Box of delight

With corona virus hitting the world, it seems impossible to open a browser or app without remote work tips being shoved down your throat. From the random corners of the internet all kinds of self-proclaimed experts share 'ideas' as if they were rocket science.

Three little words
Screw the so-called tips. The one thing you need to do well as an organization is summed up in policy that looks like this: "We trust you."

All managers want to see their employees thrive, but it can be tricky to maintain a balance between guiding and hand-holding.

While some managers might think the best way to lead is to constantly offer their employees advice, recent research suggests that coaching employees, or helping employees maximize their own performance potential, is a more effective leadership style. Unfortunately, the percentage of managers who use coaching as a leadership strategy is slim. In fact, a recent study published in the Harvard Business Review shows that the majority of managers act as consultants, rather than coaches. In other words, they lead their teams by micromanaging and prescribing advice — not by helping them learn to come up with their own solutions.

We have a huge problem in our businesses. Women are disappearing from the workplace. Over the years we have created a corporate world in which women fall behind early and keep losing ground with every step on the career ladder. This is unjust, unfair and unethical.

If we look (for example) at the stats in the 2016 version of the Women in the Workplace study of McKinsey, we conclude that women are disappearing from the workplace faster than snow in the sunshine.

More and more companies want to lessen gender bias in the workplace, but I contend they may be overlooking one of the most obvious, everyday breeding grounds for sexism: meetings.  In my just-released TEDx talk, I offer 3 ways that men and women can reduce gender bias through better meeting culture.

I am in the difficult situation of being unofficial project lead, responsible for team performance to schedule and budget. How can I influence and motivate the team to get the job done, when I do not have a job title that commands their respect?

A staggering 67% of employees don’t use their talents in day-to-day activities. (See our previous post.) What a waste of talent! And job satisfaction!

The first fix? Map the talents you have on board. The second? Ask how can you put them to use. The third? Ensure people are working on the things they do best.

“I just want to be happy.” We have all said it at one time or another. The wish for happiness is one of our most widely held goals in life. But here’s the rub. Recent research suggests that happiness–as the be-all and end-all–isn’t the only ingredient to a life well-lived. As a result, some researchers are cautioning against the pursuit of mere happiness and advocating for the pursuit of its closest cousin: meaning.

It’s tempting to check your email right when you get into the office, but it can mess with your work flow and eat into your creative time. Here’s what we mean.

You're sitting in a conference staring at the face of the other party. You want one thing. They want something entirely different. And as you're both on the verge of flipping over the table, it occurs to you that neither party is going to get what they want.

Here's the thing. Negotiating isn't about getting what you want OR giving in to what the other party wants. It's not an "either/or situation." It's about having both parties walk away satisfied. Over the years in both business and life I've had to learn this hard lesson.

Matching talent, skills and work culture can be one of the biggest challenges faced by the management in any organization. An inclusive workplace is a working environment that values the individual and group differences within its work force. It helps make diverse employees feel valued, welcome, integrated and included in the workforce instead of unappreciated, ignored, and isolated.

• Giving praise is more than just an occasional compliment. When done right, it can change your work environment for the better.
• Research says that praise that's sincere and specific will not only make people perform better, but makes them more open to criticism.
• Emotionally intelligent praise can create a more "psychologically safe" workplace — meaning people will feel safe to make mistakes and take risks.

As the #MeToo movement broke a year ago, I waited eagerly for someone to speak out on my behalf – on behalf of the many women across scholarly communication of all ages who like me had been subject to harassment in its many forms. My post here back in February was in part a result of my own anger at the silence, and it’s one of the pieces that has helped us begin this conversation in scholarly communication. I’d like to thank and give huge kudos to ALPSP for not only welcoming this panel, but also for recognizing its importance and making it a plenary session.

In 2018 we shared 100+ articles on all things Corporate Rebels, progressive work practices and on our adventures. You read them. We ranked them.

Here are the 10 most-read articles of the year. Discover Corporate Rebels’ most popular insights for creating a progressive workplace!

We’ve all known colleagues who prefer to gossip at the coffee machine rather than contribute positively to the organization. We may then talk about them and their complaining about the organization, managers, colleagues—and the coffee. If we do, the complainers are not just annoying, they are also contagious.

Research reveals the damage they do. Let us share the data with you, and why toxic colleagues are bigger problem than we often think.

Our research into more than 100 workplace pioneers reveals an important shift –“from job descriptions to talents and mastery”. It’s a clear differentiator between traditional and pioneering organizations.

Traditional organizations focus on fixed job descriptions, and linear careers that move from one description to the next. Progressive organizations focus on “talents & mastery”– and craft jobs and development opportunities around the specific skills employees would love to exploit.

What makes an organization successful its people or its leaders? In many organizations it has been seen, especially where leaders are open to suggestions and follow an open door policy with employees, there is a greater willingness to change and adapt. Such organizations usually become more successful over a period of time.