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Tag: Communication

  • 5 Steps to Drive Employee Engagement

    We might ask the question who is responsible for engagement of employees and their development? On the one hand that responsibility can be given to line managers and on the other to employees themselves. Or you might take the other tack of putting the responsibility firmly on the shoulders of Human Resources or Learning and Development specialists. Perhaps the answer lies with all parties taking their fair share of creating, ensuring and committing to engaging for the purpose of driving development and ultimately performance of the individual, team and organisation?

    Personal development, unlike a Michelin star, goes with the individual wherever he or she goes, it does not stay with the organisation that was instrumental in instigating that development. Therefore, you might ask: “What is the point of developing employees if they are going to leave anyway?” Believe it or not I still hear this question far too often! If every organisation and individual is actively engaged in personal development which at the time benefits the organisation in which they are working, then when they leave, the replacement if from outside the organisation will also have a certain level of professionalism, knowledge and skills in their sphere of expertise. Consequently, circulating individuals who are inspired to learn and to engage in their own personal development will not only give to and benefit their new employer, but also keep that employer on their toes to provide further opportunities for development and growth. But as we all know, growth and development do not come without engagement.

    Breaking this down – engagement in the workplace means the absence of presenteeism. It means employees who embrace their role and their responsibilities within that role and are motivated and committed emotionally by what they are doing as well as the opportunities and challenges that present within the role, as well as opportunities to take on other roles whether in the short or long term. As Kevin Kruse, Founder+CEO of www.LEADx.org, wrote in Forbes Daily “Employee engagement is the emotional commitment the employee has to the organization and its goals.”

    “This emotional commitment means engaged employees actually care about their work and their company. They don’t work just for a salary, or just for the next promotion, but work on behalf of the organization’s goals.” Invariably this means that an engaged employee will go that extra mile if needed, they will step in willingly during difficult times, work overtime without being asked and generally hold the interest of the company at the forefront of what they do in their role.

    According to Gallup’s latest State of the Global Workplace Report, 2021, “only 21% of employees are engaged at work. Even outside of work, only a third of the people making up our organizations feel like they are thriving.  This low engagement isn’t an overhyped narrative — Gallup estimates that low engagement costs the global economy nearly 8 trillion USD.”

    McKinsey surveyed over 13,000 workers across the globe for their Great Attrition, Great Attraction 2.0 report, with 45% of respondents having quit or planning to quit over the past year. The top five reasons for quitting show clearly that the inability to retain talent is a direct result of high job demand that is “supported” by inadequate, uncaring and poor leadership that is compounded by inadequate compensation and lack of opportunities for development:

    • Lack of career development and advancement: 41%
    • Inadequate total compensation: 36%
    • Uncaring and uninspiring leaders: 34%
    • Lack of meaningful work: 31%
    • Unsustainable expectations: 29%

    Perhaps there is a hesitancy amongst HR professionals and top leadership to hire in this current climate with the expectation that the UK and perhaps the world, is facing a recession. Surely then if this is true, retention through active engagement has to be the answer? What are some of the ways that employee retention and engagement can be improved? In no order of importance as they are all interconnected, but together make a huge difference to how employees feel and how emotionally engaged they are within their role and the organisation as a whole:

    1. Engage managers and develop leaders

    If managers are not satisfied with what they are doing, it is unlikely that they will inspire others. Start with manager engagement and develop their commitment through knowing their needs, providing support and offering development to support their personal goals as well as the goals of the organisation.  Effective leaders require autonomy. If your organisation expects leadership to follow a set of rules without questioning, without application of personal knowledge and skill, combined with extreme pressure to deliver, perhaps it is not leadership that you are requiring?

     2. Show interest by following up regularly with employees

    There is a big difference between a bot or robot and a human. Humans require recognition for who they are and what they contribute. All managers and leaders should know their team members and be able to relate to them on a personal basis as well as job-related basis. This shows they have a personal interest in the welfare of their team members and show that they are valued. Employees who do not get the necessary recognition to feel valued for their contribution will most certainly look elsewhere.

     3. Give positive feedback and recognise improvement

    It is so easy to see and find someone doing something wrong – in fact is it human nature to notice what is not right as opposed to what is right. Find employees and team members doing things right, recognise their improvements, however small, to encourage more of the same behaviour. Employees who feel valued will undoubtedly become engaged.

     4. Listen to your employees

    Listening is the greatest gift one individual can give another. Managers, peers and colleagues who are unable to truly listen to others are missing out on the opportunity to show interest, connect emotionally, respond to thoughts, ideas and suggestions and demonstrate that they value their input whether implemented or not. Listening empathetically helps build emotional connection which in turn builds trust and confidence in one another.

     5. Plan for career development and advancement

    As seen in the McKinsey survey 41% of employees lacked engagement and left their organisations in search of a position elsewhere because of lack of career development and opportunity. 31% because of lack of meaningful work. Not everyone wants to become General Director, CEO or Group HR Director.  It is human nature to want to improve ourselves and if an organisation, department or team is unable to provide adequate opportunity to learn new skills and gain new knowledge, experience different roles, grow the level of responsibility and increase autonomy, then seriously the leadership of that organisation needs to look in the mirror and question themselves honestly and openly as to why employees are lacking engagement and worse still looking elsewhere for new positions.

    The responsibility for employee engagement falls squarely on the shoulders of leadership within each organisation to develop a culture that truly cares for their workforce, wants and aims to have each employee grow hand in hand with the organisation.  But, more importantly ultimately wants their employees to drive the success of the organisation.

