6 Proven Interview Techniques to Hire Top Talent
In today’s war on talent, the power of your interview techniques is a critical part of your team’s success. Not only do those techniques determine the quality of the candidates you select, but the interview experience is important to candidates as well. LinkedIn reports that for 83% of candidates, a negative interview experience changed their opinion of a company. The last thing you want is to turn away a top candidate’s interest because they did not appreciate the process.
How do you craft an interview experience that’s positive for the candidate and reveals which applicant is the best fit for the job? These six tried-and-true interview techniques will help you find the team members you’re looking for.
1. Create a Positive Candidate Experience
One of the most important aspects of the selection process in today’s world is making the experience a positive one. This will help you attract top talent and help you develop or maintain your organization’s “employer of choice” reputation. Every step of the process can contribute to creating this positive impression including the job posting: the first email or phone conversation, the virtual or in-person meetings and the offer or the rejection.
Our approach should differentiate us from others and be centered on making each candidate feel important. We need to be professional, open, agile, effective and welcoming at every step. Make sure you put some thought into this aspect of your process. We want each person we meet to want to work with us and for them to speak positively about our organization even if it doesn’t work out!
2. Structured Interview
Traditionally, one of the most popular interview techniques in big organizations was the structured interview. In a structured interview, the interviewer asks every candidate the same questions in the same order. The answers are scored so that candidates’ performance can be easily ranked.
While the structured interview technique helps identify good candidates, it can come across cold and impersonal, which can turn those great candidates away. We usually do not recommend this approach but if you’re going to use this technique, do your best to connect personally with each candidate.
3. Behavioral Interview
A very popular and effective interview technique is the behavioral interview. This technique is based on the following statement: Past behavior is the best predictor of future success. In this technique, interviewers ask candidates a series of situational questions to help them assess how the candidate handles tasks, deadlines, and potential challenges or problems on the job. It helps an interviewer understand the needs and personality of the candidate so that he can determine how the candidate handles conflict or change and whether he will be a good fit for the team.
Behavior interviews use questions asking for examples and stories from candidates. It may be difficult for candidates to relate situations concisely, so this technique may require some extra time and patience. It does, however, provide great insights into how a candidate behaves on the job and can help reveal the best candidates.
4. Semi-structured Interview
With the semi-structured interview technique, an interviewer will use both pre-planned, ordered questions and some questions which result from conversation with the candidate. The advantage is this technique lends itself more easily to the warm, friendly connection highly valued by talent. As with the other techniques, it’s important to consider the goals of the interview and be sure that the interview achieves those goals even in its unstructured portions.
5. Work Assignment or Simulation
This technique is usually a part of the selection process. It’s often cited as a highly effective way to reveal the best candidates for the job from among the applicants. As the name suggests, with this technique, an interviewer assigns a task and asks the candidate to complete it. This might mean brainstorming some solutions to a problem or drafting a quick proposal. A work assignment or work sample gives the candidate the opportunity to try out the kind of task he will be asked to complete on the job. It provides both parties the chance to evaluate whether the candidate is a good fit for those kinds of tasks.
6. Combine them!
At KCC, we recommend combining the semi-structured interview with behavioral questions. A portion of the interview should include a simulation. Don’t forget to ask the candidates what they are looking for. What do they want in terms of the role, team, boss, work environment and work conditions? Always ask about their talents and passions. The key is to make sure we present the organization and the team in a positive, yet realistic manner and that we make the experience a positive and exciting one for all candidates.
Learn to Conduct Effective Interviews
At KCC, we understand the critical importance of hiring the right person for the job. That’s why our Interview and Selection Techniques training session offers key insights and up-to-date tips on how to craft the best interview experience for your candidates and how to determine if there is a good fit for the job and your team.
Contact us today to schedule training for your interview team so you can get the best candidates working for you.
4 Keys to Boost Employee Motivation
In the engine of business, motivation is the accelerator. It determines the energy with which your team tackles assigned tasks and their enthusiasm about generating solutions to obstacles that may arise during a project. If you want your team to approach their work with a high level of energy and excitement, then crafting a team culture where positive motivation thrives will be critical to achieving that goal.
