus, 2017)
[3] ‘Triple bottom line’. Available at: https://www.economist.com/news/2009/11/17/triplebottom-line (accessed 8 June 2023).
[4] Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Flow: The Psychology of Happiness (Rider, 2002)

The post How to find your ikigai appeared first on Mind Tools.

And sure enough, far too often, things like this fall to the bottom of our To-Do Lists, pushed out by other priorities.

Why making time for learning matters

When learning goes ignored or overlooked for too long it can lead to significant problems. For example, loss of skills and knowledge, decreased productivity, and reduced motivation and satisfaction among staff. It can also affect performance, and your organization’s ability to stay competitive by limiting opportunities for creativity and innovation. It can even result in legal challenges or fines, for example, if compliance or health and safety training gets ignored.

So, in this blog, we’re going to explore some of the key barriers that people face in finding the time for learning – and what you can do to encourage and help your people overcome them.

A “lack of time to learn” Is the biggest challenge for employees

Despite an increasing desire among employees to improve their skills, many still can’t find the time to do what they want to do. In fact, according to Mind Tools’ 2022 Learning Performance Benchmark, “a lack of time to learn” was by far the biggest challenge facing employees. In contrast, other barriers to development, such as finding the right resources, unclear personal goals, or the lack of a place to learn, all scored relatively low, at under 15 percent.

Interestingly, remote workers tended to struggle more with finding time for learning compared to office-based workers. 54 percent of remote workers agreed it was a barrier, compared to 39 percent of office workers. [1]

These results suggest that, despite the flexibility that working from home offers, the lack of structure and in-person “nudges” or reminders for people to work on their personal development, could be making it harder for remote and hybrid workers to prioritize learning above their other responsibilities.

The power of collaboration

Another reason why remote workers are finding it hard to make time for learning could be isolation. Collaborative work is often rated as the most valuable method of learning, with support from colleagues (79 percent) and managers (66 percent) rated higher than support from mentors (45 percent) and coaches (34 percent). [1]

Managers, in particular, play a crucial role in leading by example here, and encouraging their people to prioritize their own development. They are also pivotal in helping people to discover relevant learning opportunities that suit their roles and responsibilities – and help them to achieve their personal goals, as well as those of their organization.

In fact, managers were cited as the leading source of information about learning among employees in our latest annual L&D Benchmark Report, with 38 percent of people agreeing that this was the case for them. Other popular sources included internal communications (32 percent) and colleagues (31 percent), once again demonstrating the importance of peer-to-peer collaboration. [2]

Managers need to lead learning

Despite these findings, over the past five years our research has shown that “reluctance by managers to make time for learning” has consistently been voted as the biggest challenge facing L&D teams. Mind Tools’ 2022 Learning Performance Benchmark revealed that a massive 91 percent of L&D leaders were either somewhat or extremely concerned about the reluctance of managers to make time for learning.

The report also showed that high-performing L&D teams had managers in place who recognized the value of learning in the flow of work (62 percent of high performers) and that managers were also equipped with resources that allowed their teams to get the most out of learning (83 percent). [2]

It’s clear that managers play a vital role in leading learning within an organization. They are the link between an organization’s learning aspirations and the people on the ground. But to truly be effective in leading learning, managers need to have a good knowledge of relevant training – and where people can go to find it. They also need to encourage employees to set learning goals and help them to dedicate time in their busy schedules so that they can achieve them.

Delivering learning at the point of need

With so many time pressures facing us nowadays, when we do find some time for learning, it needs to be purposeful, easy to find and easy to interpret. Sometimes people may only have 10 minutes in the day for their own development. So, when they get to that point, learning needs to be just a click away.

This is backed up by findings from our Learner Intelligence Report series, which found that one of the most stable patterns to emerge over the past few years has been employees’ preference for accessing resources at the point of need (56 percent). [1] So organizations need to have relevant learning resources on hand for their employees, and they need to be clearly signposted. The organizations can do this by having a good understanding of the kind of problems their employees often face. For example, a call center may need a range of resources that help their employees to deliver great customer service or navigate difficult conversations.

Understanding the types of skills that employees want to develop on a personal and professional level is also critical, and supplying relevant information that allows them to do this can enhance job satisfaction.

If you want to discover more about how Mind Tools for Business can help you to deliver great learning resources to your employees at the point of need, book a demo here. 