    References:

    https://www.forbes.com/sites/kevinkruse/2012/06/22/employee-engagement-what-and-why/?sh=148639287f37

    https://advise.gallup.com/employee-engagement?campaignid=18945816141&adgroupid=143633586437&adid=635680356857&gclid=CjwKCAjwiOCgBhAgEiwAjv5whMr9eXpYipo3ReeMZSr36ar2DHLyVLxPP25QkECaGmhj8d-0DILhGBoC_iUQAvD_BwE

    https://www.lumapps.com/resources/white-papers/attract-engage-retain-the-employee-experience-advantage/

  • 5 Ways to Create a Great Customer Experience

    Great customer service and a great customer experience is the foundation to any business.  It does not matter whether you are in the frontline serving customers or not.  Any member of a team is always either serving the customer directly or serving someone who is serving the customer.  The Ritz-Carlton company motto perfectly sums this up “We are ladies and gentlemen, serving ladies and gentlemen.”  In other words, there is no difference between the real guest coming from outside and buying products and services and an internal guest – a fellow team member.  Offering a level of service that wow’s the customer has to come from every corner and every level of the company.  It is like an orchestra, everyone has to play their part, in time, to the correct standard to present a well-orchestrated piece of music that creates maximum enjoyment for each and every audience member.  When the orchestra is playing well customers want more of the same and will bring friends along with them, thus organically growing your business.

    It is normal and natural that customers will be annoyed when a product or service does not meet their expectations. However, the way it is handled will either build loyalty to the brand and company, or completely destroy that relationship, losing that customer and potentially several more depending on who they tell.  In today’s world in most situations the customer has a choice, if they do not get what they are seeking in the holistic sense with you, they will go elsewhere.

    5 ways to create a great customer experienceCustomers who love your company, not because necessarily the product is the very best, but because your personnel know the customer and make them feel individual and welcome in each and every interaction, irrelevant of who serves them.  Customers who receive this level of service will always be loyal, giving you whatever business they can within their remit.  Not only that, if something slips in the product, when the service is consistently exceptional, and the mistake addressed in the same manner, they will in most cases overlook the product issues and give a second chance to allow you to get it right. This is the foundation to a strong and loyal customer base.

    Just as important, personnel who enjoy working with customers get so much more with each interaction, which increases their level of job satisfaction ultimately leading to an inspired happy and joyful workforce who want to be at work and who in turn share this joy with everyone else in their lives, including your customers.

    We have all had times either in a store, or online, when we’ve had a very poor customer experience. Since the onset of Corona virus, sadly these experiences are increasing, individual staff members very often hiding behind the phrase “Because of Covid we cannot do……….” it is incredible what the onset of Covid has enabled companies to get away with?  I have heard the excuses of “I can’t send a rescue truck, (to collect a car that has broken down), because of Covid”, “Because of Covid chicken is off the menu.” In my local supermarket when asking for the customary coffee, the response was “We have not been serving coffee since Covid.” Interesting that I can buy a coffee in Costa, Starbucks, and the many other coffee shops and wagons, but coffee in the supermarket, which by the way, I serve myself by putting a cup under the machine and pressing the button, cannot be supplied because of Covid?  Previously a member of the team would clean the machine, therefore there is no extra manning requirement here!

    Do these companies, honestly think that their customers are so misinformed as to accept these and many other excuses used to hide behind and cover up the real issue of either staff shortages, poor training, lack of leadership or using Covid as an excuse to reduce manning levels?  Surely now, more than ever is the time to make customer service a priority?

    WHAT ARE SOME THINGS YOU CAN PUT IN PLACE TO GIVE THE CUSTOMER A GREAT EXPERIENCE?

    The following 5 things are for me the foundation to creating a great customer experience over and over for each and every customer that builds a loyal customer base which in turn results in a happier, healthier workforce who share a willingness to do a good job for you, all of which translates into decreased absenteeism and increased profitability:

    BE GENUINE WITH ALL YOUR CUSTOMERS

    Of course, we all want to front our company in a positive and successful light.  However, that does not stop every employee being genuine and showing the unique person that they are and using those qualities to serve customers, intuitively linking with customer feelings and emotions and responding in an appropriate manner.  Having service standards is of course important, but only to the point that they do not create robots. As far as I am aware, no one wants to be served by a robot?  Admit mistakes, accept them, apologise genuinely and find the best solution to correct the situation.

    WORK WITH AND THROUGH YOUR PERSONNEL

    Train all team members about the importance of the customer, both internal and external, and give them the autonomy to be individual and shine in each and every customer interaction, going that extra mile not because they were told to, but because they want to.  Provide the parameters to empower them to take things into their own hands to support their customers.  When they do go that extra mile, support them and give praise and recognition. Share each example as an inspiration and form of encouragement for other team members. 

    My logistics manager, without any direction from me, used to call the customers randomly simply to say “Hello, and ask how they are.”  I had no idea about this until one day one of my customers told me how much they enjoy the calls from Andre.  On enquiring what the calls were about I was informed “Oh, just about saying hello!”  I grew several inches from the pride that I felt at that moment.

    LIVE AND SHARE THE COMPANY VALUES

    Ensure that each and every team member understands how to apply company values in their day-to-day life so that the values live, and there is no disconnect between what the company publishes and what is actually adopted in practice.  Ask employees to share what these values mean for them as well as giving examples of how they might apply them through their work. Encourage them to do just that to make the words come to life and have meaning and consistency for internal and external customers alike. 

     Employees who feel a part of and are able to align their own values with the company are more self-confident, feel connected to the overall team, and more comfortable in taking steps that perhaps before they would not have done without this knowledge.

    FIND YOUR TEAM MEMBERS DOING SOMETHING WELL

    It is human nature to be quick to see the negative, what has not been done, what was done poorly, being late, missing deadlines, shoddy work and so on.  Noticing the small things as well as the large things done well and giving the recognition each and every person in your team deserves, goes a very long way to building a positive, loyal team and strong company culture.  In my book, there is no such thing as a bad employee, only bad management!