Motivation is also a critical factor in employee retention. Team members who feel unappreciated, frustrated or like their work doesn’t matter often leave their job in favor of a new opportunity. In fact, a recent survey by McKinsey reported that the top two reasons employees leave a job are that they don’t feel valued by their manager or the company or don’t feel a sense of belonging at work.
Finding ways to positively motivate your team can improve retention as well as energizing the group to complete work and succeed. Here are four key strategies to boost employee motivation.
1. Communicate Goals and Priorities Clearly
If your team doesn’t understand and buy in to the goals or which tasks have priority, it’s much harder for them to do their jobs well and have confidence about their work. Explaining what you want them to do and why it’s important or how it serves the goals of the company or team helps them understand their role in the process. It also helps them understand the importance of the work they perform and makes them feel valued.
Make sure your team is notified when priorities change. Finding out that they’ve continued working on a project that was delayed rather than switching to a higher priority task generates frustration. Keeping your team informed as priorities change lets them know you value their time and effort.
2. Offer Flexibility Where You Can
Giving your employees freedom to make decisions about their work offers them autonomy and respect. For example, if an employee is frustrated about a procedure or struggling to complete a task, ask for their input. What could they do differently that would make this task easier to complete?
If there are ways to accommodate their ideas, do so. If not, try to find a satisfactory compromise.
As often as possible, let employees have input on how a task is accomplished. If you have team members who struggle to be alert first thing in the morning, try having at least some of your team meetings later in the morning or in the afternoons.
Prioritizing your team’s needs and making room for their creative problem-solving shows you value your team members and have confidence in their ability to achieve their goals. It gives them ownership of their work and instills a sense of pride in their role in the team.
3. Recognize a Job Well Done
This sounds easy, and it is! Also, it really works. Make an effort to call out the things your team members do well. Notice their effort and show appreciation. At KCC, we often refer to the chapter “Catch Them Doing Something Right” in The One Minute Manager…an old classic read in our opinion!
The most effective recognition is specific and notes the effect the behavior had on the team. First, state what the team member did. Then, explain how that impacted the team or a customer’s experience positively.
Regular positive feedback is one of the most effective ways to motivate your employees. It assures team members that their work is valued. Positive recognition also lets them know what you want them to keep doing and how you want them to do it. It allows your team to approach their tasks with confidence.
Having a hard time remembering to do this? Try putting a recurring reminder on your calendar. You can also make a point to being or end each team meeting by giving positive feedback to a couple people on the team.
4. Celebrate Success as a Team
Having a team culture that celebrates success and shares compliments with one another helps keep your team focused on your goals. It also creates an environment that invites cooperation rather than competition.
Easy ways to celebrate success could be as simple as having someone in the team congratulating a member who achieves a goal or milestone at a meeting. It could mean sending a small gift after the team has finished a project or reached a deadline. Feel free to experiment and find the experiences your team enjoys. You may also make a short list of celebration options and ask the team to vote on which one they would find most motivating.
Motivation: Critical to Employee Retention
One of the key failures of teams with low employee retention is often a lack of motivation and recognition. The good news is, that doesn’t have to be a difficult fix! Once you learn how powerful a tool good motivation can be, using it will seem like a no-brainer.
Check out our training session on Motivation, Recognition, and Retention to get the best tips and strategies to motivate your team and boost employee retention now.
Ingrid Kelada and the KCC Team
Owner of KCC Positive Business Psychology & Happiness Expert
5 Tips for Energy and Stress Management
No matter how positive your outlook and how zen your mindset, it’s impossible for any of us never to encounter stress or fatigue. Unfortunately, experiencing some stress and fatigue is part of life. In truth, they’re part of what make the days we have great energy or feel calm and at peace so wonderful. The best solution is having strategies for energy and stress management in our arsenal to help on difficult days. Here are 5 great tips for energy and stress management.
1. Adapt Rather than Avoid
It can be tempting to avoid stressful situations or choices by putting them off as long as possible. Avoiding the most challenging task on our to-do list or postponing that meeting with a challenging person might feel good in the moment. What it does, though, is give us more time to fret over the event. Pushing a meeting or task toward the end of the day can also mean asking ourselves to tackle the task when our resources have already been depleted by other work.
