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Change!

Change is inevitable Change is overwhelmingly pervasive and constant in today’s labour market, but many organisations are not ready for them. Because people are naturally fearful of change both in their personal and professional lives, managers are either not able to implement the required changes or don’t have the skills to empower their team members to do so. In fact, there are a tremendous amount of misconceptions about change management, the three most common ones being: Change Affects Only Specific Departments In medium to large organisations, senior managers lead change management, but they don’t really understand that it doesn’t only affect specific departments. A boss can meet with the director of communications to discuss strategies to communicate the changes to clients, employees and partners. They will work with the project management team to create a set of deliverables that must be completed in order for the change to take place. They may also meet with the IT department, but then fail to alert all of the other employees.The biggest misconception about change management is that it doesn’t affect every single person in your company. That is false! You must make sure that all of your employees are aware about upcoming changes and are able to handle them. Employees Easily Adapt To Change Another misconception about change management is that employees will easily adapt to change. Certain managers think it’s enough to hold a staff meeting to announce what is in the works, and that staff will naturally embrace and implement changes. That is not the case. First, if you want your team members to truly try their hardest to embrace change, you need to be upfront and explain to them why the changes are happening and how the entire process will roll out. You should explain in great detail how they will be impacted by the changes, what you hope to gain from it, and what can go wrong. You also need to provide adequate training to each person, focusing on individual strengths and weaknesses to make sure each and every party will be fully ready to jump on board when the time comes. Change Will Happen Quickly When trying to change the status quo, it can be tempting to get it done as quickly as possible. However, believing that change will happen quickly, especially if it’s not a small change, can lead to trouble. Managers need to “build an appetite for the change across the organisation and that takes time… The more prepared you are with customised communications, preliminary feedback and active champions….the smoother the path to change,” states a source. Make sure to give yourself and your employees they time they need to process and come to terms with the changes, train themselves on the what needs to be done and the time to conduct small rollouts. To your success! Sean McPheat

The social side of EQ

Too many people succumb to the mistaken belief that being likeable comes from natural, unteachable traits that belong only to a lucky few—the good looking, the fiercely social, and the incredibly talented. It’s easy to fall prey to this misconception. In reality, being likeable is under your control, and it’s a matter of emotional intelligence (EQ). In a study conducted at UCLA, subjects rated over 500 adjectives based on their perceived significance to likeability. The top-rated adjectives had nothing to do with being gregarious, intelligent, or attractive (innate characteristics). Instead, the top adjectives were sincerity, transparency, and capacity for understanding (another person). These adjectives, and others like them, describe people who are skilled in the social side of emotional intelligence.

Here are 13 of the best:

1. They Ask Questions The biggest mistake people make when it comes to listening is they’re so focused on what they’re going to say next or how what the other person is saying is going to affect them that they fail to hear what’s being said. The words come through loud and clear, but the meaning is lost. A simple way to avoid this is to ask a lot of questions. People like to know you’re listening, and something as simple as a clarification question shows that not only are you listening, you also care about what they’re saying. You’ll be surprised how much respect and appreciation you gain just by asking questions.

2. They Put Away Their Phones Nothing will turn someone off to you like a mid-conversation text message or even a quick glance at your phone. When you commit to a conversation, focus all of your energy on the conversation. You will find that conversations are more enjoyable and effective when you immerse yourself in them.

3. They Are Genuine # 1/4 Being genuine and honest is essential to being likeable. No one likes a fake. People gravitate toward those who are genuine because they know they can trust them. It is difficult to like someone when you don’t know who they really are and how they really feel. Likeable people know who they are. They are confident enough to be comfortable in their own skin. By concentrating on what drives you and makes you happy as an individual, you become a much more interesting person than if you attempt to win people over by making choices that you think will make them like you.

4. They Don’t Pass Judgment If you want to be likeable you must be open-minded. Being open-minded makes you approachable and interesting to others. No one wants to have a conversation with someone who has already formed an opinion and is not willing to listen. Having an open mind is crucial in the workplace where approachability means access to new ideas and help. To eliminate preconceived notions and judgment, you need to see the world through other people’s eyes. This doesn’t require you believe what they believe or condone their behavior, it simply means you quit passing judgment long enough to truly understand what makes them tick. Only then can you let them be who they are.