    LEAD BY EXAMPLE AND “WALK YOUR TALK”

    Get out there on the front line and be with your personnel. Get feedback from your them on what is working well, what is not and how they think it can be improved.  Where suggestions are reasonable, act on them and make it known to other team members whose idea it was and why it is being implemented. For suggestions not implemented give an explanation so that the person does not think you are simply paying “lip-service” or doing a tick-box exercise in simply asking the question, with no intention of doing anything about the response. Talk to your customers, showing every employee that the customer is important and that you are not afraid to communicate with them and to hear what they have to say, whether good or bad.

    In 30 odd years of working with customers in restaurants, hotels, my own companies and as a trainer of customer service, of course there are many other things that I can add to this list, but starting here will create a very strong foundation.  In the words of Tony Hsieh now retired CEO of Zappos, “Customer service shouldn’t just be a department, it should be the entire company.”

     

    NEED HELP WITH YOUR CUSTOMER SERVICE SKILLS? TRY OUR CUSTOMER FOCUSSED COMMUNICATION E-LEARNING COURSE!

  • A beautiful life – a lesson in leadership from Rick Astley

    Singer/songwriter Rick Astley announced that he will be releasing his eighth studio album this year which is entitled ‘Beautiful Life’. I was listening to the conversation between Rick Astley and a well-known Radio 2 DJ about the album.  More importantly about why Rick wrote a song called “Beautiful Life” and named the album with the same name.

    Rick said something very pertinent in answer to the question “Why Beautiful Life?  In his answer he explained that in fact he has had a beautiful life, with the exception of a few curveballs.  Most importantly, he continued with words to the effect that  it is all about how you look at life and how you regard things that are thrown at you and things that happen to you, and I might add things you do to yourself.

    Personally I resonate with these comments.  How you perceive something is half the battle of working with it, solving it and overcoming it.  Do you look at “setbacks” in a negative sense, react emotionally in some way and fester on the consequences, or do you take the opportunity to understand the message, learn, grow and develop, thus moving yourself forward out of the adverse condition?

    One of the most important aspects of working through perceived negative situations is the emotional side of the situation.  In the case of “it”, what ever “it” is being done to us, the emotions experienced might be anger, frustration, bitterness, disbelief, shame and many others.  In the case of us doing something inadvertently that back-fires on our self, emotions might include guilt, shame, anger and self blame amongst others.

    Harbouring emotions is both unproductive and damaging mentally and ultimately physically.  To be an effective leader we need to be able to rise above any situation and look at the cause of why something happened, rectify it with those involved through helping them understand why this particular approach was not constructive, give guidance on a more positive way to approach the particular situation, and agree on a way forward.  Always avoiding the desire or need to blame someone or something, allowing those involved to take responsibility for their actions, change behaviour, and therefore grow and develop from the experience.

    As Rick Astely so carefully and clearly put it – “Life is beautiful”.  It’s all about how you see it?  Leadership, whilst challenging on occasions is beautiful for all concerned, those being led and those doing the leading.  It all depends on how we firstly see each situation and each person, and secondly how we react to it?

  • A Celebration of International Women

    On the 8th March to celebrate International Women’s day it is appropriate to give credit to the many female Heads of State, CEO’s, Founders, Mothers and Grandmothers. How interesting that the world has a strong representation of female leaders, 22 countries in total including New Zealand, Denmark, Bangladesh, Lithuania, Taiwan and Norway are all led by inspirational women. This is quite a sizeable representation of women in top leadership positions, some in countries that are culturally showing more masculine than feminine qualities according to the Hofstede model of Intercultural sensitivity. It is irrelevant what you think about them, but the fact is these female and other female leaders are running governments, countries and businesses in what can only be termed troubled and challenging times.  In all fairness our male leaders are not exempt from the turbulence affecting everyone across the globe.

    Erna Solberg of Norway has been Prime Minister since 2013. Greece’s President, Katerina Sakellaropoulou has been in office since March 2020, and New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in office since October 2017.  These and many other women are demonstrating both success at achieving the position as well as longevity in the position.

    WHAT ARE THE PRINCIPLE CHARACTERISTICS OF FEMALE LEADERSHIP? 

    A Celebration of International WomenCan we characterize these principles and definitively separate them from the principles of male leadership? Unlikely, because styles of leadership differ amongst men and women equally depending on education, experience, courage, individuality, stamina and so on.  However, when looking at women andLet us celebrate the female leaders around the world on International Women’s Day. men, there are differences and when women bring these differences into play, we might see a broader range of characteristics, showing feminine power. Many of which come naturally to women.  Again, I don’t want to say that men do not display some or all these characteristics and vice versa, but men usually display a more masculine power through male characteristics and therefore the following are more common in women, especially in female leaders.

    Common female characteristics:

    • Intuitive and sensitive, demonstrating fluid emotional intelligence
    • Ability to sense the emotion as well as see the facts in order to make decisions on both factual/logical and emotional levels
    • Goal achievement through perseverance and vision, but not at the cost of others
    • Patience and tolerance, promoting harmony and understanding
    • The ability to encourage and nurture to reveal hidden potential of those who are unable to stand up for themselves
    • Ability to forgive, let go, learn and grow
    • Fosters an environment of trust, cooperation and harmony
    • Quiet drive, courage and resilience, as opposed to power and strength
    • Ability to release own emotions to relieve tension and break stress often through crying, which in men is seen as a weakness 
    • Ability to relieve tension in a situation through empathy and understanding
    • Happy to be out of the limelight and just get on with the job 

    CONCLUSIONS OR QUESTIONS?