Instead, use your natural energy rhythm to your advantage. What time of day do you feel the most energized and sharp? Schedule your most difficult task or meeting at that time. Or, schedule it first thing in the day, so you can get it over with early and move on to easier tasks afterward. At KCC, we call this “eating the frog”…inspired by Mark Twain.
2. Schedule a Stress Session
If you’re struggling to keep worries and stress from intruding into your day, try scheduling a thirty-minute block of time to allow yourself to focus on what’s bothering you. It may seem counter-intuitive, but research shows that this actually helps us table anxiety and stress at other times of the day. It means we know we’ll have a chance to process those thoughts and worries at a specified time.
You might find journaling to be a helpful way to quantify the things causing you stress. Writing a list may also help you identify solutions or ways to cope with some of the stressors you encounter.
3. Sweat it Out
Exercise is a great way to work through stress. It gets our bodies moving, burns some of that anxious energy, and increases blood-flow to our brains. When we exercise, we’re also focusing parts of our brains on physical activity. We’re focused on balance, coordination, and breath. This gives other parts of our brains a rest, which can break that hamster-wheel cycle we sometimes fall into.
If you don’t like exercising, try finding an active hobby or class to participate in. Consider joining a dance class, community sports team, or martial arts program. The goal is to get your body moving and have fun doing it!
4. Pursue Balance
Is your work-play balance off lately? When we get stressed, it’s easy to withdraw from recreational activities without realizing we’re doing so. Feeling starved for recreation? Consider taking a day or afternoon off. Giving your body time to reset and relax can boost your productivity and focus once you return to work. Even though it can be challenging to get away, the rewards are worth it.
5. Prioritize Sleep
According to many sleep experts, healthy adults need at least seven hours of sleep per night. Poor sleep quality or not getting enough hours of sleep can exacerbate stress in addition to causing other issues. Lack of sleep reduces our ability to concentrate and lowers our reaction time.
If you’re not getting enough sleep, think about potential causes. Do you need to start a winding down routine a little earlier in the evening? Is your sleep space comfortable, calm, and quiet?
Getting the proper amount of rest ensures that you are better able to problem-solve and react to changes in your day. It means more level moods and improved focus. Making rest a priority is a critical part of energy and stress management in our daily lives.
Want More Tips?
One of our most dynamic training sessions focuses on teaching you the most effective strategies for energy and stress management. Learn to leverage your personality type, focus on solutions, and achieve a work-life balance to support better stress management and higher energy levels in your everyday life. Check out our training on Energy and Stress Management now! There are also a few chapters in my book 21 Days to Happiness that are filled with research and tips.
Ingrid Kelada and the KCC Team
Owner of KCC Positive Business Psychology & Happiness Expert
What do we really want to know?
Hiring a coach for one or more members of our leaders or executives can be expensive, both in terms of time and money. The benefits aren’t always immediate or promised, such as when your organization invests in software or hardware upgrades. Coaching can seem more of a luxury than “must have”, but that view is bit short-sighted. So how do we get the best return on investment from engaging an executive or leadership coach for our leaders and high potentials, or even better look at it as the gift that keeps on giving?
If we try to apply traditional quantifiable metrics (such as those used to measure KPIs) to improvements or changes in human behavior, it can seem like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole! Coaching an individual or a team can be a significant investment in terms of time &money, so how do we measure that return on that investment? Over the last 20 years, several studies were done, conducted by organizations such as the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and others to answer these questions.
Stats and facts
Did You Know…
In a study (International Coaching Federation) of 100 Executives & Stakeholders of Fortune 1000 companies who received executive coaching: some of the key findings are:
- 70% increase in individual performance (ex. Higher confidence, goal attainment, improvements in leadership skills, etc.)
- 50% increase in team performance (ex. better work relationships, communications, collaboration, etc.)
- 48% increase in organizational performance (ex. Higher revenues, increases in efficiencies, reduced turnover, etc.
Other indicators were also looked at and measured in this and other similar studies, but the bottom line was that effective executive and/or leadership coaching can lead to positive and observable improvements in individual, team, and organizational performance.
What’s the secret formula to getting the most out of your company’s investment in an executive/leadership coaching engagement(s)?