5. They Don’t Seek Attention People are averse to those who are desperate for attention. You don’t need to develop a big, extroverted personality to be likeable. Simply being friendly and considerate is all you need to win people over. When you speak in a friendly, confident, and concise manner, you will notice that people are much more attentive and persuadable than if you try to show them you’re important. People catch on to your attitude quickly and are more attracted to the right attitude than what—or how many people—you know. When you’re being given attention, such as when you’re being recognized for an accomplishment, shift the focus to all the people who worked hard to help you get there. This may sound cliché, but if it’s genuine, the fact that you pay attention to others and appreciate their help will show that you’re appreciative and humble—two adjectives that are closely tied to likeability.

6. They Are Consistent Few things make you more unlikeable than when you’re all over the place. When people approach you, they like to know whom they’re dealing with and what sort of response they can expect. To be consistent you must be reliable, and you must ensure that even when your mood goes up and down it doesn’t affect how you treat other people.

7. They Use Positive Body Language Becoming cognizant of your gestures, expressions, and tone of voice (and making certain they’re positive) will draw people to you like ants to a picnic. Using an enthusiastic tone, uncrossing your arms, maintaining eye contact, and leaning towards the person who’s speaking are all forms of positive body language that high-EQ people use to draw others in. Positive body language can make all the difference in a conversation. 2/4 It’s true that howyou say something can be more important thanwhatyou say.

8. They Leave a Strong First Impression Research shows most people decide whether or not they like you within the first seven seconds of meeting you. They then spend the rest of the conversation internally justifying their initial reaction. This may sound terrifying, but by knowing this you can take advantage of it to make huge gains in your likeability. First impressions are tied intimately to positive body language. Strong posture, a firm handshake, smiling, and opening your shoulders to the person you are talking to will help ensure that your first impression is a good one.

9. They Greet People by Name Your name is an essential part of your identity, and it feels terrific when people use it. Likeable people make certain they use others’ names every time they see them. You shouldn’t use someone’s name only when you greet him. Research shows that people feel validated when the person they’re speaking with refers to them by name during a conversation. If you’re great with faces but have trouble with names, have some fun with it and make remembering people’s names a brain exercise. When you meet someone, don’t be afraid to ask her name a second time if you forget it right after you hear it. You’ll need to keep her name handy if you’re going to remember it the next time you see her.

10. They Smile People naturally (and unconsciously) mirror the body language of the person they’re talking to. If you want people to like you, smile at them during a conversation and they will unconsciously return the favor and feel good as a result.

11. They Know When To Open Up Be careful to avoid sharing personal problems and confessions too quickly, as this will get you labeled a complainer. Likeable people let the other person guide when it’s the right time for them to open up.

12. They Know Who To Touch (and They Touch Them) When you touch someone during a conversation, you release oxytocin in their brain, a neurotransmitter that makes their brain associate you with trust and a slew of other positive feelings. A simple touch on the shoulder, a hug, or a friendly handshake is all it takes to release oxytocin. Of course, you have to touch the right person in the right way to release oxytocin, as unwanted or inappropriate touching has the opposite effect. Just remember, relationships are built not just from words, but also from general feelings about each other. Touching someone appropriately is a great way to show you care.

13. They Balance Passion and Fun People gravitate toward those who are passionate. That said, it’s easy for passionate people to come across as too serious or uninterested because they tend to get absorbed in their work. Likeable people balance their passion with the ability to have fun. At work they 3/4 are serious, yet friendly. They still get things done because they are socially effective in short amounts of time and they capitalize on valuable social moments. They minimize small talk and gossip and instead focus on having meaningful interactions with their coworkers. They remember what you said to them yesterday or last week, which shows that you’re just as important to them as their work. Bringing It All Together Likeable people are invaluable and unique. They network with ease, promote harmony in the workplace, bring out the best in everyone around them, and generally seem to have the most fun. Add these skills to your repertoire and watch your likeability soar!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Travis Bradberry, Ph.D.

The Future Of Work

CEO'S can take a proactive approach to preparing the workforce for the tremendous technology-enabled changes required to compete in the years ahead.

Digital technology is having a profound effect on the human side of the enterprise, affecting where, when, and how employees get work done. The results of Deloitte’s recent Future of Work survey confirm that C-level executives view the ways in which new technologies will shape their organizations and their own roles as a topic of critical importance. Nearly two-thirds (65 percent) of those surveyed say it is a strategic objective to transform their organization’s culture with a focus on increasing connectivity, communication, and collaboration.
Even as more business functions are augmented by new technology capabilities, people remain the most critical asset of an organization. Going forward, those people will be working in a more networked, distributed, mobile, collaborative, and real-time fluid manner. Such significant shifts will demand not only increased adaptability on the part of employees, but deliberate forethought from executives introducing new systems and processes to make sure the transition goes smoothly.