    Are we moving into a time when female leadership is more appropriate for the global and work-related challenges we face in today’s world – starvation, homelessness, loneliness, escalation in chronic mental and physical diseases, environmental damage on a huge scale and the ever widening gap between the exceedingly wealthy and those who earn under the minimum wage?

    I don’t know the answer to this, but I do know the questions:  How much longer can we, as human beings go on living in an environment that is under more and more control due to the poor, ignorant choices of our leadership and our own inaction?  One that we are determined to destroy through industrial farming methods, fracking that pollutes and destroys the very integrity of the earth and the finely balanced ecosystem on which we live as well as wasteful habits, all of which combined are removing the right to a heritage for generations to come?

    How long can we go on not seeing, or deliberately covering up the detrimental impact of processed, sugar laden foods on our health and the health of our children, which has manifested in serious escalation in chronic disease, obesity and stress, all of which we see in most of the English speaking world, with other countries not far behind, having adopted a Western diet?

    How long are we going to allow escalation in mental health issues to continue to rise, before taking a close look at our company cultures, leadership approach and work environments?  What might this have to do with the current pandemic?  Could there be a correlation between the number of Covid cases and deaths in countries with the highest levels of diabetes, obesity and other chronic disease?

    LET’S CELEBRATE FEMALE LEADERSHIP

    As we move into the Age of Aquarius with the spring equinox, let’s celebrate all our female leaders and leadership, not only on International Women’s day, but everyday whether Heads of State, Heads of Companies, Entrepreneurs or Mothers. The arrival of the Aquarian age is associated with harmony, understanding, sympathy and trust.  All female characteristics. It is perhaps the female leaders that will turn the ship to restore balance in life, becoming more caring, nurturing, and responsible in how and what we live for?  Fostering a global economy and community that sees nations support each other rather than competing and striving to be the first with the strong, fit and healthy and remembering the rest as an afterthought?

    In the words of Marilyn Munroe, “One of the best things that ever happened to me, is that I am a woman.  That is the way all females should feel.” 

     

    Happy International Women’s Day.

     

    To find out more about how Green Key can help you and your leadership journey, contact Rachel directly.

  • A Lesson from Authentic Service

    “The authentic self is the soul made visible.” – Sarah Ban Breathnach

    On a recent holiday, I stayed in a Marriott hotel perched above one of the great wonders of the world. The setting was breathtaking—spacious rooms, restaurants, a golf course, gym, pool, spa. On paper, it ticked every box.

    But as most seasoned travellers know, a hotel is never just about the facilities. The most memorable experiences are created not by architecture, but by people.

    It’s easy to imagine the alternative. Sitting poolside, unable to get anyone’s attention for a simple drink. Being greeted at reception with a frown that makes you feel like you are a nuisance. A beautiful desk, a vase of flowers, and a seamless check-in system mean nothing if the person behind the counter makes you feel unwelcome.

    This hotel was the opposite. Every staff member I encountered was warm, professional, and—above all—genuine. Conversations weren’t scripted, smiles weren’t forced. Each interaction felt human, genuine, and intentional.

    It struck me that this kind of service doesn’t happen by chance. It reflects something deeper: leadership that fosters authenticity throughout an organisation.

    Why Leadership Shapes Culture

    There’s a saying: “The fish stinks from the head down.” But the reverse is true as well: if the leadership is healthy, principled, and value driven, that spirit flows through the entire organisation.

    I never met the General Manager of that Marriott, but I could sense their influence. Staff felt empowered to be themselves, trusted to take initiative, and encouraged to treat guests not as transactions but as people.

    That is the hallmark of authentic leadership: setting a tone where people don’t just perform duties, they live the values of the organisation.

    What Do We Mean by Authentic Leadership?

    Harvard Business School defines authentic leadership as a “style built on integrity, accountability, and principle-driven decision-making. Authentic leaders are guided by an inner compass, not by short-term expedience.”

    This style of leadership builds trust, fosters approachability, and improves team performance. It creates organisations where people feel safe to bring their full selves to work.

    Harvard Business Review research shows that authenticity in leadership leads to tangible benefits for employees, including:

    •    Better relationships with colleagues

    •    Higher levels of trust

    •    Greater productivity

    •    A more positive workplace environment

    While authenticity may sound like a “soft” quality, its impact is measurable. It boosts morale, retention, and results.

    Characteristics of an Authentic Leader

    Harvard highlights several traits:

    Mission-driven – they know what they stand for and why.

    Self-aware – they understand their strengths, weaknesses, and values.

    Committed to growth – they strive to improve themselves and others.

    Disciplined – they pursue excellence consistently.

    Trust-builders – they earn faith by acting with integrity.

    To the Harvard characteristics, I would add a few more qualities:

    Openness – they recognise contributions, making people feel valued.

    Consistency – their behaviour aligns with their words.

    Accessibility – they connect on the shop floor, not just in the boardroom.

    Supportiveness – they focus on people’s strengths, not just weaknesses.

    Emotional intelligence – they understand and manage emotions, both their own and others’.

    Authentic leaders are not afraid to show vulnerability. They acknowledge when they fall short and allow others to fill the gaps. They understand that true teamwork is not about one person having all the answers, but about creating a space where each individual can shine impacting performance of the whole team.

    The Impact of Authenticity

    When leaders create this kind of environment, the effects ripple outward. Employees feel valued, supported, and trusted. They take pride in their work. They learn from mistakes without fear of blame. And as a result, performance improves.

    Authenticity is not about perfection. It’s about respect, fairness, and openness. When things go wrong—as they inevitably do—authentic leaders treat setbacks as growth opportunities, fostering resilience, creativity, and motivation across the team.

    The outcome is not only happier employees but stronger organisations. Productivity rises, relationships deepen, and the culture becomes one of deep trust, positivity and a happy environment to be a part of.