- Invest in your people: create & reinforce a coaching culture in your organization. Shifting to a coaching mindset as a critical piece of your organization’s strategy starts from the top! Equipping all your leaders with coaching skills will help everyone grow, thrive, become more engaged, and ultimately perform better.
- Commit to learning & development. Coaching works best when the individual(s) being coached are fully committed, motivated, and accountable to the process, to self-development and learning. If the organization also supports the process, the chances of success of a coaching engagement increase significantly!
- Identify objectives & goals. Deciding the goals/objectives and how to measure progress is an integral and critical part of the coaching process.
- Hire the right coach. Not only is hiring a qualified and competent coach important, but also at the core of the optimal coaching engagement is the relationship between the coachee & the executive coach. Positive chemistry, 100% trust and openness are just a few of the factors necessary for a successful coaching engagement.
Bottom line: Investment in Coaching is Worthwhile!
People are at the core of all organizations. Investing in the development of a high potential individual, helping someone transition into a new role, or working with a team to increase cohesion and performance can potentially reap enormous benefits for everyone involved. An organization that invests time and money into coaching their leaders could even see the spread of those positive impacts to other corners of it in terms of overall organizational performance, employee engagement, as well as motivation.
Pat Rothenberger
Certified Coach – Trainer – KCC Partner
July 2022
5 Successful Components of Delegation
Delegation is one of the most critical skills you can learn as a leader. Not only does it effectively train your team and give them ownership of the work you’re doing together, but it’s like adding extra hours to your day. Delegation allows you to get multiple tasks on your to-do list completed at the same time.
Considering handing over tasks to other team members can seem intimidating at first. The real process of delegating goes beyond simply asking a team member to add an item to their to-do list, though. Successful delegation involves five critical steps to ensure that the work you surrender gets done correctly, on time, and without a lot of hands-on time from you. Here are the 5 key components for successful delegation.
1. Give the job to someone who can get it done.
The first step in delegating is, of course, actually asking someone else to take on the job for you. The right person must have time in their schedule. They don’t need to know how to complete the task already. What you’re looking for instead is someone who has access to the resources needed for the job. They may need training or coaching first, so factor that time into your plan. If the training takes a short time and the task is recurring, making the time to bring the employee up to speed makes a great investment.
Try not to stress too much about this step in the process. Think of delegating like giving someone on your team a gift. You’re offering them a chance to increase their skills and improve their value to the team.
2. Communicate Precise Conditions of Satisfaction.
One of the reasons people hesitate to delegate their work is worries about the task being completed incorrectly or remaining unfinished. The best way to combat this issue is with clear communication of expectations. Be sure to outline the deadline, budget, context, deliverables and any special circumstances. Ask your teammate to summarize to you what they heard you ask for. This helps ensure that you communicated your needs effectively and that they feel confident.
Also make sure you clarify how you both want to handle any questions they may have about the task. Do you want them to bring those questions to you? In person? Email? Is there a different person on the team who has expertise who would also be a good resource if you’re unavailable to answer questions?
Putting all of these expectations in writing is a good idea, too. That way you can both refer back to the document or email and see specifically what was discussed. Depending on memory alone can get dicey, especially when we’re juggling lots of other tasks or projects.
3. Work out a plan.
If the project or task that you’re delegating is simple, then this step may be very easy. If it’s a multi-step process, you may need to spend a little more time breaking down the project into steps to be completed.
Whenever possible, have your employee construct the plan for the project. They may surprise you with their ingenuity, and coming up with a strategy reinforces employee buy-in, something we’ll talk more about in a minute.
4. Get Buy-in.
One critical but often overlooked component of delegation is employee buy-in. Does your teammate think it’s possible to complete the task with the information you’ve given them? Does the timeline seem reasonable to them?
At first, these may seem like unimportant considerations. After all, sometimes deadlines are fixed by customer needs. Asking the employee whether they have everything they need to proceed also reinforces your communication with them. And asking the question, “Can you get this done by Friday?” gives the employee an opportunity to raise any concerns they have with the timeline.
5. Set up a Structure for Accountability.
Consider the length and complexity of the project. Decide how often and in what format you wish to be informed about the progress of the task. Maybe it’s as simple as adding a check-in to an already scheduled weekly meeting. You might prefer email updates or status reports. If the project is complex or sensitive, a personal meeting may be more effective.