Forward-thinking CEOs will ensure that work, increasingly done by human and
machine in concert, is coordinated to create maximum value for the company and its employees.
When approached with consideration to the impact on work and workers, digital technologies offer the opportunity to create a more engaging environment for employees and a more adaptive organization for the future. The survey offers a glimpse of what executives expect this future to look like as well as six lessons for business leaders who will usher in the technologies to enable new ways of working and also manage the changes within their own talent organizations.
Pay attention to culture. More than two-thirds (69 percent) of those surveyed believe company culture will be critically important to their organization’s ability to realize its vision in the future. The larger the company, the more important this issue becomes. Just 14 percent of those who responded say that culture has no, little, or neutral impact on their ability to realize their vision and mission—and the majority of respondents were from smaller companies.

Developing a common mission and a sense of belonging in a workforce that is increasingly dispersed will grow ever more important. Just 14 percent of leaders say they are completely satisfied with their organization’s current ability to communicate and collaborate. CEOs and other executives who want to achieve the full value of digital transformations will pay close attention to the development and dissemination of communication around workplace changes. Putting in place more efficient decision-making structures and tools (42 percent) and allocating more employee time and resources to innovation by making current processes more efficient (41 percent) are the two
most important changes respondents expect to make within the next two years.
Increase transparency. About three in five (59 percent) corporate leaders say transparency in communications is a critical priority for achieving their organization’s goals. Involving employees in technology-enabled changes will be more challenging than in the past. After all, 37 percent of the global workforce is mobile, 30 percent of full-time employees now do most of their work outside of their employers’ location, and 20 percent of the workforce comprises temporary workers, contractors, and freelancers, according to another Deloitte report. More clarity and openness around the exploration and introduction of digital technologies will help employees adapt to significant and more
frequent shifts in their roles.

Manage generational expectations. By 2020, millennials will make up half of the workforce. However, individuals are also more commonly working into their 70s and 80s. As leaders manage a workforce comprising up to four different cohorts, managing across generations will be more important than ever. Nearly four in five (78 percent) 1/3 executives say generational differences in employees’ expectations will drive an increased emphasis on devolved collaboration, whereby ownership of decisions is delegated down through the organization. The key will be building
an environment that supports flexibility and tools that enable all employees to collaborate and exchange ideas easily and transparently. Measure the business impact. The strategic importance of transforming collaboration and communication is based on the assumption that such advances will yield hard business results in an increasingly competitive, interconnected, and fast-moving world. The biggest benefits executives expect to derive from improved collaboration and communication include identifying and exploiting new business opportunities and increasing rates
of innovation C-level executives spearheading the digital transformation of work can identify the specific business benefits their organizations are targeting and regularly measure. They can then report on key indicators associated with those goals, making adjustments to strategy as required based on performance. Create context. The way we work in five years may look little like it does today. For example, 76 percent of executives surveyed predict their organizations will move away from email and toward more sophisticated  2/3 collaboration tools. Nearly three quarters (72 percent) expect a significant increase in cross-cultural virtual teaming technologies. And around 8 in 10 (78 percent) think mobile will be the dominant technology environment within five years.
But new tools alone are not enough. The time that workers spend today answering email (an average of 25 percent of the day) or checking their mobile phones (around 150 times a day) is not necessarily increasing productivity. As leaders sit on the cusp of potentially more sweeping technology-enabled changes, they can take this time to develop the right cultural context for these new tools and adapt their workplace processes and policies to make the most of digital capabilities on the way.
Build networks, not hierarchies. More than 40 percent of respondents expect to place more focus on facilitating the exchange of ideas, enabling the flow of conversations across the organization, and providing greater autonomy at team and individual levels going forward. This shift from a “top-down” to “side-by-side” organizational construct will be a critical component to the future of work. CEOs will play an important role, enabling an empowered network of employees capable of acting autonomously rather than waiting for direction.

—by Stephen Redwood and Mark Holmstrom, principals, Deloitte Consulting LLP; and Zach Vetter, managing director, Deloitte LLP

Ten Habits Of Incredibly Happy People - Travis Bradberry

There are a lot of "influential thinkers" out there - Travis is the real deal!

Here is a good piece😊 

We’re always chasing something—be it a promotion, a new car, or a significant other. This leads to the belief that, “When (blank) happens, I’ll finally be happy.” The mistaken notion that major life events dictate your happiness and sadness is so prevalent that psychologists have a name for it: impact bias. The reality is, event-based happiness is fleeting. Happiness is synthetic—you either create it, or you don’t. Happiness that lasts is earned through your habits. Supremely happy people have honed habits that maintain their happiness day in, day out. Try out their habits, and see what they do for you:


 1. They slow down to appreciate life’s little pleasures. By nature, we fall into routines. In some ways, this is a good thing. It saves precious brainpower and creates comfort. However, sometimes you get so caught up in your routine that you fail to appreciate the little things in life. Happy people know how important it is to savor the taste of their meal, revel in the amazing conversation they just had, or even just step outside to take a deep breath of fresh air.