References

[1] Mind Tools for Business (2022). Learner Intelligence Report 2022: Is hybrid working? Available here.

[2] Mind Tools for Business (2022). Annual L&D Benchmark Report: Is your learning culture keeping pace with rapid digitalization? Available here.

The post Are your people too busy to learn? appeared first on Mind Tools.

We all make mistakes. Sometimes we say things in the heat of the moment that we immediately regret. But for managers, off-the-cuff comments to an employee can cause irreparable damage. From demotivation to resentment, guilt to open conflict; one ill-thought remark could go so far as to damage your entire organization.

Some things are non-negotiable: managers shouldn't engage in gossip, make threats, hurl insults, or banter inappropriately with employees. And seemingly innocuous remarks can cause more harm than we realize.

A recent poll of over 2,000 U.K. employees found that more than two in five had left a job because of a manager, and over half claimed they were considering leaving because of their manager.

What Is A Manager For?

Unfortunately, everyone has bad days, and it can be easy to lash out when work is getting on top of you. That's why the best leaders always think before they speak. After all, as American author and businessman, Stephen Covey, said, "Leadership is a choice, not a position."

Managers are there to be supportive and encourage growth in their employees, through nurturing talent and building strengths, to everyone's advantage. But in recent years, employee engagement has been at an all-time low. What can managers do to improve the situation?

The following statistics show the problem with employee engagement and how good management has a part to play in fixing it:

• According to Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace: 2022 Report, a mere 21 percent of U.S. employees are engaged at work.
• The report also estimates that low engagement costs the world economy a staggering $7.8 trillion a year.
• Another report from Gallup shows that employees who receive daily feedback from their manager are three times more likely to be engaged than those who receive it once a year or less.
• A recent paper in the Human Resource Management Journal showed that skillful management coaching has a direct impact on team performance.

What Should A Manager Not Say (And What Should They Say)?

You need employees to feel appreciated and valuable. So managers should demonstrate the key attributes of patience, understanding and focus. As an organization, encourage managers to abandon their verbal "auto-replies." Instead, teach them to use their words wisely by following these 10 tips for what managers should and shouldn’t say.

1. Don't say, "I don't have the time." Say, "Can we book some time to discuss this later?"

Saying that you don't have time for your employees suggests that they aren't important enough. This could foster their insecurities and drag down their motivation and performance. If an employee has an issue then you do, too. As a manager, there's nothing more important than the well-being of your team.

Plus, it might have taken a lot of effort for your team member to come to you in the first place. I once spent a morning rehearsing a difficult conversation in the bathroom mirror and in my car en route to the office, only to be shot down painfully with, "Send me an email."

It's in everyone's best interest to try to resolve problems swiftly and compassionately. As mentioned in the bullet list above, research shows that employees who have some form of daily communication with their managers exhibit higher engagement levels.

2. Don't say, "Leave it at the door." Say, "Would you like to talk about what's on your mind?" 

Personal problems, and mental health, have a huge impact on employees at work. It's much healthier to work through these issues than to shut them away in a box and pretend that they're not happening.

Everyone needs support sometimes. A 2018 State of the Workplace study by Businessolver found that 96 percent of employees believe that showing empathy is an important way to advance employee retention. Their following 2019 study also revealed a startling disconnect – while 92 percent of CEOs feel their organization is empathic, only 72 percent of their employees agree.

Be the sort of boss you would want to have. You may end up helping someone through a bad situation – like my friend, Joe. A young woman in his team was becoming easily upset and frustrated at work. Inviting her to talk in the coffee room led her to open up about depression, and eventually seek counselling.

A word of warning, however – be cautious of oversharing. As a manager, you must still maintain boundaries.

3. Don't say, "You have big shoes to fill!" Say, "We're excited to see what you bring to the role." 

I've heard this at the start of nearly every new role and seen its effect on others. It's always said in jest, but it's more demoralizing and intimidating than it is motivating. It can instil a sense of pressure and self-doubt. Not a nice feeling on day one of a new job!

Each new employee is hired based on their own potential; no one wants to be considered as a replica of their predecessor.

4. Don't say, "Good job today." Say, "How did you get on with...today?"

All praise is positive, right? Well, not if it sounds generic and insincere - it can actually have the opposite effect on an employee. Praise is only effective if it aids a person's growth.  