Whatever the case, decide together on the format you will track progress. Follow up with them how and when you’ve agreed you will. When employees know you’re serious about the accountability systems you’ve set up, they are much more likely to meet those expectations.
Become a Delegating Pro.
There are never enough hours in the day to complete all the tasks we want to, which is why delegation is such a powerful tool. At KCC, we have a whole training session focused on developing employees through delegation. This session teaches you the key steps to efficiently empower and develop your employees.
Check out our training on Developing Employees Through Delegation and get best practices and tips to boost your team’s effectiveness and success.
If you prefer, we can coach you or your employees. We have a team of ICF certified coaches ready to help. You can book a free exploration call here for more information.
Ingrid Kelada and the KCC Team
Owner of KCC Positive Business Psychology & Happiness Expert
5 Tips for Successful Coaching
Coaching is one of the most effective methods for leaders to use for performance improvement and for employee engagement. Not only does it help the individual develop and grow, but it shows that we are willing to invest in them and that we believe in their potential.
Effective coaching leads to employees who are more proficient, work more independently, produce higher quality work and are more motivated. Successful coaching also increases the performance and ability of the team as a whole. Here are 5 great tips on coaching for success.
1. Give Team Members a Chance to Self-Assess First.
Before offering your own insights, always give team members a chance to self-assess. Encouraging self-assessment assists in several ways. First, it encourages improvement even when you are not coaching. It also allows you to determine why the employee may not be performing as desired. For example, it may reveal that they don’t know they’re doing something incorrectly.
Self-assessments also help team members build self-esteem. It reinforces the idea that you, as their manager or leader are listening to them, value their views, and consider them an important part of your team. It also increases the chance that problem behaviors will change.
If an employee is not identifying areas that you identified (or has identified them incorrectly), use increasingly specific questions to allow the employee to self-assess, if possible. This allows you to determine if the employee doesn’t know what’s expected, doesn’t have the skill, or simply chooses not to demonstrate the skill.
Before moving on to other parts of your coaching session, be sure to reinforce the correct self-assessment. Defer or redirect inappropriate or incorrect self-assessment.
2. Next, Use Assessment Tools.
There are different types of assessment tools that you can use to get even more information on the person. Their talent zones, development opportunities, blind spots and hidden potential. You can use psychometric questionnaires, potential assessments or 360° feedback tools. When you use an assessment tool on top of the self-assessment and your own observations, it adds objectivity and more in-detail information to help identify the focus and next steps. At KCC assessments are one of our specialties, we call these “x-rays”.
3. Limit the Focus.
In coaching sessions, it’s best to focus on approximately two strengths that can be leveraged and about two areas for development. Limiting the discussion is critically important for several reasons.
First, focusing on just two areas for development helps ensure that the team member reaches proficiency. Adopting new procedures or breaking incorrect patterns is a challenging process. Adding too many changes to a team member’s to-do list all at once is likely to cause more frustration and confusion than success.
It’s better to start with the two most important areas for improvement and focus on them to build that success and confidence. Once those areas have improved, there’s a positive track record showing improvement which will energize your team member and encourage them to continue increasing their proficiency. Once that progress has been made, you can introduce two new areas of improvement.
4. Start and End with Positive Comments.
The way you open the conversation sets the tone for what will follow. Beginning with positives first is motivational and helps put team members in a great frame of mind. It reinforces the good behaviors we want team members to continue or increase, and it helps ease into the coaching session. It also helps builds self-esteem. Let people know what positive changes you have noticed and congratulate them for their effort.
When we’re in a positive frame of mind, we’re all more open to change. During the coaching session having a concrete discussion about the areas for development with specific real-life examples ensures that team members are focusing on those areas. End the meeting letting them know that you believe in them and that you are available if they need any support.
5. Coaching isn’t a substitute for correction.
Coaching should not be used as a softer, gentler version of corrective action; if a performance problem occurs, take some time for problem-solving. Leaving problems unaddressed or addressed poorly can impact other team members negatively. It’s hard to continue to do your best work when another team member receives the same reward or praise for mediocre work. Make sure to address performance concerns through other methods besides coaching.