2. They exercise. Getting your body moving for as little as 10 minutes releases GABA, a neurotransmitter that makes your brain feel soothed and keeps you in control of your impulses. Happy people schedule regular exercise and follow through on it because they know it pays huge dividends for their mood.

3. They spend money on other people. Research shows that spending money on other people makes you much happier than spending it on yourself. This is especially true of small things that demonstrate effort, such as going out of your way to buy your friend a book that you know they will like.

4. They surround themselves with the right people. Happiness spreads through people. Surrounding yourself with happy people builds confidence, stimulates creativity, and it’s flat-out fun. Hanging around negative people has the opposite effect. They want people to join their pity party so that they can feel better about themselves. Think of it this way: If a person were smoking, would you sit there all afternoon inhaling the second-hand smoke? You’d distance yourself, and you should do the same with negative people.

5. They stay positive. Bad things happen to everyone, including happy people. Instead of complaining about how things could have been or should have been, happy people reflect on everything they’re grateful for. Then they find the best solution available to the problem, tackle it, and move on. Nothing fuels unhappiness quite like pessimism. The problem with a pessimistic attitude, apart from the damage it does to your mood, is that it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy: if you expect bad things, you’re more likely to experience negative events. Pessimistic thoughts are hard to shake off until you recognize how illogical they are. Force yourself to look at the facts, and you’ll see that things are not nearly as bad as they seem. Subscribe To The Forbes Careers Newsletter Sign up here to get top career advice delivered straight to your inbox every week.


6. They get enough sleep. I’ve beaten this one to death over the years and can’t say enough about the importance of sleep to improving your mood, focus, and self-control. When you sleep, your brain literally recharges, removing toxic proteins that accumulate during the day as byproducts of normal neuronal activity. This ensures that you wake up alert and clear-headed. Your energy, attention, and memory are all reduced when you don’t get enough quality sleep. Sleep deprivation also raises stress hormone levels on its own, even without a stressor present. Happy people make sleep a priority, because it makes them feel great and they know how lousy they feel when they’re sleep deprived.

7. They have deep conversations. Happy people know that happiness and substance go hand-in-hand. They avoid gossip, small talk, and judging others. Instead they focus on meaningful interactions. They engage with other people on a deeper level, because they know that doing so feels good, builds an emotional connection, and is an interesting way to learn.

8. They help others. Taking the time to help people not only makes them happy, but it also makes you happy. Helping other people gives you a surge of oxytocin, serotonin, and dopamine, all of which create good feelings. In a Harvard study, employees who helped others were 10 times more likely to be focused at work and 40% more likely to get a promotion. The same study showed that people who consistently provided social support were the most likely to be happy during times of high stress. As long as you make certain that you aren’t overcommitting yourself, helping others is sure to have a positive influence on your mood.

9. They make an effort to be happy. No one wakes up feeling happy every day and supremely happy people are no exception. They just work at it harder than everyone else. They know how easy it is to get sucked into a routine where you don’t monitor your emotions or actively try to be happy and positive. Happy people constantly evaluate their moods and make decisions with their happiness in mind.

10. They have a growth mindset. 2/3 People’s core attitudes fall into one of two categories: a fixed mindset or a growth mindset. With a fixed mindset, you believe you are who you are and you cannot change. This creates problems when you’re challenged, because anything that appears to be more than you can handle is bound to make you feel hopeless and overwhelmed. People with a growth mindset believe that they can improve with effort. This makes them happier because they are better at handling difficulties. They also outperform those with a fixed mindset because they embrace challenges, treating them as opportunities to learn something new.

Bringing It All Together Happiness can be tough to maintain, but investing in the right habits pays off. Adopting even a few of the habits from this list will make a big difference in your mood.

National Manufacturing Conference 2018

Getting A Promotion! Easy?

I cannot agree with everything here, but certainly one of the better articles I have come across recently. 

Looking for a promotion? Here are the 7 simple steps to getting there.