    Shackleton: A Case Study in Authentic Leadership

    Few leaders illustrate authentic leadership better than Sir Ernest Shackleton. His legendary Antarctic expeditions are remembered not just for their daring but for the way he led his men through extraordinary challenges.

    Shackleton’s leadership was deeply people-centred. His values, shaped by his upbringing, guided his decisions. He rejected rigid hierarchies, treated everyone with fairness, and established routines that created stability in uncertain conditions.

    He led by example. He never asked of his men what he wouldn’t do himself. He built strong one-to-one bonds with each crew member, understanding their individuality and helping them reach their potential.

    In moments of crisis, Shackleton remained visible and optimistic—even when he harboured private doubts. He worked tirelessly to keep morale high and spirits strong. He encouraged teamwork, watched for signs of strain, and supported those in need.

    Above all, Shackleton took responsibility. He held the big picture in mind, while also being present in the smallest of details without being seen to micromanage, undermining trust. His authenticity inspired loyalty and respect that carried his men through impossible odds.

    His legacy endures as one of the clearest examples of authentic leadership in action. His approach is one of easy adoption with desire to lead effectively, while understanding yourself and others, as well as demonstrating a high degree of emotional intelligence

    Why Does this Matter in Business Today

    George Kohlrieser, in his book "Care to Dare", puts it succinctly:

    “If your starting point is that people are a cost to be minimised, your organisation might survive but it won’t thrive. But if you fundamentally believe human beings are valuable … you will achieve results in a way that also elevates the contribution and value of the human beings inside your organisation.”

    This perspective is vital in today’s world of work. Employees are no longer motivated solely by pay. They seek meaning, purpose, and belonging. They want to know that their contributions matter.

    Authentic leaders create these conditions. They act as “secure bases”—sources of safety, inspiration, and encouragement that allow people to take risks, innovate, and grow.

    When leaders operate from authenticity, even difficult decisions are received with more understanding. Trust cushions the blow. People may not always agree, but they believe in the fairness and integrity of the process.

    Final Reflections

    My holiday stay referred to earlier reminded me that authentic leadership isn’t an abstract theory—it shows up in the smallest details of everyday service. It’s in the smile that feels genuine, the conversation that isn’t scripted and the sense that people enjoy coming to work every day.

    The General Manager’s leadership approach was written into every interaction that not only I had, but other guests as well. Personnel willingly went beyond expectations, enjoyed interacting with guests and demonstrated a complete understanding of the necessity for teamwork. I got the feeling that no none wanted to be the weak link.

    And that is the real lesson: authentic leadership transforms not just organisations but experiences. It turns service into connection, compliance into commitment, and work into meaning.

    In a world that often feels transactional and rushed, authenticity stands out. It builds trust, inspires loyalty, and drives results—not by demanding more from people, but by bringing out the best in them. In other words rather than being bottom line focused which often forces robot-like behaviour and service, it is people focused and, in this way, the bottom line is taken care of through a happy, thriving empowered workforce.

    So how important is authentic leadership? In my view, it is not just important—it is essential.

    Note:

    *“Secure base is a person, place, goal or object that provides a sense of protection, safety, and care and offers a source of inspiration and energy for daring exploration risking taking and seeking challenge.”

    References:

    George Kohlreiser, Care to Dare, 2012

    Shackleton’s Way, Margot Morrell and Stephanie Capparell

    https://online.hbs.edu/blog/post/authentic-leadership

  • Addressing uncertainty and morale at the start of the new year

    The start of a New year is a time of excitement for many as we embrace the new year coming in and let go of the old year and whatever that encompassed. For most organisations the new year is a time for goal setting and budget planning. After the initial shock of the first week back at work, most of us are inspired, our batteries are full and we feel ready to face the year ahead and what that has in store. The end of 2021 left many feeling exhausted, demotivated and perhaps even lost. Morale was low as dedicated and loyal employees tried to hold it together up to the Christmas break. For many organisations, the final straw that broke the camel’s back, so to say was the cancellation of company Christmas parties, which was until that point been seen as a chance to build morale and set the tone for the coming year, whether to be held in an office, restaurant of other location in line with new government guidance.

    Once again, we find ourselves in a degree of uncertainty around what is and what might be. For some the prospect of redundancy or losing their job due to coerced  personal choice around the actuality of “no jab, no job.” Uncertainty is very draining for all involved and leads to the constant questioning and worry through circulating thoughts and conversation with self and whether things will ever get back to normal.

    Living with change is an important element of doing business. Change does create uncertainty for many, but it usually has a clear end in sight. The current global situation does not share this characteristic. Leaders contradict each other, apply varying degrees of mandated behaviours for it’s citizens and constantly monitor results whilst changing the goalposts with regular aplomb deepening the levels of uncertainty and creating fear.

    On a human physiological level, this translates into fear which is very draining. Fear as an emotion is extremely damaging to health, increasing the potential for burnout. We might not realise that we are fearful of the current situation, but somewhere in our subconscious our brains are looking for ways to protect us from what might be perceived as danger. Hence it is no surprise that having a background alert switched on all the time means we are less happy, less engaged, less creative and hence unproductive and more prone to sickness and absenteeism.

    How can leaders turn uncertainty into certainty?

    For most leaders, it is not possible to predict a certain outcome in circumstances that are beyond our control. Therefore, looking at the circle of influence and control by Stephen Covey in 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, leaders are advised to focus on the areas that they can influence. The first circle is the “Circle of Concern” and includes all the challenges and concerns you have in your life including your working life. The trick with this circle is to understand in the list of items the things that are inside your Circle of Control and not to worry about those that are outside your Circle of Control. The Pandemic is out of your control, and therefore spending time on worrying about it, will not bring any productive or beneficial results.