Add the Power of Effective Coaching to Your Leadership Skillset or Let Us Help.
Are you getting excited about the power that great coaching can bring to your team? At KCC, we have a whole training session focused on how to be a highly effective coach for your team to improve their proficiency and ability to work independently. Coaching our team is a win for everyone…it helps people contribute better and is rewarding and motivating. We often coach intuitively, the way like to be coached, but there are different learning styles and expectations. This workshop gives you tools and methods to adapt your coaching approach with minimal effort and maximum results.
Check out our training on Principles of Effective Coaching and get best practices and tips to boost your team’s effectiveness and success.
If you prefer, we can coach you or your employees. We have a team of ICF certified coaches ready to help. You can book a free exploration call here for more information.
Ingrid Kelada and the KCC Team
Owner of KCC Positive Business Psychology & Happiness Expert
5 Great Time and Priority Management Tips
Effective time and priority management can make a huge difference in our effectiveness and ability to achieve critical goals. Taking on too many tasks or not having clearly outlined goals can make it difficult to actually be productive. Identifying your goals and limiting your daily to do list can help you get things done in a more focused, effective way. Deciding which tasks can be delegated or postponed helps ensure that you’re spending the bulk of your time on the things you need to do today.
Time management is all about how to work smarter rather than harder. It’s how to be busy for the right reasons so that you can rest and relax at the end of the day. Priority management means deciding which tasks are the most urgent & important and require your specific abilities versus which things can wait or be delegated to another team member. Having a good understanding of both techniques will help you reach your goals and achieve the work-play balance we’re all looking for.
Here are 5 great tips to boost your time and priority management skills today.
1. Identify Your Goals
If you don’t know where you’re headed, you’ll probably never get there, right? No matter what industry you’re in, your company and your team should have quantifiable goals written down and communicated to all team members. When you understand how your role fits into the company’s goals, you’ll know how to be most effective at your position within the organization.
2. Set Reasonable Limits on Your Daily Tasks by Picking Your Frogs!
How many tasks can you reasonably accomplish in a day? A lot of this depends on the kind of job you have and your ability to manage interruptions. If you don’t already, write a to-do list for yourself each morning with a few (no more than 5) tasks on it that you want to get done in a day. At KCC, we call these your “frogs”.
Do a little bit of analysis. On average, how many tasks do you finish in a single day? Are there certain days you consistently get more or fewer tasks done? Maybe Mondays are meeting-heavy, so you usually only get to 1 or 2 other things, but you notice that Wednesdays tend to be your most productive days when you get 4 or 5 things done.
Adjust your limits according to your own data. If you rarely, if ever, check more than 4 items off your to-do list in a day, set a new limit for yourself of only committing to 4 tasks per day. This will help reduce your stress level and help you set realistic goals and deadlines for yourself and your team.
3. Tackle Most Urgent and Important Tasks First
As you look at your goals and assigned tasks for the month, week, and day, sort them by which tasks are the most to least urgent and most to least important. There are lots of ways to do this. One simple method that takes just a few minutes is called the Eisenhower Matrix, which helps you sort and prioritize according to urgency and importance. This method also helps you identify which tasks to schedule for later and which to delegate or to eliminate.
4. Delegate, Refer, Eliminate, and Schedule
As you look at your goals and tasks for the day, keep an eye toward things that can be scheduled for later (write these down on a weekly or monthly calendar so you don’t forget about them!) and things that can be referred to someone else or eliminated.
How do you decide? Generally, if a task is important but not urgent, it’s something you can schedule for later on. Look for tasks on your list that are urgent but not important, especially tasks that don’t require your own specific expertise in order to handle. If you can, delegate or refer these tasks to someone else so you can focus on the high priority tasks that only you can handle. Remember the 20/80 principle. 20% of what we do contributes to 80% of our results…
5. Prioritize Your Growth
As you explore ways to improve your time and priority management, add our Time and Priority Management training to your task list! This session gives you the opportunity to review your current habits and your personal style and offers up-to-date, simple, and practical solutions that will save you precious hours. Check out our training on Time and Priority Management and get best practices and tips to make your work time effective and productive so you can achieve your goals and embrace a work-play balance.