So, be specific and constructive with feedback. Tailor it to individuals and their achievements so that they'll apply the same efforts elsewhere in their work.

A few thoughtful words can make someone feel like they're walking on a cloud and provide a new-found burst of pride and energy.

It's always best to check in with team members to gauge how they feel about their accomplishments. They may have done a great job at holding a campaign together, but they could now be suffering from burnout as a result. Never assume that you know how an employee is feeling.

5. Don't say, "I'm not paying you so that I can do your job for you." Say, "How can I support you?" 

We can all feel overwhelmed and out of our comfort zone at times. Perhaps a task has revealed a need for some additional training? Managers should deal with this in a supportive and constructive way. Putting in additional effort now will enable you to build a more confident, proficient and skilled team.  

Gallup found that 67 percent of employees felt more engaged when their managers focused on their strengths, compared with only 31 percent whose managers focused on their weaknesses. What's more, a Zenger Folkman study of 35,279 leaders found that better coaches saw over three times as many employees willing to go the extra mile.

6. Don't say, "Why did/didn't you do it like this?" Say, "How can we do this differently next time?" 

I once witnessed my colleague Steph be brought to tears as her manager berated her loudly in an open plan office.

Steph was inexperienced, had asked for support that she never received, and consequently messed up badly on a huge email blast. She was still learning, but her manager's reaction made Steph doubt her potential to the point that she quit the company and changed career paths.

Even if someone is to blame, anger and finger-pointing are not the answer. Playing the blame game makes people feel beaten-down, and demoralized. Focus on facts, not feelings, and approach difficult feedback from a constructive standpoint.   

7. Don't say, "No one else has a problem with it." Say, "Shall we discuss what's not working for you?" 

Good managers don't tell their employees how they should and shouldn't feel. Instead of acting defensively to complaints or concerns, view them as a clear warning sign that someone needs your help. If performance is an issue, then it's yours to help resolve. 

Or maybe it's a case of training and providing support for an employee who isn’t up to speed. Or perhaps it’s something else, and the employee just needs to have a conversation and work it out for themselves. That’s where good coaching comes in.

The best managers seek feedback and input from their teams. Responding compassionately builds trust and means employees will feel more confident about opening up to you.

8. Don't say, "Failure is not an option." Say, "What's our Plan B?" 

"Management is nothing more than motivating other people," says American Executive, Lee Iacocca. So, make your team members feel valued by inviting them to discuss creative, alternative solutions that can act as a safety net. And you never know, you might just strike gold “great ideas don't only come from the boardroom, after all.

Abandon any aggressive sports metaphors when communicating expectations or delivering bad news. Often, they are less motivational and helpful than you might think, and can stir insecurity or resentment in your team.

9. Don't say, "I hate this job/client/co-worker." Say, "What do we think makes [X] so challenging?"

A throwaway comment may seem harmless, but it could come back to haunt you later.

During a particularly stressful week, my friend, Marissa, was going above and beyond the call of duty because she loved the company and challenging herself. But when her boss, Graham, breezed past her desk and said, "I wish I had your job instead; it'd be so much easier", it crushed her spirit.  

And whatever you do, don't be like my old manager. He used to say how much he hated his job as a way to bond with employees. But this attitude didn't inspire any confidence or respect. Instead, it "poisoned the well" for everyone. It also backfired on him, when he was quoted by an employee to the very boss he'd moaned about.

10. Don't say, "It's always been this way. I don't want questions; I just want it done." Say, "How else could we approach this?" 

Don't be a "my way or the highway" sort of manager. Change is not something to resist or be frightened of. We should always be striving for continuous improvement. A truly great organization and its managers seek input from people at all levels. Asking questions clarifies understanding – and proposing new ideas shows that employees are engaged and want to feel involved.

By keeping focus on maintaining and growing relationships with your employees, everyone benefits – and so does your bottom line. You'll increase people's confidence, satisfaction and performance, and in return, you and your business can identify, retain and benefit from the best talent.

If ever you think you've said something you shouldn't have, don't just push it out of your mind: assess whether you need to address it, apologize for your mistake, and explain what you should have said instead. It will calm emotions and show your growth and caring nature as a manager.

Have you ever said anything to an employee that you regretted? How was it taken? Has a manager ever said anything that upset you at work? How did you handle it? Would you do anything differently?

The post 10 things managers should never say - and what to say instead appeared first on Mind Tools.