    As leaders, we need to consider how our team members are feeling in response to the pandemic, and while we cannot control the pandemic and government reactions to changing circumstances, we can influence morale and consequently work performance by focusing on the Circle of Concern and to a certain degree Circle of Influence.

    Can you influence someone’s morale through your leadership? Can you take time to listen to your team members concerns about job security, feelings of anxiety and fear? Truly listening to someone by taking time in a space where devices are switched off the environment safe and “being” with them is one of the greatest gifts you can give. Finding a solution for them is not necessarily required as they will find their own solution to whatever is causing their unrest. Being proactive, instead of waiting for something to happen to encourage these one to one conversations will expand your Circle of Influence while having a positive impact on levels of fear and anxiety.

    Drawing feelings out of your team members either individually or with your department as a team can be very enlightening as well as productive when done using the model of Circle of Influence and Control, as it provides a structure to share safely and openly. Try the following exercise:

    1. Draw the Circle of Concern on a large sheet of paper or interactive whiteboard.
    2. Ask all team members to write their areas of concern on stick-its and then add them to the circle.
    3. When complete, draw another circle that is smaller and in the middle of the first circle. This is the Circle of Control.
    4. Ask them to move any of their stick-its that they have direct control over from the Circle of Concern into the Circle of Control.
    5. Discuss those items that they feel they have no control over and ask the question: What influence can you have over this point/situation?
    6. Draw another circle between the first 2 circles of Concern and Control. This is the Circle of Influence.
    7. Ask them to explore ways they could influence issues in the Circle of Concern. In doing so you might discover solutions and suggestions coming from different group members that are useful for all to structure a way forward despite the fact that there is no possibility to control how the pandemic unfolds.

    When working in times of uncertainty, it is important to realise what you can control, what you can influence and what to avoid wasting time on. Doing this exercise helps visualise and verbalise through constructive discussion aspects of a situation that are causing uncertainty, anxiety and perhaps even fear. Transparency as a leader is critical to enabling constructive discussion, openness and a way to positively ease feelings of uncertainty and anxiety that are being exacerbated by worry and trying to control the uncontrollable. Overall through lightening the load and improving morale we improve productivity and performance and decrease absenteeism and sickness.

    The Christmas party might have been cancelled through factors beyond the control of department and company leaders, but we can still positively influence employee morale, motivation and performance.

    References:

    https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/368994

    Stephen Covey 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

  • An Attitude of Gratitude

    Today is International Women’s Day. This is a day where women all over the world are celebrated for the many roles they play – mother, daughter, wife, aunt, chef, general director, receptionist and so on. Women are everywhere, you could argue the same for men and I would agree. My question is why are women only given formal recognition on one day of the year? Why 8th March? The answers to my questions will be many and varied depending on country and culture, your level of acknowledgment of this day and so on. But underneath the meaning of this day is appreciation and gratitude. Both worthy actions to show someone, whether male or female that you value them and that you are grateful for what they do and how they contribute to your life.

     

    Gratitude and appreciation are the foundations to showing employees whether male or female how much they are valued and how much you appreciate what they do within their role in your organisation, however large or small. Gratitude is for both large and small actions that contribute to the collective outcome of achievement of goals, to teamwork and to organisation profitability. As in the April 2022 Oak Engage report, “Not feeling valued is the top reason for unhappiness.” Therefore, it is safe to say that feeling valued is the foundation to happiness in the workplace and that according to an Oxford University 2023 study, “Happy employees are 13% more productive”.

    https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2019-10-24-happy-workers-are-13-more-productive

     

    Who is responsible for giving appreciation and showing gratitude in an organisation?

     

    Gratitude when coming from a boss makes employees 50% more successful”.  (Forbes, April 2022)

    https://www.forbes.com/sites/carolinecastrillon/2022/04/24/how-to-create-a-culture-of-gratitude-at-work/

     

    As in the quote above from the Forbes April 2022 report, the obvious answer to this question, is the supervisor, manager and direct boss. If they want to lead and manage a motivated and inspired team of individuals, showing appreciation regularly is a top priority. That can be a simple “Thank you for…….” given directly to the person with presence showing authenticity through facial expression and body language as well as words used, or more elaborate in the form of “Employee of the month,” or other similar award. In all cases the person needs to recognise what they have done and the value it brings. Sometimes we might refer to appreciation as giving positive feedback on the spot, rather than in a formal situation, such as performance appraisal or other form of performance management.

     

    Is it just a manager that is supposed to or can say “Thank you” and show appreciation? Actually not. Fostering collaboration within teams is based on appreciation of the role that each person is responsible for and how that person takes responsibility to meet deadlines, commit to and fulfil actions and tasks, jump in to support or cover when someone in the team is struggling, share ideas, help developing those who are not as experienced and encourage fellow teammates in achievement of the goals ahead. We can all share our appreciation of each other by saying a “Thank you” and meaning it whether directly to the person or in a regular meeting where the opportunity is taken to show appreciation and give gratitude in front of the rest of the team.

     

    When we show appreciation and give gratitude, we create an environment that thrives on support of one another. It is positive, warm and fuzzy, like drinking a mug of hot chocolate in your pyjamas, while still being focused to the job in hand. It is an environment that thrives on individual employees who want to go to work because they love what they do, feel supported and valued. And the benefit according to Forbes 2023 report found that, “Happy employees are 20% more productive.”

    https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2017/12/13/promoting-employee-happiness-benefits-everyone/

     

    How does working in such an environment help organisation performance?