Ingrid Kelada
Owner of KCC Positive Business Psychology & Happiness Expert
Get a Fresh Start with These Tips for Managing a Hybrid Team
The new year is the perfect time to create a fresh start and update your skills in managing a hybrid team. You may have practices that used to fit your team that simply don’t work well today. We live in a new world in which employees may be at home, in the office, or some combination of both.
From time to time, we all need to reevaluate our performance and change what we’re doing to meet new challenges and opportunities. Turning the calendar to a new year is a perfect time to freshen up our management approach with some new strategies for today’s agile teams. Here are 4 tips for sharpening your effectiveness as a leader and help in managing a hybrid team.
1. Communication is Key
Whether your team works on site or remotely, one of the best ways to maintain a cohesive, productive team is to clearly communicate how you want things to operate. Be sure your preferences are clear as far as what types of issues or communications should be handled via an email versus scheduling a meeting. Make sure your team understands which projects have top priority, and any changes to the scope or deadline to your team’s work.
Some hybrid team leaders have opted to have daily standups or check-in meetings at the start of each day. While that approach may not be right for every team, pay attention to the needs of your crew. While extroverted personalities are energized by spending time together (even virtually), introverted workers may find too many meetings to be disruptive and inhibit workflow.
One approach for managing a hybrid team that fosters clear communication is to set an agenda for each meeting and send it out beforehand. If your team members review the agenda and determine they do not need to attend, they can skip some meetings and continue working.
2. Combat Natural Bias
One issue faced by hybrid teams and their leadership is a natural bias toward members who work on campus. It’s sort of like the expression, “Out of sight, out of mind.”. We naturally think that team members who are in the office (whom we can visually see working) are more productive than team members who are working remotely, when this is probably not true. Managing a hybrid team effectively means you’ll need to work to correct that natural imbalance by connecting with your remote team members.
Set regular one-on-one calls or video chats to briefly check in with them. Making sure they have what they need can go a long way toward making team members feel supported and valued. It also keeps their contributions to your overall team present in your mind as you lead.
3. Create Connections
Leaders do so much more than herd a project toward completion by a specific deadline. They’re responsible for finding ways to pull a team of people together so that the resulting sum is greater than its parts. One key way of maintaining a group’s “greater sum” quality is to continue to foster connections across the team, especially between on campus and remote members.
Some leaders have found it effective to schedule virtual happy hours or virtual team lunches. Others have tried to find ways to bring the brainstorming and problem-solving effect of water-cooler talk to the virtual sphere. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box and try new things to add some fun to the mix. If you try something that turns out not to be a good fit for your team, let it go and try the next idea. When you find what works, the rewards will be well worth the effort you’ve spent cultivating those connections.
4. Take Time to Learn This Year
As you update your best practices this year, take some time to educate yourself on the latest research and new management approaches. Learn new tools for resolving workplace conflict, how to improve employee retention, or how to tailor your management style to suit the needs of your team. Check out our workshop on Building Effective Teams and get information on best practices and tips for fully utilizing your team’s skills, styles and talents.
Ingrid Kelada
Owner of KCC Positive Business Psychology & Happiness Expert
3 Tips to Avoid Holiday Stress so You Can Celebrate What Matters
Sometimes the excitement of having time off, being with friends and family, sharing our favorite foods and drinks and creating special memories can get lost to the holiday stress of preparing for each event.
What can we do to minimize stress and maximize happiness this holiday season? Here are 3 tips to boost your joy and be more “zen” this holiday.
1. Give Yourself Permission to Update Your Plans.
If you find yourself dreading a particular event or aspect of the holidays, take the time to pause and examine why. Are you dreading a particular event because it’s located in a difficult place to get to? Are you feeling overwhelmed by the number of things crowding your calendar and really wishing you could take a break from the hustle and bustle?
Give yourself a moment to understand what’s causing the holiday stress. Once you understand what it is, ask yourself some questions:
What happens if you skip this event? Is it essential for you to attend? Could you make an appearance for an hour and then excuse yourself gracefully? If it’s a small event that you’ve organized, is it something you can reschedule to after the holiday rush is over, when you can enjoy it more?