GETTING A PROMOTION in work is no mean feat – the competition is fierce, and the ladder is a tough climb. There can often be ‘rules’ around getting promoted that will never appear on paper, and office politics can play a role, too. Clara Whitaker, a ‘Career Doctor’ specialising in bringing a spark back to burned-out executives, says that there are two main factors that hold people back from promotion. Firstly, “a misalignment with their managers and/or the company”. And secondly, “lack of trust in [a person’s] own ability to pull it off.” Misalignment is difficult to get around – your job may only promote after a certain amount of time in a role, or not at all. But a lack of trust in yourself can be even trickier to manage. If you’re ready for that extra responsibility, though, these tips will help to get the spotlight on you.

1. Know exactly what you want “When I work with my clients, I always use a set of tests and questionnaires to clearly map out what they want out of their careers and lives, why they want it and how they’re going to get there,” says Clara. “So they can have a clear vision of what success looks like for them, instead of for other people.” This helps them understand where they can fit themselves into a new role, as well as the promotion market at their company and beyond. It is, in Clara’s words, being “smart about your career”. Kieran O’Connell, an executive with DIT Hothouse, also recommends having a clear roadmap for yourself. “You have to have a permanent campaign for career progression,” he says.

2. Decide whether you need to upskill “Investing in education, learning and development is one of the single biggest factors influencing both employability and the ability to progress,” says Dr Ronan Carberry, Senior Lecturer in Management at UCC and the Irish Management Institute. It may not seem like the most obvious thing to do, but going back to education can have a real impact on your job aspirations. Kieran O’Connell recently completed a Masters in Business in order to keep up with the demands of the market. “When everyone has a degree, no one does,” he says. “So one of the best ways to differentiate yourself is to upskill.” Not only does it differentiate you, but letting your boss know that you’re working on something new shows initiative and drive. “The ability to articulate what specific skills and competencies have been developed as a result of completing a course or programme is hugely important [to career progression],” says Dr Carberry. If you can’t take on a degree – and let’s face it, many of us can’t – you might have a think about night or online courses too.

3. Prepare, prepare, prepare Once you decide you want a promotion, it’s best to set the wheels in motion – so that by the time a position crops up, you have everything ready to go as if the interview were tomorrow. “For starters, assess your current skill set, check out what the new position would entail, and prepare, prepare, prepare for the role,” says Clara Whitaker. “Look beyond your current position to see where else you can add value: what opportunities or threats can you perceive?”

4. Find a mentor Another tactic is to ask for help within the organisation. Dr Carberry recommends “seeking out mentoring or sponsorship opportunities.” Having a powerful employee on your side can make all the difference, he says. “Here the sponsor acts as an advocate for an employee when it comes to career opportunities, promotions, and who has the power to effect change.”

5. Help your manager succeed “If you want to get ahead, you have to start thinking and acting like you’re ahead.” says Clara. “That means understanding the differences in scope, responsibility, skills and vision that will be necessary to the new role, and preparing accordingly.” In other words: start acting like you’re already in the role you’re coveting. Taking on extra responsibilities and working as hard as you can get you noticed by a superior – in all the right ways. “You are more likely to be noticed as someone deserving if you consistently help your boss succeed, and rally the troops to help you help her succeed,” according to Clara. Dr Carberry recommends preparing “a concise document that clearly outlines your proven track record and provides concrete details on the impact you’ve had on the business”. Aligning this with the company’s objectives, where possible, is a sure-fire way to stand out.

6. Know where the company is going “What helps [with self-promotion] is to think about the position you want and then build a compelling argument as to how it aligns with the objectives of your boss and the organisation,” says Dr Carberry. Many companies have a long-term strategic plan or vision for the company, as well as for the staff – it’s worth finding and studying this, as more often than not it’s a bible to management. Knowing it inside out not only impresses in an interview setting, but it can help you build a coherent strategy for your new role. Clara stresses the importance of doing your homework too. “Know what the company’s short and long term goals are and how you can add value to them. And research the market to find out what it pays someone with your experience and qualifications.”

7. Have a plan B (and be ready to look elsewhere) Much as the idea of being told ‘No’ may turn your stomach, Clara says it’s important to be ready for rejection – without expecting it. “Always have a plan B” she advises. “Companies are not always able or willing to promote employees at certain times. It happens. So what would your next steps be if your request for a promotion was met with a ‘No’?” If you’re knocked back, try not to take it personally – it really is just business. At the very least, your boss knows that you’re willing, ready and able to up-skill – and it also might be a good time to shop around, says Dr Carberry. “Research shows that one of the best ways to get a pay raise is to switch organisations between three and five years after you started there. Less than three years may be too little time to develop the most marketable skills and after five years people become tied to the organisation.” So maybe if your time is up, and you’re not getting that promotion, it’s best to take your newly sharpened skills elsewhere.

thejournal.ie/promotion-simple-steps-4173711-Aug2018