     

    There are many research papers and reports that show positive outcomes for all concerned, for example,

     

     “Highly engaged teams experience 59% less turnover compared to their disengaged counterparts.” (Gallup, November 2023)

     “Highly engaged teams experience 59% less turnover compared to their disengaged counterparts.” (Gallup, November 2023)

     

    Companies that actively engage employees have customer loyalty rates 233% higher.” (Aberdeen group, 2015)

    https://www.verint.com/Assets/resources/resource-types/white-papers/aberdeen-employee-engagement-paving-the-way-to-happy-customers.pdf

     

    5% increase in employee engagement can lead to a 3% jump in revenue.” (AON, 2015)  5% increase in employee engagement can lead to a 3% jump in revenue.” (IN, 2015)

     

    Doubtful that I need to add anything further to answer this question as the quotes above do this vividly. I hope that by joining the dots and making genuine appreciation a regular occurrence and making a habit of giving gratitude that you and your organisation will discover and see the list of positive benefits for both the individual and the organisation when you make “An attitude of gratitude” common place.

     

     

    References:

    https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2019-10-24-happy-workers-are-13-more-productive

     

    https://www.oak.com/blog/employee-satisfaction-stats/#:~:text=1.,employer%20as%20the%20main%20reason.

     

  • Are Bots Really The Best Option?

    With the ever-advancing fast pace of technology, more and more customer support functions are being taken over by bots.

    WHAT IS A BOT?

    As defined by www.Techterms.com, “A internet bot, also known as web robot, www robot or simply bot, is a software application that runs automated tasks (scripts) over the Internet. Typically, bots perform tasks that are both simple and structurally repetitive, at a much higher rate than would be possible for a human alone.” 

    There are many types of bot, the most common being Web Crawlers, Chat Room Bots, and Malicious Bots.

    Bots are becoming ever more popular for small and large businesses alike. While they have some clear benefits, do they really outweigh the negatives?

    Do bots provide the best customer service?DO BOTS PROVIDE THE BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE?

    Why do we think that a robot can do the job of a person in areas of customer interaction?

    Perhaps I am the dinosaur here?   The impact of using a bot in place of a human has some advantages certainly, but also many glitches, not to mention inabilities.

    A bot cannot answer anything that is non standard.  In my experience there are few customers that want to be classed as “standard”.  Certainly, there are questions that customers ask that are common to many customers and these can easily be handled via search or frequent questions on the same web page.

    However, non-standard questions, which for me seem to be the norm, cannot be addressed by a programmed robot.  In fact, what ends up happening is a deep frustration on the part of the customer who spends a great deal of time chatting with Philip, the bot, who is chatting to lots of other customers at the same time.

    Ultimately, you find ‘Philip’ either gives you an unsatisfactory answer that does not address the question because he does not understand it in the first place, or you stop the chat out of shear frustration due to slowness of response. 

    THE POSSIBLE IMPACTS

    Has anyone stopped to assess the impact of these so-called improved steps on:

    • Customer satisfaction?
    • Loss of customers due to lack of human contact?
    • Whether or not the customer’s issue was addressed?
    • Whether or not the customer’s issue was resolved?

    It seems to me that evaluation of the use of a bot is done from a cost effective position only.  However, I will be glad to stand corrected on this point.

    What drives a company to use bots?WHAT DRIVES A COMPANY TO USE BOTS?

    Bots are becoming ever more popular for small and large businesses alike. While they have some clear benefits, do they really outweigh the negatives?

    Asking the question in another way – Why do company’s wish to avoid or be uncontactable by its customers? There are several answers that I can think of:

    • Companies want to avoid a training cost that is inevitable to ensure excellent customer service.
    • Companies don’t want to invest in hiring and training management who lead the support team.
    • The operators, support team etc. are afraid of customers’ questions because firstly perhaps they do not know the answers to the questions asked and secondly do not know how to get the answers.
    • The companies believe their own product and service to be perfect and therefore there is no reason for customers to contact us.
    • The customer is not a priority or important, therefore why have personnel to provide a service to the customer.

    There are probably many more answers to this question.  However, just looking at these possibilities is both scary and thought provoking at the same time. 

    CUSTOMER SERVICE BUILDS LOYALTY

    Is it just me who wants to talk to a person because I believe in the human ability to solve the issue they are faced with, and if not able to, can at least share some empathy to your dilemma or difficulty?

    Perhaps I need to think differently about customer service and how I work with my customers to train team members – team leads, managers and leaders to inspire and drive excellent service in their teams. This is both enjoyable and essential to building customer loyalty and therefore business sustainability.

    ARE WE LOWERING OUR EXPECTATIONS?

    My expectations of banks, airlines, suppliers, shops and similar businesses, is one of excellence; of genuine interest in the client and customer base. I also expect these businesses to have the ability to communicate effectively, irrelevant of the issue, and have the desire to resolve the issue, provide the answers and ensure that the customer is overall satisfied.

    Are we really expected to accept mediocrity because a bot can only do what a bot is programmed to do? In other words a bot can only deal with issues that fall within the area of bot-expertise.  On either side of this expertise it is necessary to have human skills.

    Bots are becoming ever more popular for small and large businesses alike. While they have some clear benefits, do they really outweigh the negatives?

    Are we lowering our expectations?

    THE BENEFITS OF HUMAN CUSTOMER SERVICE

    In drawing a parallel to the current level of bot-expertise, you can say that humans have the same issue if untrained.  In any event, a human can respond and express empathy, respond at a normal pace of conversation and through human logic and expertise suggest a suitable way forward.  A human customer service expert can also be proud of what they do, how they do it and of the company that they work for.

     

    Rachel ShackletonRachel Shackleton is an entrepreneur who owns and manages Green Key Personal Development and Green Key Health. Working with local and multinational organisations, she is a public speaker and trainer in the spheres of leadership, communication and customer excellence. She ensures sustainable productivity and profitability through healthy self-management and leadership practices, ensuring a focused and successful workforce.

  • Are You Engaging Your Employees?