2. Put Your Favorite Holiday Traditions on Your Calendar.
Take a few minutes to think about your favorite holiday moments. Is there a specific activity that’s your favorite? Do you love putting on Christmas music and decorating a tree? Is there a holiday treat or meal that’s your favorite? A holiday movie or show you’ve been looking forward to? List your top two or three favorite holiday traditions and put them on your calendar now. You might consider timing them so that you have something special to look forward to the day after something you’re not as excited about doing, or as a space-holder in the middle of a week that’s sure to be super busy.
Putting the things that are special to you on the calendar makes sure you don’t reach the end of the holiday season feeling like you’ve missed out on the things that matter to you.
3. Find Simple Ways to Give.
Giving at the holidays helps us capture joy by spreading it. It also helps us feel grateful for the things we have. Sometimes that joy and gratitude are exactly what we needed to bring us out of our holiday stress and pull us back into a place where we can enjoy and celebrate this special time of the year.
The holidays are saturated with opportunities to give, from donation buckets outside department stores to toy drives to opportunities to provide a holiday meal for a family in need. You might find out that someone in your community or family needs help with a something specific. Maybe you simply buy coffee for the person behind you in line at the coffee shop.
Happy Holidays from KCC!
Give the gift of happiness! If you want to share tools and tips to increase happiness, why not gift my book 21 Days to Happiness? You will find it here on Amazon in 3 formats, paperback, audiobook or ebook.
Whatever your plans this holiday season, we hope you and your loved ones have a safe, healthy, happy holiday! If we can help you with any business needs, please don’t hesitate to contact us today.
Ingrid Kelada and the KCC team!
Owner of KCC Positive Business Psychology & Happiness Expert
Let me tell you about a topic I’ve been talking about a lot lately in my coaching; a topic that is very common in real life. Over the past year or so time spent with my own thoughts has increased as it has for many of us, offering up many opportunities for good conversations with myself… conscious or unconscious. This inner talk defines, whether we like it or not, who we are. I’m talking about that little inner voice that constantly whispers in our ear, shaping our thoughts and therefore our actions. This voice can inspire us, but it can also crush us. In these moments of doubt, I force myself to take a break to do two things:
1- Become aware of the discussion going on in my head
2- Regain control of the discussion by changing the dialogue to my advantage…
Now, I can already hear you saying “Jean-François, it’s really not that easy. I can change the dialogue, but if I don’t believe what I’m saying to myself…” Well, you are absolutely righ!. Do you think Mohammed Ali believed his affirmation “I am the greatest” the first few times he said it to himself? Probably not. But as he said it to himself, he took the step-by-step actions to make that statement a reality and began to believe it beyond a shadow of a doubt. He took some opportunities that he might not have otherwise considered. This leads to Step 3:
3- Apply/Repeat this new dialogue daily to align your actions to it and thus believe in it more and more each day.
I recently saw an interesting text on Facebook that illustrates this taking back control of our inner dialogue, or rather this reframing.
If one day you tell yourself that:
I am a big loser
No one will dare to think that
I can accomplish great things
I know that
I will fail at everything I do
I no longer believe that
I can succeed
I am worthless
I stopped telling myself that
I have confidence in myself
I am convinced of one thing
I am useless
and it would be silly to think that
I am a beautiful person
So read it again, but from the bottom up.
Remember: Awareness = Power. If I perceive this inner dialogue and become aware that it limits me, then I have the power to change it. It’s up to you to decide how you will do it. Whether it’s via an affirmation that you create for yourself, a quote or piece of text that you connect to. Go ahead and try several options and see what inspires you.
I’ll leave you with a little text that serves me in those moments when I want to change my inner dialogue. This is a text by Marianne Williamson that inspired me throughout the years.
“Our deepest fear is not that we don’t measure up. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond all limits. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. (…) To restrict ourselves and to see ourselves as small does the world a disservice. (…) We are all born to shine, as children do. (…) As we let our own light shine, unconsciously we give others permission to do the same. As we free ourselves from our own fear, our presence automatically frees others.”
Have a good conversation with yourself. 😊
Jean-François Drouin
Certified Coach – Trainer – KCC Partner
November 2021