    The human body is a complex structure with many integrated systems that work in harmony. The heart is the conductor of the orchestra connecting organs and systems with the arteries and the veins. Taking this analogy and applying it to an organisation, is there any difference? The heart of the organisation is the culture, the values and the conductor the CEO, General Director or senior board. The arteries and veins, the life blood of the organisation – the employees. Extending this thought, would you cut your own artery or vein or deliberately block or fur up the system?

    Why then do we so often “cut” off or “block” our employees the very arteries and veins of any business through inadequate leadership practices, lack of direction, training, empowerment and engagement?

    How often do you hear someone say or read a phrase with the term “engage employees”? We need to engage our employees, increase engagement, measure the engagement of our employees and so on. Clearly something in these phrases is very important to business performance. Anne M. Mulcahy, former chairperson and CEO of Xerox, once said, “Employees who believe that management is concerned about them as a whole person – not just an employee – are more productive, more satisfied, more fulfilled. Satisfied employees mean satisfied customers, which leads to profitability.”

    Truly engaging employees results in creating the right atmosphere, conditions, and morale for all members of an organisation to give of their best each day, not because they have to but because they want to.  It means employees are committed to their organisation’s goals and values, motivated to contribute in building customer loyalty and to organisational success, with an enhanced sense of their personal wellbeing. 

    How come then the 2022 Gallup poll found that 69% of employees are disengaged? Is this a coincidence or is there something reflecting how employees are truly feeling having been “forced” to work from home irrelevant of space, conditions and family environment and in many instances feeling pressurized to return to the workplace? Is it about the lack of human contact, lack of input from leadership on a human level, turning calls and virtual meetings into a “business-only” platform which is the equivalent of only having blood flow through the arteries with no return to the heart via the veins.

    Engagement, as Anne Mulcahy said is about the whole person, we cannot expect full and complete performance if an employee is engaged with only the left brain. We might use the analogy of looking at employee engagement like looking at a person who has a disease. If you only treat the symptoms by looking at that condition you may relieve the pain, the feelings of indigestion, drowsiness, blood-sugar dysregulation or other, but once you stop with the intervention, whatever that may be, the pain returns. Why therefore with employee engagement do our systems look at measuring performance without measuring wellbeing of each person? The all-too-common KPI’s, objectives and quantative and qualitative goals. How about using the system you already have to support holistic wellbeing as well as to engage your employees? Achievement of a KPI does not necessarily mean employees are engaged.

    Wellbeing is measured in so many ways – mental, physical, social, emotional and spiritual. Should you only measure wellbeing with one of two of these dimensions, you are cutting off several systems that work in tandem. In other words, if one system is out of whack, just as in the body, it will affect other systems either through over-compensation or under-performance. Wellbeing is holistic for each individual as well as for the organisation. If you only recognise and reward achievement, you are limiting overall performance. An easy way of putting that is if you are happy that goals and objectives are achieved according to the KPI’s how do you know what you are missing if everyone in your team would feel secure, valued, nurtured and is able to embrace opportunities for development, what would the result be? The synergy it would create, the outstanding performance, happy, loyal employees and customers, motivation to want to be at work and inspiration to be the best version of what each one can be. Engagement is the arteries and veins that feed the rest of the organisation.

    Engaging employees in their work, the company culture and values is the responsibility of leaders within each organisation. In other words – creating the right environment, genuinely valuing contributions from each employee, building trust, nurturing relationships, and being authentic and transparent.  Leadership behaviour is itself driven by the organisation culture and company values.  The old saying of “the fish stinks from the head down” adequately sums up the need to ensure all levels of management lead by example and roll down wellbeing which drives performance.

    Engagement can be measured in different ways.  However, to be effective it is likely that the process is continuous and uses a combination of ways, such as:

    • Anonymous wellbeing surveys to get credible feedback that leads to relevant changes.
    • Exit interviews – taking the time to really find out why an employee is leaving is critical to reflecting on what can be done better. However, note conducting an exit interview when an employee who has been “used” to achieve KPI’s may not get the result you are looking for.
    • One-to-ones with managers work very well when there is an atmosphere of trust.  Without trust, it will bring limited results at best.
    • Customer satisfaction ratings – The customer is the one who truly bears the brunt of poor employee engagement, experiencing service performance with a “don’t care” attitude. Hearing about customer experiences is a very important gauge whilst also providing pointers for improvement. Asking for customer feedback via surveys has become the norm in many companies. I often wonder how the information is used, especially when nothing changes? Perhaps picking up the phone to gain verbal feedback would be more valuable?

    How can management influence engagement levels? 

    Again, there is no one answer, there are several answers and in reality a combination of different actions are needed to positively influence engagement of each and every employee. First begin with the management team to ensure they are confident and able to lead others effectively. Then:

    • Give employees the chance to do quality work.
    • Maintain a positive work culture.
    • Get employee “buy-in”.
    • Invite and listen carefully to employee feedback.
    • Communicate expectations clearly to employees.
    • Encourage employee collaboration and teamwork.
    • Build an open environment through authenticity, fairness and trust.
    • Give positive feedback and praise employees for their performance.
    • Train and coach to develop potential in each employee.
    • Praise for showing up as their best self.

    It makes sense that employee engagement is part of the core business strategy. Engagement on a consistent basis will pay dividends in increasing productivity, and profitability.  The workplace will be a happier place to be and consequently increase pride and enjoyment in doing quality work, serving customers, as well as succeeding in achieving department and company goals. At that point it is unlikely that you will need to be concerned about the life-blood of your organisation as “blood” will be flowing freely without blockages or obstacles.

    Green Key Personal Development is able to provide you with all the tools necessary to optimise your employee engagement. It’s important that you don’t wait for something to break before investing a few pounds per employee. The time to act is now. Book a no obligation discovery call today. https://calendly.com/greenkey/pd-consultation-meeting?